A gas uniformity structure combination device for an atomic layer deposition apparatus

Abstract

This invention relates to the field of photovoltaic cell manufacturing equipment, specifically to a gas uniformity structure assembly for atomic layer deposition (ALD) equipment. The assembly includes a furnace door support mechanism, a heating mechanism mounted thereon, and a gas uniformity dispersion plate assembly. A gas extraction and uniformity component is installed at the gas outlet of the process chamber. The gas uniformity dispersion plate assembly has a micropore array to uniformly spray preheated gas; the gas extraction and uniformity component includes at least one flow equalization plate for uniformly distributing the outflowing gas. Through the synergistic effect of uniform injection at the inlet and uniform suction at the outlet, this device can suppress vertical convection and turbulence within the process chamber, promoting a stable laminar flow dominated by horizontal direction. This structure effectively improves the uniformity of process gas distribution within a large chamber, thereby significantly enhancing the thickness uniformity and consistency of the atomic layer deposition film.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of photovoltaic cell manufacturing equipment, and more specifically to a gas uniformity structure assembly device for atomic layer deposition equipment. Background Technology

[0002] In the field of photovoltaic cell manufacturing, atomic layer deposition (ALD) technology has become the mainstream process for preparing key thin films such as high-efficiency passivation layers and tunneling layers due to its excellent three-dimensional conformality and film thickness control precision. As photovoltaic cells develop towards higher efficiency and larger-scale manufacturing, more stringent requirements are placed on the capacity and deposition uniformity of ALD equipment. Especially for cell structures such as PERC, TOPCon, and HJT, the size of the process chamber increases significantly when depositing large batches of large-size substrates in tubular ALD equipment. This makes achieving rapid and uniform transport and replacement of reaction precursors and purge gases within the entire large chamber space within a limited processing time a key challenge affecting film thickness consistency, interface quality, and even the final cell efficiency.

[0003] Currently, the industry has made various attempts to improve the uniformity of ALD processes, mainly focusing on the design of the inlet structure. A common approach is to use spray heads or porous dispersion plates to disperse the concentrated airflow entering the inlet, allowing it to enter the reaction zone more evenly. This type of design improves the initial state of gas distribution to some extent. However, in tubular reaction chambers with a large length-to-diameter ratio, the flow state of the gas continuously evolves as it flows from the inlet to the outlet. Simple optimization of the inlet end often fails to maintain an ideal flow field pattern along the entire length of the chamber, easily leading to turbulence near the outlet due to airflow convergence. This results in differences in the atmospheric environment experienced by the substrates before and after the furnace tube, a phenomenon known as the "fly-through effect," which in turn causes inhomogeneity between substrates. Another approach is to optimize the layout and temperature control of the heater to reduce the temperature gradient within the chamber, thereby reducing the disordered gas movement caused by thermal convection. Nevertheless, in large cavities, the coupling effect between the temperature field and the flow field is very complex throughout the entire path of gas molecules from entry, reaction to extraction. It is difficult to completely suppress the uneven gas distribution caused by insufficient flow field design by relying solely on temperature uniformity control.

[0004] Furthermore, to cope with large-scale production, equipment capable of processing hundreds of substrates simultaneously has become mainstream, further exacerbating the difficulty of flow field design. The high-density substrate array itself obstructs gas flow and alters streamlines. Uneven airflow distribution can easily lead to different numbers of precursor molecules received per unit time on substrates at different locations, especially in the central and edge regions, resulting in intra-sheet uniformity issues. On the surface of solar cells with textured or complex trench structures, uniform airflow is crucial for precursor diffusion and surface reactions within the microstructure; an undesirable flow field directly affects the step coverage and passivation effect of the thin film.

