Semiconductor process apparatus and plasma source therefor

Abstract

The present disclosure provides a semiconductor process equipment and a plasma source thereof. The plasma source comprises a dielectric sleeve, a Faraday cylinder, a coil assembly and an ignition driving device. The dielectric sleeve is arranged on the top of a process chamber of the semiconductor process equipment in use and communicates with the process chamber; the Faraday cylinder is sleeved on the outer periphery of the dielectric sleeve, and the peripheral wall of the Faraday cylinder is provided with an opening structure; the coil assembly is sleeved on the outer periphery of the Faraday cylinder, and the coil assembly comprises a first coil and a movable piece, the movable piece is movably arranged on the first coil and electrically connected with the first coil; the ignition driving device is used to drive the movable piece to move between a first position and a second position; in the case of the first position, the movable piece is located in the opening structure; in the case of the second position, the movable piece is away from the dielectric sleeve compared with the case of the first position.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to the field of semiconductor processing technology, and more specifically, to a semiconductor process apparatus and its plasma source. Background Technology

[0002] In the field of semiconductor processing technology, the requirements for processing efficiency and precision are constantly increasing. Photoresist removal is a critical process in semiconductor processing, requiring rapid removal of large quantities of photoresist. Currently, plasma technology is commonly used in this field to remove photoresist from wafer surfaces, which necessitates that the plasma source meet the process requirements of high speed and high power.

[0003] The relevant technology employs an inductively coupled plasma (ICP) source for photoresist stripping. The ICP source includes a coil, a Faraday cage, and a dielectric sleeve. The coil generates an electromagnetic field around the dielectric sleeve, ionizing the process gas within the sleeve to form plasma, which is then introduced into the process chamber to perform the dry photoresist stripping process. Simultaneously, the Faraday cage effectively reduces capacitive coupling, thereby minimizing the risk of damage to the delicate structures of the wafer surface and ensuring processing quality. Because the main etching step in the photoresist stripping process is extremely short, a high photoresist etching rate needs to be achieved within a short time, placing extremely high demands on the reliability and stability of the entire system. Therefore, the plasma source needs to have rapid ignition capability. During ignition, directly using high-power ignition would subject the coil to extremely high voltage, posing a risk of damage. To avoid this, the actual production photoresist stripping process typically employs a power transition process, gradually switching from a low-power ignition step to a high-power main etching step, which significantly impacts the ignition speed. In addition, due to the arrangement and operation mechanism of the Faraday cage in the whole system, while reducing capacitive coupling and protecting the wafer, it also leads to problems such as difficult ignition and poor ignition repeatability. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This disclosure addresses the shortcomings of existing methods by proposing a semiconductor process apparatus and its plasma source, which can achieve stable and rapid ignition to improve the etching rate of photoresist.

[0005] To achieve the purpose of this disclosure, a plasma source is provided for use in a semiconductor process apparatus, comprising: a dielectric sleeve, a Faraday cylinder, a coil assembly, and an ignition drive device; the dielectric sleeve is used to be disposed on top of the process chamber of the semiconductor process apparatus and communicates with the process chamber during use;

[0006] The Faraday cylinder is sleeved on the outer periphery of the medium sleeve, and an opening structure is provided on the peripheral wall of the Faraday cylinder;

[0007] The coil assembly is sleeved on the outer periphery of the Faraday cylinder, and the coil assembly includes a first coil and a movable member, the movable member being movably disposed on the first coil and electrically connected to the first coil;

[0008] The ignition drive device is used to drive the movable part to move between the first position and the second position;

[0009] In the first position, the movable element is located within the opening structure;

[0010] In the second position, the movable element is further away from the medium sleeve compared to the first position.

[0011] In some embodiments, the ignition drive device is used to apply a driving force to the movable member to move it from the first position to the second position; and the movable member is configured to be able to return from the second position to the first position when the driving force is released.

[0012] In some embodiments, the ignition drive device includes a linear drive source and a transmission structure, wherein the linear drive source is used to provide linear power for axial movement along the first coil;

[0013] The movable component is rotatably disposed on the first coil; the transmission structure is used to contact the drive shaft of the linear drive source when the linear drive source provides the linear power, and drive the movable component to rotate from the first position to the second position;

[0014] The transmission structure is also used to separate from the drive shaft when the linear drive source stops providing the linear power and the drive shaft retracts, so that the movable element returns from the second position to the first position.

[0015] In some embodiments, the movable member achieves gravitational balance when in the first position, and generates a restoring force to return to the first position due to gravitational imbalance when the linear drive source stops providing the linear power and the drive shaft retracts.

[0016] In some embodiments, the movable member moves between a first position and a second position by rotating about its axis of rotation, the movable member being configured such that, when the movable member is in the second position, its center of gravity is higher than the center of gravity of the axis of rotation.

[0017] In some embodiments, the transmission structure includes an elastic element, which is configured to elastically deform when the movable element moves from the first position to the second position, thereby applying a restoring force to the movable element to return it to the first position.

[0018] In some embodiments, the movable member is movable between the first position and the second position by rotating about its rotation axis, and the movable member further includes:

[0019] An offset portion extending radially from the rotating shaft, an ignition portion disposed parallel to the offset portion, and a connecting section portion;

[0020] Wherein, one end of the connecting section is connected to the rotating shaft through the biasing part, and the other end is connected to the ignition part; the extension length of the biasing part in the radial direction of the rotating shaft is less than the radial distance between the ignition part and the rotating shaft.

[0021] In some embodiments, there are multiple opening structures, which are evenly spaced and distributed along the circumference of the Faraday cylinder;

[0022] There are multiple movable parts, and each of the multiple movable parts is provided in a one-to-one correspondence with a multiple of the opening structures;

[0023] The ignition drive device is used to synchronously drive multiple moving parts to move between a first position and a second position.

