Dry etching apparatus

Abstract

The application relates to a dry etching device, which comprises a reaction chamber with a reaction cavity and provided with a gas inlet and a gas outlet respectively communicating with the reaction cavity; a lower electrode unit and an upper electrode unit accommodated in the reaction cavity, the lower electrode unit and the upper electrode unit are arranged in parallel in a vertical direction, and the side surface of the lower electrode unit towards the upper electrode unit is provided with a placing surface; and a lower rectifying member protruding from the side surface of the lower electrode unit towards the upper electrode unit, the lower rectifying member is an integral structure, the lower rectifying member forms an etching space surrounding a component to be etched, and a gap is formed between the side end surface of the lower rectifying member towards the upper electrode unit and the side surface of the upper electrode unit towards the lower electrode unit. The lower rectifying member protruding from the lower electrode unit can effectively interfere with the flow of reaction gas, so that the etching reaction site of the surrounding area of the component to be etched is more stable, and the etching uniformity is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of etching technology, and in particular to a dry etching apparatus. Background Technology

[0002] Etching is a process in semiconductor device manufacturing that removes unwanted parts. It is mainly divided into wet etching, which uses chemical solutions for chemical etching, and dry etching, which uses gases for etching. Dry etching, also known as dry etching, is an industrial technology that uses plasma for thin film etching. When gases exist in plasma form, on the one hand, these gases are much more chemically reactive than at normal conditions. Depending on the material being etched, selecting a suitable gas allows for a faster reaction with the material, achieving the purpose of etching. On the other hand, an electric field guides and accelerates these gases, giving them energy. When this energy bombards the surface of the material being etched, it can eject atoms from the surface, thus achieving the etching purpose through energy transfer.

[0003] Dry etching uses corrosive gases or plasma instead of chemical solutions, enabling anisotropic etching and resulting in finer circuit patterns. This makes it suitable for high-precision processes. As display technology demands increasingly precise semiconductor manufacturing processes, dry etching is becoming more widely used, consequently requiring higher standards for dry etching equipment.

[0004] Dry etching equipment typically includes a reaction chamber, an upper electrode unit and a lower electrode unit located within the reaction chamber, with the lower electrode unit used to hold the glass substrate to be etched. In practice, the glass substrate to be etched is placed on the lower electrode unit, plasma gas is introduced into the reaction chamber to seal it, and a voltage is applied to the upper and lower electrode units, creating a potential difference between them. This causes the plasma to move towards the glass substrate, etching it.

[0005] However, due to structural defects, existing dry etching equipment suffers from uneven etching rates during the etching process (for example, the etching rate at the corners and edges of the substrate is faster than in other areas), which affects the etching uniformity and leads to problems such as display defects in the panel. Summary of the Invention

[0006] Therefore, it is necessary to provide a dry etching device to address the problem of uneven etching rates in dry etching equipment.

[0007] A dry etching apparatus for etching a component to be etched, the dry etching apparatus comprising:

[0008] The reaction chamber has a reaction cavity and is provided with an air inlet and an air outlet respectively connected to the reaction cavity. The air inlet is used to supply reaction gas to the reaction cavity, and the air outlet is used to extract reaction gas from the reaction cavity.

[0009] A lower electrode unit and an upper electrode unit are housed within the reaction chamber. The lower electrode unit and the upper electrode unit are vertically spaced apart and parallel to each other. The surface of the lower electrode unit facing the upper electrode unit has a placement surface for placing the component to be etched.

[0010] The lower rectifier protrudes from the side surface of the lower electrode unit facing the upper electrode unit. The lower rectifier is an integrally formed structure. The lower rectifier surrounds the etching space around the component to be etched, and there is a gap between the side surface of the lower rectifier facing the upper electrode unit and the side surface of the upper electrode unit facing the lower electrode unit.

[0011] In one embodiment, the cross-sectional area of ​​the etching space is greater than or equal to the area of ​​the component to be etched, and there is a gap between the inner wall of the lower rectifier cavity and the edge of the component to be etched.

[0012] In one embodiment, the distance between the inner wall of the lower rectifier and the edge of the part to be etched is equidistant everywhere.

[0013] In one embodiment, the lower rectifier is a hollow cuboid, frustum, or cylinder.