[0005] In terms of equipment engineering implementation, existing gas uniformity solutions often focus on localized aspects. For example, some solutions emphasize optimizing the complex internal flow channels of the inlet unit, but may neglect the matching with the cavity and extraction system; others focus on setting simple throttling devices at the extraction port to balance the flow rate, but fail to actively guide the flow field morphology. These relatively isolated improvements still have room for improvement in shaping and maintaining a highly ordered, stable, and repeatable overall gas flow pattern within a large cavity. Simultaneously, how to reliably integrate an effective gas uniformity structure with frequently opening and closing furnace doors, high-precision temperature control systems, and easily maintainable equipment structures is also a problem that needs comprehensive consideration in practical engineering. Therefore, developing a technical solution that can systematically optimize the overall flow field within large tubular ALD equipment while considering both process performance and equipment engineering feasibility is of great significance for advancing the manufacturing level of high-efficiency photovoltaic cells. Summary of the Invention

[0006] This application aims to overcome the shortcomings of existing technologies in large tubular atomic layer deposition equipment, which make it difficult to form and maintain a uniform and stable laminar airflow along the entire length of the process chamber, resulting in poor film deposition uniformity. Therefore, it provides a gas uniformity structure combination device for atomic layer deposition equipment to overcome the above-mentioned deficiencies.

[0007] To achieve the above-mentioned objectives, the present invention is implemented through the following technical solution: In a first aspect, the present invention provides a gas uniformity structure assembly for an atomic layer deposition apparatus, comprising: The furnace door bearing mechanism is closable and can be installed at the air inlet end of the process chamber; A gas-dispersing plate assembly is installed on the furnace door support mechanism. It includes a dispersion plate with an internal gas flow channel and a micropore array on the side of the dispersion plate facing the process cavity. A heating mechanism is installed on the furnace door bearing mechanism and located upstream of the gas equalization and dispersion plate assembly, for preheating the input gas; An air extraction and equalization assembly is disposed at the air outlet end of the process chamber, and includes at least one equalization plate. The plane of the micropore array of the gas equalization and dispersion plate assembly and the plane of the flow equalization plate of the gas extraction and equalization assembly are both approximately perpendicular to the axial direction of the process cavity, and the two are spaced apart on the axial direction of the process cavity to jointly define the reaction area of ​​the process cavity.

[0008] In atomic layer deposition (ALD) technology, particularly in tubular equipment used for large-scale photovoltaic cell production, achieving uniform and stable delivery of reaction precursors and purge gases throughout the reaction space has become an increasingly prominent engineering challenge, especially with the continuous increase in process chamber size and substrate loading. While existing technologies attempt to improve uniformity from different angles, such as optimizing the dispersion structure at the inlet or improving heating uniformity, these improvements often focus on a single node in the process. Their limitation lies in the difficulty of maintaining the initial uniformity at the inlet as the gas flows through the long chamber, particularly near the exhaust port. Because the exhaust pipe size is much smaller than the chamber cross-section, the airflow naturally converges, forming localized turbulence and disrupting the stability of the upstream flow field. This "head-to-tail" situation leads to gradients in the axial and radial distribution of process gases within the chamber, resulting in decreased film thickness consistency within and between substrates. Furthermore, for cell surfaces with microtextures, the conformal coverage of the film is also affected. Therefore, the core of the problem is not just improving a certain local area, but rather creating and maintaining a controllable gas flow state from intake to exhaust within a large cavity.

[0009] This application proposes an integrated flow field management solution to address the aforementioned systemic challenges. Firstly, it physically defines two key control interfaces for the airflow path: the gas-dispersing plate assembly at the inlet and the gas-extraction and gas-dispersing assembly at the outlet. By setting both the micropore array plane of the gas-dispersing plate and the flow-dispersing plate plane of the gas-extraction and gas-dispersing assembly approximately perpendicular to the process chamber axis, and positioning them axially spaced to jointly define the reaction zone, this design conceptually delineates a clear "flow channel" for the process gas. This is equivalent to placing two "flow field shapers" at the inlet and outlet of the chamber, aiming to guide the airflow pattern from beginning to end.