[0024] In some embodiments, the opening structure includes at least two first openings, which are spaced apart along the axial direction of the Faraday cylinder;

[0025] There are at least two first coils, and they are arranged in a one-to-one correspondence with at least two first openings;

[0026] The movable element includes at least two sub-movable elements, which are corresponding one to one and movably disposed on at least two of the first coils;

[0027] When the ignition drive device drives the movable part to move between the first position and the second position, the ignition drive device is used to drive each of the sub-movable parts to move between the first position and the second position of the sub-movable part;

[0028] In the first position of the sub-moving member, at least two of the sub-moving members are located in at least two of the first openings in a one-to-one correspondence;

[0029] In the second position of the sub-moving member, at least two of the sub-moving members are further away from the medium sleeve compared to when the sub-moving member is in the first position.

[0030] In some embodiments, the opening structure further includes a second opening extending along the axial direction of the Faraday cylinder and communicating with at least two of the first openings; the dimension of each of the first openings in the circumferential direction of the Faraday cylinder is greater than the dimension of the second opening in the circumferential direction of the Faraday cylinder.

[0031] The coil assembly further includes a second coil, which is disposed corresponding to the second opening.

[0032] In some embodiments, there are two first coils;

[0033] The second coil includes an input terminal and an output terminal, the input terminal being connected to one of the two first coils, and the output terminal being connected to the other of the two first coils.

[0034] As another technical solution, this disclosure also provides a semiconductor process apparatus, the semiconductor process apparatus comprising: a process chamber; and the aforementioned plasma source for providing plasma to the process chamber.

[0035] This disclosure has the following technical effects:

[0036] The plasma source disclosed herein, applied to semiconductor process equipment, includes: a dielectric sleeve, a Faraday cylinder, a coil assembly, and an ignition drive device. The dielectric sleeve is used to be positioned on top of and communicates with the process chamber of the semiconductor process equipment. The Faraday cylinder is sleeved around the outer periphery of the dielectric sleeve, and an opening structure is formed in the peripheral wall of the Faraday cylinder. The coil assembly is sleeved around the outer periphery of the Faraday cylinder, and the coil assembly includes a first coil and a movable member. The movable member is movably disposed on and electrically connected to the first coil. Thus, the movable member can serve as an extension of the first coil, thereby allowing adjustment of the overall electric field distribution near the first coil as needed. The ignition drive device is used to move the movable member between a first position and a second position. In the first position, the movable member is located within the opening structure. In the second position, the movable member is further away from the dielectric sleeve compared to the first position. During the ignition step, the movable member is in the first position, in which case the movable member is located within the opening structure of the Faraday cylinder, close to the dielectric sleeve, and unaffected by the Faraday cylinder. At this time, the electric field generated at the movable part electrically connected to the first coil increases the internal electric field strength of the corresponding part of the dielectric sleeve, that is, it increases the local electric field strength inside the dielectric sleeve, thereby improving the ignition efficiency and solving the technical problem of difficult ignition. In particular, it solves the problem of further ignition difficulties caused by the reduced electric field due to the Faraday cage. After the ignition step, the main process steps need to be performed. Therefore, the movable part can be quickly moved to the second position by the ignition drive device. In the second position, the movable part is away from the dielectric sleeve. At this time, the electric field generated at the movable part does not damage the dielectric sleeve, thus ensuring the safe execution of the main process steps. Therefore, the plasma source provided in this disclosure can adjust the electric field near the first coil as needed to meet the electric field strength requirements of each stage of the semiconductor process, so as to improve ignition efficiency without damaging the dielectric sleeve due to excessive electric field strength during the process.

[0037] The semiconductor process apparatus disclosed herein includes a process chamber and the aforementioned plasma source for supplying plasma to the process chamber. The plasma source includes a dielectric sleeve, a Faraday cylinder, a coil assembly, and an ignition drive device. The dielectric sleeve is used to be disposed on top of the process chamber of the semiconductor process apparatus and communicates with the process chamber. The Faraday cylinder is sleeved on the outer periphery of the dielectric sleeve, and an opening structure is formed in the peripheral wall of the Faraday cylinder. The coil assembly is sleeved on the outer periphery of the Faraday cylinder, and the coil assembly includes a first coil and a movable member. The movable member is movably disposed on and electrically connected to the first coil. Thus, the movable member can serve as an extension of the first coil, thereby allowing adjustment of the overall electric field distribution near the first coil as needed. The ignition drive device is used to move the movable member between a first position and a second position. In the first position, the movable member is located within the opening structure. In the second position, the movable member is further away from the dielectric sleeve compared to the first position. In the ignition step, the movable component is in the first position. In this position, the movable component is located in the open structure of the Faraday cage, close to the dielectric sleeve and unaffected by the Faraday cage. At this time, the electric field generated at the movable component, which is electrically connected to the first coil, increases the internal electric field strength of the corresponding part of the dielectric sleeve, i.e., it increases the local electric field strength inside the dielectric sleeve, thereby improving ignition efficiency and solving the technical problem of difficult ignition. In particular, it solves the problem of further ignition difficulties caused by the reduced electric field due to the Faraday cage. After the ignition step, the main process steps need to be performed. Therefore, the movable component can be quickly moved to the second position by the ignition drive device. In the second position, the movable component is away from the dielectric sleeve. At this time, the electric field generated at the movable component does not damage the dielectric sleeve, thus ensuring the safe execution of the main process steps. Therefore, the plasma source provided in this disclosure can adjust the electric field near the first coil as needed to meet the electric field strength requirements of each stage of the semiconductor process, so as to improve ignition efficiency without damaging the dielectric sleeve due to excessive electric field strength during the process. Attached Figure Description

[0038] The above and / or additional aspects and advantages of this disclosure will become apparent and readily understood from the following description of the embodiments taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0039] Figure 1 This is a simplified schematic diagram of a semiconductor process apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0040] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of a plasma source according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0041] Figure 3 This is a perspective view of a plasma source according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0042] Figure 4This is a schematic diagram of a plasma source according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0043] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the coil assembly and ignition drive device of the plasma source according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0044] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the coil assembly of the plasma source according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0045] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the moving parts of the coil assembly of the plasma source according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0046] Figure 8 This is a partial schematic diagram of the movable element of the coil assembly of the plasma source in an embodiment of the present disclosure at a first position.

