Air inlet device

Abstract

The utility model provides a gas inlet device which is used for transmitting reaction gas into a reaction chamber and comprises a guide plate and a gas uniformizing chamber, the guide plate is arranged at the top in the gas uniformizing chamber and comprises a center area and an edge area, the edge area is provided with a first through hole for the reaction gas to pass through, and after the reaction gas passes through the guide plate, the first through hole is communicated with the gas uniformizing chamber. And the gas flows into the reaction chamber through the gas uniformizing chamber. According to the gas inlet device, when reaction gas enters the gas inlet device, mutual pollution between pipelines and cyclones generated by gas convection can be reduced, so that the reaction gas is mixed more sufficiently, gas flowing is more stable, the flow of center gas can be reduced, the gas flowing is more uniform, and the uniformity of the gas reaching the surface of a wafer is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of semiconductor manufacturing technology, and in particular to an air intake device. Background Art

[0002] The atomic layer deposition (ALD) process is an important method for growing high-k dielectric layers (HfO2), metal interconnects and liners (TiN), and metal diffusion barriers (TaN) in semiconductor device manufacturing technology. In the ALD process, the uniformity of the gas entering the chamber will greatly affect the thickness of the film. The gas mixing structure (Mixer) in the ALD chamber structure has a direct impact on the distribution of the gas entering the chamber. The existing gas mixing structure is a two-sided gas intake. On the one hand, it is easy to form a cyclone, which is not conducive to the stability of film formation. On the other hand, it is easy to contaminate the opposite side pipeline and cause pollution. In addition, the structure of the gas mixing structure is coarse at the top and fine at the bottom, which makes the gas entering the chamber too concentrated, resulting in the problem of high intermediate gas pressure and low edge gas pressure of the gas reaching the wafer. These problems in the gas mixing structure design lead to poor uniformity of film formation. Therefore, a new gas mixing structure and atomic layer deposition equipment are needed to solve the problem of high intermediate gas pressure and low edge gas pressure of the gas reaching the wafer, which affects the thickness and uniformity of the film. Utility Model Content

[0003] In view of the shortcomings of the prior art described above, the purpose of the present application is to provide an air intake device for solving the problem in the prior art that the intermediate gas pressure of the reaction gas reaching the wafer is high and the edge gas pressure is low, resulting in the intermediate gas flow being concentrated and higher than the edge gas flow, affecting the thickness and uniformity of the film.

[0004] An embodiment of the present application provides an air intake device for transmitting reaction gas into a reaction chamber, comprising a guide plate and a gas uniforming chamber, wherein the guide plate is arranged at the top of the gas uniforming chamber, the guide plate comprises a central area and an edge area, the edge area is provided with a plurality of first through holes for the reaction gas to pass through, and after the reaction gas passes through the guide plate, it flows out through the gas uniforming chamber to the gas uniforming pipeline in the reaction chamber.

[0005] In some embodiments, the central area is configured with a plurality of second through holes, the aperture of the second through holes is smaller than the aperture of the first through holes, and the distribution density of the second through holes is smaller than the distribution density of the first through holes.

[0006] In some embodiments, the longitudinal section of the guide plate is configured as a symmetrical shape with a high middle and low sides, the cross section is configured as a circle, the edge area is a circular ring, and the width of the edge area is 30% to 50% of the radius of the guide plate.

[0007] In some embodiments, the air uniforming pipeline includes an air inlet and an air uniforming pipeline connected in sequence from top to bottom, wherein the diameter of the top of the central area of ​​the guide plate is smaller than the diameter of the connection between the air uniforming pipeline and the air uniforming chamber, and the diameter of the bottom of the central area of ​​the guide plate is larger than the diameter of the connection between the air uniforming pipeline and the air uniforming chamber.

[0008] In some embodiments, the air homogenizing pipeline includes an air intake pipeline, an air mixing pipeline and a transition pipeline which are sequentially connected from top to bottom.

[0009] In some embodiments, the number of the air inlets is at least two, and the number of the air inlet pipelines is the same as the number of the air inlets.

[0010] In some embodiments, each of the air intake pipes is independently connected downward to the mixing pipe.

