Thin film deposition equipment and gas mixing device thereof

Abstract

The embodiment of the utility model provides thin film deposition equipment and a gas mixing device thereof, and the gas mixing device comprises a mixer which is provided with an inner cavity, and the side wall of the mixer is provided with at least two air vents; the at least two flow guide parts are mounted in the inner cavity, and a mixing space is formed between every two flow guide parts; a flowing space is formed between the flow guide part and the side wall of the mixer, the flowing space is communicated with the mixing space, and the air vents are communicated with at least part of the flowing space in a one-to-one correspondence manner. The flow guide pieces can play a role in guiding reaction gas, change the flowing direction of the reaction gas and limit the reaction gas in the corresponding vent holes to directly flow to other vent holes, so that the situation that gas flows backwards between different vent pipelines is avoided, the risk that impurities are generated due to mutual pollution between the different vent pipelines is reduced, and the service life of the reaction gas is prolonged. Therefore, the risk that pollutants block the ventilation pipeline is reduced, the quality of a deposited film is improved, and the service life of film deposition equipment is prolonged.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of thin film deposition, and in particular to a thin film deposition device and a gas mixing device thereof. Background Art

[0002] Thin film deposition is a key step in the semiconductor manufacturing process. Thin film deposition equipment is usually equipped with a gas mixing device to deliver different gases required for the process (such as reaction gas or purge gas) into the reaction chamber separately or after mixing, which is conducive to achieving uniform diffusion of the gas.

[0003] At present, there are defects in the structure of the gas mixing device, and backflow of gas is likely to occur between different gas pipelines, resulting in mutual contamination and generation of impurities between the different pipelines, which can easily affect the quality of the deposited film. Utility Model Content

[0004] The present application provides a thin film deposition device and a gas mixing device thereof, so as to solve the problem of contamination caused by the backflow of gases between different ventilation pipelines in the gas mixing device of the prior art.

[0005] A first aspect of an embodiment of the present application provides a gas mixing device for a thin film deposition equipment, comprising: a mixer having an inner cavity, wherein the side wall of the mixer is provided with at least two air vents; at least two flow guides installed in the inner cavity, a mixing space being formed between each of the flow guides; a flow space being formed between the flow guides and the side walls of the mixer, the flow space being connected to the mixing space, and the air vents being connected to at least part of the flow space in a one-to-one correspondence.

[0006] In this solution, the guide can guide the reaction gas and change the flow direction of the reaction gas. For the reaction gas introduced by any vent, after the reaction gas enters the inner cavity, it can flow along the flow space to the mixing space under the guiding effect of the guide, and then diffuse in the mixing space, and then flow to the reaction chamber. In the above process, the guide can, on the one hand, limit the reaction gas in the corresponding vent to flow directly to other vents, and on the other hand, it can also block the reaction gas in other vents from flowing to the corresponding vent, avoiding the situation of gas backflow between different ventilation pipes, reducing the risk of impurities generated by mutual contamination between different ventilation pipes, thereby helping to reduce the risk of pollutants blocking the ventilation pipe, and then helping to improve the quality of the deposited film and extend the life of the thin film deposition equipment. When the guide plays a guiding role for the reaction gas entering along the vent, it can appropriately slow down the flow rate of the reaction gas and improve the stability of the airflow. Moreover, the guide member limits the flow of the reaction gas in the flow space, which can increase the area swept by the reaction gas on the side wall of the inner cavity, which is beneficial to reduce the dead zone in the inner cavity and reduce the reactant residue on the side wall of the inner cavity, thereby extending the life of the thin film deposition equipment.

[0007] In a possible design, the guide member includes a top plate, a bottom plate and a guide plate for enclosing the flow space; along the axial direction of the mixer, the two ends of the guide plate are fixedly connected to the top plate and the bottom plate respectively; along the radial direction of the mixer, the end of the top plate away from the guide plate is fixedly connected to the side wall of the mixer, and the end of the bottom plate away from the guide plate is fixedly connected to the side wall of the mixer.

[0008] In this solution, the top plate, bottom plate and guide plate together with the side wall of the mixer form a relatively independent flow space. Among them, the guide plate is mainly used to limit the radial flow of the gas along the mixer, and the top plate and bottom plate are mainly used to limit the upward or downward flow of the gas along the axial direction of the mixer. The three are used together to guide the reaction gas into the mixing space to enhance the guiding effect of the guide member, thereby enhancing the flow stability of the reaction gas in the flow space.

[0009] In a possible design, the guide plate includes a first side and a second side that are arranged opposite to each other, the first side is connected to the side wall of the mixer, and there is a gap between the second side and the side wall of the mixer so that the flow space is connected to the mixing space.

[0010] In this solution, there is a gap between the second side and the side wall of the mixer to form an opening that can connect the flow space and the mixing space, ensuring that the reaction gas can flow smoothly from the flow space to the mixing space.

[0011] In a possible design, the vents are spaced apart in the circumferential direction of the mixer, and along the circumference of the mixer, the second side of any guide plate and the first side of another adjacent guide plate form a gap, and the flow space is connected with the mixing space through the gap.

[0012] In this solution, by setting a gap, it can be ensured that two adjacent flow spaces are separated from each other, ensuring that the reaction gas in the flow space can flow smoothly to the mixing space instead of flowing into the other flow space; the openings of the two adjacent flow spaces will not be arranged relative to each other, thereby avoiding the backflow of air flow between two adjacent ventilation pipes.

[0013] In a possible design, the guide plate is an arc-shaped plate arched toward the side wall of the mixer.