[0047] Figure 9 This is a partial schematic diagram of the movable element of the coil assembly of the plasma source in an embodiment of the present disclosure at a second position.

[0048] Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of the transmission structure of the ignition drive device for the plasma source according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0049] Figure 11 This is a schematic diagram of the opening structure of the Faraday tube of the plasma source according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0050] Figure 12 This is a schematic diagram of the first coil of the coil assembly of the plasma source according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0051] Figure 13 This is a partial schematic diagram of the support structure of the plasma source according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0052] Figure 14 This is a comparison diagram of the ignition time of plasma sources in related technologies and plasma sources in embodiments of this disclosure under the same number of ignitions.

[0053] Figure 15 This is a schematic diagram of the electric field intensity inside the dielectric sleeve of the plasma source in the relevant technology during the ignition step.

[0054] Figure 16 This is a schematic diagram of the electric field strength of the dielectric sleeve of the plasma source in this embodiment of the present disclosure during the ignition step.

[0055] List of reference numerals in the attached diagram:

[0056] 1. Semiconductor process equipment; 2. Plasma source; 3. Process chamber; 4. Support device; 10. Dielectric sleeve; 20. Faraday cylinder; 21. Opening structure; 22. First opening; 23. Second opening; 30. Coil assembly; 31. First coil; 32. Moving part; 321. Ignition part; 322. Sleeve part; 323. Bias part; 324. Connecting section; 34. Sub-moving part; 35. Second coil; 36. Input end; 37. Output end; 40. Ignition drive device; 41. Linear drive source; 42. Transmission structure; 43. Drive shaft; 50. Inlet assembly; 60. Support structure; P1. First position; P2. Second position Detailed Implementation

[0057] The present disclosure is described in detail below. Examples of embodiments of the present disclosure are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein the same or similar reference numerals denote the same or similar components or components having the same or similar functions throughout. Furthermore, detailed descriptions of known technologies that are unnecessary for the features of the present disclosure illustrated are omitted. The embodiments described below with reference to the accompanying drawings are exemplary and are used only to explain the present disclosure, and should not be construed as limiting the present disclosure.

[0058] It will be understood by those skilled in the art that, unless otherwise defined, all terms used herein (including technical and scientific terms) have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure pertains. It should also be understood that terms such as those defined in general dictionaries should be understood to have the same meaning as in the context of the prior art, and should not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense unless specifically defined as herein.

[0059] The technical solutions of this disclosure and how they solve the above-mentioned technical problems will be described in detail below with specific embodiments.

[0060] like Figure 1 As shown, this embodiment of the disclosure provides a plasma source 2, applied to a semiconductor process apparatus 1. This semiconductor process apparatus is used, for example, for performing a photoresist stripping process. Figure 1 As shown, the semiconductor process equipment 1 mainly includes a process chamber 3. This process chamber 3 is used to provide a vacuum process environment, is made of insulating material, and its cavity can be vertical.

[0061] In this embodiment, as Figures 1 to 13As shown, the plasma source 2 includes a dielectric sleeve 10, a Faraday cylinder 20, a coil assembly 30, and an ignition drive device 40. The dielectric sleeve 10 is used to be positioned on top of and communicate with the process chamber 3 of the semiconductor process equipment 1. The Faraday cylinder 20 is fitted around the outer periphery of the dielectric sleeve 10. An opening structure 21 is formed in the peripheral wall of the Faraday cylinder 20. The coil assembly 30 is fitted around the outer periphery of the Faraday cylinder 20. The coil assembly 30 generates an electric field around the dielectric sleeve 10. The coil assembly 30 includes a first coil 31 and a movable member 32. The movable member 32 is movably disposed on and electrically connected to the first coil 31. The ignition drive device 40 is used to move the movable member 32 between a first position P1 and a second position P2. In the first position P1, the movable member 32 is located in the opening structure 21. In the second position P2, the movable member 32 is further away from the dielectric sleeve 10 compared to the first position P1. In some embodiments, in the second position P2, the movable member 32 may be located outside the opening structure 21. The movable member 32 is made of a conductive material.

[0062] Ignition efficiency is related to the electric field strength inside the dielectric sleeve, which is affected by the coil voltage and the path the electric field takes. For example, the relationship between the electric field strength and the coil voltage and path the electric field takes can be summarized by the following formula:

[0063] Formula 1: E=U / d

[0064] Where E is the electric field strength, U is the coil voltage of the coil (e.g., the first coil 31), and d represents the path length through which the electric field generated by the coil reaches the interior of the dielectric sleeve. With the coil voltage U remaining constant, the electric field strength E is negatively correlated with the path length d. The shorter the distance between the coil and the dielectric sleeve, the shorter the path length d, and the higher the electric field strength E inside the dielectric sleeve. In other words, the closer the dielectric sleeve is to the coil, the higher the electric field strength inside it.

[0065] In related technologies, plasma sources, due to the presence of a Faraday cage to reduce capacitive coupling, cannot shorten the path d of the electric field. Therefore, the electric field strength E can only be increased by increasing the coil voltage U. Related technologies typically increase the electric field strength E by increasing the coil voltage U. However, because the Faraday cage's effect on reducing capacitive coupling is very significant, even with increased coil voltage U, ignition of these plasma sources remains difficult, and ignition repeatability is poor. For example, as... Figure 14As shown, during 20 ignition processes, the ignition time of the existing plasma source ranged from 0.8s to 3s, indicating a long ignition time and a large fluctuation range. Furthermore, during ignition, since the plasma has not yet formed, the coil impedance is very high, and the coil voltage U is extremely high. Therefore, to prevent equipment damage (e.g., breakdown of insulating components), the increase in coil voltage U of the related plasma source is limited by the equipment. Thus, it is evident that the increase in electric field strength E by the related plasma source is limited. For example, as... Figure 15 As shown, the maximum electric field strength E inside the dielectric sleeve of the plasma source in the prior art is approximately 2000 V / m.

