Multi-zone self-adaptive temperature control electrostatic chuck and plasma processing apparatus

Abstract

The application relates to the technical field of wafer processing equipment, in particular to a multi-zone self-adaptive temperature control electrostatic chuck and a plasma processing equipment, which comprises a wafer carrier, a supporting platform, a laser emitting element, an angle adjusting driving element, a sensing element and a control element; the wafer carrier is arranged in a process chamber and used for carrying a wafer; the laser emitting element is arranged on the supporting platform and located below the wafer carrier; the angle adjusting driving element is arranged on the supporting platform and connected with the laser emitting element; the control element is connected with the sensing element and the angle adjusting driving element respectively; the sensing element is used for collecting temperature information of each region of the wafer in real time; and the control element controls the angle adjusting driving element to drive the emitting end of the laser emitting element to deflect according to the temperature information; the laser emitting element is driven to deflect, so that the irradiation position of a radiation light spot on the back of the wafer carrier is dynamically changed, and self-adaptive, non-contact independent regulation and control of the temperature of different regions of the wafer are realized.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of wafer processing equipment technology, and in particular to an electrostatic chuck with multi-zone adaptive temperature control and plasma processing equipment. Background Technology

[0002] Wafer temperature control is a key factor affecting process uniformity and stability. Current semiconductor process cavities generally employ integral metal heating pads with built-in heating wires. However, this makes it difficult to achieve independent temperature control between the wafer center and edges, leading to differences in photoresist removal rates and etching uniformity. Furthermore, traditional heating methods are limited by high thermal inertia and slow response times, failing to meet the demands of high-precision semiconductor manufacturing for rapid heating and cooling and flexible switching between multiple processes, thus hindering further improvements in equipment performance. Summary of the Invention

[0003] This invention relates to an electrostatic chuck and plasma processing equipment with multi-zone adaptive temperature control. The purpose is to dynamically change the irradiation position of the radiation spot on the back of the wafer stage by driving the laser emitter to deflect, thereby realizing adaptive, non-contact, and independent temperature control of different areas of the wafer. At the same time, it overcomes the problem of uneven temperature control between the central and edge areas of the wafer caused by the large thermal inertia and slow response of traditional integral heating plates.

[0004] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides a multi-zone adaptive temperature control electrostatic chuck, comprising a wafer stage, a support platform, a laser emitter, an angle adjustment drive, a sensor, and a control unit; The wafer stage is disposed in the process chamber to support the wafer, the laser emitter is disposed on the support platform and located below the wafer stage, and the angle adjustment drive is disposed on the support platform and connected to the laser emitter. The control unit is connected to the sensing unit and the angle adjustment drive unit respectively. The sensing unit is used to collect temperature information of each area of ​​the wafer in real time. The control unit controls the angle adjustment drive unit to drive the emitting end of the laser emitting unit to deflect according to the temperature information, so as to change the position of the radiation spot emitted by the emitting end on the back side of the wafer stage, thereby achieving adaptive adjustment of the temperature of each area of ​​the wafer.

[0005] Optionally, the top of the support platform is recessed with a storage groove, the angle adjustment drive is disposed in the storage groove, and at least a portion of the laser emitter is disposed in the storage groove, so as to avoid interference with other components in the process chamber when the laser emitter deflects.

[0006] Optionally, the angle adjustment drive includes a fixed base, a deflection ball, a connecting part, a first deflection drive part, and a second deflection drive part; The fixing seat is located at the bottom of the storage slot, and the fixing seat is provided with a deflection groove that is recessed from the top to the bottom. The deflecting ball is movable within the deflecting groove; The two ends of the connecting part are respectively connected to the deflection ball and the laser emitting element; The first deflection drive unit is located at the bottom of the deflection sphere, and several second deflection drive units are provided and spaced apart in various regions of the inner wall of the deflection groove. The first deflection drive unit and several second deflection drive units are respectively connected to an independent power supply. By controlling the power on and off of each second deflection drive unit, the first deflection drive unit is attracted and driven to carry the laser emitter to make deflection movements, so as to adjust the position of the radiation spot on the back side of the wafer stage.

[0007] Optionally, the radial area of ​​the opening of the deflection groove is smaller than the maximum radial cross-sectional area of ​​the deflection ball to prevent the deflection ball from coming out of the deflection groove during movement.

[0008] Optionally, the multi-zone adaptive temperature control electrostatic chuck further includes several elastic connectors. One end of each elastic connector is fixedly connected to the inner wall of the storage groove, and the other end is fixedly connected to the laser emitter. The elastic connectors are evenly spaced along the circumference of the storage groove at the same axial height to provide traction support for the laser emitter when it deflects.

[0009] Optionally, the laser emitter includes an emitter body and a focusing cover; The focusing mask is connected to the connecting part. The focusing mask has a focusing cavity recessed from the top to the bottom. The emitter body is located at the bottom of the focusing cavity. The area of ​​the radial cross section of the focusing cavity increases first and then decreases in the direction towards the wafer stage, so that the light beam is focused on the corresponding area of ​​the wafer stage.

