Semiconductor epitaxy equipment

Abstract

The utility model provides semiconductor epitaxy equipment, which comprises a process cavity, a position detection device and a storage chamber, and is characterized in that a tray and a preheating ring surrounding the tray are arranged in the process cavity; the position detection device comprises an adjusting bracket and a position detector; the storage chamber provided with a cavity door provides a containing space for the position detection device, and detection of the relative position of the tray and the preheating ring is achieved through the position detector. The utility model further provides another semiconductor epitaxy device, the semiconductor epitaxy device comprises the process cavity and a position detector, a tray is arranged in the process cavity, the position detector is arranged in the process cavity and located below the tray, and position detection of the tray is achieved through the position detector. According to the utility model, the gap and / or levelness between the tray and the preheating ring can be detected, the problem of edge deviation can be solved, the risk rate of products can be effectively controlled, the yield of the products can be improved, meanwhile, the time efficiency can be effectively controlled during equipment maintenance, and a basis is provided for production and goods arrangement.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The utility model belongs to the field of semiconductor epitaxial equipment and relates to a semiconductor epitaxial equipment. Background Art

[0002] In semiconductor manufacturing, with the development of technology, the epitaxial (EPI) process has entered the 28nm and below process nodes. For example, the reduced pressure chemical vapor deposition (RPCVD) equipment promotes the doping of boron, phosphorus, etc., which can increase the content of electron-hole pairs, and then meet the performance requirements by improving the carrier mobility. The preparation of the selective epitaxial layer (SEG) mainly includes the steps of thin film deposition and etching on the surface of the wafer substrate in the epitaxial chamber to prepare a material layer that meets specific requirements such as resistance and surface quality.

[0003] In epitaxial equipment, a preheating ring is usually arranged around the outer side of the tray for carrying wafers, so that the preheating ring absorbs the heat from the heat source and radiates it near the edge of the tray to achieve uniform heating of the tray and / or the gas in the chamber, thereby ensuring the uniformity of the wafers on the tray during the semiconductor process. Among them, when the gap (Gap) between the edge of the tray and the edge of the preheating ring, and the levelness (Leveling) between the tray and the preheating ring are poor, it will cause the inconsistency between the center of rotation of the tray and the center of the temperature field / airflow field, especially the offset of the two parameters of the air intake direction and the air extraction direction in the epitaxial chamber will be greatly affected, which will affect the central position of the wafer on the tray, and ultimately lead to the problem of biased edge in the process results.

[0004] In the prior art, when troubleshooting the problem of edge deviation, the only way to determine whether there is an edge deviation problem is to use a level meter to check under cold chamber conditions or to adjust the direction of the aligner. However, both methods require long-term cold chamber operation, which will undoubtedly lead to low efficiency and bring huge challenges to process production.

[0005] Therefore, it is necessary to provide a semiconductor epitaxial device. Utility Model Content

[0006] In view of the above-mentioned shortcomings of the prior art, the purpose of the present invention is to provide a semiconductor epitaxial device for solving the problem that it is difficult to effectively detect the offset problem in the prior art.

[0007] In order to achieve the above-mentioned purpose and other related purposes, the utility model provides a semiconductor epitaxial device, the semiconductor epitaxial device comprising:

[0008] A process chamber, wherein a tray and a preheating ring surrounding the tray are arranged in the process chamber;

[0009] A position detection device, the position detection device comprising an adjustment bracket and a position detector mounted on the adjustment bracket;

[0010] A storage chamber, the storage chamber is arranged on the process chamber to provide a storage space for the position detection device, and a chamber door is arranged on the storage chamber;

[0011] The storage chamber and the process chamber are connected and disconnected by opening and closing the chamber door, and the position detector is driven to operate in the storage chamber and the process chamber by the operation of the adjustment bracket, and the relative position between the tray and the preheating ring is detected by the position detector.

[0012] Optionally, the storage chamber is disposed on a side wall of the process chamber or on a top surface of the process chamber.

[0013] Optionally, the adjustment bracket includes a telescopic bracket or a rotating bracket.