[0066] In this embodiment, as Figures 3 to 9 As shown, the movable part 32 can serve as an extension of the first coil 31, thereby allowing adjustment of the overall electric field distribution near the first coil 31 as needed. Figure 16As shown, during the ignition step, the movable member 32 is in the first position P1. In this case, the movable member 32 is located in the opening structure 21 of the Faraday cylinder 20, close to the dielectric sleeve 10 and unaffected by the Faraday cylinder 20. At this time, the electric field generated at the movable member 32, which is electrically connected to the first coil 31, is close enough to the dielectric sleeve 10 to reduce the path d of the electric field, thereby increasing the electric field strength E of the corresponding part of the dielectric sleeve 10. In other words, in this embodiment, the plasma source 2 can set the movable member 32 in the first position P1 during the ignition step to increase the local electric field strength inside the dielectric sleeve 10, so that the seed electrons (electrons required for initial ignition) can quickly move to the region with high electric field strength inside the dielectric sleeve 10, thereby shortening the ignition time, improving the ignition efficiency, and solving the technical problem of difficult ignition. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the plasma source 2, provided with a Faraday cylinder 20, allows the extension portion (movable member 32) of the first coil 31 to extend into the interior of the Faraday cylinder 20, thereby solving the problem of ignition difficulties further exacerbated by the reduction of the electric field caused by the Faraday cylinder 20 during the ignition step. Compared with related technologies, the plasma source 2 of this embodiment can stably shorten the ignition time and reduce the fluctuation range of each ignition time, thereby increasing ignition repeatability. After the ignition step, a main process step (e.g., the main etching step) is required. For this purpose, the movable member 32 can be quickly moved to the second position P2 by the ignition drive device 40. In the second position P2, the movable member 32 is further away from the dielectric sleeve 10 compared to the first position P1. At this time, the electric field generated at the movable member 32 does not damage the dielectric sleeve 10, thereby ensuring the safe execution of the main process step, such as gradually switching the power supply to high power for the main etching step. For example, the movable part 32 in the second position P2 can be outside the opening structure 21 of the Faraday cylinder 20. The movable part 32 is therefore relatively far away from the dielectric sleeve 10 and is affected by the Faraday cylinder 20. Thus, the plasma source 2 of this embodiment can adjust the electric field near the first coil 31 as needed to meet the electric field strength requirements of each stage of the semiconductor process, so as to improve the ignition efficiency without damaging the dielectric sleeve 10 due to excessive electric field strength during the main process steps.

[0067] In some embodiments, in the first position P1, the minimum distance between the movable member 32 and the medium sleeve 10 is in the range of 2 mm to 5 mm, such as... Figure 14 As shown, the electric field strength E is increased to control the ignition time within 1 second to meet the requirement of ignition repeatability.

[0068] In some embodiments, such as Figures 7 to 9As shown, the movable component 32 may include an ignition part 321, which is configured to have an ignition surface facing the medium sleeve 10 in the first position P1. In some embodiments, the ignition surface may be a plane, and at least a portion of the plane may be kept within the aforementioned minimum distance from the medium sleeve 10. In some embodiments, the ignition surface may be a curved surface, particularly a cylindrical curved surface, which is configured to be concentric with the medium sleeve 10 in the first position P1, and each position of the cylindrical curved surface may be kept within the aforementioned minimum distance from the medium sleeve 10.

[0069] In some embodiments, such as Figures 2 to 9 As shown, the ignition drive device 40 can be used to apply a driving force to the movable member 32, causing it to move from the first position P1 to the second position P2. The movable member 32 is configured to return from the second position P2 to the first position P1 when the driving force is released. For example, the movable member 32 can be returned to its original position using gravity, elasticity, or other methods, detailed examples of which will be described below. In this embodiment, the movable member 32 is pre-positioned at the first position P1 before the ignition step begins, so that ignition can be performed directly during ignition. In semiconductor processing, a rapid transition from the ignition step to the main process step (e.g., the main etching step) is required, and therefore the movable member 32 needs to move rapidly from the first position P1 to the second position P2. To address this, the plasma source 2 in this embodiment applies a driving force to the movable member 32 via the ignition drive device 40, causing it to move rapidly from the first position P1 to the second position P2, thereby minimizing the interval between the completion of ignition and the start of the main process step. In addition, there are other steps such as changing the workpiece between the end of the main process step and the start of the next ignition step, and the interval is relatively long. Therefore, in order to ensure the safety of the equipment, the movable part 32 does not need to be driven to reset to the first position P1 by the driving force of the ignition drive device 40.

[0070] In some embodiments, the movable member 32 can also be reset by the driving force (e.g., a reverse driving force) of the ignition drive device 40. In this case, the movable member 32 can be pre-set in the second position P2 before the ignition step begins, and then quickly moved to the first position P1 by the driving force of the ignition drive device 40 after the ignition step begins to ignite, so as to avoid damage to the dielectric sleeve 10 due to excessively high electric field strength before the ignition step begins. It should be noted that the ignition drive device 40 can also be used to apply a driving force to the movable member 32 to move it from the second position P2 to the first position P1, and the movable member 32 can be configured to reset from the first position P1 to the second position P2 when the driving force is released.