[0010] Optionally, the multi-zone adaptive temperature control electrostatic chuck further includes an elastic seal, which is fixedly disposed on the top of the support platform and covers the periphery of the opening end of the storage groove. The top of the elastic seal is fixedly connected to the edge of the focusing cover to prevent plasma or byproducts from entering the storage groove.

[0011] Optionally, the inner wall of the focusing cover near its top is provided with an annular groove extending radially along the focusing cover, and a plurality of fan-shaped rings are movably disposed in the annular groove. The plurality of fan-shaped rings are arranged sequentially along the circumference of the focusing cover to form a radiation area adjustment component. Furthermore, the inner edges of several of the fan-shaped rings are arranged to form laser transmission holes for the radiation spot to pass through. The fan-shaped rings move along the radial direction of the condenser and toward or away from the central axis of the condenser to adjust the diameter of the laser transmission holes.

[0012] Optionally, the multi-zone adaptive temperature control electrostatic chuck further includes a driving component, the driving end of which is connected to several of the fan-shaped rings respectively, so as to drive each of the fan-shaped rings to move radially along the focusing mask and adjust the diameter of the laser transmission hole.

[0013] Optionally, two adjacent sector rings are respectively a first sub-ring and a second sub-ring. The opposing ends of the first sub-ring and the second sub-ring are respectively provided with a blocking part and a receiving groove. At least a portion of the blocking part is movably inserted into the receiving groove so that when a plurality of sector rings move, the blocking part moves synchronously along the circumferential direction in the receiving groove, thereby blocking the gap between two adjacent sector rings.

[0014] Optionally, the bottom of the support platform is connected to an axial drive component, which is used to drive the support platform to move the laser emitter axially toward or away from the wafer stage, so as to adjust the axial distance between the laser emitter and the wafer stage, thereby dynamically adjusting the laser irradiation energy density.

[0015] Optionally, the wafer stage includes an outer heating zone, an inner heating zone, and an annular heat insulation portion. The inner heating zone corresponds to the central region of the wafer, the outer heating zone is arranged around the inner heating zone and corresponds to the edge region of the wafer, and the annular heat insulation portion is sleeved between the inner heating zone and the outer heating zone to block the heat conduction path between the inner heating zone and the outer heating zone, thereby achieving independent temperature control of the central region and the edge region of the wafer.

[0016] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides a plasma processing apparatus, including a process chamber and a support member, and a multi-zone adaptive temperature-controlled electrostatic chuck disposed within the process chamber. The wafer stage in the multi-zone adaptive temperature-controlled electrostatic chuck is fixed within the process chamber by the support member. The multi-zone adaptive temperature-controlled electrostatic chuck includes a support platform, which is movably sleeved outside the support member.

[0017] The beneficial effects of this invention are as follows: This invention uses sensors to collect temperature information from various regions of the wafer in real time, and a control unit precisely controls the angle adjustment of the drive unit to deflect the laser emitter based on this information. This dynamically changes the irradiation position of the radiation spot on the back of the wafer stage, achieving adaptive, non-contact, and independent temperature control of different regions of the wafer. This mechanism effectively overcomes the problem of uneven temperature control between the center and edge regions of the wafer caused by the large thermal inertia and slow response of traditional integral heating plates. This significantly improves the accuracy and response speed of wafer temperature control, thereby ensuring the uniformity and stability of semiconductor processes and meeting the needs of high-precision manufacturing for rapid heating and cooling and flexible switching between multiple processes. Attached Figure Description

[0018] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a plasma processing device in some embodiments of the present invention; Figure 2 for Figure 1 An enlarged schematic diagram of the structure at position A in the plasma processing equipment shown; Figure 3 for Figure 2 An enlarged schematic diagram of the structure at position B is shown; Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of a structure in some embodiments where several fan-shaped rings surround a laser-through hole with the smallest diameter; Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a laser-through hole formed by adjusting several sector rings in some embodiments.

[0019] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures: 1. Support component; 2. Process chamber; 3. Inner ring heating zone; 4. Outer ring heating zone; 5. Wafer; 6. Support platform; 61. Receiving slot; 7. Laser emitter; 71. Emitter body; 72. Concentrator; 8. Axial drive component; 9. Annular heat insulation part; 10. Angle adjustment drive component; 101. Fixing base; 102. Deflection groove; 103. Deflection ball; 104. Connecting part; 105. First deflection drive part; 106. Second deflection drive part; 11. Elastic connector; 12. Elastic seal; 13. Radiation area adjustment component; 131. Sector ring; 132. Laser transmission hole; 133. Shielding part; 134. Receiving slot; 14. Annular groove. Detailed Implementation

[0020] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this invention clearer, the technical solutions in the embodiments of this invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some, not all, of the embodiments of this invention. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of this invention without inventive effort are within the scope of protection of this invention. Unless otherwise defined, the technical or scientific terms used herein should have the ordinary meaning understood by those skilled in the art. The terms "comprising" and similar expressions used herein mean that the element or object preceding the word covers the element or object listed following the word and its equivalents, but do not exclude other elements or objects.