[0011] In some embodiments, a first block structure is configured between each of the air intake pipelines and the air mixing pipeline, and the first block structure is provided with a plurality of third through holes, and the reaction gas enters the air mixing pipeline from each of the air intake pipelines through the plurality of third through holes.

[0012] In some embodiments, a second stopper structure is arranged between the gas mixing line and the transition line, the second stopper structure is arranged with a plurality of fourth through holes, and the reaction gas enters the transition line from the gas mixing line through the fourth through holes.

[0013] In some embodiments, the cross-sections of the transition pipeline and the gas uniforming chamber of the gas uniforming pipeline are circular, and the diameters of the cross-sections increase sequentially from top to bottom.

[0014] As described above, the air intake device of the present application has the following beneficial effects: the air intake structure allows the reaction gas to flow downward first after entering the air intake device, reducing mutual contamination between pipelines and cyclones generated by gas convection. The reaction gas enters the gas mixing pipeline for mixing, making the mixing more complete and the gas flow more stable. The shape of some uniform gas pipelines and uniform gas chambers that is small at the top and large at the bottom can increase the area where the gas enters the chamber, avoiding excessive concentration of the gas in the center when it reaches the wafer surface. After passing through the edge area of ​​the guide plate, the reaction gas diffuses toward the middle and is evenly sprayed onto the wafer surface in the chamber through the gas outlet structure. The air intake device of the present application reduces the concentration of the intermediate reaction gas flow rate, so that the reaction gas is evenly distributed on the wafer surface, solves the problem of excessive difference in film thickness between the center and the edge during the atomic layer deposition process, and improves the uniformity of film formation. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0015] The following figures describe in detail the exemplary embodiments disclosed in this application. The same reference numerals represent similar structures in several views of the drawings. Those skilled in the art will understand that these embodiments are non-limiting, exemplary embodiments, and the drawings are only for the purpose of illustration and description, and are not intended to limit the scope of this application. Other embodiments may also accomplish the inventive intent in this application. It should be understood that the drawings are not drawn to scale.

[0016] in:

[0017] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of an air intake device according to some embodiments;

[0018] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of an air intake device according to some embodiments of the present application;

[0019] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of an air intake device according to some other embodiments of the present application;

[0020] Figure 4 Schematic diagram comparing wafer images before and after using the air intake device of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0021] The following description provides specific application scenarios and requirements of the present application, with the purpose of enabling those skilled in the art to make and use the content in the present application. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various local modifications to the disclosed embodiments are apparent, and the general principles defined herein may be applied to other embodiments and applications without departing from the spirit and scope of the present application. Therefore, the present application is not limited to the embodiments shown, but to the widest scope consistent with the claims.

[0022] like Figure 1 As shown, in some embodiments, an air intake device 100 is provided for transmitting the reaction gas into the reaction chamber 10, including a guide plate 11, and an air inlet 12, a gas uniforming pipeline 13 and a gas uniforming chamber 14 connected in sequence from top to bottom. The guide plate 11 is arranged at the connection between the gas uniforming pipeline 13 and the gas uniforming chamber 14. The side of the guide plate 11 is provided with a through hole (not shown) for the reaction gas to pass through. After the reaction gas enters the gas uniforming pipeline 13 from the air inlet 12, it flows out to the gas uniforming chamber 14 through the guide plate 11, and finally sprays onto the surface of the wafer 16 in the chamber 10 through the gas outlet structure. The guide plate 11 plays a role in blocking the reaction gas from passing through the middle of the pipeline, guiding the gas to pass around the guide plate 11, and reducing the amount of reaction gas in the middle after flowing through the guide plate 11. Among them, the arrows in the figure indicate the direction of gas flow.

[0023] However, Figure 1The air inlet 12 of the air intake device 100 shown is installed at symmetrical positions on both sides of the air intake device 100. After the reaction gas enters the air intake device 100, it is mixed by counter-action, which is easy to generate vortexes, which may cause particle problems and may also contaminate the air inlet on the opposite side. In addition, the uniform air pipeline 13 is a cylinder, and the guide plate 11 is located at the bottom of the uniform air pipeline 13, and the diameter of the guide plate 11 is the same as the diameter of the uniform air pipeline 13. After passing through the guide plate 11, the reaction gas still has a strong gas flow in the middle and weak around, and the gas flow in the middle and at the edge is different.

