Process chamber and semiconductor process equipment

Abstract

The utility model discloses a process chamber and semiconductor process equipment, in the process chamber, a lining, a bearing piece and an elastic sleeve are all arranged in a cavity, the lining is arranged around the bearing piece, and the top end of the lining is provided with an annular flange extending inwards in the radial direction; the side wall of the cavity is provided with a wafer conveying opening, and the area, corresponding to the wafer conveying opening, of the lining is provided with an opening; the bearing part is movably connected with the cavity in the axial direction of the cavity, so that the bearing part is switched between a process position and a wafer conveying position; the elastic sleeve is arranged below the bearing part, the bottom end of the elastic sleeve is connected with the bottom of the cavity in a sealed mode, and when the bearing part is located at the process position, the top end of the elastic sleeve abuts against the annular flange to form sealing, so that the inner side of the elastic sleeve is isolated from the opening. According to the semiconductor process equipment, the problem that the existence of the wafer conveying port in the current semiconductor process equipment can generate an adverse effect on the gas distribution condition in the process chamber and further generate a relatively large adverse effect on the deposition uniformity can be solved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application belongs to the field of semiconductor processing technology, and specifically relates to a process chamber and semiconductor process equipment. Background Art

[0002] In the semiconductor processing process, it is usually necessary to set corresponding film transfer ports on the chamber and the liner so that the semiconductor workpiece can be sent into the semiconductor process equipment from the film transfer ports. However, since the film transfer ports will affect the structural symmetry of the process chamber, resulting in uneven gas distribution in the semiconductor process equipment, this will have an adverse effect on the uniformity of deposition and other processes, especially the atomic layer deposition process in which single atoms are adsorbed layer by layer to form a thin film. Utility Model Content

[0003] The purpose of the embodiments of the present application is to provide a process chamber and semiconductor process equipment to solve the problem that the existence of a film transfer port in current semiconductor process equipment will have an adverse effect on the gas distribution in the process chamber, thereby having a greater adverse effect on deposition uniformity.

[0004] In a first aspect, an embodiment of the present application discloses a process chamber, which includes a cavity, an annular liner, a bearing member and an elastic sleeve; wherein;

[0005] The liner, the bearing member and the elastic sleeve are all arranged in the cavity, the liner is arranged around the bearing member, and the top end of the liner has an annular flange extending radially inward;

[0006] The side wall of the cavity is provided with a film transmission port, and the area of ​​the lining corresponding to the film transmission port has an opening;

[0007] The carrier is movably connected to the cavity in the axial direction of the cavity, so that the carrier can be switched between the process position and the film transfer position;

[0008] The elastic sleeve is arranged below the carrier, the bottom end of the elastic sleeve is sealed and connected to the bottom of the cavity, and when the carrier is in the process position, the top end of the elastic sleeve abuts against the annular flange and forms a seal, so that the inner side of the elastic sleeve is isolated from the opening.

[0009] In a second aspect, an embodiment of the present application discloses a semiconductor process equipment, which includes the above-mentioned process chamber.

[0010] The embodiment of the present application discloses a process chamber, wherein a liner is provided on the inner side of the cavity, and a film transfer port provided on the side wall of the cavity and a through hole provided on the bottom of the cavity are both connected to the cavity, and an opening connected to the film transfer port is provided at a position in the liner opposite to the film transfer port, so that the workpiece to be processed can be transported from the film transfer port of the process cavity and the opening of the liner into the cavity. Protective gas can be introduced into the cavity from the through hole to reduce or even prevent the deposition effect in the bottom space of the carrier and reduce the generation of particulate matter, and the aforementioned protective gas can also provide certain protection for other components in the process chamber to prevent the process gas introduced from other positions such as the top of the cavity from reacting with other components such as the top cover in the process chamber.