[0014] In one embodiment, the lower rectifier includes two first lower rectifiers and two second lower rectifiers. The two first lower rectifiers are spaced apart along a first horizontal direction and both of the first lower rectifiers extend along a second horizontal direction. The two second lower rectifiers are respectively connected between the two first lower rectifiers. Each second lower rectifier is spaced apart along the second horizontal direction and each second lower rectifier extends along the first horizontal direction.

[0015] The first horizontal direction, the second horizontal direction, and the vertical direction are all perpendicular to each other.

[0016] In one embodiment, the first lower rectifier section has a rectangular longitudinal section perpendicular to the first direction, and the second lower rectifier section has a rectangular longitudinal section perpendicular to the second direction.

[0017] In one embodiment, the lower rectifier is formed of an insulating material.

[0018] In one embodiment, the lower rectifier is formed of a ceramic material.

[0019] In one embodiment, the dry etching apparatus includes a plurality of the lower rectifiers, all of which are stacked along the vertical direction.

[0020] In one embodiment, the dry etching apparatus further includes an upper rectifier, which protrudes from the surface of the upper electrode unit facing the lower electrode unit, and the orthographic projection of the upper rectifier on the lower electrode unit surrounds the part to be etched.

[0021] The aforementioned dry etching equipment features a lower rectifier protruding from the lower electrode unit. This rectifier effectively interferes with the flow of the reactive gas, slowing down gas flow near the rectifier and stabilizing the etching reaction area around the part to be etched. This reduces the etching rate at the edges of the part, thereby improving etching uniformity and resolving the problem of poor etching in certain areas. Furthermore, because the lower rectifier is integrally molded, the manufacturing process and installation steps are simplified, resulting in lower setup costs. Attached Figure Description

[0022] The accompanying drawings, which form part of this application, are used to provide a further understanding of the invention. The illustrative embodiments of the invention and their descriptions are used to explain the invention and do not constitute an improper limitation of the invention.

[0023] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention, the accompanying drawings used in the description of the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the accompanying drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0024] Figure 1 This is a front view schematic diagram of a dry etching apparatus according to an embodiment of this application.

[0025] Figure 2 for Figure 1 A top view of the lower electrode unit of the dry etching apparatus shown.

[0026] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the lower electrode unit of a dry etching apparatus according to an embodiment of this application.

[0027] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the lower electrode unit of a dry etching apparatus according to an embodiment of this application.

[0028] Figure 5 This is a front view schematic diagram of a dry etching apparatus according to an embodiment of this application.

[0029] Figure 6 for Figure 5 The diagram shows the structure of the upper electrode unit of the dry etching equipment.

[0030] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures:

[0031] 100. Dry etching equipment; 110. Reaction chamber; 110a. Reaction cavity; 120. Lower electrode unit; 130. Upper electrode unit; 140. Lower rectifier; 141. First lower rectifier section; 143. Second lower rectifier section; 150. Upper rectifier; 151. First upper rectifier section; 152. Second upper rectifier section; 200. Component to be etched. Detailed Implementation

[0032] To make the above-mentioned objectives, features, and advantages of this application more apparent and understandable, the specific embodiments of this application are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Many specific details are set forth in the following description to provide a thorough understanding of this application. However, this application can be implemented in many other ways different from those described herein, and those skilled in the art can make similar modifications without departing from the spirit of this application. Therefore, this application is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed below.

[0033] In the description of this application, it should be understood that if terms such as "center", "longitudinal", "lateral", "length", "width", "thickness", "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", "clockwise", "counterclockwise", "axial", "radial", "circumferential" appear, these terms indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing this application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation of this application.

[0034] Furthermore, where the terms "first" and "second" appear, these terms are for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Thus, a feature defined with "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of that feature. In the description of this application, where the term "multiple" appears, "multiple" means at least two, such as two, three, etc., unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0035] In this application, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," "joining," and "fixing," etc., should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral part; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; they can refer to the internal communication of two components or the interaction between two components, unless otherwise expressly limited. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this application based on the specific circumstances.

