Plasma processing equipment

Abstract

The utility model provides plasma processing equipment, belongs to the technical field of plasma etching, and aims to solve the technical problem that function expansion above a reaction cavity is limited. The gas spraying head is positioned below the upper cover plate of the reaction cavity and is used for introducing process gas into the reaction cavity; the base and the gas spraying head are oppositely arranged at the lower part of the reaction cavity, the base is used for bearing a substrate, and a discharge space is formed between the base and the gas spraying head; the lifting ring can move between two positions around the gas spraying head and around the discharging space, the upper side of the lifting ring is connected with a driver above the upper cover plate through a guide rod, and the guide rod and the driver are located in an annular area above the upper cover plate, so that a containing space is formed in a central area above the upper cover plate; the technical scheme is mainly used in a system which needs to generate plasma to process the substrate.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The utility model relates to the technical field of plasma etching, in particular to the technical field of plasma processing equipment which can efficiently utilize space. Background Art

[0002] Micromachining of semiconductor substrates or substrates is a well-known technology that can be used to manufacture, for example, semiconductors, flat panel displays, light emitting diodes (LEDs), solar cells, etc. An important step in micromachining manufacturing is the plasma treatment process step, which is carried out inside a reaction chamber into which process gases are input. A radio frequency source is inductively and / or capacitively coupled to the interior of the reaction chamber to excite the process gas to form and maintain a plasma. Inside the reaction chamber, the exposed substrate is supported by a plasma processing device and fixed in a fixed position by a clamping force to ensure the safety of the substrate during the process and a high yield of the processing.

[0003] In addition to etching the substrate, the chemical activity of the generated plasma will also cause corrosion to other components in the chamber, such as the side walls of the chamber. In order to reduce the effect of plasma on the side walls of the chamber and increase the life of the chamber, some technical solutions set a guard ring between the plasma area and the side walls of the chamber. The material or coating of the guard ring is selected to improve the plasma resistance. In the case that the guard ring is severely corroded, replacing the guard ring is better than replacing the side walls of the chamber from the perspective of cost and ease of replacement.

[0004] However, in order to transport the substrate, the guard ring needs to be raised and lowered before and after the process. Usually, the driving device of the guard ring is in the central area above the outside of the reaction chamber. But as the monitoring and control of the process becomes more and more sophisticated, many components need to be set in the same central area, and the driving device of the guard ring becomes an obstacle to functional expansion. Utility Model Content

[0005] In order to solve the technical problem that the functional expansion space above the reaction chamber is limited, the utility model provides a plasma processing device, including:

[0006] Reaction chamber;

[0007] A gas shower head, located below the upper cover plate of the reaction chamber and used for introducing process gas into the reaction chamber;

[0008] A susceptor, which is arranged at the lower part of the reaction chamber opposite to the gas shower head and is used to carry the substrate, and a discharge space is formed between the susceptor and the gas shower head;

[0009] A lifting ring, which can move between two positions, surrounding the gas shower head and surrounding the discharge space, wherein the upper side of the lifting ring is connected to the driver above the upper cover plate through a guide rod, and

[0010] The guide rod and the driver are located in the annular area above the upper cover plate, so that the central area above the upper cover plate has an accommodating space.

[0011] Optionally, the guide rod is connected to the driver via a connecting plate, and the connecting plate is located in the annular area.

[0012] Optionally, the guide rod comprises:

[0013] A connecting rod fixedly connecting the upper surface of the lifting ring and the lower surface of the connecting plate;

[0014] A sleeve surrounds the connecting rod and is fixedly connected to the upper side of the upper cover plate. The sleeve and the connecting rod can slide relative to each other and are sealed.

[0015] Optionally, the driver is fixedly connected to the upper side of the upper cover plate and the lower side of the connecting plate, and can be extended and retracted up and down to drive the connecting plate to move up and down.

[0016] Optionally, the number of the guide rods and the drivers is at least three respectively, and they are evenly distributed in the annular area.

[0017] Optionally, the distance between each pair of guide rods and the driver is less than half of the distance between adjacent guide rods.

[0018] Optionally, the number of the connecting plates is at least three, and each connecting plate connects a guide rod and a driver.