[0011] At the same time, the carrier and the elastic sleeve are both arranged in the process chamber, the carrier can carry the workpiece to be processed, and the carrier can move relative to the cavity along the axial direction of the cavity, so that the carrier can switch between the process position and the film transmission position. For the process position, it is necessary to prevent the protective gas introduced from the through hole from diffusing to the area where the film transmission port is located. For this reason, in the present application, the elastic sleeve is arranged below the carrier and sleeved outside the through hole. At the same time, the bottom end of the elastic sleeve is sealed and connected to the bottom of the cavity to prevent the protective gas introduced from the through hole from flowing from the bottom end of the elastic sleeve to the film transmission port. In addition, when the carrier is in the process position, by making the top end of the elastic sleeve abut against the annular flange of the liner and forming a sealed connection relationship, the inner side of the top end of the elastic sleeve can be isolated from the film transmission port, thereby preventing the protective gas introduced from the through hole from flowing to the film transmission port, resulting in a relatively poor distribution uniformity of the protective gas below the carrier, thereby affecting the processing effect of the workpiece to be processed. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0012] The drawings described herein are used to provide a further understanding of the present application and constitute a part of the present application. The illustrative embodiments of the present application and their descriptions are used to explain the present application and do not constitute an improper limitation on the present application. In the drawings:

[0013] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram of a carrier in a semiconductor process equipment disclosed in an embodiment of the present application being in a film transfer position;

[0014] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of a carrier in a semiconductor process equipment disclosed in an embodiment of the present application being in a process position;

[0015] Figure 3 for Figure 2 A magnified view of the structure in the middle;

[0016] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of a partial structure of an elastic sleeve in a semiconductor process equipment disclosed in an embodiment of the present application;

[0017] Figure 5 It is a schematic diagram of the assembly of the carrier and the top support in the semiconductor process equipment disclosed in the embodiment of the present application.

[0018] Reference numerals:

[0019] 1'-cavity, 101-film transmission port, 102-air outlet pipeline, 103-air inlet pipeline, 2-bearing member, 3'-lining, 301-opening, 302-air outlet channel, 303-air inlet channel, 4-top support, 6-uniform flow grid, 7-top cover, 8-blocking ring, 9-elastic tube, 901-transmission pipeline, 10-protective gas, 11-adjusting plate, 12-elastic sleeve, 1201-first connecting part, 1202-elastic cylinder, 1203-second connecting part, 1204-exhaust hole, 1205-limiting groove, 1207-annular boss, 14-gas source, 141-heating element, 15-exhaust equipment, 16-threaded connector, 17-sealing ring, 18-thermal compensation gas. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0020] The following will be combined with the drawings in the embodiments of the present application to clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application. Obviously, the described embodiments are part of the embodiments of the present application, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments in the present application, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without creative work are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0021] The terms "first", "second", etc. in the specification and claims of the present application are used to distinguish similar objects, and are not used to describe a specific order or sequence. It should be understood that the data used in this way can be interchangeable under appropriate circumstances, so that the embodiments of the present application can be implemented in an order other than those illustrated or described here, and the objects distinguished by "first", "second", etc. are generally of one type, and the number of objects is not limited. For example, the first object can be one or more. In addition, "and / or" in the specification and claims represents at least one of the connected objects, and the character " / " generally indicates that the objects associated with each other are in an "or" relationship.

[0022] like Figure 1-Figure 5 As shown, the embodiment of the present application discloses a process chamber and a semiconductor process equipment. The process chamber can be applied to semiconductor process equipment. Of course, the semiconductor process equipment can also include other structures such as electrodes, vacuum pumps, gas pipelines, etc. Considering the simplicity of the text, they are not introduced one by one here. In more detail, the semiconductor process equipment disclosed in the embodiment of the present application is specifically a device for providing an atomic layer deposition process, that is, it is an atomic layer deposition device.

[0023] like Figure 1-Figure 5As shown, the process chamber disclosed in the embodiment of the present application may include a cavity 1', an annular liner 3', a carrier 2 and an elastic sleeve 12. Of course, the process chamber may also include other components such as a top cover 7, a retaining ring 8, a driving component and a flow grid 6, but considering the simplicity of the text, they will not be described in detail here.

[0024] Among them, the cavity 1' is the main structure of the process chamber, which is usually formed of a material with relatively large structural strength, and the top of the cavity 1' is usually provided with a through hole, which is used to cooperate with the top cover 7, the retaining ring 8 and the uniform current grid 6, so that the cavity 1', the top cover 7, the retaining ring 8 and the uniform current grid 6 can enclose the process chamber, and the process chamber can provide a process environment for the semiconductor workpiece to be processed, and the process chamber can also provide a holding space for other devices such as the carrier 2, the liner 3' and the elastic sleeve 12. In addition, a film transmission port 101 is provided on the side wall of the cavity 1', and the film transmission port 101 is connected with the inside of the cavity 1', that is, the film transmission port 101 is set through the side wall of the cavity 1', and the parameters such as the shape and size of the film transmission port 101 can be determined according to actual conditions, and this application does not limit this.

