Semiconductor processing apparatus and semiconductor processing method

Abstract

The application provides a semiconductor processing device and a semiconductor processing method. The semiconductor processing device comprises a device main body, an etching cavity arranged in the device main body, a first monitoring unit arranged on the device main body and arranged towards the etching cavity along a first direction, so that the first monitoring unit obtains first etching byproduct distribution information in the etching cavity, a second monitoring unit arranged on the device main body and arranged towards the etching cavity along a second direction, so that the second monitoring unit obtains second etching byproduct distribution information in the etching cavity, and the first direction intersects with the second direction, and a main control unit which obtains etching state information in the etching cavity according to the first etching byproduct distribution information and the second etching byproduct distribution information. The semiconductor processing device provided by the application has the advantage that the monitoring precision of the etching process of the workpiece during etching is high.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application belongs to the field of semiconductor processing technology, and more specifically, relates to a semiconductor processing equipment and a semiconductor processing method. Background Technology

[0002] Dry etching (also known as plasma etching) is the most commonly used etching method. It uses gas as the primary etching medium and plasma energy to drive the reaction. When dry etching semiconductors, endpoint detection is required to determine when the etching reaches the preset depth or target layer, ensuring that the etching process stops precisely. However, dry etching equipment in related technologies suffers from low accuracy in monitoring the etching process of the workpiece. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The purpose of this application is to provide a semiconductor processing apparatus and a semiconductor processing method to solve the technical problem that the prior art dry etching equipment has low monitoring accuracy of the etching process of the workpiece during etching.

[0004] In a first aspect, this application provides a semiconductor processing apparatus.

[0005] The semiconductor processing equipment provided in this application includes a main body, an etching cavity for etching a workpiece, a first monitoring unit disposed in the main body and arranged towards the etching cavity along a first direction to acquire first etching by-product distribution information within the etching cavity, and a second monitoring unit disposed in the main body and arranged towards the etching cavity along a second direction to acquire second etching by-product distribution information within the etching cavity, wherein the first direction and the second direction intersect.

[0006] The main control unit is electrically connected to the first monitoring unit to obtain the first etching by-product distribution information, and is electrically connected to the second monitoring unit to obtain the second etching by-product distribution information. The main control unit obtains the distribution information of the etching by-products in the etching chamber based on the first etching by-product distribution information and the second etching by-product distribution information.

[0007] The beneficial effects of the semiconductor processing equipment provided in this application embodiment are as follows: Compared with the prior art, the semiconductor processing equipment provided in this application embodiment obtains the first and second etching by-product distribution information and the second etching by-product distribution information in the etching cavity through the first monitoring unit and the second monitoring unit, respectively. The main control unit obtains the etching by-product concentration distribution information in the etching cavity through the first and second etching by-product distribution information and the second etching by-product distribution information. Since there is an angle between the first direction and the second direction, the position information of the etching by-product concentration distribution in the etching cavity can be obtained by superimposing the distribution of the etching by-product concentration in the field of view of the first monitoring unit and the distribution of the etching by-product concentration in the field of view of the second monitoring unit. Thus, the semiconductor processing equipment provided in this application has the advantage of high positioning accuracy of the location of the etching abnormality of the workpiece.

[0008] Optionally, there are multiple first monitoring units, which are arranged at intervals along the second direction; there are also multiple second monitoring units, which are arranged at intervals along the first direction.

[0009] Optionally, a portion of the first monitoring units are located on one side of the etching cavity in the first direction, and another portion of the first monitoring units are located on the other side of the etching cavity in the first direction;

[0010] And / or, a portion of the second monitoring units are located on one side of the etching cavity in the second direction, and another portion of the second monitoring units are located on the other side of the etching cavity in the second direction.

[0011] Optionally, the main body of the device is provided with a first window and a second window, the first monitoring unit is arranged correspondingly to the first window so that the first monitoring unit can obtain the first etching by-product distribution information through the first window, and the second monitoring unit is arranged correspondingly to the second window so that the second monitoring unit can obtain the second etching by-product distribution information through the second window.

[0012] Secondly, this application also provides a semiconductor processing method.

[0013] The semiconductor processing method provided in this application includes:

[0014] The workpiece is etched in the etching chamber. The concentration of etching byproducts in the etching chamber and the distribution information of the first etching byproducts in the field of view of the first monitoring unit are continuously acquired by the first monitoring unit. The concentration of etching byproducts in the etching chamber and the distribution information of the second etching byproducts in the field of view of the second monitoring unit are continuously acquired by the second monitoring unit.

[0015] Based on the first etching byproduct distribution information and the second etching byproduct distribution information, the concentration distribution information of the etching byproducts within the etching chamber is obtained;

[0016] Based on the distribution information of the concentration of the etching byproducts in the etching chamber, it is determined whether there is an abnormality in the etching process of the workpiece.

[0017] When an abnormality occurs in the etching process of the workpiece, the etching process of the workpiece is stopped and the main control unit outputs the location information of the abnormal concentration of etching by-products in the etching chamber.

[0018] The first monitoring unit is arranged facing a first direction, and the second monitoring unit is arranged facing a second direction, with the first direction intersecting the second direction.

[0019] It is understandable that the beneficial effects of the second aspect mentioned above can be found in the relevant descriptions in the first aspect mentioned above, and will not be repeated here.