[0019] Optionally, the connecting plate is in the shape of a ring, which connects all the guide rods and the driver.

[0020] Optionally, the sleeve is a bellows.

[0021] Optionally, the gas shower head is electrically connected to an upper electrode located in the central area.

[0022] Optionally, the central area is also provided with a temperature measuring device, a power feeding device or a magnetic ring.

[0023] Optionally, the lifting ring is made of aluminum oxide or silicon carbide.

[0024] Optionally, it also includes: a source radio frequency power supply, which feeds radio frequency energy into the reaction chamber through the base to excite the process gas to form plasma.

[0025] Optionally, it also includes:

[0026] The controller is used to lower the lifting ring to a position surrounding the discharge space during the process reaction, and to raise the lifting ring to a position surrounding the gas shower head during the substrate transfer process.

[0027] At least one of the above technical solutions has the following advantages or beneficial effects: the driver for providing power to the lifting ring above the reaction chamber is located in the annular area, leaving the central area above the gas shower head free for the installation of various expansion components. At the same time, the guide rods directly fixedly connected to the lifting ring are connected to the driver through the connecting plate, and the number of drivers is consistent with the number of guide rods to avoid the asynchronous situation when multiple guide rods move up and down. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0028] In order to more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the utility model or the technical solutions in the prior art, the drawings required for use in the embodiments or the description of the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the utility model. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without paying creative work.

[0029] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the plasma processing equipment of the utility model;

[0030] Figure 2 It is a schematic diagram of a mobile ring driving structure;

[0031] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of a moving ring driving structure of an embodiment of the utility model;

[0032] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of a moving ring driving structure of another embodiment of the utility model. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0033] In order to make the purpose, technical solution and advantages of the embodiment of the utility model clearer, the technical solution in the embodiment of the utility model will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the drawings in the embodiment of the utility model. Obviously, the described embodiment is a part of the embodiment of the utility model, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiment of the utility model, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without creative work are within the scope of protection of the utility model.

[0034] Figure 1Schematic diagram of the plasma processing equipment of the utility model, specifically including a reaction chamber 100. In some embodiments, the reaction chamber 100 is a process space surrounded by side walls, and has an upper cover plate 101 on its upper side. A gas shower head 110 is arranged below the upper cover plate 101. A plurality of channels for transmitting gas to the reaction chamber 100 are opened on the lower side of the gas shower head 110. One or more reaction gases can be transported to the reaction chamber 100 through the gas shower head 110. A susceptor 120 located at the lower part of the reaction chamber 100 and arranged opposite to the gas shower head 110 has an upper surface for carrying a substrate W. A discharge space 102 is formed between the gas shower head 110 and the susceptor 120. After the reaction gas enters the discharge space 102, it is excited into plasma to process the substrate W. The lifting ring 130 is provided to reduce the corrosion of the inner side wall of the reactor 100 by the plasma. The lifting ring 130 can be raised to a position surrounding the gas shower head 110 for the transfer of the substrate W, and can also be lowered to a position surrounding the discharge space 102 to prevent the plasma from directly corroding the side wall of the reaction chamber 100.

[0035] In a technical solution of a lifting drive ring, as Figure 2 A schematic diagram of a lifting ring driving structure is shown, in which the lifting ring 130 is connected to the existing driver 42 above the upper cover plate 101 through the guide rod 140. There is only one existing driver 42, which is located in the central area above the upper cover plate 101, and the existing driver 42 is fixedly connected to the top of the guide rod 140 through a one-piece connecting plate 43. This space utilization scheme makes it impossible to integrate other components in the central area above the upper cover plate 101, that is, the central area above the gas shower head 110. In order to optimize the process, additional monitoring or adjustment equipment is preferably placed in the central area to achieve better results.