[0036] In this application, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the use of descriptions such as "above" or "below" the second feature indicates that the first and second features are in direct contact or indirect contact via an intermediate medium. Furthermore, "above," "on top of," and "over" the second feature can mean that the first feature is directly above or diagonally above the second feature, or simply that the first feature is at a higher horizontal level than the second feature. Similarly, "below," "below," and "under" the second feature can mean that the first feature is directly below or diagonally below the second feature, or simply that the first feature is at a lower horizontal level than the second feature.

[0037] It should be noted that if an element is referred to as being "fixed to" or "set on" another element, it can be directly on the other element or there may be an intervening element. If an element is considered to be "connected to" another element, it can be directly connected to the other element or there may be an intervening element. If so, the terms "vertical," "horizontal," "upper," "lower," "left," "right," and similar expressions used in this application are for illustrative purposes only and do not represent the only possible implementation.

[0038] As described in the background section, dry etching is a plasma-based thin-film etching technique widely used in semiconductor processes and the manufacturing of thin-film transistor liquid crystal displays (TFT-LCDs) and OLED (Organic Light-Emitting Diode) displays. In particular, during the fabrication of LTPS (Low Temperature Poly-silicon) array substrates for organic light-emitting diodes, dry etching is typically used to remove the thin film from the substrate surface to form the desired circuit patterns.

[0039] See Figure 1 , Figure 1 The diagram shows a front view of a dry etching apparatus according to an embodiment of this application. The embodiment of this application provides a dry etching apparatus 100 for etching a component 200 to be etched, which may be a structure such as a glass substrate.

[0040] The dry etching apparatus 100 includes a reaction chamber 110, a lower electrode unit 120, and an upper electrode unit 130. The reaction chamber 110 contains a reaction cavity 110a and has an inlet and an outlet respectively connected to the reaction cavity 110a. The inlet is located at the top of the reaction chamber 110 and is connected to a gas delivery device for supplying reaction gas to the reaction cavity 110a. The outlet is located at the bottom of the reaction chamber 110 and is connected to an extraction device such as a molecular pump for extracting reaction gas from the reaction cavity 110a.

[0041] In one specific embodiment, the reaction chamber 110 is provided with four exhaust ports, which are located at the four corners of the bottom of the reaction chamber 110. Each exhaust port is connected to a molecular pump, and the reaction gas in the reaction chamber 110 flows out through these four exhaust ports. It can be understood that the arrangement of the air inlet and exhaust ports of the reaction chamber 110 is not limited and can be set as needed to meet different air inlet and exhaust requirements, forming different airflow paths.

[0042] Both the lower electrode unit 120 and the upper electrode unit 130 are housed within the reaction chamber 110a. Both the lower electrode unit 120 and the upper electrode unit 130 are rectangular flat plates, vertically spaced and parallel to each other, with the upper electrode unit 130 positioned above the lower electrode unit 120. The surface of the lower electrode unit 120 facing the upper electrode unit 130 has a horizontally extending placement surface for placing the component 200 to be etched. It is understood that the specific shape and structure of the lower electrode unit 120 and the upper electrode unit 130 are not limited and can be configured as needed to meet different etching requirements.

[0043] Furthermore, the dry etching apparatus 100 also includes a voltage generator (not shown). The lower electrode unit 120 is connected to the upper electrode unit 130 and the voltage generator, which applies voltage to the upper electrode unit 130 and the lower electrode unit 120. The voltage generator can be a positive DC voltage generator, a negative DC voltage generator, or other types of voltage generators; this is not limited here and depends on the specific circumstances. In practice, a positive DC voltage generator is mostly used to provide voltage to the lower electrode unit 120 and the upper electrode unit 130.

[0044] Thus, the reactive gas can continuously enter the reaction chamber 110a through the inlet and continuously flow out through the outlet, thereby flowing within the reaction chamber 110a. When the voltage generator applies a voltage to the upper electrode unit 130 and the lower electrode unit 120, a potential difference is generated between the upper electrode unit 130 and the lower electrode unit 120, thereby causing the reactive gas to move towards the part 200 to be etched on the lower electrode unit 120, thereby etching the part 200 to form the target pattern.

[0045] In some embodiments, the lower electrode unit 120 has a plurality of surface floating points on the side facing the upper electrode unit 130. All surface floating points are evenly arranged in a checkerboard pattern and are used to support the part 200 to be etched.