[0071] In some embodiments, such as Figure 2 , Figure 3and Figure 5 As shown, the ignition drive device 40 may include a linear drive source 41 and a transmission structure 42. The linear drive source 41 is used to provide linear power for axial movement along the first coil 31. For example, the linear drive source 41 may be a drive device such as a cylinder or hydraulic device. The movable member 32 is rotatably disposed on the first coil 31. The transmission structure 42 is used to contact the drive shaft 43 of the linear drive source 41 when the linear drive source 41 provides linear power, and drive the movable member 32 to rotate from the first position P1 to the second position P2. When the linear drive source 41 stops providing linear power and the drive shaft 43 retracts, the transmission structure 42 separates from the drive shaft 43, so that the movable member 32 returns from the second position P2 to the first position P1. Thus, the drive shaft 43 of the linear drive source 41 can remain in contact with the transmission structure 42 during the process of moving from the first position P1 to the second position P2, so as to provide linear power to the transmission structure 42. In some embodiments, during the movement from the second position P2 to the first position P1, the drive shaft 43 of the linear drive source 41 can be separated from the transmission structure 42 to avoid hindering the resetting process of the movable member 32. In other embodiments, the drive shaft 43 of the linear drive source 41 can be slowly retracted to maintain contact with the transmission structure 42 during the movement from the second position P2 to the first position P1, allowing the movable member 32 to slowly reset to the first position P1. In some embodiments, such as Figures 7 to 9 As shown, the movable part 32 can move between a first position P1 and a second position P2 by rotating about its rotation axis.

[0072] In some embodiments, the movable member 32 can be configured to be in an unbalanced state in the second position P2, thereby resetting to the first position P1. In this embodiment, the unbalanced state can be understood as the situation where, in the second position P2, the net external force and net torque acting on the movable member 32 are not zero, such that the net forces acting on the movable member 32 in all directions can cause the movable member 32 to tend to return to the first position, thus placing the movable member 32 in an unbalanced state. For example, the unbalanced state can include a gravitational unbalanced state and an elastic unbalanced state, etc.

[0073] In some embodiments, such as Figures 7 to 9 As shown, when the movable part 32 is in the first position P1, it achieves gravity balance. When the linear drive source 41 stops providing linear power and the drive shaft 43 retracts, a restoring force is generated to return to the first position P1 due to gravity imbalance (i.e., the gravity imbalance state described above).

[0074] In some embodiments, such as Figures 3 to 9As shown, the movable member 32 can rotate about its rotation axis to move between a first position P1 and a second position P2. The movable member 32 can be configured such that, when in the second position P2, its center of gravity is higher than the center of gravity of the rotation axis. Thus, the movable member 32 can be rotated back to the first position P1 under the influence of gravity about its rotation axis.

[0075] In some embodiments, the transmission structure 42 may include an elastic element (not shown). The elastic element is configured to elastically deform when the movable element 32 moves from the first position P1 to the second position P2, thereby applying a restoring force to the movable element 32 to return it to the first position P1 (i.e., the elastic imbalance state described above). In this case, the elastic force applied by the elastic element is much smaller than the driving force provided by the ignition drive device 40, and therefore has no effect on the movement of the movable element 32 from the first position P1 to the second position P2.

[0076] In some embodiments that provide an ignition section 321, such as Figures 7 to 9 As shown, the movable member 32 may further include a biasing portion 323 and a connecting portion 324 extending radially from the rotation shaft. The ignition portion 321 may be arranged parallel to the biasing portion 323. One end of the connecting portion 324 is connected to the rotation shaft via the biasing portion 323, and the other end is connected to the ignition portion 321. The radial extension length of the biasing portion 323 in the rotation shaft direction is less than the radial distance between the ignition portion 321 and the rotation shaft. This ensures that the radial distance between the connecting portion 324 and the rotation shaft is less than the radial distance between the ignition portion 321 and the rotation shaft. Therefore, during the rotation of the movable member 32, the connecting portion 324 can avoid approaching the dielectric sleeve 10, thereby preventing the dielectric sleeve 10 from being damaged by excessively high electric field strength.

[0077] In some embodiments, such as Figure 7 As shown, the biasing portion 323, the connecting section 324, and the ignition portion 321 together define a U-shaped biasing structure. The connecting section 324 forms the lateral bottom edge of the biasing structure (U-shaped structure), and the biasing portion 323 and the ignition portion 321 respectively form the two longitudinal sides of the biasing structure. The connecting section 324 can be perpendicular to both the biasing portion 323 and the ignition portion 321. In this case, the extension length of the connecting section 324 between the biasing portion 323 and the ignition portion 321 is equal to the radial distance between the ignition portion 321 and the rotation axis. In other words, the radial extension length of the biasing portion 323 along the rotation axis is less than the aforementioned extension length of the connecting section 324.

[0078] In some embodiments, such as Figures 7 to 9As shown, the movable member 32 may include a sleeve portion 322 for fitting onto the first coil 31, so as to be rotatably disposed on the first coil 31 via the sleeve portion 322. In this regard, the sleeve portion 322 may be formed as the rotation axis of the movable member 32. Figure 12 As shown, in some embodiments, the first coil 31 may have a ring-shaped structure.

[0079] In some embodiments, the material of the movable part 32 may be a conductive metal, such as copper, silver, gold, etc.

[0080] In some embodiments, the transmission structure 42 and the movable member 32 can be connected by threads, and the transmission structure 42 can have a certain elasticity so as to elastically deform when driving the movable member 32 to rotate, so as to cooperate with the rotation of the movable member 32 around the first coil 31.

[0081] In some embodiments, the transmission structure 42 and the movable member 32 can be connected by a connecting portion to the elongated hole structure in a sliding fit, so that when the movable member 32 is driven to rotate, the connecting portion between the movable member 32 and the transmission structure 42 slides in the elongated hole structure to cooperate with the rotation of the movable member 32 around the first coil 31.

[0082] In some embodiments, such as Figure 2 , Figure 3 , Figure 5 and Figure 6 As shown, in the first position P1 and / or the second position P2, the drive shaft 43 of the linear drive source 41 can remain in contact with the transmission structure 42 to keep the movable member 32 stably and balanced in its current position. Furthermore, in response to the movable member 32 moving from the second position P2 to the first position P1, the linear drive source 41 stops providing linear power to the drive shaft 43 and retracts it, causing the movable member 32 to be in an unbalanced state in the second position P2, thereby resetting it to the first position P1.