[0014] Optionally, N≥2 position detection devices are provided.

[0015] Optionally, the angle between two of the position detectors and the center of the tray is less than 180°.

[0016] Optionally, when the position detector is located in the process chamber, the chamber door is in sealing contact with the adjustment bracket.

[0017] Optionally, the detection of the relative position of the tray and the preheating ring by the position detector includes detection of a gap between the tray and the preheating ring and / or detection of a levelness between the tray and the preheating ring.

[0018] The present application also provides a semiconductor epitaxial device, the semiconductor epitaxial device comprising:

[0019] A process cavity, wherein a tray is arranged in the process cavity;

[0020] A position detector is disposed in the process chamber and is located below the tray. The position detector is used to detect the position of the tray.

[0021] Optionally, the position detector includes one or a combination of a laser ranging detector, a CCD ranging detector or an ultrasonic ranging detector.

[0022] Optionally, a display and / or an alarm communicating with the position detector is also included.

[0023] As described above, the semiconductor epitaxial equipment of the utility model includes a process chamber, a position detection device and a storage chamber, wherein a tray and a preheating ring surrounding the tray are arranged in the process chamber, and a chamber door is arranged on the process chamber; the position detection device includes an adjustment bracket and a position detector installed on the adjustment bracket; the storage chamber is arranged outside the process chamber to provide a storage space for the position detection device; wherein, the connection and isolation between the storage chamber and the process chamber are realized by opening and closing the chamber door, and the operation of the adjustment bracket drives the operation of the position detector in the storage chamber and the process chamber, and the relative position of the tray and the preheating ring is detected by the position detector.

[0024] The present application also provides another semiconductor epitaxial device, including a process chamber and a position detector, wherein a tray is disposed in the process chamber, the position detector is disposed in the process chamber, and the position detector is located below the tray, and the position detector is used to detect the position of the tray.

[0025] The utility model can detect the gap and / or levelness between the tray and the preheating ring, solve the problem of edge deviation in the process, effectively control the product risk rate, and greatly improve the product yield. At the same time, it can effectively control the timeliness when performing equipment maintenance (PM) and provide a basis for production scheduling. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0026] Figure 1 Shown is a schematic structural diagram of a semiconductor epitaxial device in Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

[0027] Figure 2 Shown is a schematic structural diagram of another semiconductor epitaxial device in Embodiment 1 of the present utility model.

[0028] Figure 3 Display as Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the top view structure of the semiconductor epitaxial device.

[0029] Figure 4 Display as Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the semiconductor epitaxial device during position detection.

[0030] Figure 5 Display as Figure 4 Coordinate diagram obtained after inspection of semiconductor epitaxial equipment.

[0031] Figure 6 Shown is a schematic structural diagram of a semiconductor epitaxial device in Embodiment 2 of the present utility model.

[0032] Figure 7 Display as Figure 6A simplified diagram of the semiconductor epitaxial equipment in FIG.

[0033] Component number description

[0034] 100 Process chamber

[0035] 200 Pallets

[0036] 300 Preheating ring

[0037] 400 Cavity Door

[0038] 500 Storage Room

[0039] 600 Adjustment bracket

[0040] 700 Position Detector

[0041] 701 First Inspection Point

[0042] 702 Second detection point

[0043] 703 The third detection point DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0044] The following is an explanation of the implementation of the present invention through specific examples, and those skilled in the art can easily understand other advantages and effects of the present invention from the contents disclosed in this specification. The present invention can also be implemented or applied through other different specific implementations, and the details in this specification can also be modified or changed in various ways based on different viewpoints and applications without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

[0045] It should be noted that the illustrations provided in this embodiment are only used to schematically illustrate the basic concept of the present invention. Therefore, the drawings only show components related to the present invention rather than being drawn according to the number, shape and size of components in actual implementation. In actual implementation, the type, quantity and proportion of each component may be changed arbitrarily, and the component layout may also be more complicated.