[0046] In some embodiments, the lower electrode unit 120 is further provided with a plurality of air holes, all of which are uniformly arranged in a checkerboard pattern. Each air hole extends through the upper and lower surfaces of the lower electrode unit 120 along its thickness. The end of the air hole away from the upper electrode unit 130 is connected to a cooling unit through a pipe. When the part to be etched 200 is being etched, its temperature rises. The back cooling unit blows out cooling gas (e.g., helium) from the air holes. The cooling gas circulates between the surface floats and flows out along the edge of the part to be etched 200, thereby achieving the effect of cooling the part to be etched 200.

[0047] Ideally, the surface floating points of the lower electrode unit 120 are non-planar structures such as mountain-shaped or hemispherical shapes with a certain surface roughness, thus forming point contact with the part to be etched 200. When the cooling gas flows between the surface floating points, the surface floating points will not affect the thermal conductivity of the part to be etched 200, so that the entire surface of the part to be etched 200 has uniform thermal conductivity and will not affect the etching effect of different areas of the part to be etched 200.

[0048] During the etching process of the component 200, uneven etching at different locations is a common problem. The applicant discovered during research that this is due to the continuous release and extraction of reactive gases during etching, causing the gases to flow towards the extraction port. This leads to instability in the reaction area and uneven density distribution, resulting in different etching rates at different locations in the reaction chamber 110a, particularly a significant difference between the etching rate in the central region and the edge region of the component 200. This difference in etching rates leads to a series of adverse consequences, such as poor etching uniformity and etching residue, ultimately causing display defects in the display panel manufactured from the etched component 200.

[0049] Especially when etching the ohmic contact layer within the channel of the component 200, uneven etching rates will lead to uneven thickness of the remaining active layer within the channel after etching, thus affecting the stability of the TFT (thin-film transistor). When the area of ​​the component 200 to be etched is large, the control of etching uniformity becomes even more important. For example, if the etching uniformity is not well controlled, the a-Si within the TFT channel may be completely etched due to an excessively high etching rate at the edges of the component 200, resulting in problems such as open circuits in the channel.

[0050] Please combine Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, Figure 2 This diagram shows a top view of the lower electrode of a dry etching apparatus according to an embodiment of this application. Based on the aforementioned technical problems, the dry etching apparatus 100 of this application further includes a lower rectifier 140. The lower rectifier 140 protrudes from the side surface of the lower electrode unit 120 facing the upper electrode unit 130. The lower rectifier 140 is an integrally formed structure, enclosing an etching space surrounding the component 200 to be etched. A gap exists between the end face of the lower rectifier 140 facing the upper electrode unit 130 and the side surface of the upper electrode unit 130 facing the lower electrode unit 120.

[0051] "One-piece molding" refers to the process of integrating multiple components or structures into an inseparable whole during manufacturing, without any subsequent assembly or connection. For example, processes such as injection molding, thermoforming, and composite material molding can integrate different materials or structures in a single operation without subsequent welding, bonding, or mechanical connections. One-piece molded products can be made from a single material or from multiple materials combined using specific processes.

[0052] Thus, the lower rectifier 140 protruding from the lower electrode unit 120 can effectively interfere with the flow of the reaction gas, slow down the gas flow near the rectifier, make the etching reaction site around the part to be etched 200 more stable, reduce the etching rate of the edge area of ​​the part to be etched 200, thereby improving etching uniformity and solving the problem of poor etching in some areas. Moreover, since the lower rectifier 140 is integrally formed, the manufacturing process is simplified, assembly errors are effectively prevented, and the setup cost is lower. In addition, since the lower rectifier 140 is directly formed on the lower electrode unit 120, no additional support structure is required, simplifying the overall structure of the dry etching equipment 100 and saving internal space of the reaction chamber 110a.

[0053] In some embodiments, the shape and size of the etching space formed by the lower rectifier 140 match the shape and size of the component 200 to be etched. The cross-sectional area of ​​the etching space perpendicular to the vertical direction is equal to the area of ​​the component 200 to be etched, and the inner wall of the lower rectifier 140 is in contact with the edge of the component 200 to be etched. In other embodiments, the cross-sectional area of ​​the etching space perpendicular to the vertical direction is larger than the area of ​​the component 200 to be etched, and there is a gap between the inner wall of the lower rectifier 140 and the edge of the component 200 to be etched. This avoids interference with the component 200 to be etched, thus preventing its proper placement, while providing sufficient space for the reacting gas.