[0083] In some embodiments, such as Figures 2 to 6 As shown, there can be multiple opening structures 21, which are spaced apart circumferentially along the Faraday cylinder 20. There are multiple movable members 32, each corresponding to one of the multiple opening structures 21. In other words, the movable members 32 are spaced apart circumferentially along the Faraday cylinder 20. In some embodiments, both the opening structures 21 and the movable members 32 can be evenly spaced apart circumferentially along the Faraday cylinder 20. Optionally, the number of opening structures 21 and movable members 32 is eight, but this embodiment does not limit the specific number of opening structures 21. Providing multiple movable members 32 can further accelerate the ignition speed. For example, as... Figure 15As shown, in the embodiment of the plasma source 2 provided with multiple movable elements 32, the electric field strength E inside the dielectric sleeve can reach a maximum of approximately 12000 V / m, which is far higher than the electric field strength achievable by related technologies. Furthermore, compared to related technologies, the plasma source 2 of this embodiment can stably shorten the ignition time to within 0.68 s to 1 s, with a small time fluctuation range, thereby increasing ignition repeatability. Thus, after the process begins, the movable element 32 can stably switch from the first position P1 to the second position P2 within 1 s.

[0084] In some embodiments, such as Figure 2 , Figure 5 and Figure 10 As shown, the ignition drive device 40 can be used to synchronously drive multiple movable parts 32 to move between a first position P1 and a second position P2. For example, in an embodiment where the ignition drive device 40 includes a linear drive source 41 and a transmission structure 42, the transmission structure 42 can be used to drive multiple movable parts 32 to rotate synchronously from the first position P1 to the second position P2 when the linear drive source 41 provides linear power. Thus, multiple movable parts 32 can be driven by the same linear drive source 41 to rotate synchronously to the second position P2, providing a uniformly distributed electric field to the dielectric sleeve 10, while also simplifying the structure used for ignition drive. In some embodiments, the transmission structure 42 may include an annular structure around the outer periphery of the first coil 31, which can move axially along the Faraday cylinder 20 when subjected to linear power provided by the linear drive source 41. In some embodiments, the transmission structure 42 may also include an extension for contacting the drive shaft 43 of the linear drive source 41 in a shape-fitting manner. It should be noted that the transmission structure 42 may also include multiple sub-transmission structures, each of which can respectively enable the corresponding individual moving part 32 to move.

[0085] In some embodiments, such as Figures 2 to 4 and Figure 11As shown, the opening structure 21 may include at least two first openings 22. The at least two first openings 22 are spaced apart along the axial direction of the Faraday cylinder 20. There are at least two first coils 31, each corresponding to one of the at least two first openings 22. The movable member 32 includes at least two sub-movable members 34. The at least two sub-movable members 34 are correspondingly and movably disposed on the at least two first coils 31. When the ignition drive device 40 moves the movable member 32 between a first position P1 and a second position P2, the ignition drive device 40 is used to move each sub-movable member 34 between the first sub-movable member position and the second sub-movable member position. In the first sub-movable member position, the at least two sub-movable members 34 are located correspondingly in the at least two first openings 22. In the second sub-movable member position, the at least two sub-movable members 34 are further away from the medium sleeve 10 compared to their position in the first sub-movable member position. As a result, the first coil 31 can be close to the top and bottom of the Faraday cylinder 20 respectively, the electric field strength at both ends along the axial direction inside the dielectric sleeve 10 is increased, the electric field strength in the dissociation region is enhanced, and the gas entering the interior from the top of the dielectric sleeve 10 is fully dissociated, thereby improving the ignition efficiency of the plasma source 2 and the main process efficiency (e.g., the efficiency of the main etching step).

[0086] It should be noted that in embodiments with sub-moving element 34, the above description of moving element 32 can also be applied to sub-moving element 34. In this case, the ignition drive device 40 may include at least two linear drive sources 41 to drive the sub-moving element 34 respectively, or the sub-moving element 34 may be driven synchronously by the same linear drive source 41.

[0087] In some embodiments, at least two first coils 31 may be connected in parallel so that when power is applied, the current direction in each first coil 31 is the same, thereby making the temperature rise of the dielectric sleeve 10 more uniform.

[0088] In embodiments that provide an ignition section 321, such as Figure 11As shown, the ignition part 321 can be matched with the shape of the first opening 22 to increase the area facing the dielectric sleeve 10, thereby obtaining a sufficiently high electric field strength inside the dielectric sleeve 10 in a larger area. It should be noted that since the coil assembly 30 has an extremely high voltage, and the Faraday cylinder 20 is a grounded structure, the dimensions of the ignition part 321 are set to have a gap with the edge of the first opening 22 to avoid breakdown and meet the overall withstand voltage requirements of the device. Based on this, when the movable part 32 moves between the first position P1 and the second position P2, it will not contact the Faraday cylinder 20, thereby avoiding problems such as short circuits or electromagnetic interference. In some embodiments, the first opening 22 can be a rectangular structure, and the ignition part 321 can also be a rectangular structure, particularly a square structure. Optionally, the width of the ignition part 321 is set to 35 mm to 45 mm, and the thickness is set to 2 mm to 20 mm, so that the ignition part 321 has a sufficient cross-sectional perimeter to ensure the flow resistance of the ignition part 321.

[0089] In some embodiments, such as Figures 2 to 4 and Figure 11 As shown, the opening structure 21 may further include a second opening 23. The second opening 23 extends axially along the Faraday cylinder 20 and communicates with at least two first openings 22. In some embodiments, the number of first openings 22 and first coils 31 may be two, with the two first openings 22 located at the top and bottom of the second opening 23, respectively. The circumferential dimension of each first opening 22 in the Faraday cylinder 20 is larger than the circumferential dimension of the second opening 23 in the Faraday cylinder 20. The coil assembly 30 also includes a second coil 35, which is correspondingly disposed with the second opening 23. The second coil 35 can be fed with an electric field through the second opening 23. In related technologies, plasma sources use power up to 5000W in the main etching step. It is difficult to increase the overall rate of free radical dissociation simply by increasing the power, and the cost of improving efficiency is very high. In comparison, the plasma source 2 of this embodiment can obtain a more efficient inductively coupled plasma source with the same power.