[0014] In this solution, on the one hand, the arc-shaped structure has a better guiding effect on the reaction gas and can improve the stability of the airflow. On the other hand, the guide plate is arched toward the side wall of the mixer, which can guide the airflow toward the side wall of the mixer, thereby increasing the contact area between the reaction gas and the side wall of the mixer, thereby further reducing the reactant residue on the side wall of the inner cavity.

[0015] In a possible design, along the axial direction of the mixer, the height of the guide plate is greater than the diameter of the vent.

[0016] In this solution, the guide plate is ensured to form a good barrier effect on the reaction gas in the vent, preventing the reaction gas from flowing directly from the vent into the mixing space, thereby improving the reliability of the guide plate.

[0017] In a possible design, the vents are spaced apart from each other in the axial direction of the mixer; along the axial direction of the mixer, there is a height difference between the bottom of any vent and the top of another vent adjacent thereto.

[0018] In this solution, different reaction gases can enter the inner cavity from different heights. Since there is a certain height difference between the bottom of any vent and the top of another vent adjacent to it, that is, there is no other vent on the horizontal plane at the height of any vent, even if the reaction gas diffuses along the horizontal plane after entering the inner cavity from the vent, it is not easy to flow into the ventilation pipeline of other reaction gases along another vent, thereby avoiding the backflow between the ventilation pipelines of different reaction gases, reducing the risk of impurities generated by mutual contamination between different ventilation pipelines, which is conducive to reducing the risk of pollutants blocking the ventilation pipeline, and then helping to improve the quality of the deposited film and extend the life of the thin film deposition equipment.

[0019] In a possible design, the gas mixing device also includes at least two ventilation pipes, which are installed on the outer wall of the mixer, and at least two ventilation pipes are arranged in a one-to-one correspondence with at least two ventilation ports and are connected; the extension direction of the ventilation pipes is perpendicular to the radial direction of the mixer.

[0020] In this solution, the reaction gas can enter the inner cavity along the tangential direction of the mixer. Under the action of inertia, the reaction gas can flow closer to the side wall of the inner cavity, thereby further reducing the dead zone in the inner cavity and improving the gas flow stability of the reaction gas.

[0021] In a possible design, the gas mixing device also includes at least two ventilation pipes, and the at least two ventilation pipes are arranged in a one-to-one correspondence with and connected to at least two vents; the ventilation pipe includes a first end and a second end arranged opposite to each other along its axial direction, and the first end is connected to the outer wall of the mixer; along the direction from the first end to the second end, the ventilation pipe extends toward the direction close to the top wall of the mixer.

[0022] In the present scheme, the flow direction of the reaction gas in the ventilation line is the direction from the second end to the first end. Therefore, the reaction gas entering the inner cavity through the ventilation line will flow downward under the action of inertia, and is not likely to flow into the ventilation line of other reaction gases along another vent, thereby avoiding backflow between the ventilation lines of different reaction gases and reducing the risk of impurities generated by mutual contamination between different ventilation lines, which is beneficial to reducing the risk of pollutants clogging the ventilation line, and further beneficial to improving the quality of the deposited film and extending the life of the thin film deposition equipment.

[0023] In a possible design, a purge port is provided on the top wall of the mixer, and the purge port is communicated with the inner cavity for introducing a purge gas into the inner cavity.

[0024] In this solution, the purge port is used to pass the purge gas into the inner cavity to clean the residual gas and impurities in the inner cavity. When the purge port is set on the top wall of the mixer, the purge gas can be passed from the highest point of the inner cavity, which increases the purge area of ​​the purge gas, can improve the cleaning effect of the purge gas on the inner cavity, reduce the content of excess residual gas and impurities in the inner cavity, and is conducive to improving the quality of the deposited film.

[0025] In a possible design, the side wall of the mixer is further provided with a purge port, which is connected to the inner cavity and is used to introduce purge gas into the inner cavity; along the axial direction of the mixer, the purge port is located above all the vents.

[0026] In this solution, the purge port is used to introduce purge gas into the inner cavity to clean the residual gas and impurities in the inner cavity. When the purge port is arranged on the side wall of the mixer and is located above all the vents, it can effectively expand the purge area of ​​the purge gas, ensure that the excess residual gas and impurities in the inner cavity are discharged from the inner cavity, and help improve the quality of the deposited film.

[0027] A second aspect of an embodiment of the present application provides a gas mixing device for a thin film deposition equipment, comprising: a mixer having an inner cavity, wherein the side wall of the mixer is provided with at least two air vents; the air vents are spaced apart from each other in the axial direction of the mixer; along the axial direction of the mixer, there is a height difference between the bottom of any air vent and the top of another air vent adjacent thereto.

[0028] In the above scheme, different reaction gases can enter the inner cavity from different heights. Since there is a certain height difference between the bottom of any vent and the top of another vent adjacent to it, that is, there is no other vent on the horizontal plane at the height of any vent, even if the reaction gas diffuses along the horizontal plane after entering the inner cavity from the vent, it is not easy to flow into the ventilation pipeline of other reaction gases along another vent, thereby avoiding the backflow between the ventilation pipelines of different reaction gases, reducing the risk of impurities generated by mutual contamination between different ventilation pipelines, thereby helping to reduce the risk of pollutants blocking the ventilation pipeline, and then helping to improve the quality of the deposited film and extend the life of the thin film deposition equipment.

[0029] A third aspect of an embodiment of the present application provides a gas mixing device for a thin film deposition equipment, comprising: a mixer having an inner cavity; at least two ventilation pipes connected to the inner cavity, the ventilation pipes comprising a first end and a second end oppositely arranged along their axial direction, the first end being connected to the outer wall of the mixer; along the direction from the first end to the second end, the ventilation pipes extend in a direction close to the top wall of the mixer.