[0024] To improve the problem of the air intake device 100, Figure 2 As shown, an embodiment of the present application provides an air intake device 200 for transmitting the reaction gas into the reaction chamber 20, including a guide plate 21 and a uniform gas chamber 24. The guide plate 21 is arranged at the top of the uniform gas chamber 24. The guide plate 21 includes a central area 211 and an edge area 212. The edge area 212 is configured with a plurality of first through holes 2121 for the reaction gas to pass through. After the reaction gas passes through the guide plate 21, it flows out into the reaction chamber 20 through the uniform gas chamber 24.

[0025] In some embodiments, the central area 211 is configured with a plurality of second through holes (not shown), the aperture of the second through holes is smaller than the aperture of the first through holes 2121, and the distribution density of the second through holes is smaller than the distribution density of the first through holes 2121, so that the flow rate of the reaction gas passing through the edge area 212 is much stronger than the flow rate of the middle area 211, so that the reaction gas is dispersed and will not be concentrated in the middle area 211.

[0026] In some embodiments, the top of the air uniforming chamber 24 includes an air inlet 22 and an air uniforming pipeline 23 connected in sequence from top to bottom, wherein the diameter of the top of the central area 211 of the guide plate 21 is smaller than the diameter of the connection between the air uniforming pipeline 23 and the air uniforming chamber 24, and the diameter of the bottom of the central area 211 of the guide plate 21 is larger than the diameter of the connection between the air uniforming pipeline 23 and the air uniforming chamber 24.

[0027] Specifically, the embodiment of the present application provides an air intake device 200, including a guide plate 21 and an air inlet 22, an air uniforming pipeline 23 and an air uniforming chamber 24 connected in sequence from top to bottom, wherein the guide plate 21 is arranged at the top of the air uniforming chamber 24, and the guide plate 21 includes a central area 211 and an edge area 212, and the edge area 212 is provided with a plurality of first through holes 2121 for the reaction gas to pass through. After the reaction gas enters the air uniforming pipeline 23 from the air inlet, it flows out after passing through the guide plate 21 in the air uniforming chamber 24. Referring to the gas flow direction indicated by the arrow in the figure, after the reaction gas enters the air inlet 22, it flows downward through the air uniforming pipeline 23 and the air uniforming chamber 24 in sequence. In this process, the reaction gas in the center can flow to the surroundings by passing through the guide plate 21, and the reaction gas diffuses to the middle after flowing through the guide plate 21, so that the gas flow rate of the reaction gas in the middle can be reduced, and the gas flow rate in the middle and at the edge can be uniform.

[0028] In some embodiments, the longitudinal section of the guide plate 21 is configured as a symmetrical shape (e.g., an isosceles trapezoid) with a high middle and low sides, and the cross section is configured as a circle, the edge region 212 is a circular ring, and the width of the edge region is 30% to 50% of the radius of the guide plate 21. The plurality of first through holes 2121 provided in the edge region 212 make the reaction gas more uniform after passing through the edge region.

[0029] The diameter of the top of the central area 211 of the guide plate 21 is smaller than the diameter of the connection between the uniform gas pipeline 23 and the uniform gas chamber 24, and the diameter of the bottom of the central area 211 of the guide plate is larger than the diameter of the connection between the uniform gas pipeline 23 and the uniform gas chamber 24. The top of the guide plate 21 is located at the connection between the uniform gas pipeline 23 and the uniform gas chamber 24, and a gap is left between the top of the guide plate 21 and the uniform gas chamber 24 for the reaction gas to pass through. The setting of the gap facilitates the flow of the reaction gas and can ensure the uniformity and stability of the flow of the reaction gas. In comparison, if the guide plate is set to a cylindrical shape, the reaction gas in the middle will be blocked and the surrounding gas will be easily disturbed. Setting a slope on the side of the guide plate 21 further facilitates the flow of the reaction gas.