[0020] Optionally, the distribution information of the concentration of etching byproducts within the etching chamber is obtained based on the first and second etching byproduct distribution information, including:

[0021] Select multiple locations within the etching chamber;

[0022] The minimum value between the etching by-product concentration at any position within the field of view of the first monitoring unit and the etching by-product concentration at the same position within the field of view of the second monitoring unit is taken to obtain the etching by-product concentration at that position.

[0023] The concentrations of etching byproducts at multiple locations are obtained sequentially, and the distribution information of the concentration of etching byproducts in the etching chamber is obtained based on the concentrations of etching byproducts at multiple locations.

[0024] Optionally, the semiconductor processing method includes: obtaining an etching state map of each location on the workpiece based on the distribution information of the concentration of etching byproducts in the etching chamber.

[0025] Optionally, based on the first etching byproduct distribution information, the distribution information of the concentration of etching byproducts within the etching chamber and within the field of view of the first monitoring unit includes:

[0026] Based on the distribution information of the first etching byproduct, the concentration distribution information of the first etching byproduct in the etching chamber within the field of view of the first monitoring unit is obtained.

[0027] Based on the distribution information of the first etching byproduct, the concentration distribution information of the second etching byproduct within the etching chamber and within the field of view of the first monitoring unit is obtained.

[0028] And / or, based on the second etching byproduct distribution information, the distribution information of the concentration of etching byproducts within the etching chamber in the field of view of the second monitoring unit includes:

[0029] Based on the distribution information of the second etching byproduct, the concentration distribution information of the first etching byproduct in the etching chamber within the field of view of the second monitoring unit is obtained.

[0030] Based on the distribution information of the second etching byproduct, the concentration distribution information of the second etching byproduct in the etching chamber within the field of view of the second monitoring unit is obtained;

[0031] The first etching byproduct is the etching byproduct generated during the etching process of the workpiece, and the second etching byproduct is the etching byproduct generated after the etching process of the workpiece is completed.

[0032] Optionally, based on the distribution information of the concentration of etching byproducts within the field of view of the first monitoring unit and the distribution information of the concentration of etching byproducts within the field of view of the second monitoring unit, the distribution information of the concentration of etching byproducts within the etching chamber is obtained, including:

[0033] Based on the distribution information of the concentration of the first etching byproduct in the field of view of the first monitoring unit and the distribution information of the concentration of the first etching byproduct in the field of view of the second monitoring unit, the distribution information of the concentration of the first etching byproduct in the etching chamber is obtained.

[0034] Based on the distribution information of the concentration of the second etching byproduct within the field of view of the first monitoring unit and the distribution information of the concentration of the second etching byproduct within the field of view of the second monitoring unit, the distribution information of the concentration of the second etching byproduct within the etching chamber is obtained.

[0035] Optionally, determining whether an abnormality has occurred in the etching process of the workpiece based on the distribution information of the concentration of etching byproducts within the etching chamber includes:

[0036] When the difference between the concentration of the first etching byproduct at the first position in the etching chamber and the concentration of the first etching byproduct at the second position in the etching chamber is greater than a preset first threshold, it is determined that the workpiece has an etching abnormality.

[0037] Optionally, the semiconductor processing method includes:

[0038] If an abnormality occurs during the etching process of the workpiece, stop the etching process on the workpiece.

[0039] The main control unit outputs the position information of the first position, and / or the main control unit outputs the position information of the second position.

[0040] Optionally, the semiconductor processing method includes:

[0041] When the concentration of the second etching byproduct at multiple preset locations in the etching chamber is greater than the preset second threshold, the etching process of the workpiece is determined to have reached its end. Attached Figure Description

[0042] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of this application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0043] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the semiconductor processing equipment provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0044] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the first monitoring unit and the second monitoring unit of the semiconductor processing equipment provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0045] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a semiconductor processing apparatus provided in another embodiment of this application;

[0046] Figure 4 A flowchart of a semiconductor processing method provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0047] The following are the labeling elements in the figure:

[0048] 100. Semiconductor processing equipment;

[0049] 10. Main body of the equipment; 11. Etching chamber; 121. First viewing window; 122. Second viewing window; 13. Door;

[0050] 20. First Monitoring Unit;

[0051] 30. Second monitoring unit;

[0052] 40. Main control unit. Detailed Implementation

[0053] To make the technical problems, technical solutions, and beneficial effects to be solved by this application clearer, the following detailed description is provided in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are merely illustrative and are not intended to limit the scope of this application.

[0054] It should be noted that when a component is referred to as being "fixed to" or "set on" another component, it can be directly on or indirectly on that other component. When a component is referred to as being "connected to" another component, it can be directly connected to or indirectly connected to that other component.

[0055] It should be understood that the terms "length", "width", "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They 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. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this application.

[0056] Furthermore, 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 application, "multiple" means two or more, unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0057] Please refer to the following: Figure 1 and Figure 2 The semiconductor processing equipment 100 provided in the embodiments of this application will now be described.

[0058] The semiconductor processing equipment 100 provided in this application embodiment includes an equipment body 10, a first monitoring unit 20, and a second monitoring unit 30.

[0059] The main body 10 of the equipment is provided with an etching chamber 11 for etching the workpiece.

[0060] In some embodiments, the main body 10 is a dry etching device, and the workpiece can be accommodated in the etching chamber 11. The main body 10 introduces etching gas into the etching chamber 11 to perform etching processing on the workpiece.

[0061] The first monitoring unit 20 is located on the main body 10 of the equipment and is arranged in the first direction toward the etching chamber 11 so that the first monitoring unit 20 can obtain the distribution information of the first etching by-products in the etching chamber 11.