[0030] In the above scheme, the flow direction of the reaction gas in the ventilation line is the direction from the second end to the first end. Therefore, the reaction gas entering the inner cavity through the ventilation line will flow downward under the action of inertia, and is not likely to flow into the ventilation line of other reaction gases along another vent, thereby avoiding backflow between the ventilation lines of different reaction gases and reducing the risk of impurities generated by mutual contamination between different ventilation lines, which is beneficial to reducing the risk of pollutants clogging the ventilation line, and further beneficial to improving the quality of the deposited film and extending the life of the thin film deposition equipment.

[0031] In one possible design, the side wall of the mixer is provided with at least two vents, at least two vent pipes are arranged in one-to-one correspondence with at least two vents, and the vent pipes are connected to the inner cavity through the vents; the vents are spaced apart from each other in the axial direction of the mixer; along the axial direction of the mixer, there is a height difference between the bottom of any vent and the top of another vent adjacent to it below.

[0032] In the above scheme, different reaction gases can enter the inner cavity from different heights. Since there is a certain height difference between the bottom of any vent and the top of another vent adjacent to it, that is, there is no other vent on the horizontal plane at the height of any vent, even if the reaction gas diffuses along the horizontal plane after entering the inner cavity from the vent, it is not easy to flow into the ventilation pipeline of other reaction gases along another vent, thereby avoiding the backflow between the ventilation pipelines of different reaction gases, reducing the risk of impurities generated by mutual contamination between different ventilation pipelines, thereby helping to reduce the risk of pollutants blocking the ventilation pipeline, and then helping to improve the quality of the deposited film and extend the life of the thin film deposition equipment.

[0033] A fourth aspect of an embodiment of the present application provides a thin film deposition device, comprising the gas mixing device described above.

[0034] In the above scheme, the gas mixing device can avoid backflow between multiple ventilation pipes, reduce the number of impurities in the thin film deposition equipment, and help improve the quality of the deposited film and extend the life of the thin film deposition equipment.

[0035] It should be understood that the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary only and are not restrictive of the present application. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0036] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the cross-sectional structure of the gas mixing device provided in the present application along the radial direction in the first embodiment;

[0037] Figure 2 for Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the cross-sectional structure of the gas mixing device when the purge pipeline is arranged in another manner;

[0038] Figure 3 for Figure 1 A top view of the gas mixing device in which the ventilation pipeline is arranged in the first manner;

[0039] Figure 4 for Figure 1 A top view of the gas mixing device in FIG. 1 when its ventilation pipeline is arranged in a second manner;

[0040] Figure 5 A schematic diagram of a radial cross-sectional structure of a gas mixing device provided in the present application in a second embodiment;

[0041] Figure 6 for Figure 5 A schematic diagram of the cross-sectional structure of the gas mixing device when its ventilation pipeline is arranged in another way;

[0042] Figure 7 for Figure 5 A schematic diagram of the cross-sectional structure of the gas mixing device when the purge pipeline is arranged in another manner;

[0043] Figure 8 A schematic diagram of a radial cross-sectional structure of a gas mixing device provided by the present application in a third embodiment;

[0044] Fig. 9 for Figure 8 A schematic diagram of the cross-sectional structure of the gas mixing device along the axial direction;

[0045] Fig.10 for Fig. 9 A schematic diagram of the cross-sectional structure of the gas mixing device when its ventilation pipeline is arranged in another manner;

[0046] Fig.11 for Figure 8 A schematic diagram of the cross-sectional structure of the gas mixing device when its ventilation pipeline is arranged in another manner;

[0047] Fig.12 for Figure 8 A schematic diagram of the cross-sectional structure of the gas mixing device when its ventilation pipeline is arranged in another way;

[0048] Fig.13 for Fig.11 A schematic diagram of the cross-sectional structure of the gas mixing device when its ventilation pipeline is arranged in another way;

[0049] Fig.14 for Figure 8 A schematic diagram of the cross-sectional structure of the gas mixing device in FIG. 1 when its purge pipeline is arranged in another manner.

[0050] Reference numerals:

[0051] 1-Mixer;

[0052] 101-inner cavity;

[0053] 11- vent;

[0054] 12-Purge port;

[0055] 2-Ventilation line;

[0056] 21 - first end;

[0057] 22- second end;

[0058] 3- flow guide;

[0059] 301-mixed space;

[0060] 302-Flow space;

[0061] 31- guide plate;

[0062] 32-top plate;

[0063] 33- bottom plate;

[0064] 311- first side;

[0065] 312-second side;

[0066] 313-Gap;

[0067] 4-Purge the pipeline.

[0068] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments consistent with the present application and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0069] In order to better understand the technical solution of the present application, the embodiments of the present application are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0070] The present application is further described in detail below through specific embodiments and in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0071] Thin film deposition equipment is usually provided with a gas mixing device, including a mixer and multiple air inlet pipes connected thereto. The mixer is used to introduce the reaction gases in different air inlet pipes into the reaction chamber. The reaction gases in the air inlet pipes can be diffused or mixed in the mixer, that is, the mixer has the function of assisting the gas to diffuse evenly into the reaction chamber. In the existing gas mixing device structure, when one of the air inlet pipes introduces the reaction gas into the mixer, the reaction gas easily enters the other air inlet pipe, causing the two different reaction gases to react and produce pollutants.