[0021] This invention relates to an electrostatic chuck and plasma processing equipment with multi-zone adaptive temperature control. The purpose is to dynamically change the irradiation position of the radiation spot on the back of the wafer stage by driving the laser emitter to deflect, thereby realizing adaptive, non-contact, and independent temperature control of different areas of the wafer. At the same time, it overcomes the problem of uneven temperature control between the central and edge areas of the wafer caused by the large thermal inertia and slow response of traditional integral heating plates.

[0022] To address the problems existing in the prior art, embodiments of the present invention provide a multi-zone adaptive temperature control electrostatic chuck, such as... Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the multi-zone adaptive temperature control electrostatic chuck includes a wafer stage, a support platform 6, a laser emitter 7, an angle adjustment drive 10, a sensor, and a control unit.

[0023] In some embodiments, such as Figure 1 As shown, the wafer stage is disposed within the process chamber 2 to support the wafer 5, and the wafer stage is preferably coaxially arranged with the process chamber 2; the laser emitter 7 is disposed on the support platform 6 and located below the wafer stage, and the angle adjustment drive 10 is disposed on the support platform 6 and connected to the laser emitter 7; preferably, the number of laser emitters 7 is set to several, and the number of angle adjustment drive 10 corresponds one-to-one with the number of laser emitters 7. The specific number and arrangement can be determined according to the size of the wafer stage and the required temperature control zone partitioning accuracy, which will not be elaborated here.

[0024] In some embodiments, such as Figure 1As shown, the control unit is connected to the sensing element and the angle adjustment drive unit 10 respectively. The sensing element is used to collect temperature information of each area of ​​the wafer 5 in real time. The control unit controls the angle adjustment drive unit 10 to drive the emitting end of the laser emitting element 7 to deflect according to the temperature information, so as to change the position of the radiation spot emitted by the emitting end on the back of the wafer stage, thereby achieving adaptive adjustment of the temperature of each area of ​​the wafer 5. In this embodiment, the control unit precisely drives the laser emitting end to deflect according to the actual temperature distribution of each area of ​​the wafer 5 collected by the sensing element, so as to change the landing position of the radiation spot on the back of the wafer stage. This enables targeted energy compensation for local overcooled areas, effectively overcoming the defects of traditional integral heating plates such as large thermal inertia, slow response, and inability to achieve local independent temperature control. It significantly improves the uniformity and stability of the temperature field on the surface of the wafer 5, thereby ensuring high precision and high yield of semiconductor processes.

[0025] It is worth noting that when there are multiple laser emitters 7, the angle adjustment drive 10 has the ability to coordinate or independently control each laser emitter 7. That is, it can not only drive the emitting ends of all laser emitters 7 to deflect synchronously in the same direction to achieve large-area uniform irradiation of a specific area of ​​the wafer 5, but also drive the emitting ends of different laser emitters 7 to deflect in different directions according to the different temperature control requirements of each partition of the wafer 5, thereby forming multiple independent radiation spots with adjustable positions and controllable energy on the back of the wafer stage, realizing fine and asymmetric dynamic control of the temperature of multiple regions in the entire area of ​​the wafer 5.

[0026] In some embodiments, the control unit can be a data processing unit based on an industrial computer or embedded controller, which has a built-in PID closed-loop control algorithm and regional temperature mapping logic. The control unit establishes electrical signal connections with the sensor and the angle adjustment drive 10 through a high-speed communication interface, and is configured to receive temperature distribution data of various regions of the wafer 5 collected by the sensor at a millisecond response speed. After comparison and analysis by the algorithm, it generates corresponding deflection control commands in real time, and converts the commands into precise current or voltage signals and outputs them to the angle adjustment drive 10, thereby driving the laser emitter 7 to perform directional deflection with micron-level precision, and realizing dynamic, adaptive, and precise closed-loop control of the temperature field of the wafer 5.

[0027] In some embodiments, the sensing element may be a non-contact infrared temperature sensor array or a pyrometer, which is preferably arranged above the wafer 5 from a top-down perspective or integrated into the top cover of the process chamber 2, and is configured to scan and collect temperature information of multiple preset zones on the surface of the wafer 5 in real time at a millisecond-level sampling frequency.

[0028] In some embodiments, such as Figure 1 and Figure 2As shown, the top of the support platform 6 has a recessed storage groove 61. The angle adjustment drive 10 is disposed within the storage groove 61, and at least a portion of the laser emitter 7 is disposed within the storage groove 61. This design prevents interference with other components within the process chamber 2 when the laser emitter 7 deflects. This embodiment, by designing a downwardly recessed storage groove 61 on the top of the support platform 6 and housing the angle adjustment drive 10 and part of the main body of the laser emitter 7 within this groove, ensures that the movement trajectory of the laser emitter 7 is always confined within the contour range of the storage groove 61 during large-angle deflection adjustments. This fundamentally avoids mechanical interference or collision between the laser emitter 7 and other inherent precision components (such as the support 1) within the process chamber 2.

[0029] In some embodiments, such as Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, the angle adjustment drive 10 includes a fixed base 101, a deflection ball 103, a connecting part 104, a first deflection drive part 105, and a second deflection drive part 106.