[0062] In some embodiments, the first monitoring unit 20 can be one or more detection instruments such as a direct-reading spectrometer or a mass spectrometer that can acquire the concentration of different elemental distributions, and can acquire light intensity and / or spectral signals.

[0063] The first etching byproduct distribution information is the concentration distribution of etching byproducts in the etching chamber 11 within the field of view of the first monitoring unit 20.

[0064] like Figure 1 and Figure 2As shown, the first monitoring unit 20 is located on the side of the etching chamber 11 facing the first direction, and the first monitoring unit 20 is arranged facing the interior of the etching chamber 11 so that the first monitoring unit 20 can detect the concentration distribution of etching by-products in the etching chamber 11 within the field of view of the first monitoring unit 20.

[0065] The second monitoring unit 30 is located on the main body 10 of the equipment and is arranged in the second direction toward the etching chamber 11 so that the second monitoring unit 30 can obtain the distribution information of the second etching by-product in the etching chamber 11, and the first direction intersects with the second direction.

[0066] In some embodiments, the second monitoring unit 30 may be one or more detection instruments such as a direct-reading spectrometer or a mass spectrometer that can acquire the concentration distribution of different elements, and can acquire light intensity and / or spectral signals.

[0067] The second etching byproduct distribution information is the concentration distribution of etching byproducts in the etching chamber 11 within the field of view of the second monitoring unit 30.

[0068] like Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the second monitoring unit 30 is located on the side of the etching chamber 11 facing the second direction, and the second monitoring unit 30 is arranged facing the interior of the etching chamber 11 so that the second monitoring unit 30 can detect the concentration distribution of etching by-products in the etching chamber 11 within the field of view of the second monitoring unit 30.

[0069] The main control unit 40 is electrically connected to the first monitoring unit 20 to obtain the first etching by-product distribution information. The main control unit 40 is also electrically connected to the second monitoring unit 30 to obtain the second etching by-product distribution information. The main control unit 40 obtains the distribution information of the etching by-products in the etching chamber 11 based on the first and second etching by-product distribution information.

[0070] like Figure 1 As shown, the main control unit 40 is located outside the etching cavity 11. The main control unit 40 is connected to the first monitoring unit 20 via wired or wireless means, and the main control unit 40 is connected to the second monitoring unit 30 via wired or wireless means, so that the main control unit 40 can obtain the first etching by-product distribution information obtained by the first monitoring unit 20, and the main control unit 40 can obtain the second etching by-product distribution information obtained by the second monitoring unit 30.

[0071] The distribution information of etching byproducts in the etching chamber 11 refers to the concentration of etching byproducts at multiple locations within the etching chamber 11. The main control unit 40 obtains the concentration distribution information of etching byproducts within the etching chamber 11 through the first and second etching byproduct distribution information.

[0072] The semiconductor processing equipment 100 provided in this application obtains the first and second etching byproduct distribution information in the etching chamber 11 through the first monitoring unit 20 and the second monitoring unit 30, respectively. The main control unit 40 obtains the etching byproduct concentration distribution information in the etching chamber 11 through the first and second etching byproduct distribution information. Since there is an angle between the first direction and the second direction, the position information of the etching byproduct concentration distribution in the etching chamber 11 can be obtained by superimposing the distribution of the etching byproduct concentration in the field of view of the first monitoring unit 20 and the distribution of the etching byproduct concentration in the field of view of the second monitoring unit 30. Thus, the semiconductor processing equipment 100 provided in this application has the advantage of high monitoring accuracy of the etching process of the workpiece during etching.

[0073] Furthermore, since the semiconductor processing equipment 100 provided in this application has the advantage of high monitoring accuracy of the etching process of the workpiece during etching, on the one hand, the semiconductor processing equipment 100 provided in this application has the advantage of high positioning accuracy of the location where etching abnormality occurs in the workpiece, and on the other hand, the semiconductor processing equipment 100 provided in this application has the advantage of being able to monitor the etching uniformity of the workpiece.

[0074] In some embodiments, the semiconductor processing equipment 100 provided in this application is an array substrate dry etching machine.

[0075] In some embodiments provided in this application (not shown in the figures), the angle between the first direction and the second direction is less than 90°.

[0076] In some embodiments provided in this application, such as Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the first direction x and the second direction y are orthogonal. In the following text, the first direction is the x direction shown in the figure, and the second direction is the y direction shown in the figure.

[0077] In some embodiments, the device body 10 is provided with a first window 121 and a second window 122. A first monitoring unit 20 is arranged correspondingly to the first window 121 so that the first monitoring unit 20 can obtain the first etching by-product distribution information through the first window 121. A second monitoring unit 30 is arranged correspondingly to the second window 122 so that the second monitoring unit 30 can obtain the second etching by-product distribution information through the second window 122.

[0078] In some embodiments provided in this application, there are multiple first monitoring units 20, which are arranged at intervals along the second direction y, and there are multiple second monitoring units 30, which are arranged at intervals along the first direction x.

[0079] When the first monitoring unit 20 obtains the concentration of etching byproducts at any position in the etching chamber 11, the first monitoring unit 20 obtains the maximum concentration of etching byproducts in the direction of that position. If the concentration of etching byproducts on the side of that position facing the first monitoring unit 20 is greater than the concentration of etching byproducts at that position, the concentration of etching byproducts at that position will be blocked, thereby distorting the concentration of etching byproducts obtained at the edge of the field of view of the first monitoring unit 20.