[0072] Taking the atomic layer deposition (ALD) process as an example, ALD is based on the following four steps: (1) Pulse adsorption reaction of the first reaction gas (precursor A); (2) Purge gas (inert gas) purges excess reactants and by-products; (3) Pulse adsorption reaction of the second reaction gas (precursor B); (4) Purge gas purges excess reactants and by-products; and then circulates in sequence to achieve layer-by-layer growth of the thin film on the substrate surface. In the above process steps, when the first reaction gas is introduced into the mixer, the first reaction gas is easy to flow back into the pipeline of the second reaction gas, resulting in the appearance of contaminated particles, which may cause blockage of the air intake pipeline in severe cases.

[0073] In order to solve this technical problem, the present application provides a gas mixing device for a thin film deposition device. Figure 1 As shown, the gas mixing device includes a mixer 1 and at least two ventilation pipes 2 arranged on the outer wall of the mixer 1, the mixer 1 has an inner cavity 101, and at least two ventilation ports 11 are arranged on the side wall of the mixer 1, the ventilation ports 11 are arranged one-to-one with the ventilation pipes 2, and the ventilation pipes 2 are connected with the inner cavity 101 through the ventilation ports 11, and are used to transport reaction gases into the inner cavity 101; the bottom of the mixer 1 is used to communicate with the reaction chamber of the thin film deposition equipment, and the reaction gas can flow downward through the bottom of the mixer 1 into the reaction chamber after diffusing in the inner cavity 101, so as to be deposited on the surface of the substrate to form a thin film.

[0074] In this embodiment, the number of vents 11 is not limited, and can be 2, 3, 4, 5 or 6, etc. A valve can be provided on each vent line 2 to control the start or stop of the delivery of the reaction gas, and can also be used to control the delivery amount and delivery speed of the reaction gas. In addition, a flow meter can be provided on each vent line 2 to monitor the flow of the reaction gas.

[0075] like Figure 1 As shown, in a specific embodiment, the vents 11 are spaced apart from each other in the axial direction Z of the mixer 1 , and along the axial direction Z of the mixer 1 , there is a height difference H between the bottom of any vent 11 and the top of another vent 11 adjacent thereto.

[0076] In this embodiment, after the reaction gas enters the inner cavity through the vent 11, it will first diffuse on the horizontal plane at the height of the vent 11, and then continue to flow downward along the axial direction Z of the mixer 1. When the vents 11 are spaced apart from each other on the axial direction Z of the mixer 1, different reaction gases can enter the inner cavity 101 from different heights. In addition, since there is a certain height difference between the bottom of any vent 11 and the top of another vent 11 adjacent to it below, that is, there is no other vent 11 on the horizontal plane at the height of any vent 11, even if the reaction gas diffuses along the horizontal plane after entering the inner cavity 101 from the vent 11, it is not easy to flow into the ventilation pipe 2 of other reaction gases along another vent 11, thereby avoiding the backflow between the ventilation pipes 2 of different reaction gases, reducing the risk of mutual contamination between different ventilation pipes 2 and the generation of impurities, which is conducive to reducing the risk of pollutants blocking the ventilation pipe 2, and further conducive to improving the quality of the deposited film and extending the life of the film deposition equipment.

[0077] Specifically, the height difference H should be 0.1 cm to 10 cm, specifically 0.1 cm, 1 cm, 2 cm, 3 cm, 4 cm, 5 cm, 6 cm, 7 cm, 8 cm, 9 cm or 10 cm, or other values ​​within the above range, which are not limited in this embodiment. When the height difference H meets the above range requirements, it can effectively avoid the situation where gas backflow occurs between the ventilation pipes 2 of two adjacent vents 11 along the axial direction Z of the mixer 1, and it is also conducive to realizing the spaced distribution of multiple vents 11 in the axial direction Z of the mixer 1.

[0078] The gas mixing device provided in this embodiment further includes a purge pipeline 4, which is connected to the inner cavity 101 through a purge port 12, so as to introduce purge gas into the inner cavity 101 to clean the residual gas and impurities in the inner cavity 101. Figure 1 As shown, the purge port 12 can be set on the top wall of the mixer 1, and the purge pipeline 4 is installed on the outer top wall of the mixer 1, that is, the purge gas can enter from the highest point of the inner cavity 101 and flow out from the bottom of the inner cavity 101, which increases the purge area of ​​the purge gas, can improve the cleaning effect of the purge gas on the inner cavity 101, reduce the content of excess residual gas and impurities in the inner cavity 101, and is beneficial to improving the quality of the deposited film.

[0079] Or, if Figure 2As shown, the purge port 12 can also be arranged on the side wall of the mixer 1, that is, the purge pipeline 4 is installed on the outer side wall of the mixer 1. At this time, in order to ensure the cleaning effect of the purge gas on the inner cavity 101, the height of the purge port 12 should be set higher than all the vents 11, so as to effectively expand the purge area of ​​the purge gas, ensure that the excess residual gas and impurities in the inner cavity 101 are discharged from the inner cavity 101 through the bottom of the mixer 1, which is conducive to improving the quality of the deposited film.

[0080] In addition, the vents 11 may be evenly spaced in the circumferential direction of the mixer 1 (eg Figure 3 Alternatively, the vents 11 may be unevenly distributed in the circumferential direction of the mixer 1 (eg Figure 4 This embodiment does not limit this.

[0081] The present application also provides a gas mixing device, such as Figure 5 As shown, the gas mixing device includes a mixer 1 and at least two ventilation pipes 2 arranged on the outer wall of the mixer 1, the mixer 1 has an inner cavity 101, and at least two ventilation ports 11 are arranged on the side wall of the mixer 1, the ventilation ports 11 are arranged one-to-one with the ventilation pipes 2, and the ventilation pipes 2 are connected with the inner cavity 101 through the ventilation ports 11, and are used to transport reaction gases into the inner cavity 101; the bottom of the mixer 1 is used to communicate with the reaction chamber of the thin film deposition equipment, and the reaction gas can flow downward through the bottom of the mixer 1 into the reaction chamber after diffusing in the inner cavity 101, so as to be deposited on the surface of the substrate to form a thin film.