[0030] In some embodiments, such as Figure 3 As shown, the fixing base 101 is located at the bottom of the storage groove 61, and the fixing base 101 is provided with a deflection groove 102 that is recessed from the top to the bottom; preferably, the shape of the fixing base 101 is a block or disc-shaped structure that matches the shape of the bottom of the storage groove 61, and its outer contour is a regular geometric shape (such as a circle or a regular polygon) to ensure its stable installation and precise positioning in the storage groove 61.

[0031] In some embodiments, such as Figure 3 As shown, the deflection ball 103 is movably disposed within the deflection groove 102; preferably, the cavity of the deflection groove 102 is a hemispherical or near-spherical cavity structure adapted to the outer contour of the deflection ball 103, and its radial cross-sectional dimension is slightly larger than the maximum outer diameter of the deflection ball 103, so as to reserve a small movement gap between the deflection ball 103 and the inner wall of the deflection groove 102, thereby allowing the deflection ball 103 to achieve free rotation at multiple angles, and providing stable limiting and support for the deflection ball 103 when not in operation, ensuring the flexibility of attitude adjustment and structural stability of the laser emitter 7.

[0032] In some embodiments, such as Figure 3 As shown, the two ends of the connecting part 104 are respectively connected to the deflection ball 103 and the laser emitter 7; the structure of the connecting part 104 can be a rigid connecting rod or an integrally formed connecting bracket, the upper end of which is fixedly connected to the bottom of the laser emitter 7 by fasteners or welding, and the lower end forms a ball socket or snap-fit ​​structure that matches the top of the deflection ball 103.

[0033] In some embodiments, such as Figure 3 As shown, the first deflection drive unit 105 is disposed at the bottom of the deflection ball 103. Preferably, the first deflection drive unit 105 is coaxially disposed at the center of the bottom of the deflection ball 103.

[0034] In some embodiments, such as Figure 3 As shown, the second deflection drive unit 106 is provided in a plurality of locations and is spaced apart in various regions of the inner wall of the deflection groove 102. Specifically, these second deflection drive units 106 can be evenly distributed along the circumference of the inner wall of the deflection groove 102, for example, arranged at equal angles on the same circumference, thereby forming independent electromagnetic action points in different directions, or arranged on different circumferences. As long as each second deflection drive unit 106 is spatially distributed in a three-dimensional manner relative to the central axis of the deflection groove 102, any arrangement method that forms an all-round electromagnetic action point in multiple dimensions such as up, down, left, and right is acceptable, and will not be elaborated here.

[0035] In some embodiments, the first deflection drive unit 105 and a plurality of second deflection drive units 106 are respectively connected to an independent power supply. By controlling the power on and off of each second deflection drive unit 106, the first deflection drive unit 105 is attracted and driven to deflect the laser emitter 7, so as to adjust the position of the radiation spot on the back side of the wafer stage. This embodiment achieves independent control of each of the second deflection drive units 106 by configuring independent power supplies for the first deflection drive unit 105 and each of the second deflection drive units 106. When the system needs to adjust the position of the radiation spot, the controller only needs to power on the second deflection drive unit 106 in a specific direction, and use the directional electromagnetic attraction generated between it and the first deflection drive unit 105 to pull the deflection ball 103 to deflect, thereby achieving the deflection of the laser emitter 7, thus avoiding the energy waste and interference caused by the traditional integral drive. This "point-to-point" precise magnetic attraction drive mechanism not only significantly improves the directionality and positioning accuracy of the deflection direction of the laser emitter 7, but also greatly reduces the circuit coupling noise and energy consumption when multiple drive units operate simultaneously, ensuring that the radiation spot can move quickly, stably and with low noise to the target area on the back of the wafer stage.

[0036] To achieve mutual attraction between the first deflection drive unit 105 and the second deflection drive unit 106, the specific structure can be, but is not limited to, a combination structure of an armature made of a magnetically conductive material (such as a soft magnetic alloy) and an electromagnet core wound with a conductive coil. The first deflection drive unit 105 is preferably a permanent magnet or excitation core embedded in the bottom of the deflection ball 103, while a plurality of second deflection drive units 106 are preferably electromagnetic coils arranged at intervals along the inner wall of the deflection groove 102. When the control unit passes a current in a specific direction to the selected electromagnetic coil, the electromagnetic coil generates a magnetic field and forms a controllable electromagnetic attraction or repulsion between it and the first deflection drive unit 105 (permanent magnet / core). Thus, the deflection ball 103 and its connected laser emitter 7 are precisely pulled to complete a deflection movement of a predetermined angle through non-contact magnetic coupling.

[0037] In some embodiments, such as Figure 3 As shown, the radial area of ​​the opening of the deflection groove 102 is smaller than the maximum radial cross-sectional area of ​​the deflection ball 103 to prevent the deflection ball 103 from detaching from the deflection groove 102 during movement. This utilizes the difference in geometric dimensions to create a mechanical constraint structure similar to "locking" or "limiting," effectively preventing the deflection ball 103 from accidentally detaching from the deflection groove 102 under equipment vibration, impact, or extreme conditions without hindering its free rotation at multiple angles within the groove. This purely mechanical anti-detachment design is not only simple and reliable, requiring no additional locking device, but also ensures the long-term stability of the connection between the laser emitter 7 and the angle adjustment drive 10, guaranteeing the operational safety and service life of the entire temperature control system.