[0025] The liner 3' is arranged in the cavity 1', and the liner 3' is an annular structure. More specifically, the liner 3' may include a base and an annular flange, and both the base and the annular flange are annular structural parts, and the annular flange is fixed to the inner side of the base, so that the inner side of the base has a convex edge, which facilitates the elastic sleeve 12 to form a sealed matching relationship with the liner 3'. In other words, the top of the liner 3' has an annular flange extending radially inward along the liner 3', and the liner 3' is arranged around the carrier 2, so that the liner 3' is used to separate the carrier 2 and the cavity 1', thereby providing corresponding protection for the cavity 1'. Correspondingly, the area of ​​the liner 3' corresponding to the film transfer port 101 has an opening 301, so as to ensure that the workpiece to be processed can still be normally transferred to the cavity 1' through the opening 301 and the film transfer port 101.

[0026] Specifically, the annular flange can be fixed to the inner side of the substrate by bonding or the like. In another embodiment of the present application, the liner 3' can be formed by integral molding, which can improve the connection reliability between the substrate and the annular flange and reduce the processing difficulty of the liner 3'. Moreover, in the process of forming the annular flange, along the axial direction of the cavity 1', the annular flange is located at the end of the substrate away from the bottom of the cavity 1', that is, the annular flange is located on the inner side of the top of the substrate. The dimensions of the annular flange in the above-mentioned axial direction and in the direction perpendicular to the above-mentioned axial direction can be flexibly determined according to actual needs and are not limited here.

[0027] The carrier 2 is arranged in the cavity 1', and the carrier 2 is used to support the workpiece to be processed. In some application scenarios, the carrier 2 may also include an electrostatic chuck, etc., and in order to ensure that the workpiece to be processed can be processed normally, the carrier 2 is usually movably connected with the cavity 1' in the axial direction of the cavity 1', so that the carrier 2 can switch between the process position and the film transfer position. In layman's terms, the carrier 2 has the ability to move in the vertical direction. When the carrier 2 is in the process position, the height of the carrier 2 in the vertical direction is relatively high, and when the carrier 2 is in the film transfer position, the height of the carrier 2 in the vertical direction is relatively low.

[0028] Furthermore, in order to enable the wafer transfer process to proceed normally, the process chamber generally further includes a plurality of top holding members 4, which may specifically include top pins, which may be in the form of countersunk screws. Figure 5 As shown, a plurality of top holding members 4 are all disposed through the carrier 2, and the height of each top holding member 4 is greater than the thickness of the carrier 2, so that when the carrier 2 is in the film transporting position, the top of the top holding member 4 is higher than the carrier 2 to temporarily support the workpiece to be processed, and when the carrier 2 is lifted from the film transporting position to the process position, the carrier 2 can receive the workpiece to be processed from the top holding member 4, so that the workpiece to be processed is supported on the carrier 2.

[0029] Among them, when the top holding member 4 is not supported by the carrier 2, the top holding member 4 can be supported at the bottom of the cavity 1', or an adjustment plate 11 can be provided in the process chamber, which can be formed of a hard material that is heat-conductive and insulating, such as ceramics. The adjustment plate 11 is supported at the bottom of the cavity 1'. The adjustment plate 11 can also provide support for the top holding member 4 to prevent the top holding member 4 from being electrically connected to the cavity 1' and interfering with the processing of the workpiece. In addition, the carrier 2 can form a movable connection with the cavity 1' in the axial direction of the cavity 1' through the driving member, and the driving member can ensure that the driving member can provide a lifting effect for the carrier 2 by extending a part of its driving shaft into the cavity 1'.

[0030] Accordingly, in the case of adopting the above technical solution, a through hole is further provided at the bottom of the cavity 1', and the through hole is communicated with the process cavity, so that the driving shaft of the driving member used to drive the carrier 2 can be installed in the aforementioned through hole. Accordingly, in order to ensure the sealing integrity of the process cavity, an elastic tube 9 in the form of a structure such as a bellows can be provided at a position corresponding to the through hole outside the cavity 1'. The elastic tube 9 can be sleeved outside the driving shaft of the driving member, and one end of the elastic tube 9 is sealed and connected to the bottom of the cavity 1', and the other end of the elastic tube 9 is sealed and connected to the driving member, so that the process environment in the process cavity can be isolated from the outside, and the elastic tube 9 will not hinder the normal operation of the driving member.