[0082] The present embodiment does not limit the number of the vents 11 , and the number may be 2, 3, 4, 5 or 6, etc.

[0083] like Figure 5 As shown, in a specific embodiment, the ventilation pipeline 2 includes a first end 21 and a second end 22 which are arranged opposite to each other along the axial direction thereof, and the first end 21 is used to connect with the outer side wall of the mixer 1 so that the ventilation pipeline 2 is fixed on the mixer 1. Along the direction from the first end 21 to the second end 22, the ventilation pipeline 2 extends toward the direction close to the top wall of the mixer 1, that is, the ventilation pipeline 2 extends obliquely upward along the axial direction Z of the mixer 1.

[0084] In the present embodiment, the flow direction of the reaction gas in the ventilation pipe 2 is the direction from the second end 22 to the first end 21. Therefore, the reaction gas entering the inner cavity 101 through the ventilation pipe 2 will be in a downward flow state under the action of inertia, and is not likely to flow into the ventilation pipe 2 of other reaction gases along another vent 11, thereby avoiding backflow between the ventilation pipes 2 of different reaction gases and reducing the risk of impurities generated by mutual contamination between different ventilation pipes 2, which is beneficial to reducing the risk of pollutants clogging the ventilation pipe 2, and further beneficial to improving the quality of the deposited film and extending the life of the thin film deposition equipment.

[0085] Specifically, since the ventilation line 2 extends upward along the axial direction Z of the mixer 1, there is an angle α between the ventilation line 2 and the side wall of the mixer 1, which satisfies: 90°<α<180°, and the angle α can be 95°, 100°, 110°, 120°, 130°, 140°, 150°, 160°, 170° or 175°, or other values ​​within the above range, which are not limited in this embodiment. Preferably, the angle α is 120°, which can minimize the possibility of backflow and crosstalk between the ventilation lines 2, and can also ensure that the reaction gas is evenly diffused in the inner cavity 101.

[0086] In addition, each ventilation pipeline 2 may be provided with a valve to control the start or stop of the delivery of the reaction gas, and may also be used to control the delivery amount and delivery speed of the reaction gas. In addition, each ventilation pipeline 2 may be provided with a flow meter to monitor the flow of the reaction gas.

[0087] Furthermore, if Figure 6 As shown, the vents 11 are spaced apart from each other in the axial direction Z of the mixer 1, and along the axial direction Z of the mixer 1, there is a height difference H between the bottom of any vent 11 and the top of another vent 11 adjacent thereto. Different reaction gases can enter the inner cavity 101 from different heights, respectively, which can further reduce the risk of backflow between different ventilation pipelines 2.

[0088] Specifically, the height difference H should be 0.1 cm to 10 cm, specifically 0.1 cm, 1 cm, 2 cm, 3 cm, 4 cm, 5 cm, 6 cm, 7 cm, 8 cm, 9 cm or 10 cm, or other values ​​within the above range, which are not limited in this embodiment. When the height difference H meets the above range requirements, it can effectively avoid the situation where gas backflow occurs between the ventilation pipes 2 of two adjacent vents 11 along the axial direction Z of the mixer 1, and it is also conducive to realizing the spaced distribution of multiple vents 11 in the axial direction Z of the mixer 1.

[0089] The gas mixing device provided in this embodiment further includes a purge pipeline 4, which is connected to the inner cavity 101 through a purge port 12, so as to introduce purge gas into the inner cavity 101 to clean the residual gas and impurities in the inner cavity 101. Figure 5 or Figure 6 As shown, the purge port 12 can be set on the top wall of the mixer 1, and the purge pipeline 4 is installed on the outer top wall of the mixer 1, that is, the purge gas can enter from the highest point of the inner cavity 101 and flow out from the bottom of the inner cavity 101, which increases the purge area of ​​the purge gas, can improve the cleaning effect of the purge gas on the inner cavity 101, reduce the content of excess residual gas and impurities in the inner cavity 101, and is beneficial to improving the quality of the deposited film.

[0090] Or, if Figure 7 As shown, the purge port 12 can also be arranged on the side wall of the mixer 1, that is, the purge pipeline 4 is installed on the outer side wall of the mixer 1. At this time, in order to ensure the cleaning effect of the purge gas on the inner cavity 101, the height of the purge port 12 should be set higher than all the vents 11, so as to effectively expand the purge area of ​​the purge gas, ensure that the excess residual gas and impurities in the inner cavity 101 are discharged from the inner cavity 101 through the bottom of the mixer 1, which is conducive to improving the quality of the deposited film.

[0091] In addition, the vents 11 may be evenly spaced and distributed in the circumferential direction of the mixer 1; or, the vents 11 may be unevenly distributed in the circumferential direction of the mixer 1, which is not limited in this embodiment.

[0092] The present application also provides a gas mixing device, such as Figure 8 As shown, the gas mixing device includes a mixer 1 and at least two ventilation pipes 2 arranged on the outer wall of the mixer 1, the mixer 1 has an inner cavity 101, and at least two ventilation ports 11 are arranged on the side wall of the mixer 1, the ventilation ports 11 are arranged one-to-one with the ventilation pipes 2, and the ventilation pipes 2 are connected with the inner cavity 101 through the ventilation ports 11, and are used to transport reaction gases into the inner cavity 101; the bottom of the mixer 1 is used to communicate with the reaction chamber of the thin film deposition equipment, and the reaction gas can flow downward through the bottom of the mixer 1 into the reaction chamber after diffusing in the inner cavity 101, so as to be deposited on the surface of the substrate to form a thin film.