[0054] In a preferred embodiment, the cross-sectional area of ​​the etching space formed by the lower rectifier 140 perpendicular to the vertical direction is larger than the area of ​​the component 200 to be etched. There is a gap between the inner wall of the lower rectifier 140 and the edge of the component 200 to be etched, and the distance between the inner wall of the lower rectifier 140 and the edge of the component 200 to be etched is equal everywhere. This makes the density of the reaction gas around the component 200 to be etched approximately equal, thereby making the etching rate of the edge region of the component 200 to be etched more uniform and further improving the etching uniformity.

[0055] It is understood that the specific value of the distance between the inner wall of the lower rectifier 140 and the edge of the component 200 to be etched is not limited, and can be set according to the size of the component 200 to be etched, the size of the lower electrode unit 120, and other factors to meet different etching requirements. In some other embodiments, the distance between the inner wall of different parts of the lower rectifier 140 and the edge of the component 200 to be etched may also be different. In other embodiments, a portion of the inner wall of the lower rectifier 140 is in contact with the edge of the component 200 to be etched without gaps, while another portion of the inner wall of the lower rectifier 140 has gaps with the edge of the component 200 to be etched.

[0056] In some embodiments, the lower rectifier 140 is a hollow cuboid, frustum, or cylinder, thereby forming an etching space to accommodate the component 200 to be etched and to enclose the component 200. It is understood that the shape of the lower rectifier 140 is not limited to these forms and can be configured according to factors such as the shape of the component 200 to be etched and the shape of the electrodes, thereby meeting different rectification requirements. In some embodiments, the lower rectifier 140 may also be a hollow polygon or other regular or irregular shape.

[0057] like Figure 3 As shown, Figure 3A schematic diagram of the lower rectifier 140 in one embodiment of this application is shown. Specifically, in one embodiment, the lower rectifier 140 is a hollow cuboid, comprising two first lower rectifier sections 141 and two second lower rectifier sections 143. The two first lower rectifier sections 141 are spaced apart along a first horizontal direction, and both first lower rectifier sections 141 extend along a second horizontal direction. Preferably, the longitudinal section of each first lower rectifier section 141 perpendicular to the first direction is rectangular. The two second lower rectifier sections 143 are respectively connected between the two first lower rectifier sections 141. Each second lower rectifier section 143 is spaced apart along the second horizontal direction, and each second lower rectifier section 143 extends along the first horizontal direction. Preferably, the longitudinal section of each second lower rectifier section 143 perpendicular to the second direction is rectangular.

[0058] In other embodiments, the shape of the longitudinal section of the lower rectifier 140 perpendicular to its circumference can be a regular or irregular shape such as a rectangle, trapezoid, triangle, or arch, without limitation to meet different requirements. When the shape of the longitudinal section of the lower rectifier 140 perpendicular to its circumference is a trapezoid, triangle, or arch, the width of the lower rectifier 140 gradually decreases from the end near the lower electrode unit 120 to the end away from the lower electrode unit 120.

[0059] In some embodiments, the lower rectifier 140 is formed of an insulating material; specifically, in one embodiment, the lower rectifier 140 is formed of a ceramic material. Ceramic materials possess insulating and high-temperature resistant properties, as well as excellent mechanical, electrical, and chemical stability, thus meeting the requirements of the dry etching equipment 100 and the process. It is understood that the material used to form the lower rectifier 140 is not limited to this; other single or composite materials may be used as needed to meet different etching requirements.

[0060] like Figure 3 As shown, Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the lower rectifier 140 in one embodiment of this application is shown. In some embodiments, the dry etching apparatus 100 includes a plurality of lower rectifiers 140, all of which are stacked vertically to form an integral part protruding from the lower electrode unit 120. Thus, the number and height of the lower rectifiers 140 can be adjusted as needed to meet different etching requirements, achieving flexible adjustment of different etching effects.