[0030] like Figure 3As shown, in some embodiments, an embodiment of the present application provides an air intake device 200', and the uniform air pipeline 23 includes an air intake pipeline 231, a mixing air pipeline 232, and a transition pipeline 233 that are connected in sequence from top to bottom. In some embodiments, the number of air inlets 22 is at least two, and the number of air inlet pipelines 231 is the same as the number of air inlets 22. In some embodiments, each air inlet pipeline 231 is independently connected to the mixing air pipeline 232 downward. In some embodiments, the reaction gas is collected into the mixing air pipeline 232 through each air inlet pipeline 231. The air inlets 22 are separated by the air inlet pipeline 231, so that the reaction gas will not collide, but will first flow downward to the mixing air pipeline 232 and then mix, thereby avoiding mutual contamination between the air inlets. It should be noted that the multiple air inlet pipelines 231 can be in the form of downward or other air inlets in a non-convective manner.

[0031] In some embodiments, a first stopper structure 234 is disposed between each air intake pipeline 231 and the gas mixing pipeline 232, and the first stopper structure 234 is provided with a plurality of third through holes 235, and the reaction gas enters the gas mixing pipeline 232 from each air intake pipeline 231 through the plurality of third through holes 235. In some embodiments, a second stopper structure 236 is disposed between the gas mixing pipeline 232 and the transition pipeline 233, and the second stopper structure is provided with a plurality of fourth through holes 237, and the reaction gas enters the transition pipeline 233 from the gas mixing pipeline 232 through the plurality of fourth through holes 237. For example, the air intake pipeline 231 has two routes, each supplying different gases. A gas mixing pipeline 232 is set at the intersection of the two air intake pipelines 231. The gas mixing pipeline 232 is equivalent to a gas mixing box. The first block structure 234 is provided with a large number of third through holes 235, so that the reaction gas does not flow directly downward, but is blocked and then enters the gas mixing pipeline 232 for mixing and then flows downward, which can make the gas mixture uniform. When the reaction gas flows out, it is further blocked by the second block structure 236 and then flows to the transition pipeline 233. In this process, the reaction gas is further mixed.

[0032] In some embodiments, the cross-sections of the transition line 233 and the gas-homogenizing chamber 24 of the gas-homogenizing pipeline 23 are circular, and the cross-sectional diameters increase from top to bottom. That is, the transition line 233 and the gas-homogenizing chamber 24 are respectively trumpet-shaped with a small top and a large bottom. In the process of the reaction gas from the trumpet-shaped transition line 233 to the larger trumpet-shaped gas-homogenizing chamber 24, the gas can be further diffused while continuing to mix the gas, which can solve the problem that the reaction gas is concentrated in the middle, causing the gas flow in the middle to be stronger than the surrounding.

[0033] In some embodiments, the gas outlet structure 25 is further included and is disposed at the bottom of the gas uniform chamber 24. The gas outlet structure 25 is configured with a plurality of fifth through holes 251. The gas outlet structure 25 is, for example, a shower head. After the reaction gas in the gas uniform chamber 24 passes through the guide plate 21, it diffuses from the periphery to the middle, so that the gas flow in the middle and the gas flow around are uniform, and then sprayed to the surface of the wafer 26 in the chamber 20 through the shower head. In some embodiments, the gas outlet structure 25 is fixedly connected to the bottom of the gas uniform chamber 24.

[0034] In some embodiments, the top of the chamber 20 includes a top plate 27, the uniform gas chamber 24 is disposed in the chamber 20, the shape of the bottom surface of the top plate 27 matches the shape of the uniform gas chamber 24, the diversion baffle 21 is fixedly connected to the top plate 27, and the gas outlet structure 25 is fixedly connected to the end of the top plate 27. The guide plate 21 and the gas outlet structure 25 are both arranged parallel to the wafer 26, so that the reaction gas sprayed to the wafer 26 is uniform.