[0093] In this embodiment, the number of vents 11 is not limited, and can be 2, 3, 4, 5 or 6, etc. A valve can be provided on each vent line 2 to control the start or stop of the delivery of the reaction gas, and can also be used to control the delivery amount and delivery speed of the reaction gas. In addition, a flow meter can be provided on each vent line 2 to monitor the flow of the reaction gas.

[0094] Combination Fig. 9As shown, in a specific embodiment, the gas mixing device also includes at least two flow guides 3 installed in the inner cavity 101, and a mixing space 301 is formed between each flow guide 3. The flow guide 3 is used to form a flow space 302 with the side wall of the mixer 1, and the flow space 302 is connected to the mixing space 301, and the vent 11 is connected to at least part of the flow space 302 in a one-to-one correspondence.

[0095] In this embodiment, each vent 11 has a corresponding guide 3, and the guide 3 can guide the reaction gas and change the flow direction of the reaction gas. For the reaction gas introduced by any vent 11, after the reaction gas enters the inner cavity 101, it can flow to the mixing space 301 along the flow space 302 under the guiding effect of the guide 3, and then diffuse in the mixing space 301, and then flow to the reaction chamber. In the above process, the guide 3 can, on the one hand, limit the reaction gas in the corresponding vent 11 to flow directly to other vents 11, and on the other hand, it can also block the reaction gas in other vents 11 from flowing to the corresponding vent 11, avoiding the situation of gas backflow between different ventilation pipelines 2, reducing the risk of mutual contamination between different ventilation pipelines 2 and generating impurities, thereby helping to reduce the risk of pollutants blocking the ventilation pipeline 2, and then helping to improve the quality of the deposited film and extend the life of the film deposition equipment.

[0096] When the guide plate plays a guiding role for the reaction gas entering through the vent 11, the flow rate of the reaction gas can be appropriately slowed down to improve the stability of the gas flow. In addition, the guide member 3 limits the flow of the reaction gas in the flow space, which can increase the area swept by the reaction gas on the side wall of the inner cavity 101, which is conducive to reducing the dead zone in the inner cavity 101 and reducing the reactant residue on the side wall of the inner cavity 101, thereby extending the life of the thin film deposition equipment.

[0097] like Figure 8 As shown, in a specific embodiment, the guide member 3 includes a top plate 32, a bottom plate 33 and a guide plate 31 for enclosing a flow space 302, and along the axial direction Z of the mixer 1, the two ends of the guide plate 31 are fixedly connected to the top plate 32 and the bottom plate 33 respectively; along the radial direction X of the mixer, the end of the top plate 32 away from the guide plate 31 is fixedly connected to the side wall of the mixer 1, and the end of the bottom plate 33 away from the guide plate 31 is fixedly connected to the side wall of the mixer 1, that is, the cross-section of the guide member 3 is C-shaped, and the top plate 32, the bottom plate 33 and the guide plate 31 together enclose a relatively independent flow space 302 with the side wall of the mixer 1.

[0098] Among them, the guide plate 31 is mainly used to limit the gas flow along the radial direction X of the mixer 1, the top plate 32 and the bottom plate 33 are mainly used to limit the gas flow upward or downward along the axial direction Z of the mixer 1, and the three are used together to guide the reaction gas into the mixing space 301 to enhance the guiding effect of the guide member 3, thereby enhancing the flow stability of the reaction gas in the flow space 302.

[0099] Specifically, along the axial direction Z of the mixer 1, the height of the guide plate 31 should be greater than the diameter of the vent 11 to ensure that the guide plate 31 forms a good blocking effect on the reaction gas in the vent 11, preventing the reaction gas from flowing directly from the vent 11 into the mixing space 301, thereby improving the reliability of the guide plate 31.

[0100] like Fig. 9 As shown, in a specific embodiment, the guide plate 31 can be an arc-shaped plate arched toward the side wall of the mixer 1. On the one hand, the arc-shaped structure has a better guiding effect on the reaction gas and can improve the stability of the gas flow. On the other hand, the guide plate 31 arches toward the side wall of the mixer 1, which can guide the gas flow toward the side wall of the mixer 1, so that the contact area between the reaction gas and the side wall of the mixer 1 is increased, thereby further reducing the reactant residue on the side wall of the inner cavity 101.

[0101] Furthermore, if Fig.10 As shown, the extension direction of the ventilation pipeline 2 can be perpendicular to the radial direction X of the mixer 1. Under this structure, the reaction gas can enter the inner cavity 101 along the tangential direction of the mixer 1. Under the action of inertia, the reaction gas can flow closer to the side wall of the inner cavity 101, thereby further reducing the dead zone in the inner cavity 101 and improving the gas flow stability of the reaction gas.

[0102] like Fig.10 As shown, in a specific embodiment, the guide plate 31 includes a first side 311 and a second side 312 that are relatively arranged, and the first side 311 is connected to the side wall of the mixer 1 to achieve the installation and fixation of the guide plate 31; there is a gap between the second side 312 and the side wall of the mixer 1 to form an opening that can connect the flow space 302 and the mixing space 301, that is, the guide member 3 is a relatively closed structure with a single-side opening, and the gap between the second side 312 and the side wall of the mixer 1 can ensure that the reaction gas can flow smoothly from the flow space 302 to the mixing space 301.