[0046] The following will be combined with the drawings in the embodiments of the present application to clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application. Obviously, the described embodiments are part of the embodiments of the present application, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments in the present application, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without creative work are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0047] For ease of description, a three-dimensional coordinate system is established in the diagram in the embodiment, namely, an X-axis, a Y-axis, and a Z-axis that are perpendicular to each other.

[0048] Embodiment 1

[0049] like Figure 1 The present embodiment provides a semiconductor epitaxial device, which includes a process chamber 100, a position detection device and a storage chamber 500; a tray 200 and a preheating ring 300 surrounding the tray 200 are arranged in the process chamber 100; the position detection device includes an adjustment bracket 600 and a position detector 700 installed on the adjustment bracket 600; the storage chamber 500 is arranged on the process chamber 100 to provide a housing space for the position detection device, and a chamber door 400 is arranged on the storage chamber 500.

[0050] Specifically, the tray 200 located in the process chamber 100 is used to carry the wafers to be processed, and the preheating ring 300 is used to absorb the heat from the heat source and radiate it near the edge of the tray 200 to achieve uniform heating of the tray 200 and / or the gas in the process chamber 100. The preheating ring 300 is usually fixed in the process chamber 100, and the position of the preheating ring 300 does not change, while the position of the tray 200 in the process chamber 100 can be adjusted to meet the process requirements, and the tray 200 is non-contact with the preheating ring 300, that is, there is a gap between the edge of the tray 200 and the side edge of the preheating ring 300, as shown in FIG. Figure 1 The gap between A and B in FIG. Because the position of the tray 200 is adjustable, the tray 200 may be tilted during the process. Figure 4 , that is, the gap between the tray 200 and the preheating ring 300 may change from ΔX1 to ΔX2, and the leveling between the tray 200 and the preheating ring 300 may also change, that is, change from 0 to ΔZ.

[0051] For the tilt problem of the tray 200, in order to avoid the problem of wafer and tray 200 being offset during the process, a process standard (SPEC) will be set in the actual process operation to ensure product quality. Therefore, the gap and / or levelness between the tray 200 and the preheating ring 300 needs to be regularly tested and compared with the SPEC to determine whether the actual position of the tray 200 meets the requirements of the production process.

[0052] In this embodiment, Figure 1The storage chamber 500 can provide a storage space for the position detection device, and the connection and isolation between the storage chamber 500 and the process chamber 100 can be controlled by the chamber door 400, so that when the position detector 700 needs to perform a detection operation, the chamber door 400 can be opened, so that the position detector 700 accommodated in the storage chamber 500 is transferred to the corresponding detection position in the process chamber 100 through the operation of the adjustment bracket 600, so as to detect the relative position between the tray 200 and the preheating ring 300. Similarly, after the detection is completed, the position detector 700 can return to the storage chamber 500 under the operation of the adjustment bracket 600. Among them, the setting of the storage chamber 500 can reduce the impact of the external environment on the environment in the process chamber 100 during the detection process, and the setting of the chamber door 400 can achieve the isolation of the storage chamber 500 and the process chamber 100, so as to avoid mutual interference between the storage chamber 500 and the process chamber 100 when performing process steps such as epitaxy.

[0053] As an example, when the position detector 700 is located in the process chamber 100, the chamber door 400 and the adjustment bracket 600 are preferably in sealed contact, so that the position detection device can be separated from the process chamber 100 and the storage chamber 500 through the chamber door 400 even if it is in the process chamber 100, so as to further reduce the impact of the storage chamber 500 on the process chamber 100.

[0054] Specifically, the chamber door 400 can adopt a double chamber door structure. When the position detector 700 is located in the process chamber 100, the first chamber door in the chamber door 400 can achieve sealed contact with the adjustment bracket 600 and separate the process chamber 100 from the storage chamber 500. When the position detector 700 is transferred to the storage chamber 500, the second chamber door can be used to close the space reserved for the adjustment bracket 600 by the first chamber door. Therefore, the chamber door 400 can separate the process chamber 100 from the storage chamber 500 while achieving good sealed contact with the adjustment bracket 600. However, the type of the chamber door 400 is not limited thereto. The opening and closing method of the chamber door 400 is not limited here. The material of the chamber door 400 can be the same as that of the process chamber 100 and the storage chamber 500, such as iron, etc., which is not limited here.