[0038] In some embodiments, such as Figure 2As shown, the multi-zone adaptive temperature control electrostatic chuck also includes several elastic connectors 11. One end of each elastic connector 11 is fixedly connected to the inner wall of the receiving groove 61, and the other end is fixedly connected to the laser emitter 7. The elastic connectors 11 are evenly spaced along the circumference of the receiving groove 61 at the same axial height to provide traction support for the laser emitter 7 during its deflection movement. By arranging several elastic connectors 11 within the receiving groove 61 and fixing their ends to the side wall of the receiving groove 61 and the laser emitter 7 respectively, a flexible support mechanism with a rebound and reset function is constructed. This structure provides necessary buffering when the laser emitter 7 deflects at an angle, effectively absorbing vibrations and impacts during equipment operation and preventing spot position drift caused by mechanical vibration. Furthermore, when the angle adjustment drive 10 is powered off or fails, it can automatically pull the laser emitter 7 back to its initial equilibrium position using its own elastic restoring force, thereby significantly improving the operational stability, anti-interference capability, and long-term reliability of the laser heating device during high-frequency dynamic adjustment.

[0039] In some embodiments, the elastic connector 11 can be a leaf spring, a helical spring, or an elastic metal wire. One end of the connector is fixedly connected to the inner wall of the storage groove 61 by welding, riveting, or threaded fasteners, while the other end is connected to the outer shell of the laser emitter 7 by hooks, buckles, or adhesives.

[0040] In some embodiments, such as Figure 2 As shown, the laser emitter 7 includes an emitter body 71 and a focusing cover 72.

[0041] In some embodiments, such as Figure 2 As shown, the focusing cover 72 is connected to the connecting part 104. The focusing cover 72 has a focusing cavity recessed from the top to the bottom. The emitting element body 71 is located at the bottom of the focusing cavity. The radial cross-sectional area of ​​the focusing cavity increases first and then decreases towards the wafer stage, so that the light beam is focused on the corresponding area of ​​the wafer stage. This constructs a converging light path structure similar to an optical lens, which can effectively collect and reflect the diverging light beam emitted by the emitting element body 71 during propagation, gradually converging and focusing it on a specific corresponding area of ​​the wafer stage. This structure not only significantly improves the spatial concentration and utilization of radiation energy and avoids heat diffusion to non-target areas, but also enables the laser emitting element 7 to form a radiation spot with clear boundaries and uniform energy density on the back of the wafer stage when used in conjunction with the angle adjustment drive 10 for zoned temperature control, thereby achieving precise and efficient temperature control of different areas such as the center and edge of the wafer 5.

[0042] In some embodiments, such as Figure 2As shown, the multi-zone adaptive temperature-controlled electrostatic chuck also includes an elastic sealing element 12. The elastic sealing element 12 is fixedly disposed on the top of the support platform 6 and covers the periphery of the opening end of the receiving groove 61. The top of the elastic sealing element 12 is fixedly connected to the edge of the focusing cover 72 to prevent plasma or by-products from entering the receiving groove 61. By constructing a flexible sealing barrier composed of the elastic sealing element 12 between the focusing cover 72 and the support platform 6, and by having the elastic sealing element 12 cover the periphery of the opening end of the receiving groove 61 in a cover shape, and doubly fixed to the top of the support platform 6 and the edge of the focusing cover 72 respectively, a physical isolation zone is effectively formed, which can reliably prevent plasma, reaction by-products or micro-dust particles in the process chamber 2 from entering the interior of the receiving groove 61.

[0043] In some embodiments, the elastic seal 12 can be made of a material with resilience and plasma corrosion resistance, such as fluororubber doped with ceramic particles, perfluoroether rubber, or a high-temperature resistant metal bellows structure. Structurally, the elastic seal 12 is preferably an inverted "Ω"-shaped or tubular flexible cover, the bottom of which is rigidly fixed to the edge of the receiving groove 61 at the top of the support platform 6 by fasteners or adhesives, and the top forms a reliable sealing connection with the outer edge of the focusing cover 72. This design, which combines material corrosion resistance and structural deformation adaptability, can not only follow the expansion and contraction of the laser emitter 7 to maintain dynamic sealing when it deflects at multiple angles, but also effectively prevent corrosive gases and byproducts in the process chamber 2 from entering the receiving groove 61, thereby ensuring the long-term stable operation of the internal precision drive mechanism.

[0044] In some embodiments, such as Figure 2 , Figure 4 and Figure 5 As shown, the inner wall of the focusing mask 72 near its top is provided with an annular groove 14 extending radially along the focusing mask 72. A plurality of fan-shaped rings 131 are movably disposed in the annular groove 14. The plurality of fan-shaped rings 131 are arranged sequentially along the circumference of the focusing mask 72 to form a radiation area adjustment member 13. The inner edges of the plurality of fan-shaped rings 131 (the inner edge refers to the edge of the fan-shaped ring 131 near the central axis of the focusing mask 72) surround to form a laser transmission hole 132 for the radiation spot to pass through. The fan-shaped rings 131 move radially toward or away from the central axis of the focusing mask 72 to adjust the diameter of the laser transmission hole 132, thereby adjusting the size of the radiation spot formed on the wafer stage.