[0103] Specifically, along the direction from the first side 311 to the second side 312, the distance between the guide plate 31 and the side wall of the mixer 1 gradually increases, that is, the width of the flow space 302 gradually increases, which is conducive to gradually slowing down the flow rate of the reaction gas, thereby improving the stability of the reaction gas.

[0104] In this embodiment, the vents 11 may be evenly spaced and distributed in the circumferential direction of the mixer 1; or, the vents 11 may be unevenly distributed in the circumferential direction of the mixer 1, which is not limited in this embodiment.

[0105] like Fig.10 As shown, in a specific embodiment, when the air vents 11 are spaced apart in the circumferential direction of the mixer 1, that is, the projections of the air vents 11 in the axial direction Z of the mixer 1 do not overlap with each other, along the circumferential direction of the mixer 1, the second side 312 of any guide plate 31 and the first side 311 of another adjacent guide plate 31 form a gap 313, and the flow space 302 is connected with the mixing space 301 through the gap 313, that is, the reaction gas can flow from the flow space 302 to the mixing space 301 through the gap 313.

[0106] In this embodiment, the second side 312 of any guide plate 31 and the first side 311 of another guide plate 31 adjacent thereto form a notch 313. By providing the notch 313, it is possible to ensure that two adjacent flow spaces are separated from each other, and to ensure that the reaction gas in the flow space 302 can smoothly flow to the mixing space 301, and will not flow to the other flow space 302 along the circumference of the mixer 1. Moreover, when the above structure is adopted, each guide plate 31 is arranged in the same direction in the circumference of the mixer 1, that is, each guide plate 31 points from the first side 311 to the second side 312 in a uniform clockwise or counterclockwise direction, so as to ensure that the openings of the two adjacent flow spaces 302 are not arranged opposite to each other, thereby avoiding the situation where the airflow backflow occurs between the two adjacent ventilation pipes 2.

[0107] like Fig.11 As shown, in a specific embodiment, the ventilation pipeline 2 includes a first end 21 and a second end 22 which are arranged opposite to each other along the axial direction thereof, and the first end 21 is used to connect with the outer side wall of the mixer 1 so that the ventilation pipeline 2 is fixed on the mixer 1. Along the direction from the first end 21 to the second end 22, the ventilation pipeline 2 can extend toward the direction close to the top wall of the mixer 1, that is, the ventilation pipeline 2 extends obliquely upward along the axial direction Z of the mixer 1.

[0108] In the present embodiment, the flow direction of the reaction gas in the ventilation pipe 2 is the direction from the second end 22 to the first end 21. Therefore, the reaction gas entering the inner cavity 101 through the ventilation pipe 2 will be in a downward flow state under the action of inertia, and is not likely to flow into the ventilation pipe 2 of other reaction gases along another vent 11, thereby avoiding backflow between the ventilation pipes 2 of different reaction gases and reducing the risk of impurities generated by mutual contamination between different ventilation pipes 2, which is beneficial to reducing the risk of pollutants clogging the ventilation pipe 2, and further beneficial to improving the quality of the deposited film and extending the life of the thin film deposition equipment.

[0109] Specifically, since the ventilation line 2 extends upward along the axial direction Z of the mixer 1, there is an angle α between the ventilation line 2 and the side wall of the mixer 1, which satisfies: 90°<α<180°, and the angle α can be 95°, 100°, 110°, 120°, 130°, 140°, 150°, 160°, 170° or 175°, or other values ​​within the above range, which are not limited in this embodiment. Preferably, the angle α is 120°, which can minimize the possibility of backflow and crosstalk between the ventilation lines 2, and can also ensure that the reaction gas is evenly diffused in the inner cavity 101.

[0110] like Fig.12 As shown, in a specific embodiment, the vents 11 can be spaced apart from each other in the axial direction Z of the mixer 1, and along the axial direction Z of the mixer 1, there is a height difference H between the bottom of any vent 11 and the top of another vent 11 adjacent thereto. Different reaction gases can enter the inner cavity 101 from different heights, respectively, which can further reduce the risk of backflow between different ventilation pipelines 2.

[0111] Specifically, the height difference H should be 0.1 cm to 10 cm, specifically 0.1 cm, 1 cm, 2 cm, 3 cm, 4 cm, 5 cm, 6 cm, 7 cm, 8 cm, 9 cm or 10 cm, or other values ​​within the above range, which are not limited in this embodiment. When the height difference H meets the above range requirements, it can effectively avoid the situation where gas backflow occurs between the ventilation pipes 2 of two adjacent vents 11 along the axial direction Z of the mixer 1, and it is also conducive to realizing the spaced distribution of multiple vents 11 in the axial direction Z of the mixer 1.

[0112] like Fig.13 As shown, the above two embodiments can be combined, that is, on the basis of a height difference H between the bottom of any vent 11 and the top of another vent 11 adjacent thereto, the vent line 2 can be arranged to be a structure extending upwardly inclined along the axial direction Z of the mixer 1, so as to further reduce the risk of backflow between different vent lines 2.

[0113] The gas mixing device provided in this embodiment further includes a purge pipeline 4, which is connected to the inner cavity 101 through a purge port 12, so as to introduce purge gas into the inner cavity 101 to clean the residual gas and impurities in the inner cavity 101. Fig.13As shown, the purge port 12 can be set on the top wall of the mixer 1, and the purge pipeline 4 is installed on the outer top wall of the mixer 1, that is, the purge gas can enter from the highest point of the inner cavity 101 and flow out from the bottom of the inner cavity 101, which increases the purge area of ​​the purge gas, can improve the cleaning effect of the purge gas on the inner cavity 101, reduce the content of excess residual gas and impurities in the inner cavity 101, and is beneficial to improving the quality of the deposited film.