[0010] Specifically, this application achieves streamlined gas intake processing by integrating a heating mechanism and a gas-uniform dispersion plate assembly onto the openable / closable furnace door support mechanism. The heating mechanism preheats the process gas, ensuring its temperature is close to the process temperature before entering the reaction zone. This effectively reduces natural convection disturbances caused by density differences between hot and cold gases, creating thermodynamic conditions for an ordered flow field. Next, the gas-uniform dispersion plate assembly, utilizing its internal flow channels and precise micropore array, transforms the gas into countless fine, uniformly distributed parallel jets. This design is equivalent to converting a point or line gas source into a surface gas source matched to the cavity cross-section, providing a uniform initial velocity distribution for the gas entering the reaction zone and laying the foundation for horizontal laminar flow. At the gas outlet, the role of the extraction and gas-uniform assembly is crucial. It applies a uniform flow resistance to the gas being extracted through at least one layer of uniform plates. This design cleverly solves the problem of airflow convergence caused by abrupt changes in the size of the extraction port. The presence of the flow equalizer forces the airflow to pass uniformly across its surface, thus transforming a potentially destabilizing conical suction pattern into a more uniform horizontal outflow pattern, closer to a piston flow. The stability of the outlet flow field, in turn, ensures the stability of the airflow throughout the upstream reaction region.

[0011] Therefore, this application integrates the three functional modules—preheating, inlet gas dispersion, and outlet gas dispersion—which might otherwise be considered separately, with the movable furnace door as the engineering carrier, and particularly emphasizes the spatial orientation and synergistic relationship between the two control planes at the inlet and outlet ends. This design creates a complete and controlled gas movement path, from uniform ejection after heating, to smooth passage through the reaction zone, and finally uniform extraction. Compared to existing technologies that only optimize inlet gas or only balance extraction pressure, this solution achieves proactive management of the overall flow field morphology within the cavity by simultaneously optimizing the "inlet state setting" and "outlet boundary control" of the airflow. The resulting technical effects are significant and synergistic: it effectively suppresses unnecessary vertical convection and turbulent mixing within large cavities, promoting gas movement in a manner closer to horizontal laminar flow. This stable and uniform flow field environment ensures that all substrates within the reaction region, regardless of their location (center, edge, front, or back), are exposed to a more consistent gas concentration and flow rate. This provides a solid foundation for significantly improving the thickness uniformity, refractive index consistency, and conformal coverage of complex three-dimensional structures in atomic layer deposition films. This not only helps improve the performance consistency of single-batch products but also supports the widening of the process window and the enhancement of process stability.

[0012] Preferably, the gas flow channel includes at least two sets of independent main gas channels and multiple branch gas channels that are respectively connected to each set of main gas channels, and the micropore array is formed on the branch gas channels.

[0013] This application fundamentally optimizes the initial gas distribution state before it enters the reaction chamber by constructing a multi-level, staggered, and independent internal gas distribution network. Its core function is to first divert the rapid gas flow from a few centralized inlets through independent main channels to reduce velocity and momentum; then, it undergoes secondary diffusion through numerous staggered branch channels, greatly increasing the gas flow path and mixing opportunities within the gas distribution plate. Ultimately, this forces the gas to seep out from the densely and uniformly distributed micropore array at nearly uniform pressure and velocity. This design essentially reshapes a suboptimal "point" or "line" gas source into a more isotropic "area" gas source that highly matches the chamber's cross-section before it enters the reaction space, providing crucial initial conditions for establishing a uniform velocity profile across the entire chamber cross-section.

[0014] Compared to existing technologies that simply increase the number or arrangement of channels in the gas distribution plate, this application structurally redefines the gas distribution function based on gas dynamics principles. Existing technologies may focus on the uniform arrangement of the outlet micro-holes, but neglect the uneven flow or preferred paths that may have already formed within the distribution channels before the gas reaches these micro-holes. The structure of this application, through a three-level distribution mechanism of "main channel - staggered branch channels - micro-holes," particularly the staggered layout of the branch channels, effectively breaks the tendency for gas to "short-circuit" along straight paths, forcing the gas to undergo more sufficient lateral diffusion and momentum dissipation within the plate, thereby ensuring a more balanced gas supply pressure at each micro-hole.

[0015] It is precisely because of this meticulous internal flow channel design that the air-dispersing plate at the air inlet end can achieve its initial setting function as a "flow field shaper" with high quality, making it possible to form and maintain a stable horizontal laminar flow in the entire downstream cavity.