[0061] It is understood that the shapes of each lower rectifier 140 can be all the same, or all or part of them can be different. The thickness of each lower rectifier 140 in the vertical direction can be all the same, or all or part of them can be different. In this way, by combining different numbers of lower rectifiers 140 with the same or different shapes and thicknesses in different ways, we can form an integral part with different shapes, thereby achieving different turbulence effects.

[0062] In some embodiments, the end face of the lower rectifier 140 facing the upper electrode unit 130 is further provided with grooves and / or protrusions, thereby achieving different rectification effects for different positions and further improving etching uniformity. Specifically, in one embodiment, the end face of the lower rectifier 140 facing the upper electrode unit 130 is provided with multiple grooves, all of which are arranged at intervals along the circumference of the lower rectifier cavity, and each groove has the same shape.

[0063] It is understood that the shape, number, and arrangement of the grooves are not limited, and the shapes of the grooves can be the same or different, and can be set as needed to meet different requirements. For example, when the lower rectifier 140 is a hollow cuboid, multiple grooves are provided on the first lower rectifier 141 and the second lower rectifier 143 of the lower rectifier 140. The grooves located on the first lower rectifier 141 are arranged at intervals along the length direction of the first lower rectifier 141, and the grooves located on the second lower rectifier 143 are arranged at intervals along the second lower rectifier 143.

[0064] It is understandable that when the dry etching equipment 100 includes multiple lower rectifiers 140, and all the lower rectifiers 140 are stacked in the vertical direction, only the uppermost lower rectifier 140 may have a groove.

[0065] like Figure 5 As shown, Figure 5 A front view schematic diagram of a dry etching apparatus according to one embodiment of this application is shown. In some embodiments, the dry etching apparatus 100 further includes an upper rectifier 150, which is an integrally formed structure. The upper rectifier 150 protrudes from the surface of the upper electrode unit 130 facing the lower electrode unit 120, and the orthographic projection of the upper rectifier 150 on the lower electrode unit 120 surrounds the part 200 to be etched. The upper rectifier 150 can change the distribution of the reactive gas, so that when the reactive gas flows outward, it is blocked and bounced back by the upper rectifier 150, thereby concentrating the reactive gas in the effective area, reducing the distribution area of ​​the reactive gas, and further reducing the etching rate difference between different areas of the part 200 to be etched, thereby further improving the uniformity of etching.

[0066] In some embodiments, the shape and size of the inner contour of the upper rectifier 150 match the shape and size of the component 200 to be etched. The cross-sectional area of ​​the space enclosed by the upper rectifier 150 perpendicular to the vertical direction is equal to the area of ​​the component 200 to be etched, and the inner edge of the orthographic projection of the upper rectifier 150 onto the lower electrode unit 120 coincides with the outer edge of the component 200 to be etched. In other embodiments, the cross-sectional area of ​​the space enclosed by the upper rectifier 150 perpendicular to the vertical direction is greater than the area of ​​the component 200 to be etched, and a gap exists between the inner edge of the orthographic projection of the upper rectifier 150 onto the lower electrode unit 120 and the outer edge of the component 200 to be etched.

[0067] In a preferred embodiment, the cross-sectional area of ​​the space enclosed by the upper rectifier 150 perpendicular to the vertical direction is larger than the area of ​​the component 200 to be etched. There is a gap between the inner edge of the orthographic projection of the upper rectifier 150 onto the lower electrode unit 120 and the outer edge of the component 200 to be etched, and the distance between the inner edge of the orthographic projection of the upper rectifier 150 onto the lower electrode unit 120 and the outer edge of the component 200 to be etched is equal everywhere. This makes the density of the reactive gas around the component 200 to be etched approximately equal, resulting in more uniform etching.

[0068] It is understood that the specific value of the distance between the inner edge of the orthographic projection of the upper rectifier 150 onto the lower electrode unit 120 and the edge of the component 200 to be etched is not limited, and can be set according to the size of the component 200 to be etched, the size of the lower electrode unit 120, and other factors to meet different etching requirements. In some other embodiments, the distance between the inner edge of the orthographic projection of the upper rectifier 150 onto the lower electrode unit 120 and the edge of the component 200 to be etched may also be different for different parts. In other embodiments, a portion of the inner edge of the orthographic projection of the upper rectifier 150 onto the lower electrode unit 120 is in contact with the edge of the component 200 to be etched without gap, while another portion of the inner edge of the orthographic projection of the upper rectifier 150 onto the lower electrode unit 120 has a gap with the edge of the component 200 to be etched.