[0036] Combination Figure 1 and Figure 3Schematic diagram of the lifting ring driving structure of the utility model. The upper side of the lifting ring 130 is connected to the driver 142 through the guide rod 140. The guide rod 140 and the driver 142 are both located in the same annular area. In order to allow the central area 150 above the upper cover plate 101 to have a storage space for the installation of various expansion components, the annular area is set to surround the central area, or the annular area surrounds the extension area formed in the vertical direction of the gas shower head 110. The driver 142 and the guide rod 140 move up and down in the same annular area, which can basically ensure that the driving force of the guide rod 140 is at the same order of magnitude, avoiding the generation of a large torque to damage the guide rod 140. At the same time, the central area 150 has sufficient storage space. Because the central area 150 covers the gas shower head 110 downward, the temperature measuring device 112 and the temperature control device of the gas shower head 110 can be placed in the storage space. Because the central area 150 also covers the discharge space 102 downward, the coil 113 can be placed in the storage space, and the magnetic field generated by it can regulate the plasma distribution and density in the discharge space. Alternatively, in other embodiments, various expansion structures may be added as the needs change, and these expansion structures will not affect the up and down movement of the lifting ring.

[0037] In this embodiment, if Figure 3 As shown, the guide rod 140 is fixedly connected to the driver 142 through an annular connecting plate 143. A plurality of guide rods 140 pass through the upper cover plate 101, and one end is connected to the upper side of the lifting ring 130, and the other end is fixedly connected to the lower side of the connecting plate 143. The lower end of the driver 142 is fixedly connected to the upper side of the upper cover plate 101, and the retractable upper end is fixedly connected to the lower side of the connecting plate 143. Thus, when the driver 142 is retracted, the connecting plate 143 can be driven to move up and down, thereby driving the lifting ring 130 to move up and down. The number of drivers 142 can be multiple, and the preferred number is the same as the number of guide rods 140. The guide rods 140 can be at least three evenly arranged in the circumferential direction. The annular connecting plate 143 can play a role in making the force applied by the driver 142 uniform and consistent. In some other embodiments, the driver 142 can also be connected to the connecting plate in other ways, for example, the telescopic end is connected to the upper cover plate 101 and the fixed end is connected to the connecting plate, and the number of drivers 142 and guide rods 140 can be freely matched, for example, three guide rods and two drivers.

[0038] like Figure 4Shown is a schematic diagram of the lifting ring drive structure of another embodiment of the utility model. The difference from the above embodiment is that four pairs of guide rods 140 and drivers 142 are evenly distributed in the annular area along the circumferential direction, and each pair of guide rods 140 and drivers 142 are fixedly connected to other pairs of independent connecting plates 243. In some embodiments, in order to further reduce the space occupied by the drive structure, the distance between the guide rods 140 and the drivers 142 is less than half of the distance between adjacent guide rods 140. An excessively large distance between the guide rods 140 and the drivers 142 will occupy more circumferential space because the corresponding connecting plates 243 also need to be extended. In this embodiment, not only the central area is completely released, but also the distance between adjacent guide rods is partially released, which provides space for the lateral extension of the expansion plug-in.

[0039] In some embodiments, in combination Figure 1 As shown, in order to avoid the up and down movement of the guide rod 140 during the process to destroy the vacuum environment of the reaction chamber, the outer side of the guide rod 140 also includes a sleeve 141, and the inner side includes a connecting rod passing through the center of the sleeve 141. The sleeve 141 plays a sealing role. For example, the sleeve 141 can be a retractable bellows, one end of which is fixedly connected to the upper surface of the upper cover plate 101, and the other end can be directly fixedly connected to the upper end of the side of the connecting rod, or can also be fixedly connected to the lower side of the connecting plate 143, so as to ensure that the air pressure outside and inside the sleeve 141 are isolated, and the air pressure inside is consistent with that in the reaction chamber. In other embodiments, the driver 142 can also be connected to the guide rod 140 in other ways, for example, the driver 142 and the guide rod are respectively located on both sides of the connecting plate, and the driver is also fixedly connected to the upper cover plate 101 through a bracket.