[0031] At the same time, during the operation of the process chamber, it is usually necessary to introduce a protective gas 10. A flow grid 6 and an air intake assembly may be provided at the top of the cavity 1'. The air intake assembly is generally arranged above the carrier 2. The flow grid 6 is located between the carrier 2 and the air intake assembly and is arranged in a ring shape. The process gas can be introduced into the cavity 1' from the air intake assembly and react on the surface of the wafer on the carrier 2. The unreacted process gas can be discharged from the cavity 1' after passing through the flow grid 6. In the embodiment of the present application, a protective gas 10 is also included, and the protective gas 10 can be introduced into the cavity 1' from the through hole at the bottom of the cavity 1'. The type of the protective gas 10 is different from the type of the process gas introduced into the cavity 1' from the flow grid 6.

[0032] Specifically, a delivery pipeline 901 for introducing the protective gas 10 from the through hole can be used to form a sealed connection relationship with the elastic tube 9, so that the protective gas 10 can be introduced into the process chamber through the through hole through the elastic tube 9. More specifically, in the present application, the protective gas 10 introduced through the bottom of the cavity 1' is mainly used to reduce the deposition effect of the bottom space of the carrier 2, thereby reducing the generation of particulate matter and improving the process cleanliness. In addition, the protective gas 10 can also be used to provide protection for components such as the top cover 7.

[0033] In a specific implementation, the gas inlet assembly may include a device such as a shower head. The process gas used to react with the workpiece to be processed can usually be introduced into the process chamber from the top of the cavity 1' through a device such as a shower head. Such process gas is mainly used to react with the surface of the workpiece to be processed carried on the carrier 2 to form a deposition layer. In addition, the process gas that is not used in the process, as well as the by-products, can be discharged from the side of the carrier 2 toward its carrying surface, and discharged from the openings around the flow grid 6 to the outside of the process chamber. In this process, the protective gas 10 introduced through the through hole can provide an isolation effect for the top cover 7 to prevent the by-products from reacting with the top cover 7.

[0034] Obviously, in the process of introducing the protective gas 10 from the bottom of the cavity 1', the distribution of the protective gas 10 introduced from the bottom of the cavity 1' in the process chamber, especially under the carrier 2, will be greatly affected by the influence of the film transfer port 101 on the side wall of the cavity 1', causing a part of the protective gas 10 to flow to the film transfer port 101, thereby reducing the amount of gas flowing around the flow grid 6, resulting in uneven distribution of gas around the carrier 2 and the workpiece to be processed carried on the carrier 2, which will also have a significant adverse effect on the uniformity of the deposited film layer formed during the deposition process.

[0035] Based on the above situation, in order to make the uniformity of the protective gas introduced into the process chamber from the bottom of the chamber 1' relatively higher, in the present application, Figure 1-Figure 4As shown, the process chamber includes an elastic sleeve 12, which is arranged in the cavity 1', and the elastic sleeve 12 is arranged around the through hole, so that the elastic sleeve 12 is used to wrap the through hole, and a blocking effect is provided for the protective gas 10 entering the cavity 1' through the through hole, so that the gas entering the process chamber through the through hole can be constrained by the elastic sleeve 12. At the same time, the elastic sleeve 12 is arranged below the carrier 2, and the bottom end of the elastic sleeve 12 is sealed and connected to the bottom of the cavity 1', and when the carrier 2 is in the process position, the top end of the elastic sleeve 12 is abutted against the annular flange of the liner 3', and a seal is formed. In this case, the inner side of the elastic sleeve 12 is isolated from the film transfer port 101, so that the protective gas 10 entering from the through hole can be prevented from flowing to the film transfer port 101 during the process of the workpiece to be processed, which will adversely affect the uniformity of the gas in the cavity 1', and this can also appropriately reduce the loss of the protective gas 10 entering from the through hole.