[0016] Preferably, the branch gas channels connected to different main gas channels are arranged alternately within the dispersion plate.

[0017] The staggered arrangement of the gas channels serves a crucial function: structurally forcing premixing and spatially balanced distribution of gases from different intake sources within the gas distribution plate, thereby further enhancing initial uniformity at the microscale. Specifically, when process gas is input through multiple independent main gas channels, if the downstream branch channels are simply arranged in parallel sections, the airflow from different main channels may still maintain relatively independent "flow bundles" in space. This results in subtle differences in gas pressure and velocity across different areas of the gas distribution plate. These differences are ultimately transmitted to the cavity through the micropores, forming a large-scale distribution gradient that is difficult to eliminate. The staggered arrangement design, however, allows the branch channels from different main channels to interweave spatially, effectively creating a lateral mixing zone within the plate structure before the gas reaches the outlet micropores. This layout forces the airflow paths from different sources to intertwine, promoting momentum exchange and pressure equalization of gas molecules within the plate. This ensures that each micropore in a local area is supplied with mixed gas from different main channels, rather than from a single gas source. This greatly reduces the systematic deviations caused by minor differences in the initial state of the air inlet or uneven flow resistance in the pipeline, providing a more solid foundation for forming a highly uniform initial velocity field across the entire cavity cross-section.

[0018] Preferably, the diameter of the micropores in the micropore array is 0.1 mm to 1 mm, and the spacing between adjacent micropores is 5 mm to 20 mm.

[0019] Preferably, the gas equalization and dispersion plate assembly is installed on the furnace door bearing mechanism through an elastic clamping mechanism, so that when the furnace door bearing mechanism is closed, the gas equalization and dispersion plate assembly can be pressed against the corresponding flange surface of the process cavity.

[0020] When the furnace door, which houses the heating and gas distribution components, is closed, microscopic non-parallelism or gaps inevitably exist between the flange face of the gas distribution plate and the cavity flange face due to dimensional tolerances caused by processing, assembly, and thermal expansion. If a rigid connection is used, either it is difficult to achieve a full circumference seal, leading to process gas leakage and disruption of the flow field; or the forced tightening generates internal stress, causing micro-deformation of the precision gas distribution plate, which in turn causes unpredictable shifts in the internal flow channel geometry and the distribution characteristics of the micropore array, severely degrading the uniform airflow output originally intended in its design.

[0021] This application introduces a controllable flexible element through the use of an elastic clamping mechanism, allowing the gas distribution plate to adaptively conform to the cavity flange within a certain degree of freedom. The constant elastic force provided by the spring ensures that the sealing surface receives uniform and sufficient contact pressure under all operating conditions for reliable sealing, while simultaneously preventing the transfer of installation stress or thermal stress to the gas distribution plate body, thus protecting the integrity of its internal precision structure. This simultaneously and reliably solves the three major engineering challenges faced by high-precision airflow devices: gas sealing, mechanical alignment, and stress isolation, thereby ensuring the high repeatability and long-term stability of the gas distribution system.

[0022] Preferably, the air extraction and equalization assembly includes two parallel flow equalization plates, and the through holes on the two flow equalization plates are staggered in the direction of the plate surface normal.

[0023] This application employs a flow equalization plate with two layers of staggered through holes to construct a "labyrinthine" flow interface with a homogenization effect at the extraction end. This actively disrupts and reorganizes the airflow structure about to leave the cavity, thereby transforming the converging conical turbulence that may be caused by abrupt changes in the size of the extraction port into a more uniform horizontal outflow.

[0024] Specifically, when the airflow reaches the tail of the furnace, its natural tendency is to concentrate towards the smaller cross-section of the extraction port, resulting in increased velocity in the central region and decreased velocity at the edges, forming a longitudinal velocity gradient and vortices. While a simple single-layer perforated plate can apply some resistance, the airflow may still seek the path of least resistance, i.e., "rushing straight through" the partially aligned holes, resulting in limited homogenization. However, the two-layer design with staggered hole positions forces all airflow to undergo at least one lateral deflection, preventing straight passage. This structure is equivalent to a "micro-stirring" and "redistribution" of the airflow, effectively breaking up the already formed localized high-speed streams. This makes the flow resistance experienced by the airflow at different locations across the entire plate more even, ultimately guiding the airflow to be extracted in a more integrated and homogeneous state.