[0035] like Figure 4 As shown, Figure 4 (a) is a wafer map without the inlet device of the present application. The THK (film thickness) value is 8.9A and the THU (uniformity) value is 2.5%. As can be seen from the figure, the dark color in the middle represents more reactive gas, so the film is thicker in the middle and forms a high point. The color in the middle and the edge are different, indicating that the reactive gas flow rate is strong in the middle and weak around before the improvement. Figure 4 (b) is a wafer image processed using the air intake device of the present application, with a THK value of 8.7A and a THU value of 1.5%. The figure shows that the wafer image is optimized, the intermediate gas is reduced, and the film becomes more uniform when it is close to the surrounding area. The THU value is improved, and the high point of the gas distribution is no longer concentrated in the middle, which solves the main problem of the film being thick in the middle and thin around. Comparison shows that the THU value of the present application has been greatly improved (about 40%), the THK value is within the fluctuation range and the fluctuation range is very small, and the film thickness meets the requirements. It should be noted that the present application only improves the air intake device, and other factors that cause changes in the wafer image are not discussed and solved in this solution.

[0036] The air intake device of the present application changes the direction of air intake flow. After the reaction gas enters the air inlet, it flows downward through the air intake pipeline and flows into the mixing pipeline of the uniform air pipeline for gas mixing. The mixing pipeline is located at the intersection of multiple air intake pipelines, so that the reaction gas is blocked by the first block structure and then enters the mixing pipeline for uniform mixing. When the reaction gas flows out of the mixing pipeline, it is further blocked by the second block structure, and then flows to the trumpet-shaped transition pipeline and the uniform air chamber for further mixing, so that the gas will not be too concentrated, solving the problem that the amount of gas in the middle is stronger than that on both sides. At the same time, with the guide plate that does not flow in the middle, the reaction gas is dispersed to the surroundings and then flows out, so that the reaction gas in the middle is dispersed. After passing through the first through hole in the edge area of ​​the guide plate to the bottom of the guide plate, it diffuses to the middle to avoid excessive concentration of gas flow. In addition, the guide plate is set with a slope to facilitate gas flow. After being dispersed by the guide plate, the reaction gas flows to the surface of the shower head, and then flows into the chamber through the shower head. The whole process makes the reaction gas reach a uniform distribution state from strong gas flow in the middle and weak gas flow at the edges.

[0037] The beneficial effects that may be brought about by the embodiments of the present application include but are not limited to: the air intake device of the present application can reduce the mutual contamination between pipelines and the cyclone generated by gas convection when the reaction gas enters the air intake device, and the cavity is less polluted. The air intake device of the present application makes the reaction gas mixing more complete, the gas flow more stable, and can also reduce the intermediate gas flow, make the gas flow more uniform, the gas flow distribution more reasonable, and increase the uniformity of the gas reaching the wafer surface, so that the process is more stable and the film layer is more uniform.

[0038] It should be noted that different embodiments may produce different beneficial effects. In different embodiments, the beneficial effects that may be produced may be any one or a combination of the above, or any other beneficial effects that may be obtained.

[0039] The basic concepts have been described above. Obviously, for those skilled in the art, the above detailed disclosure is only for example and does not constitute a limitation of this specification. Although not explicitly stated here, those skilled in the art may make various modifications, improvements and corrections to this application. Such modifications, improvements and corrections are suggested in this specification, so such modifications, improvements and corrections still belong to the spirit and scope of the exemplary embodiments of this application.

[0040] It should be noted that in the description of this application, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, the terms "install", "connect", "connect", and "fix" should be understood in a broad sense. For example, it can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it can be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can be a rotating connection or a sliding connection; it can be directly connected or indirectly connected through an intermediate medium, and it can be the internal connection of two elements or the interaction relationship between two elements. For ordinary technicians in this field, the specific meanings of the above terms in this application can be understood in combination with specific circumstances.

[0041] In addition, when terms such as "first", "second", and "third" are used in the specification of this application to describe various features, these terms are only used to distinguish these features and cannot be understood as indicating or implying the relationship between the features, the relative importance, or implicitly indicating the number of features indicated.

[0042] In addition, the present specification describes exemplary embodiments by reference to idealized exemplary cross-sectional views and / or plan views and / or stereograms. Therefore, differences from the illustrated shapes due to, for example, manufacturing techniques and / or tolerances are foreseeable. Therefore, the exemplary embodiments should not be interpreted as being limited to the shapes of the regions shown herein, but should include deviations in shapes caused by, for example, manufacturing. Therefore, the regions shown in the figures are schematic in nature, and their shapes are not intended to illustrate the actual shapes of the regions of the device nor to limit the scope of the exemplary embodiments.