[0090] In some embodiments, such as Figures 2 to 4 and Figure 11 As shown, the second opening 23 can be a rectangular structure.

[0091] In some embodiments, such as Figure 2 , Figure 3 , Figure 6 and Figure 11 As shown, the second coil 35 can be a three-layered coil structure, which can be a spiral structure integrally formed from a copper tube.

[0092] In an embodiment providing two first coils 31, such as Figure 6As shown, the second coil 35 may include an input terminal 36 and an output terminal 37. The input terminal 36 is connected to one of the two first coils 31, and the output terminal 37 is connected to the other of the two first coils 31. Thus, the first coils 31 and the second coil 35 are connected in series. In some embodiments, the first coil 31 has a coil connection portion for connecting to the input terminal 36 and the output terminal 37 of the second coil 35.

[0093] In some embodiments, the first coil 31 and the second coil 35 may be connected in parallel.

[0094] In some embodiments, such as Figures 2 to 6 and Figure 13 As shown, the plasma source 2 also includes a support structure 60, which is disposed on the outer periphery of the Faraday cylinder 20. The coil assembly 30 is disposed on the Faraday cylinder 20 via the support structure 60. The support structure 60 extends axially along the Faraday cylinder 20, and its axial length can cover all openings of the opening structure 21. In embodiments providing multiple support structures 60, the support structures 60 are evenly spaced circumferentially around the outer periphery of the Faraday cylinder 20. Specifically, the support structure 60 can be a support structure made of resin material. The support structure 60 can be installed on the outer periphery of the Faraday cylinder 20 by multiple fasteners (e.g., threaded structures), and the support structure 60 has multiple grooves for accommodating and limiting the shape-fitting assembly of the coils (e.g., the first coil 31 and the second coil 35) of the coil assembly 30. With the above design, the plasma source 2 has a simple structure, thereby greatly improving the efficiency of disassembly and maintenance. It should be noted that the embodiments of this disclosure do not limit the specific number of support structures 60. For example, the number of support structures 60 can be four, and those skilled in the art can adjust the setting according to the actual situation.

[0095] The plasma source 2 in this embodiment can be used to perform a glue removal process, but this embodiment is not limited thereto, and those skilled in the art can adjust the settings according to actual conditions. Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the dielectric sleeve 10 of the plasma source 2 is, for example, a tubular structure made of quartz material, but this embodiment is not limited thereto. The bottom end of the dielectric sleeve 10 is connected to the top end of the process chamber 3, and the top end of the dielectric sleeve 10 may be provided with an air inlet assembly 50 for introducing process gas into the dielectric sleeve 10. The coil assembly 30 can generate an electromagnetic field around the dielectric sleeve 10 to ionize the process gas inside the dielectric sleeve 10 to form plasma. The Faraday cylinder 20 is sleeved on the outer periphery of the dielectric sleeve 10 to reduce the coupling of the electric field to the plasma, making the plasma sheath layer uniform, while reducing local corrosion of the inner wall of the dielectric sleeve 10, and also reducing the ion energy in plasma generation.

[0096] As another technical solution, such as Figures 1 to 13 As shown, this disclosure also provides a semiconductor process apparatus 1. The semiconductor process apparatus 1 includes a process chamber 3 and the aforementioned plasma source 2, used to supply plasma to the process chamber 3. In this embodiment, the movable element 32 can serve as an extension of the first coil 31, thereby allowing adjustment of the overall electric field distribution near the first coil 31 as needed. Figure 16 As shown, during the ignition step, the movable member 32 is in the first position P1. In this case, the movable member 32 is located in the opening structure 21 of the Faraday cylinder 20, close to the dielectric sleeve 10 and unaffected by the Faraday cylinder 20. At this time, the electric field generated at the movable member 32, which is electrically connected to the first coil 31, is close enough to the dielectric sleeve 10 to reduce the path d of the electric field, thereby increasing the intensity of the internal electric field E of the corresponding part of the dielectric sleeve 10. In other words, in this embodiment, the plasma source 2 can set the movable member 32 in the first position P1 during the ignition step to increase the local electric field intensity inside the dielectric sleeve 10, so that the seed electrons (electrons required for initial ignition) can quickly move to the region with high electric field intensity inside the dielectric sleeve 10, thereby shortening the ignition time, improving the ignition efficiency, and solving the technical problem of difficult ignition. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the plasma source 2, provided with a Faraday cylinder 20, allows the extension portion (movable member 32) of the first coil 31 to extend into the interior of the Faraday cylinder 20, thereby solving the problem of ignition difficulties further exacerbated by the reduction of the electric field caused by the Faraday cylinder 20 during the ignition step. Compared with related technologies, the plasma source 2 of this embodiment can stably shorten the ignition time and reduce the fluctuation range of each ignition time, thereby increasing ignition repeatability. After the ignition step, a main process step (e.g., a main etching step) is required. For this purpose, the movable member 32 can be quickly moved to the second position P2 by the ignition drive device 40. In the second position P2, the movable member 32 is outside the opening structure 21 of the Faraday cylinder 20, and is therefore relatively far from the dielectric sleeve 10 and affected by the Faraday cylinder 20. At this time, the electric field generated at the movable member 32 does not damage the dielectric sleeve 10, thereby ensuring the safe execution of the main process step. Therefore, the plasma source 2 in this embodiment can adjust the electric field near the first coil 31 as needed to meet the electric field strength requirements of each stage of the semiconductor process, so as to improve the ignition efficiency without damaging the dielectric sleeve 10 due to excessive electric field strength during the main process steps.