[0025] This feature closely echoes the core innovation of this application, which involves collaboratively shaping a stable laminar flow field at both the inlet and outlet ends. The inlet air-dispersing plate aims to provide uniform "input," while the double-layered staggered-hole suction and air-dispersing assembly ensures uniform and stable "output" boundary conditions. As a "downstream anchoring point" for the flow field within the cavity, its uniform suction effect acts like a "static flow straightening grid," suppressing and attenuating residual or newly generated inhomogeneities and instabilities in the upstream flow, preventing their amplification in the outlet region. Without this proactive, structural flow-dispersing design, even with uniform inlet air, the convergence effect at the suction end would still become a weak point that compromises the overall laminar flow quality.

[0026] Preferably, the opening area of ​​the through holes on the flow equalization plate is 100 mm².2 Up to 1000mm 2 The spacing between adjacent through holes is 30mm to 100mm.

[0027] Preferably, the gas extraction and equalization assembly further includes a flow guide shroud, the sidewall of which is adapted to the shape of the inner wall of the process cavity, and its tail opening is connected to the gas extraction port of the process cavity, and the flow equalization plate is disposed inside the flow guide shroud.

[0028] The flow guide, with its sidewalls adapted to the inner wall of the cavity, naturally extends the flow channel boundary of the process cavity, eliminating steps or dead corners at the rear of the cavity. Its tail opening precisely aligns with the exhaust port, defining a clear flow endpoint. This design allows gas that would normally flow along the cavity wall to smoothly turn and converge towards the exhaust port along the inner wall of the flow guide, preventing separation and the formation of a turbulent backflow zone at the junction of the cavity and the exhaust flange. The flow equalization plate located within the flow guide thus receives a more complete and streamlined airflow in cross-section, providing an ideal condition for its role in homogenizing resistance.

[0029] Preferably, the furnace door bearing mechanism is connected to the equipment frame via a universal connector, and an adjustment mechanism is provided for adjusting the relative posture between the furnace door bearing mechanism and the process cavity.

[0030] Preferably, the heating mechanism includes a heater and a reflector plate disposed on the side of the heater facing away from the airflow.

[0031] A reflector plate is installed on the side of the heater facing away from the airflow. Its core function is to actively manage and optimize the flow of heat energy in the heating area, thereby achieving two objectives: firstly, to significantly improve the preheating efficiency and temperature uniformity of the process gas; and secondly, to effectively protect the furnace door support structure and its sealing elements from excessive heat radiation. Specifically, the heat generated by the heater during operation radiates in all directions. Without a reflector plate, a significant portion of the heat energy would dissipate backwards to the furnace door structure. This not only reduces the effective power used to heat the gas, leading to increased energy consumption and potentially insufficient or uneven preheating temperatures, but also may cause the furnace door body and sealing components to be exposed to high temperatures for extended periods, affecting their mechanical stability and sealing reliability, and even posing safety hazards. The reflector plate, with its highly reflective surface, reflects this originally dissipated heat radiation back towards the airflow channel, forcing the heat energy to act more concentrated on the flowing gas. This is equivalent to adding a "thermal focusing lens" to the heating process, increasing the heat flux density of the gas while keeping the input power constant, allowing it to reach the set process temperature faster and more uniformly. Attached Figure Description

[0032] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the furnace door bearing mechanism of the present invention.

[0033] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the heating mechanism of the present invention.

[0034] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the gas dispersion plate assembly structure of the present invention.

[0035] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the internal flow channel of the dispersion plate of the present invention.

[0036] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the air extraction and equalization component of the present invention.

[0037] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the air extraction and equalization component of the present invention from another angle.

[0038] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the height adjustment and fixing structure of the air extraction and equalization component of the present invention.

[0039] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the overall layout of the gas uniform structure combination device of the present invention.