[0080] Therefore, as Figure 1 As shown, by setting multiple first monitoring units 20, the field of view of a single first monitoring unit 20 is reduced, and the distribution information of the etching byproduct concentration obtained by multiple first monitoring units 20 is superimposed to obtain the first etching byproduct distribution information, so as to improve the accuracy of the first etching byproduct distribution information.

[0081] Similarly, when the second monitoring unit 30 obtains the concentration of etching byproducts at any position in the etching chamber 11, the second monitoring unit 30 obtains the maximum concentration of etching byproducts in the direction of that position. If the concentration of etching byproducts on the side of that position facing the second monitoring unit 30 is greater than the concentration of etching byproducts at that position, the concentration of etching byproducts at that position will be blocked, thereby distorting the concentration of etching byproducts obtained at the edge of the field of view of the second monitoring unit 30.

[0082] Therefore, by setting up multiple second monitoring units 30, the field of view of a single second monitoring unit 30 is reduced, and the distribution information of the etching by-product concentration obtained by multiple second monitoring units 30 is superimposed to obtain the second etching by-product distribution information, thereby improving the accuracy of the second etching by-product distribution information.

[0083] In some embodiments provided in this application, a portion of the first monitoring units 20 are disposed on one side of the etching cavity 11 in the first direction x, and another portion of the first monitoring units 20 are disposed on the other side of the etching cavity 11 in the first direction x.

[0084] And / or, a portion of the second monitoring unit 30 is located on one side of the etching cavity 11 in the second direction y, and another portion of the second monitoring unit 30 is located on the other side of the etching cavity 11 in the second direction y.

[0085] In some embodiments, such as Figure 1 As shown, a portion of the first monitoring unit 20 and another portion of the first monitoring unit 20 are respectively disposed on both sides of the etching cavity 11 in the first direction x, and a portion of the second monitoring unit 30 and another portion of the second monitoring unit 30 are respectively disposed on both sides of the etching cavity 11 in the second direction y.

[0086] like Figure 1As shown, a portion of the first monitoring units 20 and another portion of the first monitoring units 20 are respectively disposed on both sides of the etching cavity 11 in the first direction x. This prevents the etching by-product concentration at any position from being blocked by the etching by-product concentration at another position when multiple first monitoring units 20 acquire the etching by-product concentration at any position, thereby further improving the accuracy of the first etching by-product distribution information.

[0087] Similarly, a portion of the second monitoring units 30 and another portion of the second monitoring units 30 are respectively disposed on both sides of the etching cavity 11 in the second direction y, so that when multiple second monitoring units 30 obtain the etching by-product concentration at any position, the etching by-product concentration at that position is prevented from being blocked by the etching by-product concentration at another position, thereby further improving the accuracy of the second etching by-product distribution information.

[0088] In some other embodiments (not shown in the figure), only a portion of the first monitoring units 20 and another portion of the first monitoring units 20 are respectively located on both sides of the etching cavity 11 in the first direction x, while all the second monitoring units 30 are located on the same side of the etching cavity 11 in the second direction y.

[0089] In some other embodiments (not shown in the figures), only a portion of the second monitoring units 30 and another portion of the second monitoring units 30 are respectively located on both sides of the etching cavity 11 in the second direction y, while all the first monitoring units 20 are located on the same side of the etching cavity 11 in the first direction x.

[0090] In some embodiments provided in this application, such as Figure 1 As shown, the first monitoring unit 20 located on one side of the etching cavity 11 in the first direction x and the first monitoring unit 20 located on the other side of the etching cavity 11 in the first direction x are arranged opposite to each other along the first direction x. The second monitoring unit 30 located on one side of the etching cavity 11 in the second direction y and the second monitoring unit 30 located on the other side of the etching cavity 11 in the second direction y are arranged opposite to each other along the second direction y.

[0091] In other embodiments, such as Figure 3 As shown, the first monitoring unit 20 located on one side of the etching cavity 11 in the first direction x and the first monitoring unit 20 located on the other side of the etching cavity 11 in the first direction x are arranged in a staggered manner along the second direction y. The first monitoring unit 20 located on one side of the etching cavity 11 in the second direction y and the first monitoring unit 20 located on the other side of the etching cavity 11 in the second direction y are arranged in a staggered manner along the first direction x.

[0092] In some embodiments provided in this application, the etching cavity 11 has an opening on one side in the second direction y, and a door 13 that can be opened and closed is provided in the opening so that the opening can be opened and closed through the door 13. Part of the second monitoring unit is arranged opposite to the door 13 along the second direction y.

[0093] The following is combined Figure 4 The semiconductor processing method also provided in this application is described.

[0094] The semiconductor processing method provided in this application includes:

[0095] S1, the workpiece is etched in the etching chamber 11, the first etching byproduct distribution information in the etching chamber 11 is obtained by the first monitoring unit 20, and the second etching byproduct distribution information in the etching chamber 11 is obtained by the second monitoring unit 30.

[0096] When the workpiece is etched in the etching cavity 11, the elements in the workpiece are stripped to form etching byproducts. The first monitoring unit 20 is arranged along the first direction x toward the etching cavity 11 to obtain the distribution of the concentration of etching byproducts in the etching cavity 11 within its field of view, thereby obtaining the first etching byproduct distribution information. The second monitoring unit 30 is arranged along the second direction y toward the etching cavity to obtain the distribution of the concentration of etching byproducts in the etching cavity 11 within its field of view, thereby obtaining the second etching byproduct distribution information.