[0045] in, Figure 4 The image shows a laser-through hole 132 with the smallest diameter formed by several fan-shaped rings 131. Figure 5The image shows a laser-through hole 132 formed by several fan-shaped rings 131 after radial adjustment.

[0046] By setting a radiation area adjustment component 13 consisting of multiple circumferentially arranged fan-shaped rings 131 within the annular groove 14, and using its reciprocating motion in the radial direction to dynamically change the diameter of the laser through-hole 132 formed around it, continuous adjustable control of the radiation spot size is achieved. This structure allows the system to flexibly adjust the coverage area and energy density of the irradiation spot according to the differences in heat capacity of different regions of the wafer 5 (such as the central region and the edge region) or the temperature control requirements of different process stages (such as rapid heating and constant temperature holding). It can increase the spot size to improve heating efficiency when rapid temperature adjustment is required, and reduce the spot size to achieve fine heat treatment of local micro-areas when precise temperature control is required, thereby further improving the flexibility, adaptability and process compatibility of the temperature field control of the wafer 5.

[0047] In some embodiments, the number of the fan-shaped rings 131 can be three, four or more, and they are preferably arranged at equal central angles along the circumference of the focusing cover 72 to form a complete circular or polygonal adjustment structure. This design facilitates fine radial position control of each fan-shaped ring 131 through the drive assembly, thereby achieving smooth and continuous adjustment of the diameter of the laser through-hole 132.

[0048] In some embodiments, the multi-zone adaptive temperature control electrostatic chuck further includes a driving component, the driving end of which is connected to a plurality of the sector rings 131 respectively, so as to drive each sector ring 131 to move radially along the focusing cover 72 through the driving component, thereby adjusting the diameter of the laser transmission hole 132. The drive assembly can be a modular electromechanical system integrating a central control unit and multiple independent output channels. This system can either use a single motor in conjunction with a planetary gear or cam linkage mechanism to synchronously drive all sector rings 131 to open and close radially at a constant speed, thereby achieving rapid overall adjustment of the diameter of the laser through-hole 132, or it can adopt a multi-axis linkage design, which includes several micro stepper motors or piezoelectric ceramic actuators, with each micro drive unit corresponding to one sector ring 131. This centralized coordination of "one-to-many" or fine control of "one-to-one" architecture allows the drive assembly to flexibly choose to coordinate the movement of all sector rings 131 or to independently fine-tune specific sector rings 131 according to the instructions of the controller, thereby accurately compensating for the non-circularity of the light spot caused by manufacturing errors of the focusing mask 72 or thermal deformation of the wafer 5, ensuring a high degree of controllability and adjustment accuracy of the size and shape of the radiation spot.

[0049] In some embodiments, such as Figure 4As shown, two adjacent sector rings 131 are respectively a first sub-ring and a second sub-ring. The opposing ends of the first sub-ring and the second sub-ring are respectively provided with a blocking part 133 and a receiving groove 134. At least a portion of the blocking part 133 is movably inserted into the receiving groove 134 so that when the several sector rings 131 move, the blocking part 133 moves synchronously along the circumferential direction in the receiving groove 134, thereby blocking the gap between two adjacent sector rings 131.

[0050] This embodiment employs an interlocking complementary structure of "shielding part 133 and receiving groove 134" at the opposing ends of the first and second sub-rings. This ensures that the fan-shaped rings 131 maintain physical overlap and seamless connection with each other during the process of adjusting the diameter of the laser transmission hole 132 by moving radially towards or away from each other. This dynamic sealing mechanism not only effectively shields the gaps between the fan-shaped rings 131 caused by relative displacement, preventing radiation from leaking or scattering from these gaps, but also avoids plasma or reaction byproducts in the process chamber 2 from intruding into the annular groove 14, causing mechanical jamming or contamination. This significantly improves the optical performance stability and mechanical movement reliability of the radiation area adjustment component 13 under complex working conditions.

[0051] In some embodiments, such as Figure 1 As shown, the bottom of the support platform 6 is connected to an axial drive component 8. The axial drive component 8 is used to drive the support platform 6 to move the laser emitter 7 axially toward or away from the wafer stage, so as to adjust the axial distance between the laser emitter 7 and the wafer stage, thereby dynamically adjusting the laser irradiation energy density.

[0052] This embodiment introduces an axial drive component 8 to drive the support platform 6 and the laser emitter 7 to move as a whole along a direction perpendicular to the wafer stage (axial direction), realizing dynamic adjustment of the vertical distance between the laser emitter 7 and the wafer stage. This mechanism allows the system to flexibly change the size and energy density of the laser radiation spot on the back of the wafer 5 according to the different requirements of heating rate and temperature uniformity at different process stages. For example, when rapid heating is required, the axial distance can be shortened to enhance heating intensity, and when precise temperature control or avoiding local overheating is required, the axial distance can be increased to reduce power density. This breaks through the limitations of adjusting the planar position by relying solely on angle deflection, significantly improving the dimension, range and precision of wafer 5 temperature control, and better adapting to the complex and ever-changing semiconductor process requirements.