[0040] The components include: process chamber 1, furnace door bearing mechanism 2, furnace door 21, furnace door mounting bracket 22, furnace door mounting base 23, adjusting screw 24, heater connecting flange 25, thermocouple flange 26, universal joint bearing 27, heating mechanism 3, heater 31, thermocouple 32, reflector plate 33, gas equalization and dispersion plate assembly 4, dispersion plate 41, air inlet 411, gas flow channel system 412, first main gas channel 4121, second main gas channel 4122, first branch gas channel 4123, second branch gas channel 4124, micropore array 4125, gas extraction and equalization assembly 5, flow guide hood 51, gas equalization plate 52, first flow equalization plate 521, second flow equalization plate 522, flow equalization hole 523, fixing frame 53, sealing plate 531, height adjustment hole 5311, side plate 532, and fixing hole 5321. Detailed Implementation

[0041] The present invention will be further described below with reference to specific embodiments. Those skilled in the art will be able to implement the present invention based on these descriptions. Furthermore, the embodiments of the present invention described below are generally only some, not all, of the embodiments of the present invention. Therefore, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of the present invention without inventive effort should fall within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0042] Example 1 This invention provides a gas uniformity structure assembly for atomic layer deposition equipment. Its core lies in forming a stable horizontal laminar flow within the process chamber through coordinated flow field management at the inlet and outlet ends. For example... Figure 8 As shown in the overall layout diagram, the device mainly includes a furnace door support mechanism 2, a heating mechanism 3, a gas equalization and dispersion plate assembly 4, and a gas extraction and equalization assembly 5. The furnace door support mechanism 2 is closable and positioned at the air inlet end of the process chamber 1. The heating mechanism 3 and the gas equalization and dispersion plate assembly 4 are both mounted on the furnace door support mechanism 2, with the heating mechanism 3 located upstream of the gas equalization and dispersion plate assembly 4. The gas extraction and equalization assembly 5 is fixedly positioned at the air outlet end (i.e., the furnace tail) of the process chamber 1. The plane containing the micropore array of the gas equalization and dispersion plate assembly 4 and the plane containing the flow equalization plate of the gas extraction and equalization assembly 5 are both approximately perpendicular to the axial direction of the process chamber 1, and the two are separated by a certain distance in the axial direction, thus jointly defining the main area within the process chamber where the deposition reaction takes place. (Note: The surfaces of the gas equalization and dispersion plate assembly 4 and the gas extraction and equalization assembly 5 are designed and installed perpendicular to the axis of the process cavity. Considering manufacturing and assembly tolerances, in the context of this invention, 'generally perpendicular' or 'perpendicular to' should include cases where the angle with the ideal vertical direction is within ±5 (or ±10°). Angle deviations within this range do not affect their core function of generating a uniform horizontal airflow.)

[0043] First, see Figure 1 The furnace door bearing mechanism 2 is the foundation for the entire system's load-bearing and sealing. It mainly consists of the furnace door 21, the furnace door mounting bracket 22, and the furnace door mounting base 23. The furnace door 21 is connected to the furnace door mounting bracket 22 via a universal joint bearing 27. This bracket is equipped with multiple adjusting screws 24 for finely adjusting the verticality and horizontality of the furnace door 21 flange surface, ensuring a high-precision fit and seal with the process cavity flange. The furnace door 21 integrates cooling water channels to control its temperature and prevent heat leakage. The furnace door 21 also has a heater connection flange 25 and a thermocouple flange 26 for installing the subsequent heating mechanism 3.

[0044] like Figure 2 As shown, the heating mechanism 3 specifically includes a heater 31, a thermocouple 32, and a reflector 33. The heater 31 and thermocouple 32 are mounted on the heater connection flange 25 and thermocouple flange 26 of the furnace door bearing mechanism 2, while the reflector 33 is located on the side of the heater 31 facing away from the airflow direction. Its function is to preheat the process gas introduced from the inlet pipe. The reflector 33 effectively reflects the heat radiated backward by the heater 31 back into the airflow channel, thereby significantly improving preheating efficiency, ensuring that the gas temperature is close to the process set value before entering the uniform gas dispersion plate assembly 4, reducing heating of the furnace door structure 21, and protecting the seals. The preheated gas helps reduce thermal convection disturbances caused by uneven temperature.