[0097] Based on the first etching byproduct distribution information, the concentration of etching byproducts in the etching chamber 11 is distributed within the field of view of the first monitoring unit 20. Based on the second etching byproduct distribution information, the position information of the concentration of etching byproducts in the etching chamber 11 within the field of view of the second monitoring unit 30 is obtained.

[0098] When the first monitoring unit 20 acquires the first etching byproduct distribution information, the first monitoring unit 20 acquires the etching byproduct concentration in multiple directions within its field of view. The etching byproduct concentration in any direction within the field of view of the first monitoring unit 20 is the maximum value of the etching byproduct concentration at multiple locations in that direction. The first etching byproduct distribution information is formed by combining the etching byproduct concentrations in multiple directions within the field of view of the first monitoring unit 20.

[0099] Similarly, when the second monitoring unit 30 acquires the second etching by-product distribution information, the second monitoring unit 30 acquires the etching by-product concentration in multiple directions within its field of view. The etching by-product concentration in any direction within the field of view of the second monitoring unit 30 is the maximum value of the etching by-product concentration at multiple locations in that direction. The second etching by-product distribution information is formed by combining the etching by-product concentrations in multiple directions within the field of view of the second monitoring unit 30.

[0100] S2, based on the distribution information of the concentration of etching byproducts in the field of view of the first monitoring unit 20 and the distribution information of the concentration of etching byproducts in the field of view of the second monitoring unit 30, the distribution information of the concentration of etching byproducts in the etching cavity 11 is obtained.

[0101] When the first monitoring unit 20 obtains the concentration of etching byproducts at any position in the etching chamber 11, the concentration of etching byproducts at that position is easily blocked by the concentration of etching byproducts at another position on the side of that position facing the first monitoring unit 20. When the second monitoring unit 30 obtains the concentration of etching byproducts at any position in the etching chamber 11, the concentration of etching byproducts at that position is easily blocked by the concentration of etching byproducts at another position on the side of that position facing the second monitoring unit 30, thereby causing distortion of the first and second etching byproduct distribution information.

[0102] The concentration distribution information of etching byproducts within the etching chamber 11 represents the concentration distribution of etching byproducts at multiple locations within the etching chamber 11. The first etching byproduct distribution information supplements the blind spots of the second etching byproduct distribution information, and vice versa. The first and second etching byproduct distribution information complement each other to obtain the concentration distribution information of etching byproducts within the etching chamber 11, eliminating some errors of the first monitoring unit 20 and the second monitoring unit 30, and improving the accuracy of the concentration distribution information of etching byproducts within the etching chamber 11.

[0103] S3. Based on the distribution information of the concentration of etching by-products in the etching chamber 11, determine whether there is any abnormality in the etching process of the workpiece.

[0104] During the normal etching process of the workpiece, the concentration distribution of etching byproducts in the etching chamber 11 should be uniform, and the concentration of etching byproducts in each part of the etching chamber 11 should be maintained within a set range.

[0105] In some embodiments, excessively high or low concentrations of etching byproducts at any location within the etching chamber 11 indicate poor etching of the workpiece at that location.

[0106] In some embodiments, when the concentration of etching byproducts at any location within the etching chamber 11 is uneven, it indicates that the etching rate at different locations of the workpiece is different and the etching process is unevenly distributed.

[0107] Therefore, by obtaining the concentration of etching byproducts at various locations within the etching chamber 11, the concentration of etching byproducts at each location within the etching chamber 11 can be determined, thereby enabling the determination of whether any abnormalities have occurred in the etching process of the workpiece and the location of the abnormality.

[0108] S4, when an abnormality occurs in the etching process of the workpiece, the etching process of the workpiece is stopped and the main control unit 40 outputs the location information of the abnormal concentration of etching by-products in the etching chamber 11.

[0109] In some embodiments provided in this application, the distribution information of the concentration of etching byproducts within the etching chamber 11 is obtained based on the first etching byproduct distribution information and the second etching byproduct distribution information, including:

[0110] Multiple positions are selected within the etching cavity 11. Some positions are arranged along the first direction x, and some positions are arranged along the second direction y, so that the multiple positions are evenly distributed in the first direction x and the second direction y, thereby improving sampling accuracy.

[0111] The minimum value between the etching byproduct concentration at any position within the field of view of the first monitoring unit 20 and the etching byproduct concentration at the same position within the field of view of the second monitoring unit 30 is taken to obtain the etching byproduct concentration at that position.

[0112] The etching byproduct concentration at this location within the field of view of the first monitoring unit 20 is the maximum etching byproduct concentration in the direction of the field of view of the first monitoring unit 20 toward this location. This may differ from the actual etching byproduct concentration at this location, which may be less than or equal to the etching byproduct concentration at this location within the field of view of the first monitoring unit 20.

[0113] Similarly, the etching byproduct concentration at this location within the field of view of the second monitoring unit 30 is the maximum etching byproduct concentration in the direction of the field of view of the second monitoring unit 30 toward this location. This may differ from the actual etching byproduct concentration at this location, which may be less than or equal to the etching byproduct concentration at this location within the field of view of the second monitoring unit 30.

[0114] By taking the minimum value between the etching by-product concentration at the location within the field of view of the first monitoring unit 20 and the etching by-product concentration at the location within the field of view of the second monitoring unit 30, the difference between the actual etching by-product concentration at the location and the etching by-product concentration at the location obtained by the semiconductor processing method provided in this application embodiment can be eliminated. Thus, the detection accuracy of the semiconductor processing method provided in this application embodiment can be improved through the above steps.