[0043] At the same time, the present application uses specific words to describe the embodiments of this specification. For example, "one embodiment", "an embodiment", and / or "some embodiments" refer to a certain feature, structure or characteristic related to at least one embodiment of the present application. Therefore, it should be emphasized and noted that "one embodiment" or "an embodiment" or "an alternative embodiment" mentioned twice or more in different positions in the present application does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment. In addition, some features, structures or characteristics in one or more embodiments of the present application can be appropriately combined.

[0044] Similarly, it should be noted that in order to simplify the description of the disclosure of this application and thus help understand one or more embodiments of the invention, in the above description of the embodiments of this application, multiple features are sometimes combined into one embodiment, figure or description thereof. However, this disclosure method does not mean that the features required by the object of this application are more than the features mentioned in the claims. In fact, the features of the embodiments are less than all the features of the single embodiment disclosed above.

[0045] Finally, it should be understood that the embodiments described in this application are only used to illustrate the principles of the embodiments of the present application. Other variations may also fall within the scope of the present application. Therefore, as an example and not a limitation, the alternative configurations of the embodiments of the present application may be considered to be consistent with the teachings of the present application. Accordingly, the embodiments of the present application are not limited to the embodiments explicitly introduced and described in the present application.

Claims

1. A gas inlet device for transmitting reaction gas into a reaction chamber, characterized in that: It includes a guide plate and a gas homogenizing chamber, wherein the guide plate is arranged at the top of the gas homogenizing chamber, the guide plate includes a central area and an edge area, the edge area is configured with a plurality of first through holes for the reaction gas to pass through, and after the reaction gas passes through the guide plate, it flows out into the reaction chamber through the gas homogenizing chamber.

2. The air intake device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The central area is configured with a plurality of second through holes, the apertures of the second through holes are smaller than the apertures of the first through holes, and the distribution density of the second through holes is smaller than the distribution density of the first through holes.

3. The air intake device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The longitudinal section of the guide plate is configured as a symmetrical shape with a high middle and low sides, and the cross section is configured as a circle. The edge area is a circular ring, and the width of the edge area is 30% to 50% of the radius of the guide plate.

4. The air intake device according to claim 3, characterized in that: The top of the air uniforming chamber includes an air inlet and an air uniforming pipeline which are connected in sequence from top to bottom, wherein the diameter of the top of the central area of ​​the guide plate is smaller than the diameter of the connection between the air uniforming pipeline and the air uniforming chamber, and the diameter of the bottom of the central area of ​​the guide plate is larger than the diameter of the connection between the air uniforming pipeline and the air uniforming chamber.

5. The air intake device according to claim 4, characterized in that: The gas homogenizing pipeline comprises an intake pipeline, a gas mixing pipeline and a transition pipeline which are connected in sequence from top to bottom.

6. The air intake device according to claim 5, characterized in that: The number of the air inlets is at least two, and the number of the air inlet pipelines is the same as the number of the air inlets.

7. The air intake device according to claim 6, characterized in that: Each of the air intake pipelines is independently connected downwardly to the air mixing pipeline.

8. The air intake device according to claim 5, characterized in that: A first stopper structure is arranged between each of the air intake pipelines and the air mixing pipeline, and the first stopper structure is provided with a plurality of third through holes, and the reaction gas enters the air mixing pipeline from each of the air intake pipelines through the plurality of third through holes.

9. The air intake device according to claim 5, characterized in that: A second stopper structure is arranged between the gas mixing pipeline and the transition pipeline, and the second stopper structure is arranged with a plurality of fourth through holes, and the reaction gas enters the transition pipeline from the gas mixing pipeline through the plurality of fourth through holes.

10. The air intake device according to claim 5, characterized in that: The cross sections of the transition pipeline and the gas uniforming chamber of the gas uniforming pipeline are circular, and the diameters of the cross sections increase successively from top to bottom.

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