[0069] In one embodiment, the upper rectifier 150 is a hollow cuboid, frustum, or cylinder. It is understood that the shape of the upper rectifier 150 is not limited to these, and can be set to other regular or irregular shapes according to factors such as the shape of the component to be etched 200 and the shape of the electrode, so as to meet different rectification requirements. In some embodiments, the upper rectifier 150 may also be a hollow polygon or other regular or irregular shapes.

[0070] Please combine Figure 6 As shown, Figure 6This diagram illustrates the structure of the upper electrode unit of a dry etching apparatus according to one embodiment of this application. Specifically, in one embodiment, the upper rectifier 150 is a hollow cuboid, comprising two first upper rectifier sections 151 and two second upper rectifier sections 152. The two first upper rectifier sections 151 are spaced apart along a first horizontal direction, and both extend along a second horizontal direction. The longitudinal section of each first upper rectifier section 151 perpendicular to the first direction is rectangular. The two second upper rectifier sections 152 are respectively connected between the two first upper rectifier sections 151. Each second upper rectifier section 152 is spaced apart along the second horizontal direction, and extends along the first horizontal direction. The longitudinal section of each second upper rectifier section 152 perpendicular to the second direction is rectangular.

[0071] In other embodiments, the shape of the longitudinal section of the upper rectifier 150 perpendicular to its circumference can be a regular or irregular shape such as a rectangle, trapezoid, triangle, or arch, without limitation to meet different requirements. When the shape of the longitudinal section of the upper rectifier 150 perpendicular to its circumference is a trapezoid, triangle, or arch, the width of the upper rectifier 150 gradually decreases from the end near the upper electrode unit 130 to the end away from the upper electrode unit 130.

[0072] In some embodiments, the upper rectifier 150 is formed of an insulating material, specifically, the upper rectifier 150 is formed of a ceramic material. Ceramic materials possess insulating and high-temperature resistance properties, as well as excellent mechanical properties, electrical properties, and chemical stability, thus meeting the requirements of the dry etching equipment 100 and the process. It is understood that the material used to form the upper rectifier 150 is not limited to this; other single or composite materials may be used as needed to meet different etching requirements.

[0073] In some embodiments, the dry etching apparatus 100 includes a plurality of upper rectifiers 150, all of which are stacked vertically. Thus, the number of upper rectifiers 150 can be adjusted as needed, thereby adjusting the height of the upper rectifiers 150 to meet different etching requirements.

[0074] It is understandable that the shapes of each upper rectifier 150 can be all the same, or all or part of them can be different. The thickness of each upper rectifier 150 in the vertical direction can be all the same, or all or part of them can be different. In this way, by combining different numbers of upper rectifiers 150 with the same or different shapes and thicknesses in different ways, we can form an integral part with different shapes, thereby achieving different turbulence effects.

[0075] In some embodiments, the end face of the upper rectifier 150 facing the lower electrode unit 120 is further provided with grooves and / or protrusions, thereby achieving different rectification effects for different positions and further improving etching uniformity. Specifically, in one embodiment, the end face of the upper rectifier 150 facing the lower electrode unit 120 is provided with multiple grooves, all of which are arranged at circumferential intervals along the upper rectifier cavity, and each groove has the same shape.

[0076] It is understood that the shape, number, and arrangement of the grooves are not limited, and the shapes of each groove can be the same or different, thus setting them to meet different requirements as needed. For example, when the upper rectifier 150 is a hollow cuboid, multiple grooves are provided on the first upper rectifier 151 and the second upper rectifier 152 of the upper rectifier 150. The grooves located on the first upper rectifier 151 are arranged at intervals along the length direction of the first upper rectifier 151, and the grooves located on the second upper rectifier 152 are arranged at intervals along the second upper rectifier 152.

[0077] It is understandable that when the dry etching equipment 100 includes multiple upper rectifiers 150, and all upper rectifiers 150 are stacked in the vertical direction, only the lowermost upper rectifier 150 may have a groove.