[0115] The concentrations of etching byproducts at multiple locations are obtained sequentially, and the distribution information of the concentration of etching byproducts in the etching chamber 11 is obtained based on the concentrations of etching byproducts at multiple locations.

[0116] Therefore, by using the first and second etching by-product distribution information at multiple locations within the etching cavity 11, the concentration of etching by-products at multiple locations within the etching cavity 11 is obtained, eliminating some errors of the first monitoring unit 20 and the second monitoring unit 30, and improving the accuracy of the distribution information of the concentration of etching by-products within the etching cavity 11.

[0117] In some embodiments provided in this application, the semiconductor processing method includes: obtaining an etching state map of each position on the workpiece based on the distribution information of the concentration of etching byproducts in the etching cavity 11.

[0118] The first monitoring unit 20 and the second monitoring unit 30 continuously monitor the concentration distribution of etching byproducts in the etching chamber 11. Multiple locations are selected on the workpiece, and the amount of etching byproducts continuously generated at any location is obtained by accumulating the concentration of etching byproducts after the workpiece starts processing at any location, thereby obtaining the etching state at that location.

[0119] Based on the etching states at the aforementioned multiple locations, an etching state diagram of the entire workpiece at each location is obtained.

[0120] Users can determine the etching process of the workpiece based on the etching state diagram and obtain the differences between the etching states at different locations on the workpiece.

[0121] In some embodiments provided in this application, obtaining the concentration distribution information of etching byproducts within the etching chamber 11 within the field of view of the first monitoring unit 20 based on the first etching byproduct distribution information includes:

[0122] Based on the distribution information of the first etching byproduct, the concentration distribution information of the first etching byproduct in the etching chamber 11 within the field of view of the first monitoring unit 20 is obtained.

[0123] Based on the distribution information of the first etching byproduct, the concentration distribution information of the second etching byproduct within the etching chamber 11 within the field of view of the first monitoring unit 20 is obtained.

[0124] Based on the second etching by-product distribution information, the concentration distribution information of the etching by-products within the etching chamber 11 within the field of view of the second monitoring unit 30 includes:

[0125] Based on the distribution information of the second etching byproduct, the concentration distribution information of the first etching byproduct in the etching chamber 11 within the field of view of the second monitoring unit 30 is obtained.

[0126] Based on the distribution information of the second etching byproduct, the concentration distribution information of the second etching byproduct in the etching chamber 11 within the field of view of the second monitoring unit 30 is obtained.

[0127] The first etching byproduct is the etching byproduct generated during the etching process of the workpiece, and the second etching byproduct is the etching byproduct generated after the etching process of the workpiece is completed.

[0128] When the workpiece is etched in the etching chamber 11, the plasma in the etching chamber 11 strips the elements of the workpiece's processed layer, generating a first etching byproduct. After the processed layer of the workpiece is etched, the elements in the next layer of the processed layer are also stripped by the plasma, thereby generating a second etching byproduct. Since the composition of the processed layer and the next layer of the processed layer are different, the element content of the first etching byproduct and the second etching byproduct are different, which enables the first monitoring unit 20 to distinguish between the first etching byproduct and the second etching byproduct, and the second monitoring unit 30 to distinguish between the first etching byproduct and the second etching byproduct.

[0129] Therefore, the semiconductor processing method provided in this application embodiment can obtain the distribution information of the concentration of the first etching byproduct in the field of view of the first monitoring unit 20, the distribution information of the concentration of the second etching byproduct in the field of view of the first monitoring unit 20, the distribution information of the concentration of the first etching byproduct in the field of view of the second monitoring unit 30, and the distribution information of the concentration of the second etching byproduct in the field of view of the second monitoring unit 30.

[0130] In some embodiments provided in this application, the distribution information of the concentration of etching byproducts within the etching chamber 11 is obtained based on the distribution information of the concentration of etching byproducts within the field of view of the first monitoring unit 20 and the distribution information of the concentration of etching byproducts within the field of view of the second monitoring unit 30, including:

[0131] Based on the distribution information of the concentration of the first etching byproduct within the field of view of the first monitoring unit 20 and the distribution information of the concentration of the first etching byproduct within the field of view of the second monitoring unit 30, the distribution information of the concentration of the first etching byproduct within the etching cavity 11 is obtained.

[0132] Based on the distribution information of the concentration of the second etching byproduct within the field of view of the first monitoring unit 20 and the distribution information of the concentration of the second etching byproduct within the field of view of the second monitoring unit 30, the distribution information of the concentration of the second etching byproduct within the etching cavity 11 is obtained.

[0133] Therefore, the semiconductor processing method provided in this application embodiment can obtain the distribution information of the concentration of the first etching byproduct in the etching chamber 11 and the distribution information of the concentration of the second etching byproduct in the etching chamber 11, so as to monitor the processing of the workpiece.

[0134] In some embodiments provided in this application, determining whether an abnormality has occurred in the etching process of the workpiece based on the distribution information of the concentration of etching byproducts within the etching chamber 11 includes:

[0135] When the difference between the concentration of the first etching byproduct at the first position in the etching chamber 11 and the concentration of the first etching byproduct at the second position in the etching chamber 11 is greater than a preset first threshold, it is determined that the workpiece has an etching abnormality at the aforementioned position.