[0055] As an example, when the position detector 700 detects the relative position between the tray 200 and the preheating ring 300, the relative position between the tray 200 and the preheating ring 300 may include the gap between the tray 200 and the preheating ring 300 and / or the horizontality between the tray 200 and the preheating ring 300.

[0056] Specifically, Figure 4 The schematic diagram of the position detector 700 when detecting the gap between the tray 200 and the preheating ring 300 and the levelness between the tray 200 and the preheating ring 300 is shown, and Figure 5 The coordinate diagram obtained after the detection is shown.

[0057] In this embodiment, the position detector 700 is an infrared distance measuring detector, but the type of the position detector 700 is not limited thereto, and other types of laser distance measuring detectors, CCD distance measuring detectors, ultrasonic distance measuring detectors, etc. may also be used, which are not limited here. Further, in this embodiment, the position detector 700 is provided with a plurality of detection points, and each detection point can independently realize distance detection, that is, Figure 4 In the figure, the first detection point 701 in the position detector 700 can be used to detect point A, which corresponds to the coordinate of point x1 on the X-axis. The second detection point 702 can be used to detect point B after displacement, which corresponds to the coordinate of point x2 on the X-axis. The third detection point 703 can be used to detect point B under the horizontal body, which corresponds to the coordinate of point x3 on the X-axis.

[0058] There is no limitation on the number and distribution of detection points set in the position detector 700. Of course, when the position detector 700 can be extended and retracted with the extension and retraction of the adjustment bracket 600, the position detector 700 can also be set with only one detection point, so that the position of the detection point can be changed by moving the adjustment bracket 600, so as to gradually perform multi-position detection. This method can reduce equipment costs, but it will also bring time limitations. Therefore, the specific type of the position detector 700 can be selected according to needs.

[0059] Figure 4 The solid line in the middle represents the horizontal state of the tray 200 before the change, and the dotted line represents the inclined state of the tray 200 after the change. From before the change to after the change, the gap between the tray 200 and the preheating ring 300 changes from ΔX1 to ΔX2, and the horizontality between the tray 200 and the preheating ring 300 also changes from 0 to ΔZ. Figure 5On the X-axis, the position corresponding to the first detection point 701 is x1, the position corresponding to the second detection point 702 is x2, and the position corresponding to the third detection point 703 is x3, so that ΔX1 and ΔX2 can be obtained through the difference in coordinate points on the X-axis, wherein it should be noted that the coordinates of each detection point on the X-axis can be regarded as known, that is, they can be known through the type of the position detector 700 selected.

[0060] like Figure 5 On the Z axis, at point x1, the first detection point 701 can detect the distance z1, and between point x1 and point x2, since no reflected signal is received, the distance of this section Z is 0. At point x2, the second detection point 702 can detect the distance z2, so that the horizontality ΔZ can be obtained, that is, ΔZ = z2-z2, that is, when performing the horizontality ΔZ detection, each detection point can emit infrared rays. When the infrared rays encounter obstacles, that is, the tray 200 or the preheating ring 300, the infrared rays will be reflected, and each detection point can receive the reflected infrared rays accordingly. Therefore, by using the time difference between emission and reception, the Z axis distance corresponding to each detection point can be calculated: Z = (V×t) / 2 (unit: m), where V represents the speed of light 3.0×10 8 m / s, t represents time (unit: s), so the horizontality of the tray 200, that is, ΔZ, can be obtained by comparing the distance on the Z axis.

[0061] After comparing the obtained gap value and levelness value with the corresponding parameter standard (SPEC), it can be determined whether the tray 200 meets the process requirements, so as to arrange the PM operation of production or equipment.

[0062] As an example, the storage chamber 500 may be disposed inside or outside the process chamber 100 , and the storage chamber 500 may be disposed on a sidewall of the process chamber 100 or on a top surface of the process chamber 100 .