[0036] As described above, the protective gas 10 introduced into the cavity 1' through the through hole is used to prevent the process gas and by-products from reacting with the top cover 7 and other devices. In this case, it is also necessary to ensure that the space inside the elastic sleeve 12 whose top end and liner 3' abut against each other can be connected with the outer edge of the carrier 2. In view of the above situation, in a specific embodiment of the present application, the top end of the elastic sleeve 12 and the bottom surface of the carrier 2 can be spaced apart from each other in the axial direction of the cavity 1', so that the protective gas inside the elastic sleeve 12 can flow between the top end of the elastic sleeve 12 and the bottom wall of the carrier 2 to the gap between the carrier 2 and the top cover 7, and provide a certain protection for the top cover 7.

[0037] The embodiment of the present application discloses a process chamber, wherein a liner 3' is provided on the inner side of a cavity 1', and a film transfer port 101 provided on the side wall of the cavity 1' and a through hole provided on the bottom of the cavity 1' are both connected to the cavity 1', and an opening 301 connected to the film transfer port 101 is provided at a position of the liner 3' opposite to the film transfer port 101, so that the workpiece to be processed can be transported from the film transfer port 101 of the process cavity 1' and the opening 301 of the liner 3' to the cavity 1'. Protective gas can be introduced into the cavity 1' from the through hole to reduce or even prevent the deposition effect in the bottom space of the carrier 2, reduce the generation of particulate matter, and the aforementioned protective gas can also provide a certain protection for other components in the process chamber, preventing the process gas introduced from other positions such as the top of the cavity 1' from reacting with other components such as the top cover 7 in the process chamber.

[0038] At the same time, the carrier 2 and the elastic sleeve 12 are both arranged in the process chamber, the carrier 2 can carry the workpiece to be processed, and the carrier 2 can move relative to the cavity 1' along the axial direction of the cavity 1', so that the carrier 2 can switch between the process position and the film transfer position. For the process position, it is necessary to prevent the protective gas introduced from the through hole from diffusing to the area where the film transfer port 101 is located. For this reason, in the present application, the elastic sleeve 12 is arranged below the carrier 2 and is sleeved outside the through hole. At the same time, the bottom end of the elastic sleeve 12 is sealed and connected to the bottom of the cavity 1' to prevent the protective gas introduced from the through hole from flowing from the bottom end of the elastic sleeve 12 to the film transfer port 101. Furthermore, when the carrier 2 is in the process position, by making the top end of the elastic sleeve 12 abut against the annular flange of the liner 3' and forming a sealed connection relationship, the inner side of the top end of the elastic sleeve 12 can be isolated from the film transfer port 101, thereby preventing the protective gas introduced from the through hole from flowing to the film transfer port 101, resulting in relatively poor distribution uniformity of the protective gas under the carrier 2, thereby affecting the processing effect of the workpiece to be processed.

[0039] As described above, in the process of designing the elastic sleeve 12, the top end of the elastic sleeve 12 can be spaced apart from the carrier 2 to ensure that the protective gas inside the elastic sleeve 12 can flow to the outer edge of the carrier 2. In another embodiment of the present application, the elastic sleeve 12 is provided with an exhaust hole 1204 near the top end, and the inner side of the elastic sleeve 12 can be connected with the outer side of the elastic sleeve 12 through the exhaust hole 1204, thereby ensuring that the protective gas introduced from the through hole can flow to the outer edge of the carrier 2 through the elastic sleeve 12.

[0040] At the same time, the position of the vent hole 1204 can be designed so that when the carrier 2 is in the process position, the vent hole 1204 and the opening 301 of the liner 3' are isolated from each other, thereby preventing the vent hole 1204 from affecting the isolation state between the inner side and the outer side of the elastic sleeve 12. That is, when the carrier 2 is in the process position, the vent hole 1204 will not affect the isolation state between the inner side of the elastic sleeve 12 and the film transfer port 101.

[0041] For example, by setting the exhaust hole 1204 on the side wall of the elastic sleeve 12, and when the carrier 2 is in the process position, the area where the exhaust hole 1204 is located in the elastic sleeve 12 can be in contact with the inner wall of the liner 3', so that the inner wall of the liner 3' can be used to provide a blocking effect for the exhaust hole 1204, preventing the inner side of the elastic sleeve 12 from being connected to the outer side of the elastic sleeve 12. Correspondingly, in the process of the carrier 2 squeezing the elastic sleeve 12 to descend, the structure where the exhaust hole 1204 is located in the elastic sleeve 12 can be lowered accordingly, so that the blocking relationship between the exhaust hole 1204 and the inner wall of the cavity 1' is invalid, and then the inner side and the outer side of the elastic sleeve 12 can be connected to each other through the exhaust hole 1204, preventing the elastic sleeve 12 from being squeezed but the gas inside the elastic sleeve 12 cannot be discharged to the outside normally, which will have an adverse effect on the assembly stability of the top holding member installed on the carrier 2.