[0136] The semiconductor processing method provided in this application continuously monitors the distribution of the concentration of the first etching byproduct in the etching chamber 11 during the processing of the workpiece. When the difference between the concentration of the first etching byproduct at the first position and the second position is too large, it indicates that the etching rate at the first position and the etching rate at the second position are significantly different. At this time, the etching process of the workpiece may experience one or more faults such as uneven substrate thickness, uneven substrate composition distribution, uneven plasma concentration distribution, and uneven plasma temperature distribution.

[0137] Therefore, the semiconductor processing method provided in this application can continuously monitor the uniformity of etching during the processing of the workpiece.

[0138] In some embodiments provided in this application, the semiconductor processing method includes:

[0139] If an abnormality occurs during the etching process of the workpiece, the etching process should be stopped.

[0140] In order to reduce the cost of etching defects in the workpiece, the semiconductor processing method provided in this application stops the etching process of the workpiece when an abnormality occurs during the etching process, so as to stop the loss and reduce the cost in time.

[0141] The main control unit 40 outputs the position information of the first position, and / or the main control unit 40 outputs the position information of the second position.

[0142] The main control unit 40 is electrically connected to the first monitoring unit 20 and the second monitoring unit 30 to acquire first position information or second position information. The first position information is the relative position of the first position within the etching cavity 11, and the second position information is the relative position of the second position within the etching cavity 11. Since the workpiece is repeatedly positioned and installed within the etching cavity 11, the location of defects on the surface of the workpiece during the etching process can be obtained through the first and second position information.

[0143] In some embodiments, after an abnormality occurs during processing and the etching process on the workpiece is stopped, the main control unit 40 outputs position information of the first position and position information of the second position.

[0144] In other embodiments, after an abnormality occurs during processing and the etching process on the workpiece is stopped, the main control unit 40 outputs position information of a first position or position information of a second position.

[0145] In some embodiments provided in this application, the semiconductor processing method includes:

[0146] After an abnormality occurs during processing and the etching process on the workpiece is stopped, a first audible signal is emitted through the warning unit, and / or a first visual signal is emitted through the warning unit, to remind the user to remove the workpiece that has suffered an etching failure.

[0147] In some embodiments, after an abnormality occurs during processing and the etching process on the workpiece is stopped, the warning unit emits a first sound signal and a first light signal to alert the user through sound and light.

[0148] In other embodiments, after an abnormality occurs during processing and the etching process on the workpiece is stopped, the warning unit emits either a first sound signal or a first light signal.

[0149] In some embodiments provided in this application, the semiconductor processing method includes:

[0150] Based on the distribution information of the concentration of etching byproducts in the etching chamber 11, it is determined whether the etching process of the workpiece has reached its end point.

[0151] During the etching process of the workpiece, the first monitoring unit 20 and the second monitoring unit 30 continuously monitor the concentration distribution of the second etching byproduct in the etching chamber 11. When the concentration of the second etching byproduct at multiple preset positions in the etching chamber 11 is greater than the preset second threshold, it indicates that the etching process has been completed at multiple positions of the workpiece's processed layer, and the workpiece is determined to have completed the etching process, and the etching process of the workpiece has reached its end.

[0152] In some embodiments provided in this application, the semiconductor processing method includes:

[0153] Multiple locations are selected within the etching cavity 11;

[0154] When the proportion of the number of locations where the concentration of the second etching byproduct exceeds the second threshold to the total number of locations is greater than a preset ratio, the etching process of the workpiece is determined to have reached its end.

[0155] In other embodiments, the semiconductor processing method includes:

[0156] Multiple locations are selected within the etching cavity 11;

[0157] When the concentration of the second etching byproduct at all locations is greater than the second threshold, the etching process of the workpiece is determined to have reached its end.

[0158] In some embodiments provided in this application, the semiconductor processing method includes:

[0159] After the etching process on the workpiece reaches its end and the etching process on the workpiece is stopped, a second audible signal is emitted through the warning unit, and / or a second light signal is emitted through the warning unit, to remind the user to remove the workpiece after the etching process is completed.

[0160] In some embodiments, after the etching process on the workpiece has reached its end and the etching process on the workpiece has stopped, the warning unit emits a second sound signal and a second light signal to remind the user through sound and light.

[0161] In other embodiments, after the etching process on the workpiece has reached its end and the etching process on the workpiece has stopped, the warning unit emits either a second sound signal or a second light signal to remind the user by sound or light.

[0162] The above are merely preferred embodiments of this application and are not intended to limit this application. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, and improvements made within the spirit and principles of this application should be included within the protection scope of this application.

Claims

1. A semiconductor processing apparatus, characterized in that, include: The equipment body has an etching cavity inside for etching the workpiece. A first monitoring unit is disposed on the main body of the device and is arranged along the first direction toward the etching cavity, so that the first monitoring unit can obtain the distribution information of the first etching by-products in the etching cavity; A second monitoring unit is disposed on the main body of the device and is arranged along a second direction toward the etching cavity, so that the second monitoring unit can obtain the distribution information of the second etching by-products in the etching cavity, wherein the first direction intersects with the second direction; The main control unit is electrically connected to the first monitoring unit to obtain the first etching by-product distribution information, and is electrically connected to the second monitoring unit to obtain the second etching by-product distribution information. The main control unit obtains the etching by-product concentration distribution information in the etching chamber based on the first etching by-product distribution information and the second etching by-product distribution information.

2. The semiconductor processing equipment as described in claim 1, characterized in that: There are multiple first monitoring units, which are arranged at intervals along the second direction. There are also multiple second monitoring units, which are arranged at intervals along the first direction.