[0045] like Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown, the gas equalization and dispersion plate assembly 4 is the core component for gas equalization and dispersion. It mainly consists of a dispersion plate 41 with complex gas flow channels machined internally. The dispersion plate 41 is mounted on the furnace door bearing mechanism 2 via an elastic clamping mechanism consisting of a guide shaft 42, a bushing 43, and a telescopic spring 44. When the furnace door 21 is closed, under the elastic force of the spring 44, the dispersion plate 41 is tightly pressed against the flange face at the front end of the process chamber 1, forming a reliable seal, while ensuring that the air inlet on the dispersion plate 41 is precisely aligned with the air holes on the flange face.

[0046] The gas flow channel system 412 inside the dispersion plate 41 is ingeniously designed. Specifically, as... Figure 4 The dispersion plate 41 has a set of air inlet positions 411 for connecting to an external gas source. The air inlet positions 411 are internally connected to form at least two independent sets of first main gas channels 4121 and second main gas channels 4122. Multiple parallel first branch gas channels 4123 are vertically connected to the first main gas channel 4121; similarly, multiple second branch gas channels 4124 are vertically connected to the second main gas channel 4122. Crucially, the first branch gas channels 4023 and second branch gas channels 4124 are staggered within the dispersion plate 41, a design that promotes premixing of gases from different sources within the plate. A series of micropores are densely formed on all branch gas channels, collectively constituting a micropore array 4025 facing the process cavity. The diameter of the micropores is between 0.1 mm and 1 mm, and the spacing is approximately 5 mm to 20 mm. After the gas enters through the inlet port 411, it undergoes two stages of diversion and mixing, from the main channel to the branch channel, and finally exits in the form of a large number of fine jets from the uniformly distributed micropore array 4125. This creates an airflow with an initially extremely uniform distribution and stable velocity across the entire cavity cross-section, laying a solid foundation for the subsequent formation of horizontal laminar flow.

[0047] like Figure 5 , Figure 6 and Figure 7As shown, the air extraction and equalization assembly 5 is installed at the tail end of the process chamber to optimize the flow field at the outlet. This assembly mainly includes a flow guide shroud 51, an equalization plate 52, and a fixing frame 53. The sidewall shape of the flow guide shroud 51 perfectly matches the inner wall of the process chamber, forming a smooth transition, and its tail opening is the same size as and connected to the air extraction port of the process chamber. The equalization plate 52 consists of at least two parallel layers of first equalization plates 521 and second equalization plates 522, which are fixed by the fixing frame 53 and placed inside the flow guide shroud 51. The fixing frame 53 includes sealing plates 531 located vertically at the bottom and top, and side plates 532 located horizontally. The sealing plates 531 have height adjustment holes 5311 for fine-tuning the installation height of the air extraction and equalization assembly 5 within the process chamber 1. The side plates 532 have fixing holes 5211 for fixation.

[0048] The innovative feature of the gas equalization plate 52 is its specific structure: both the first flow equalization plate 521 and the second flow equalization plate 522 are provided with multiple flow equalization holes 523, with an opening area of ​​100mm². 2 Up to 1000mm 2 The hole spacing is between 30mm and 100mm. More importantly, such as... Figure 5 As shown, the flow equalization holes 523 on the first flow equalization plate 521 and the second flow equalization plate 522 are staggered in the normal direction of the plate surface. This "double-layer staggered hole" design prevents the airflow from passing through in a straight line, requiring a lateral deflection, which is equivalent to a precision flow equalizer. Combined with the guiding effect of the flow guide shroud 51 on the airflow at the edge of the cavity, this component can effectively break the "conical" suction airflow naturally formed due to the smaller size of the suction port than the cavity, transforming it into a uniform, near-piston flow horizontal suction mode, thereby stabilizing the upstream flow field of the entire cavity.