[0040] Combination Figure 1As shown, the plasma processing equipment of the utility model can be a capacitively coupled plasma processing equipment, and also includes an upper electrode 111 electrically connected to the gas shower head 110, which can be grounded or connected to it by a feeding mechanism, as an upper electrode of the parallel plate plasma formation principle. The material of the lifting ring 130 can be a ceramic material, such as silicon carbide or aluminum oxide, and its surface can also have a protective coating. There is a ceramic layer on the upper side of the base 120, and there is a direct current source 125 connected to the outside of the reaction chamber by an electrode inside, which is used to generate an electrostatic adsorption force to fix the substrate W. There is also a cooling channel 123 in the base 120 to circulate the cooling fluid, and the temperature of the substrate W is controlled by heat conduction. At the same time, an exhaust port is provided at the bottom of the reaction chamber to discharge excess reaction gas and residues after the reaction. A plasma confinement ring 124 is also provided between the exhaust port and the discharge space, which is used to block the charged particles of the reaction gas during the discharge process to the exhaust port to prevent the charged particles from damaging the exhaust pump. In addition, in order to generate plasma, a radio frequency power source 121 applies radio frequency to the base 120 through a matcher 122 to excite the reaction gas in the discharge space. A controller for executing a program can also be set outside the reaction chamber to send instructions to the driver 142 to control the lifting ring 130 to descend to the surrounding discharge space 102 during the process, and to rise to the surrounding gas shower head 110 during the substrate transfer process.

[0041] The plasma processing equipment disclosed in the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned capacitively coupled plasma processing device, but can also be applied to other plasma processing devices, such as inductively coupled plasma processing devices, which will not be described in detail here.

[0042] Although the content of the utility model has been described in detail through the above preferred embodiments, it should be appreciated that the above description should not be considered as a limitation of the utility model. After reading the above content, various modifications and substitutions of the utility model will be obvious to those skilled in the art. Therefore, the protection scope of the utility model should be limited by the attached claims.

Claims

1. A plasma processing device, characterized in that: include: Reaction chamber; A gas shower head, located below the upper cover plate of the reaction chamber, for introducing process gas into the reaction chamber; A susceptor, which is arranged at the lower part of the reaction chamber opposite to the gas shower head and is used to carry the substrate, and a discharge space is formed between the susceptor and the gas shower head; A lifting ring can move between two positions: around the gas shower head and around the discharge space. The upper side of the lifting ring is connected to the driver above the upper cover plate through a guide rod, and the guide rod and the driver are located in an annular area above the upper cover plate, so that the central area above the upper cover plate has an accommodating space.

2. The plasma processing equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that The guide rod is connected to the driver via a connecting plate, and the connecting plate is located in the annular area.

3. The plasma processing equipment according to claim 2, characterized in that The guide rod comprises: a connecting rod fixedly connecting the upper surface of the lifting ring and the lower surface of the connecting plate; A sleeve surrounds the connecting rod and is fixedly connected to the upper side of the upper cover plate. The sleeve and the connecting rod can slide relative to each other and are sealed.

4. The plasma processing equipment according to claim 3, characterized in that The driver is fixedly connected to the upper side of the upper cover plate and the lower side of the connecting plate, and can be extended and retracted up and down to drive the connecting plate to move up and down.

5. The plasma processing equipment according to claim 2, characterized in that The number of the guide rods and the driver is at least three respectively, and they are evenly distributed in the annular area.

6. The plasma processing equipment according to claim 5, characterized in that The distance between each pair of guide rods and the driver is less than half of the distance between adjacent guide rods.

7. The plasma processing equipment according to claim 5, characterized in that The number of the connecting plates is at least three, and each connecting plate is connected to a guide rod and a driver.

8. The plasma processing equipment according to claim 5, characterized in that The connecting plate is in the shape of a ring and connects all the guide rods and the driver.

9. The plasma processing equipment according to claim 3, characterized in that The sleeve is a bellows.

10. The plasma processing equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that The gas shower head is electrically connected to an upper electrode located in the central area.

11. The plasma processing apparatus according to claim 10, wherein: The central area is also provided with a temperature measuring device, a power feeding device or a magnetic ring.

12. The plasma processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: The lifting ring is made of aluminum oxide or silicon carbide.

13. The plasma processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: Also includes: A radio frequency power source feeds radio frequency energy into the reaction chamber through the base to excite the process gas to form plasma.

14. The plasma processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: Also includes: The controller is used to lower the lifting ring to a position surrounding the discharge space during the process reaction, and to raise the lifting ring to a position surrounding the gas shower head during the substrate transfer process.

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