[0053] In some embodiments, the axial drive 8 can be an electric or pneumatic actuator system, such as including but not limited to a ball screw linear module, a linear motor, a piezoelectric ceramic actuator, or a thin pneumatic cylinder.

[0054] In some embodiments, such as Figure 1 As shown, the wafer stage includes an outer heating zone 4, an inner heating zone 3, and an annular heat insulation portion 9. The inner heating zone 3 corresponds to the central region of the wafer 5. The outer heating zone 4 is arranged around the inner heating zone 3 and corresponds to the edge region of the wafer 5. The annular heat insulation portion 9 is sleeved between the inner heating zone 3 and the outer heating zone 4 to block the heat conduction path between the inner heating zone 3 and the outer heating zone 4, thereby achieving independent temperature control of the central region and the edge region of the wafer 5. This partitioned heat insulation design allows the inner heating zone 3 and the outer heating zone 4 to operate as two relatively independent thermal systems. This avoids the temperature interference between the central and edge regions of the wafer 5 caused by heat conduction in traditional integrated heating plates. As a result, when the laser emitter 7 rapidly heats or cools a local area (such as the edge region) of the wafer 5, it will not significantly affect the temperature stability of another area (such as the central region). Ultimately, it achieves true physical isolation and independent and precise temperature control between the central and edge regions of the wafer 5, greatly improving the spatial resolution and process uniformity of the temperature field of the wafer 5.

[0055] In some embodiments, the annular heat insulation portion 9 can be made of a non-metallic composite material with extremely low thermal conductivity and excellent high-temperature stability, such as, but not limited to, silicon nitride, alumina ceramic, quartz glass, or high-performance polyimide foam. Structurally, the annular heat insulation portion 9 is preferably designed as a solid structure with a porous structure or a sandwich layer. By significantly reducing the solid heat conduction path inside the material, it effectively blocks the heat flow exchange between the inner heating zone 3 and the outer heating zone 4, thereby achieving strong isolation of the temperature field between the central region and the edge region of the wafer 5 at the physical level. This ensures that the two can be precisely controlled as independent thermal systems, avoiding a decrease in temperature control accuracy due to thermal crosstalk.

[0056] To address the problems existing in the prior art, embodiments of the present invention provide a plasma processing device, such as... Figure 1 As shown, the plasma processing equipment includes a process chamber 2 and a support member 1, as well as a multi-zone adaptive temperature-controlled electrostatic chuck disposed in the process chamber 2. The wafer stage in the multi-zone adaptive temperature-controlled electrostatic chuck is fixed in the process chamber 2 by the support member 1. The support platform 6 in the multi-zone adaptive temperature-controlled electrostatic chuck is movably sleeved on the support member 1, so that the support platform 6 can move up and down along the axial direction of the support member 1.

[0057] In some embodiments, the plasma processing equipment can be various reaction chamber systems applied in semiconductor manufacturing processes, including but not limited to plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition equipment, plasma etching equipment, and plasma resist stripping equipment. In this equipment, the multi-zone adaptive temperature-controlled electrostatic chuck is integrated into the lower part of the process chamber 2, and is movably sleeved on the support member 1 through the support platform 6. The laser emitter 7 performs non-contact zone heating on the back side of the wafer 5 through the wafer stage, thereby achieving uniform control of the thin film growth rate in the deposition process, maintaining the process window stability of the wafer 5 surface temperature in the etching process, and precisely controlling the removal rate and residual rate of photoresist in the resist stripping process, significantly improving the uniformity and yield of wafer 5 processing under different process conditions.

[0058] While embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made to these embodiments. However, it should be understood that such modifications and variations fall within the scope and spirit of the present invention. Furthermore, the present invention described herein may have other embodiments and can be implemented or carried out in various ways.

Claims

1. A multi-zone adaptive temperature control electrostatic chuck, characterized in that, This includes a wafer stage, support platform, laser emitter, angle adjustment drive, sensor, and control unit; The wafer stage is disposed in the process chamber to support the wafer, the laser emitter is disposed on the support platform and located below the wafer stage, and the angle adjustment drive is disposed on the support platform and connected to the laser emitter; the number of laser emitters is set to a certain number, and the number of angle adjustment drives corresponds one-to-one with the number of laser emitters; The control unit is connected to the sensing unit and the angle adjustment drive unit respectively. The sensing unit is used to collect temperature information of each area of ​​the wafer in real time. The control unit controls the angle adjustment drive unit to drive the emitting end of the laser emitting unit to deflect according to the temperature information, so as to change the position of the radiation spot emitted by the emitting end on the back of the wafer stage, thereby achieving adaptive adjustment of the temperature of each area of ​​the wafer. The laser emitting element includes an emitting element body and a focusing cover; The inner wall of the focusing cover near its top is provided with an annular groove extending radially along the focusing cover. Several fan-shaped rings are movably arranged in the annular groove. The several fan-shaped rings are arranged sequentially along the circumference of the focusing cover to form a radiation area adjustment component. Furthermore, the inner edges of several of the fan-shaped rings are arranged to form laser transmission holes for the radiation spot to pass through. The fan-shaped rings move along the radial direction of the condenser and toward or away from the central axis of the condenser to adjust the diameter of the laser transmission holes, thereby adjusting the size of the radiation spot formed on the wafer stage.