[0063] Specifically, Figure 1 to Figure 3 In the semiconductor epitaxial equipment in this embodiment, the storage chamber 500 is arranged outside the process chamber 100, and the storage chamber 500 is arranged on the side wall of the process chamber 100 to minimize the influence of the arrangement of the storage chamber 500 on the structure of the existing semiconductor epitaxial equipment, but the position of the storage chamber 500 is not limited to this. In another embodiment, the storage chamber 500 can also be arranged on the top surface of the process chamber 100, and according to needs, the storage chamber 500 can also be arranged inside the process chamber 100, such as being arranged on the side wall or the top surface of the process chamber 100, which will not be elaborated here.

[0064] As an example, the adjustment bracket 600 may include a telescopic bracket or a rotating bracket.

[0065] Specifically, Figure 1 The adjusting bracket 600 is a rotating bracket, that is, the position of the position detector 700 between the storage chamber 500 and the process chamber 100 can be switched by rotating the rotating bracket, but the type of the adjusting bracket 600 is not limited thereto. Figure 2 In another embodiment, the adjustment bracket 600 may also adopt a telescopic bracket, that is, the position of the position detector 700 between the storage chamber 500 and the process chamber 100 can be changed by telescopic operation of the telescopic bracket. The specific type of the adjustment bracket 600 can be selected according to needs and is not limited here.

[0066] As an example, the number of the position detection devices may include N, where N may be 1 or an integer of N≥2.

[0067] Specifically, Figure 3 This embodiment illustrates a structural schematic diagram of three position detection devices, that is, N is 3, so that multiple groups of detection data are obtained by setting up multiple position detection devices, so as to relatively accurately evaluate the relative position between the tray 200 and the preheating ring 300 by obtaining the detection average value, but the value of N is not limited to this. According to specific detection requirements, the value of N can also be 1 or 2.

[0068] Furthermore, when a plurality of the position detection devices are provided, it is preferred that the angle between two of the position detectors 700 and the center of the tray 200 is less than 180°.

[0069] Specifically, Figure 3 The figure illustrates a situation where the angle between two adjacent position detectors 700 is 120°, but the angle between two adjacent position detectors 700 is not limited thereto, and may also be 30°, 60°, 90°, 150°, etc., so that the position information of the tray 200 and the preheating ring 300 in three-dimensional space can be obtained by setting two or more position detectors 700, so as to make a more accurate judgment on the position of the tray 200.

[0070] As an example, the semiconductor epitaxial apparatus may further include a display and / or an alarm in communication with the position detector 700 .

[0071] Specifically, when a display and / or an alarm communicating with the position detector 700 is provided in the semiconductor epitaxial device, the detection structure or the result after comparison with SPEC can be directly displayed through the display, such as the result after comparison can be intuitively displayed through the display, so as to facilitate observation by the staff. When the detection result exceeds SPEC, the alarm can be provided to promptly notify the staff through the alarm, so as to timely perform equipment maintenance, etc. The specific types of the display and the alarm are not limited here.

[0072] Embodiment 2

[0073] See also Figure 6 and Figure 7 The present embodiment provides a semiconductor epitaxial device, which includes a process chamber 100 and a position detector 700. A tray 200 is disposed in the process chamber 100. The position detector 700 is disposed in the process chamber 100 and is located below the tray 200. The position detector 700 is used to detect the position of the tray 200.

[0074] Specifically, Figure 6 The diagram shows that the position detector 700 is disposed below the tray 200 in the horizontal direction and the position detector 700 intersects the center line of the tray 200, but the position of the position detector 700 and the tray 200 is not limited to this. Figure 7 When the position detector 700 is arranged in the horizontal direction and intersects with the center line of the tray 200, the arrangement of the position detector 700 is equivalent to knowing the position of a data reference point, namely, position O. Therefore, the Z-axis distance change ΔZ and the X-axis position change ΔX can be obtained more conveniently through the position detector 700. This embodiment can more conveniently determine the offset status of the tray 200 including the specific offset direction and offset value such as the offset angle θ.