3. The semiconductor processing equipment as described in claim 2, characterized in that: A portion of the first monitoring units are located on one side of the etching cavity in the first direction, and another portion of the first monitoring units are located on the other side of the etching cavity in the first direction; And / or, a portion of the second monitoring units are located on one side of the etching cavity in the second direction, and another portion of the second monitoring units are located on the other side of the etching cavity in the second direction.

4. The semiconductor processing equipment as described in claim 2, characterized in that: The main body of the device is provided with a first window and a second window. The first monitoring unit is arranged correspondingly to the first window so that the first monitoring unit can obtain the first etching by-product distribution information through the first window. The second monitoring unit is arranged correspondingly to the second window so that the second monitoring unit can obtain the second etching by-product distribution information through the second window.

5. A semiconductor processing method, characterized in that, include: The workpiece is etched in the etching chamber. The concentration of etching byproducts in the etching chamber and the distribution information of the first etching byproducts within the field of view of the first monitoring unit are continuously acquired by the first monitoring unit. The concentration of etching byproducts in the etching chamber and the distribution information of the second etching byproducts within the field of view of the second monitoring unit are continuously acquired by the second monitoring unit. Based on the first etching byproduct distribution information and the second etching byproduct distribution information, the concentration distribution information of the etching byproducts within the etching chamber is obtained; Based on the distribution information of the concentration of the etching byproducts in the etching chamber, it is determined whether there is an abnormality in the etching process of the workpiece. When an abnormality occurs in the etching process of the workpiece, the etching process of the workpiece is stopped and the main control unit outputs the location information of the abnormal concentration of etching by-products in the etching chamber. The first monitoring unit is arranged facing a first direction, and the second monitoring unit is arranged facing a second direction, with the first direction intersecting the second direction.

6. The semiconductor processing method as described in claim 5, characterized in that, Based on the distribution information of the first and second etching byproducts, the concentration distribution information of the etching byproducts within the etching chamber is obtained, including: Select multiple locations within the etching chamber; The minimum value between the etching by-product concentration at any position within the field of view of the first monitoring unit and the etching by-product concentration at the same position within the field of view of the second monitoring unit is taken to obtain the etching by-product concentration at that position. The concentrations of etching byproducts at multiple locations are obtained sequentially, and the distribution information of the concentration of etching byproducts in the etching chamber is obtained based on the concentrations of etching byproducts at multiple locations.

7. The semiconductor processing method as described in claim 5, characterized in that, include: Based on the distribution information of the concentration of etching byproducts in the etching chamber, an etching state diagram of each location on the workpiece is obtained.

8. The semiconductor processing method as described in claim 5, characterized in that, Based on the distribution information of the first etching byproduct, the concentration distribution information of the etching byproducts in the etching chamber within the field of view of the first monitoring unit is obtained, including: Based on the distribution information of the first etching byproduct, the concentration distribution information of the first etching byproduct in the etching chamber within the field of view of the first monitoring unit is obtained. Based on the distribution information of the first etching byproduct, the concentration distribution information of the second etching byproduct within the etching chamber and within the field of view of the first monitoring unit is obtained. And / or, based on the second etching byproduct distribution information, the distribution information of the concentration of etching byproducts in the etching chamber within the field of view of the second monitoring unit includes: Based on the distribution information of the second etching byproduct, the concentration distribution information of the first etching byproduct in the etching chamber within the field of view of the second monitoring unit is obtained. Based on the distribution information of the second etching byproduct, the concentration distribution information of the second etching byproduct in the etching chamber within the field of view of the second monitoring unit is obtained; The first etching byproduct is the etching byproduct generated during the etching process of the workpiece, and the second etching byproduct is the etching byproduct generated after the etching process of the workpiece is completed.

9. The semiconductor processing method as described in claim 8, characterized in that: Based on the distribution information of etching by-product concentration within the field of view of the first monitoring unit and the distribution information of etching by-product concentration within the field of view of the second monitoring unit, the distribution information of etching by-product concentration within the etching chamber is obtained, including: Based on the distribution information of the concentration of the first etching byproduct in the field of view of the first monitoring unit and the distribution information of the concentration of the first etching byproduct in the field of view of the second monitoring unit, the distribution information of the concentration of the first etching byproduct in the etching chamber is obtained. Based on the distribution information of the concentration of the second etching byproduct within the field of view of the first monitoring unit and the distribution information of the concentration of the second etching byproduct within the field of view of the second monitoring unit, the distribution information of the concentration of the second etching byproduct within the etching chamber is obtained.

10. The semiconductor processing method as described in claim 9, characterized in that, Based on the distribution information of etching byproduct concentration within the etching chamber, determine whether any abnormalities have occurred in the etching process of the workpiece, including: When the difference between the concentration of the first etching byproduct at the first position in the etching chamber and the concentration of the first etching byproduct at the second position in the etching chamber is greater than a preset first threshold, it is determined that the workpiece has an etching abnormality.

11. The semiconductor processing method as described in claim 10, characterized in that, include: If an abnormality occurs during the etching process of the workpiece, stop the etching process on the workpiece. The main control unit outputs the position information of the first position, and / or the main control unit outputs the position information of the second position.

12. The semiconductor processing method as described in claim 9, characterized in that, include: When the concentration of the second etching byproduct at multiple preset locations in the etching chamber is greater than the preset second threshold, the etching process of the workpiece is determined to have reached its end.

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