[0049] The working process of the device is as follows: At the start of the process, the furnace door bearing mechanism 2 is closed, and the dispersion plate 41 of the gas equalization and dispersion plate assembly 4 is pressed and sealed under the action of spring 44. After being preheated by the heating mechanism 3, the process gas enters the gas equalization and dispersion plate assembly 4, and after being distributed by its internal flow channel system 412, it is uniformly sprayed into the process cavity from the micropore array 4125. At the same time, the vacuum pump is started, and the gas flow reaches the gas extraction and equalization assembly 5 at the tail of the furnace after flowing through the reaction area filled with the substrate. The gas flow enters smoothly under the guidance of the flow guide hood 51, and is uniformly extracted after being homogenized by the double-layer staggered perforated gas equalization plate 52 composed of flow equalization plates 521 and 522. In this process, the uniform injection at the inlet end and the uniform suction at the outlet end work together to strongly suppress vertical turbulence and convection, and finally form and maintain a stable laminar advection with the horizontal direction as the main part of the process cavity. This flow field environment ensures that all substrates are exposed to a consistent gas atmosphere, thereby significantly improving the thickness uniformity and consistency of atomic layer deposition films.

Claims

1. A gas uniformity structure assembly for an atomic layer deposition (ALD) apparatus, characterized in that, include: The furnace door bearing mechanism (2) is closable and can be installed at the air inlet end of the process cavity; The gas uniform dispersion plate assembly (4) is installed on the furnace door bearing mechanism (2), which includes a dispersion plate with a gas flow channel inside, and the dispersion plate has a micropore array on the side facing the process cavity. The heating mechanism (3) is installed on the furnace door bearing mechanism (2) and located upstream of the gas equalization and dispersion plate assembly (4) for preheating the input gas; The air extraction and equalization component (5) is disposed at the air outlet end of the process cavity and includes at least one equalization plate. The plane of the micropore array of the gas equalization and dispersion plate assembly (4) and the plane of the flow equalization plate of the gas extraction and equalization assembly (5) are both approximately perpendicular to the axial direction of the process cavity, and the two are spaced apart on the axial direction of the process cavity to jointly define the reaction area of ​​the process cavity.

2. The gas-uniform structure assembly device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The gas flow channel includes at least two sets of independent main gas channels and multiple branch gas channels that are respectively connected to each set of main gas channels, and the micropore array is formed on the branch gas channels.

3. The gas-uniform structure assembly device according to claim 2, characterized in that, The branch gas channels, which are connected to different main gas channels, are arranged in an alternating pattern within the dispersion plate.

4. The gas-uniform structure assembly device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, The diameter of the micropores in the micropore array is 0.1 mm to 1 mm, and the spacing between adjacent micropores is 5 mm to 20 mm.

5. The gas-uniform structure assembly device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The gas equalization and dispersion plate assembly (4) is installed on the furnace door bearing mechanism (2) through an elastic pressing mechanism, so that when the furnace door bearing mechanism (2) is closed, the gas equalization and dispersion plate assembly (4) can be pressed against the corresponding flange surface of the process cavity.

6. The gas-uniform structure assembly device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The air extraction and equalization assembly (5) includes two parallel flow equalization plates, and the through holes on the two flow equalization plates are staggered in the direction of the plate surface normal.

7. The gas-uniform structure assembly device according to claim 6, characterized in that, The opening area of the through hole on the uniform flow plate is 100mm 2 to 1000mm 2 , and the spacing between adjacent through holes is 30mm to 100mm.

8. The gas-uniform structure assembly device according to claim 1, 6 or 7, characterized in that, The air extraction and equalization assembly (5) also includes a flow guide hood, the side wall of which is adapted to the shape of the inner wall of the process cavity, and its tail opening is connected to the air extraction port of the process cavity. The flow equalization plate is disposed inside the flow guide hood.

9. The gas-uniform structure assembly device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The furnace door bearing mechanism (2) is connected to the equipment frame by a universal connector, and is provided with an adjustment mechanism for adjusting the relative posture between the furnace door bearing mechanism (2) and the process cavity.

10. The gas-uniform structure assembly device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The heating mechanism (3) includes a heater and a reflector plate disposed on the side of the heater facing away from the airflow.

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