[0078] In some embodiments, the lower electrode unit 120 is further provided with an electrostatic chuck on the side away from the upper electrode unit 130. The electrostatic chuck is used to adsorb the part to be etched 200, thereby preventing the part to be etched 200 from shifting position.

[0079] In some embodiments, the dry etching apparatus 100 further includes a robotic arm for transporting the component 200 to be etched onto the lower electrode unit 120. It is understood that, in order not to interfere with the normal operation of the robotic arm, the height of the lower rectifier 140 is lower than the height of the robotic arm, thereby preventing interference with the normal operation of the robotic arm. It is understood that the transport structure of the component 200 to be etched is not limited to this, and the height of the lower rectifier 140 can be set as needed, as long as the lower rectifier 140 does not interfere with the normal operation of the transport structure.

[0080] The aforementioned dry etching equipment 100, by providing an integrally formed lower rectifier 140 on the lower electrode unit 120, can effectively stabilize the etching reaction site around the part to be etched 200, reduce the etching rate of the edge area of ​​the part to be etched 200, thereby improving etching uniformity and solving the problem of poor etching in some areas of the part to be etched 200.

[0081] The technical features of the above embodiments can be combined in any way. For the sake of brevity, not all possible combinations of the technical features in the above embodiments are described. However, as long as there is no contradiction in the combination of these technical features, they should be considered to be within the scope of this specification.

[0082] The embodiments described above are merely illustrative of several implementation methods of this application, and while the descriptions are relatively specific and detailed, they should not be construed as limiting the scope of the patent application. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make various modifications and improvements without departing from the concept of this application, and these all fall within the protection scope of this application. Therefore, the protection scope of this patent application should be determined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A dry etching apparatus for etching a component to be etched, characterized in that, The dry etching equipment includes: The reaction chamber has a reaction cavity and is provided with an air inlet and an air outlet respectively connected to the reaction cavity. The air inlet is used to supply reaction gas to the reaction cavity, and the air outlet is used to extract reaction gas from the reaction cavity. A lower electrode unit and an upper electrode unit are housed within the reaction chamber. The lower electrode unit and the upper electrode unit are vertically spaced apart and parallel to each other. The surface of the lower electrode unit facing the upper electrode unit has a placement surface for placing the component to be etched. The lower rectifier protrudes from the side surface of the lower electrode unit facing the upper electrode unit. The lower rectifier is an integrally formed structure. The lower rectifier surrounds the etching space around the component to be etched, and there is a gap between the side surface of the lower rectifier facing the upper electrode unit and the side surface of the upper electrode unit facing the lower electrode unit.

2. The dry etching apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, The cross-sectional area of ​​the etching space is greater than or equal to the area of ​​the component to be etched, and the inner wall of the lower rectifier cavity is in contact with or has a gap with the edge of the component to be etched.

3. The dry etching apparatus according to claim 2, characterized in that, The distance between the inner wall of the lower rectifier and the edge of the component to be etched is equal everywhere.

4. The dry etching apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, The lower rectifier is a hollow cuboid, frustum, or cylinder.

5. The dry etching apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, The lower rectifier includes two first lower rectifiers and two second lower rectifiers. The two first lower rectifiers are arranged at intervals along a first horizontal direction and both of the first lower rectifiers extend along a second horizontal direction. The two second lower rectifiers are respectively connected between the two first lower rectifiers. Each second lower rectifier is arranged at intervals along the second horizontal direction and each second lower rectifier extends along the first horizontal direction. The first horizontal direction, the second horizontal direction, and the vertical direction are all perpendicular to each other.

6. The dry etching apparatus according to claim 5, characterized in that, The first lower rectifier section has a rectangular longitudinal section perpendicular to the first direction, and the second lower rectifier section has a rectangular longitudinal section perpendicular to the second direction.

7. The dry etching apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, The lower rectifier is formed of insulating material.

8. The dry etching apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, The lower rectifier is made of ceramic material.

9. The dry etching apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, The dry etching equipment includes multiple lower rectifiers, all of which are stacked along the vertical direction.

10. The dry etching apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, The dry etching apparatus further includes an upper rectifier, which protrudes from the surface of the upper electrode unit facing the lower electrode unit, and the orthographic projection of the upper rectifier on the lower electrode unit surrounds the part to be etched.

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