[0114] Or, if Fig.14 As shown, the purge port 12 can also be arranged on the side wall of the mixer 1, that is, the purge pipeline 4 is installed on the outer side wall of the mixer 1. At this time, in order to ensure the cleaning effect of the purge gas on the inner cavity 101, the height of the purge port 12 should be set higher than all the vents 11, so as to effectively expand the purge area of ​​the purge gas, ensure that the excess residual gas and impurities in the inner cavity 101 are discharged from the inner cavity 101 through the bottom of the mixer 1, which is conducive to improving the quality of the deposited film.

[0115] It should be noted that the gas mixing devices provided in the above three embodiments can be used not only in atomic layer deposition equipment, but also in chemical vapor deposition (CVD) equipment or other thin film deposition equipment involving the mixing of multiple reactants. They can improve the mutual contamination between multiple source paths, thereby reducing the number of impurities in the mixer, improving the quality of the deposited film, and extending the service life of the thin film deposition equipment.

[0116] The present application also provides a thin film deposition device, including the gas mixing device described in any of the above embodiments. Since the gas mixing device has the above-mentioned technical effects, the thin film deposition device including the gas mixing device should also have corresponding technical effects, which will not be repeated here.

Claims

1. A gas mixing device for a thin film deposition apparatus, characterized in that: The gas mixing device comprises: A mixer having an inner cavity, wherein a side wall of the mixer is provided with at least two vents; At least two flow guides are installed in the inner cavity, and a mixing space is formed between each of the flow guides; A flow space is formed between the flow guide and the side wall of the mixer, the flow space is communicated with the mixing space, and the vent is communicated with at least a part of the flow space in a one-to-one correspondence.

2. The gas mixing device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The flow guide comprises a top plate, a bottom plate and a flow guide plate for enclosing the flow space; Along the axial direction of the mixer, two ends of the guide plate are fixedly connected to the top plate and the bottom plate respectively; Along the radial direction of the mixer, one end of the top plate away from the guide plate is fixedly connected to the side wall of the mixer, and one end of the bottom plate away from the guide plate is fixedly connected to the side wall of the mixer.

3. The gas mixing device according to claim 2, characterized in that: The guide plate includes a first side and a second side that are oppositely disposed, wherein the first side is connected to a side wall of the mixer, and a gap is provided between the second side and the side wall of the mixer so that the flow space is connected to the mixing space.

4. The gas mixing device according to claim 3, characterized in that: The vents are spaced apart in the circumferential direction of the mixer. Along the circumferential direction of the mixer, the second side of any guide plate and the first side of another adjacent guide plate form a gap, and the flow space is connected with the mixing space through the gap.

5. The gas mixing device according to claim 2, characterized in that: The guide plate is an arc-shaped plate arched toward the side wall of the mixer.

6. The gas mixing device according to claim 2, characterized in that: Along the axial direction of the mixer, the height of the guide plate is greater than the diameter of the vent.

7. The gas mixing device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that: The vents are spaced apart from each other in the axial direction of the mixer; Along the axial direction of the mixer, there is a height difference between the bottom of any one of the vents and the top of another vent adjacent thereto.

8. The gas mixing device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that: The gas mixing device further comprises at least two ventilation pipelines, the ventilation pipelines being installed on the outer side wall of the mixer, and the at least two ventilation pipelines being arranged in one-to-one correspondence with the at least two ventilation ports and being in communication with each other; The extending direction of the ventilation pipeline is perpendicular to the radial direction of the mixer.

9. The gas mixing device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that: The gas mixing device further comprises at least two ventilation pipelines, and the at least two ventilation pipelines are arranged in one-to-one correspondence with the at least two ventilation ports and are in communication with each other; The ventilation pipeline comprises a first end and a second end which are arranged opposite to each other along its axial direction, and the first end is connected to the outer side wall of the mixer; Along the direction from the first end to the second end, the ventilation line extends toward a direction close to the top wall of the mixer.

10. The gas mixing device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that: The top wall of the mixer is provided with a purge port, which is communicated with the inner cavity and is used for introducing a purge gas into the inner cavity.

11. The gas mixing device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that: The side wall of the mixer is also provided with a purge port, which is in communication with the inner cavity and is used to introduce a purge gas into the inner cavity; Along the axial direction of the mixer, the purge port is located above all the vents.

12. A gas mixing device for a thin film deposition apparatus, characterized in that: The gas mixing device comprises: A mixer having an inner cavity, wherein a side wall of the mixer is provided with at least two vents; The vents are spaced apart from each other in the axial direction of the mixer; Along the axial direction of the mixer, there is a height difference between the bottom of any one of the vents and the top of another vent adjacent thereto.

13. A gas mixing device for a thin film deposition apparatus, characterized in that: The gas mixing device comprises: a mixer having an inner cavity; at least two ventilation pipes, the ventilation pipes are in communication with the inner cavity, the ventilation pipes include a first end and a second end disposed opposite to each other along the axial direction thereof, the first end being connected to the outer side wall of the mixer; Along the direction from the first end to the second end, the ventilation line extends toward a direction close to the top wall of the mixer.

14. The gas mixing device according to claim 13, characterized in that: The side wall of the mixer is provided with at least two vents, at least two vent pipes are provided in one-to-one correspondence with at least two vents, and the vent pipe is connected with the inner cavity through the vents; The vents are spaced apart from each other in the axial direction of the mixer; Along the axial direction of the mixer, there is a height difference between the bottom of any one of the vents and the top of another vent adjacent thereto.

15. A thin film deposition device, characterized in that: The thin film deposition equipment comprises the gas mixing device according to any one of claims 1-14.

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