[0097] In some embodiments, such as Figure 1 As shown, a support device 4 is provided at the bottom of the process chamber 3. The top surface of the support device 4 can be used to support the wafer and heat the wafer.

[0098] It is understood that the above embodiments are merely exemplary embodiments used to illustrate the principles of this disclosure, and this disclosure is not limited thereto. For those skilled in the art, various modifications and improvements can be made without departing from the spirit and substance of this disclosure, and these modifications and improvements are also considered to be within the scope of protection of this disclosure.

[0099] In the description of this disclosure, it should be understood that the terms “center,” “upper,” “lower,” “front,” “rear,” “left,” “right,” “vertical,” “horizontal,” “top,” “bottom,” “inner,” and “outer,” etc., 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 disclosure and simplifying the description, and are not intended to 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 disclosure.

[0100] The terms "first" and "second" are used 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 as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of that feature. In the description of this disclosure, unless otherwise stated, "a plurality of" means two or more.

[0101] In the description of this disclosure, it should be noted that, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," and "joining" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; and they can refer to the internal connection between two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this disclosure based on the specific circumstances.

[0102] In the description of this specification, specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments or examples.

[0103] The above description is only a partial embodiment of this disclosure. It should be noted that for those skilled in the art, several improvements and modifications can be made without departing from the principles of this disclosure, and these improvements and modifications should also be considered within the scope of protection of this disclosure.

Claims

1. A plasma source, used in semiconductor process equipment, characterized in that, include: Dielectric sleeve, Faraday sleeve, coil assembly, and ignition drive; The dielectric sleeve is used to be disposed on the top of the process chamber of the semiconductor process equipment and communicates with the process chamber during use; The Faraday cylinder is sleeved on the outer periphery of the medium sleeve, and an opening structure is provided on the peripheral wall of the Faraday cylinder; The coil assembly is sleeved on the outer periphery of the Faraday cylinder, and the coil assembly includes a first coil and a movable member, the movable member being movably disposed on the first coil and electrically connected to the first coil; The ignition drive device is used to drive the movable part to move between the first position and the second position; In the first position, the movable element is located within the opening structure; In the second position, the movable element is further away from the medium sleeve compared to the first position.

2. The plasma source according to claim 1, characterized in that, The ignition drive device is used to apply a driving force to the movable member, causing it to move from the first position to the second position; and the movable member is configured to be able to return from the second position to the first position when the driving force is released.

3. The plasma source according to claim 2, characterized in that, The ignition drive device includes a linear drive source and a transmission structure, wherein the linear drive source is used to provide linear power for axial movement along the first coil; The movable component is rotatably disposed on the first coil; the transmission structure is used to contact the drive shaft of the linear drive source when the linear drive source provides the linear power, and drive the movable component to rotate from the first position to the second position; The transmission structure is also used to separate from the drive shaft when the linear drive source stops providing the linear power and the drive shaft retracts, so that the movable element returns from the second position to the first position.

4. The plasma source according to claim 3, characterized in that, When the movable component is in the first position, it achieves gravitational balance. When the linear drive source stops providing the linear power and the drive shaft retracts, the movable component generates a restoring force to return to the first position due to gravitational imbalance.

5. The plasma source according to claim 4, characterized in that, The movable member moves between a first position and a second position by rotating about its axis of rotation, the movable member being configured such that, when the movable member is in the second position, its center of gravity is higher than the center of gravity of the axis of rotation.

6. The plasma source according to claim 3, characterized in that, The transmission structure includes an elastic element, which is configured to produce elastic deformation when the movable element moves from the first position to the second position, thereby applying a restoring force to the movable element to return it to the first position.

7. The plasma source according to claim 1, characterized in that, The movable member rotates about its axis of rotation to move between the first position and the second position, and the movable member further includes: An offset portion extending radially from the rotating shaft, an ignition portion disposed parallel to the offset portion, and a connecting section portion; Wherein, one end of the connecting section is connected to the rotating shaft through the biasing part, and the other end is connected to the ignition part; the extension length of the biasing part in the radial direction of the rotating shaft is less than the radial distance between the ignition part and the rotating shaft.

8. The plasma source according to claim 1, characterized in that, The opening structure is multiple and is evenly distributed and spaced apart along the circumference of the Faraday cylinder; There are multiple movable parts, and each of the multiple movable parts is provided in a one-to-one correspondence with a multiple of the opening structures; The ignition drive device is used to synchronously drive multiple moving parts to move between a first position and a second position.

9. The plasma source according to any one of claims 1-8, characterized in that, The opening structure includes at least two first openings, which are spaced apart along the axial direction of the Faraday cylinder. There are at least two first coils, and they are arranged in a one-to-one correspondence with at least two first openings; The movable element includes at least two sub-movable elements, which are corresponding one to one and movably disposed on at least two of the first coils; When the ignition drive device drives the movable part to move between the first position and the second position, the ignition drive device is used to drive each of the sub-movable parts to move between the first position and the second position of the sub-movable part; In the first position of the sub-moving member, at least two of the sub-moving members are located in at least two of the first openings in a one-to-one correspondence; In the second position of the sub-moving member, at least two of the sub-moving members are further away from the medium sleeve compared to when the sub-moving member is in the first position.

10. The plasma source according to claim 9, characterized in that, The opening structure further includes a second opening, which extends along the axial direction of the Faraday cylinder and communicates with at least two of the first openings; the dimension of each first opening in the circumferential direction of the Faraday cylinder is greater than the dimension of the second opening in the circumferential direction of the Faraday cylinder. The coil assembly further includes a second coil, which is disposed corresponding to the second opening.

11. The plasma source according to claim 10, characterized in that, There are two first coils; The second coil includes an input terminal and an output terminal, the input terminal being connected to one of the two first coils, and the output terminal being connected to the other of the two first coils.

12. A semiconductor process apparatus, characterized in that, The semiconductor process equipment includes: Process chambers; and The plasma source according to any one of claims 1 to 11 is used to supply plasma to the process chamber.

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