[0075] As an example, the position detector 700 may include a laser ranging detector or a CCD ranging detector.

[0076] As an example, a display and / or an alarm in communication with the position detector 700 may also be included.

[0077] Among them, the number and distribution of the detection points on the position detector 700, and the setting of the preheating ring 300 can all be referred to the first embodiment, and will not be described here in detail.

[0078] In summary, the semiconductor epitaxial equipment of the utility model includes a process chamber, a position detection device and a storage chamber, wherein a tray and a preheating ring surrounding the tray are arranged in the process chamber, and a chamber door is arranged on the process chamber; the position detection device includes an adjusting bracket and a position detector installed on the adjusting bracket; the storage chamber is arranged outside the process chamber to provide a storage space for the position detection device; wherein, the connection and isolation between the storage chamber and the process chamber are realized by opening and closing the chamber door, and the operation of the adjusting bracket drives the operation of the position detector in the storage chamber and the process chamber, and the relative position of the tray and the preheating ring is detected by the position detector.

[0079] The present application also provides another semiconductor epitaxial device, including a process chamber and a position detector, wherein a tray is disposed in the process chamber, the position detector is disposed in the process chamber, and the position detector is located below the tray, and the position detector is used to detect the position of the tray.

[0080] The utility model can detect the gap and / or levelness between the tray and the preheating ring, solve the problem of side deviation in the process, effectively control the product risk rate, and greatly improve the product yield. At the same time, it can effectively control the timeliness when performing equipment maintenance, and provide a basis for production scheduling. Therefore, the utility model effectively overcomes various shortcomings in the prior art and has a high industrial utilization value.

[0081] The above embodiments are merely illustrative of the principles and effects of the present invention, and are not intended to limit the present invention. Anyone familiar with the technology may modify or alter the above embodiments without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Therefore, all equivalent modifications or alterations made by a person of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the spirit and technical concept disclosed in the present invention shall still be covered by the claims of the present invention.

Claims

1. A semiconductor epitaxial device, characterized in that: The semiconductor epitaxial device comprises: A process chamber, wherein a tray and a preheating ring surrounding the tray are arranged in the process chamber; A position detection device, the position detection device comprising an adjustment bracket and a position detector mounted on the adjustment bracket; A storage chamber, the storage chamber is arranged on the process chamber to provide a storage space for the position detection device, and a chamber door is arranged on the storage chamber; The storage chamber and the process chamber are connected and disconnected by opening and closing the chamber door, and the position detector is driven to operate in the storage chamber and the process chamber by the operation of the adjustment bracket, and the relative position between the tray and the preheating ring is detected by the position detector.

2. The semiconductor epitaxial device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The storage chamber is arranged inside or outside the process chamber, and the storage chamber is arranged on the side wall of the process chamber or on the top surface of the process chamber.

3. The semiconductor epitaxial device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The adjusting bracket includes a telescopic bracket or a rotating bracket.

4. The semiconductor epitaxial device according to claim 1, characterized in that: N≥2 position detection devices are provided.

5. The semiconductor epitaxial device according to claim 4, characterized in that: The included angle between two of the position detectors and the center of the tray is less than 180°.

6. The semiconductor epitaxial device according to claim 1, characterized in that: When the position detector is located in the process chamber, the chamber door is in sealing contact with the adjustment bracket.

7. The semiconductor epitaxial device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The detection of the relative position between the tray and the preheating ring by the position detector includes detection of the gap between the tray and the preheating ring and / or detection of the levelness between the tray and the preheating ring.

8. A semiconductor epitaxial device, characterized in that: The semiconductor epitaxial device comprises: A process cavity, wherein a tray is arranged in the process cavity; A position detector is disposed in the process chamber and is located below the tray. The position detector is used to detect the position of the tray.

9. The semiconductor epitaxial device according to claim 1 or 8, characterized in that: The position detector includes one or a combination of a laser ranging detector, a CCD ranging detector or an ultrasonic ranging detector.

10. The semiconductor epitaxial device according to claim 1 or 8, characterized in that: Also included is a display and / or an alarm in communication with the position detector.

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