2. The multi-zone adaptive temperature control electrostatic chuck according to claim 1, characterized in that, The top of the support platform has a recessed storage groove, the angle adjustment drive is disposed in the storage groove, and at least a portion of the laser emitter is disposed in the storage groove to avoid interference with other components in the process chamber when the laser emitter deflects.

3. The multi-zone adaptive temperature control electrostatic chuck according to claim 2, characterized in that, The angle adjustment drive includes a fixed base, a deflection ball, a connecting part, a first deflection drive part, and a second deflection drive part; The fixing seat is located at the bottom of the storage slot, and the fixing seat is provided with a deflection groove that is recessed from the top to the bottom. The deflecting ball is movably disposed within the deflecting groove; The two ends of the connecting part are respectively connected to the deflection ball and the laser emitting element; The first deflection drive unit is located at the bottom of the deflection sphere, and several second deflection drive units are provided and spaced apart in various regions of the inner wall of the deflection groove. The first deflection drive unit and several second deflection drive units are respectively connected to an independent power supply. By controlling the power on and off of each second deflection drive unit, the first deflection drive unit is attracted and driven to carry the laser emitter to make deflection movements, so as to adjust the position of the radiation spot on the back side of the wafer stage.

4. The multi-zone adaptive temperature control electrostatic chuck according to claim 3, characterized in that, The radial area of ​​the opening of the deflection groove is smaller than the maximum radial cross-sectional area of ​​the deflection ball to prevent the deflection ball from coming out of the deflection groove during movement.

5. The multi-zone adaptive temperature control electrostatic chuck according to claim 2, characterized in that, It also includes several elastic connectors, one end of which is fixedly connected to the inner wall of the storage groove, and the other end is fixedly connected to the laser emitter. The elastic connectors are evenly spaced along the circumference of the storage groove at the same axial height, so as to provide traction support for the laser emitter when it deflects.

6. The multi-zone adaptive temperature control electrostatic chuck according to claim 3, characterized in that, The focusing mask is connected to the connecting part. The focusing mask has a focusing cavity recessed from the top to the bottom. The emitter body is located at the bottom of the focusing cavity. The area of ​​the radial cross section of the focusing cavity increases first and then decreases in the direction towards the wafer stage, so that the light beam is focused on the corresponding area of ​​the wafer stage.

7. The multi-zone adaptive temperature control electrostatic chuck according to claim 6, characterized in that, It also includes an elastic seal, which is fixedly disposed on the top of the support platform and covers the periphery of the opening end of the receiving groove, and the top of the elastic seal is fixedly connected to the edge of the focusing cover to prevent plasma or byproducts from entering the receiving groove.

8. The electrostatic chuck with multi-zone adaptive temperature control according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes a driving component, the driving end of which is connected to a plurality of the sector rings respectively, so as to drive each sector ring to move radially along the focusing mask and adjust the diameter of the laser transmission hole.

9. The multi-zone adaptive temperature control electrostatic chuck according to claim 1, characterized in that, The two adjacent sector rings are respectively a first sub-ring and a second sub-ring. The opposing ends of the first sub-ring and the second sub-ring are respectively provided with a blocking part and a receiving groove. At least a portion of the blocking part is movably inserted into the receiving groove so that when the several sector rings move, the blocking part moves synchronously along the circumferential direction in the receiving groove, thereby blocking the gap between the two adjacent sector rings.

10. The multi-zone adaptive temperature control electrostatic chuck according to claim 1, characterized in that, The bottom of the support platform is connected to an axial drive component, which drives the support platform to move the laser emitter axially toward or away from the wafer stage, thereby adjusting the axial distance between the laser emitter and the wafer stage and thus dynamically adjusting the laser irradiation energy density.

11. The multi-zone adaptive temperature control electrostatic chuck according to claim 1, characterized in that, The wafer stage includes an outer heating zone, an inner heating zone, and an annular heat insulation portion. The inner heating zone corresponds to the central region of the wafer, and the outer heating zone is arranged around the inner heating zone and corresponds to the edge region of the wafer. The annular heat insulation portion is sleeved between the inner heating zone and the outer heating zone to block the heat conduction path between the inner heating zone and the outer heating zone, thereby achieving independent temperature control of the central region and the edge region of the wafer.

12. A plasma processing device, characterized in that, The device includes a process chamber and a support member, and a multi-zone adaptive temperature-controlled electrostatic chuck as described in any one of claims 1 to 11 disposed in the process chamber. The wafer stage in the multi-zone adaptive temperature-controlled electrostatic chuck is fixed to the process chamber by the support member. The multi-zone adaptive temperature-controlled electrostatic chuck includes a support platform, which is movably sleeved outside the support member.

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