[0042] During the process of assembling the process chamber, as described above, the liner 3' is supported on the bottom of the cavity 1', and the cavity 1' is provided with a film transfer port 101. By providing the opening 301 on the side wall of the liner 3' and providing the opening 301 and the film transfer port 101 opposite to each other, the workpiece to be processed can still be transported into the cavity 1' through the film transfer port 101 and the opening 301, and carried on the carrier 2. Accordingly, in the present application, at least a portion of the elastic sleeve 12 is located on the inner side of the liner 3'. Specifically, the shape and size of the opening 301 can be designed corresponding to the shape and size of the film transfer port 101, and this document does not limit this.

[0043] Furthermore, the elastic sleeve 12 includes an elastic cylinder 1202 and an annular first connection portion 1201. Of course, the elastic cylinder 1202 is also an annular structural member to provide a complete circumferential barrier between the through hole and the film transmission port 101. The first connection portion 1201 is connected to the top of the elastic cylinder 1202, and the first connection portion 1201 is a component in the elastic sleeve 12 that is directly used to cooperate with the annular flange of the liner 3'.

[0044] To this end, the outer peripheral wall of the first connecting portion 1201 is provided with an annular boss 1207 extending radially outward, and when the carrier 2 is in the process position, the annular boss 1207 and the annular flange are abutted against each other in the axial direction of the cavity 1', so as to form a seal by the way of the two being fitted together, thereby enabling the liner 3' and the elastic sleeve 12 to form a sealing matching relationship, so that when the carrier 2 is in the process position, the inside and outside of the elastic sleeve 12 are isolated. In this case, by locating the exhaust hole 1204 on the inner side of the annular boss 1207, the exhaust hole 1204 can be isolated from the film transfer port 101 by utilizing the sealing relationship between the annular flange and the annular boss 1207 when the carrier 2 is in the process position, thereby ensuring that the exhaust hole 1204 can be isolated from the film transfer port 101, thereby preventing the protective gas introduced from the through hole from flowing to the film transfer port 101.

[0045] In the case of adopting the above technical solution, the matching relationship between the elastic sleeve 12 and the liner 3' is relatively stable, and the isolation effect between the inner and outer sides of the elastic sleeve 12 is relatively good when the carrier 2 is in the process position, thereby improving the uniformity of the protective gas under the carrier 2. Accordingly, in the process of the carrier 2 descending from the process position to the film transfer position, as the carrier 2 descends, it can press the first connecting portion 1201 downward, so that the fitting state between the annular boss 1207 and the annular flange is destroyed, and then the inner side of the elastic sleeve 12 can be connected to the outer side of the elastic sleeve 12 through the exhaust hole 1204, so as to prevent the protective gas on the inner side of the elastic sleeve 12 from being discharged from the position where the top support 4 is provided in the carrier 2, thereby affecting the matching reliability between the top support 4 and the carrier 2.

[0046] In order to further enhance the sealing effect between the annular flange and the annular boss 1207, in an embodiment of the present application, a limiting groove 1205 can be provided on the side surface of the annular boss 1207 away from the bottom of the cavity 1', and by installing a sealing ring 17 in the limiting groove 1205, the annular boss 1207 and the annular flange are sealed and connected by the sealing ring 17, so that when the carrier 2 is in the process position, the sealing relationship between the liner 3' and the elastic sleeve 12 is more reliable.

[0047] The sealing ring 17 can be specifically formed of elastic materials such as rubber, and a part of the sealing ring 17 is accommodated in the limiting groove 1205. The limiting groove 1205 is used to provide a limiting effect for the sealing ring 17 to prevent the sealing ring 17 from twisting, etc., thereby improving the sealing reliability of the sealing ring 17. More specifically, the limiting groove 1205 and the sealing ring 17 are both annular structures, and the parameters such as the cross-sectional shape and size of the two are not limited in this article. Of course, in the case where the elastic sleeve 12 directly abuts against the annular flange of the liner 3', the above-mentioned limiting groove 1205 can be set on the side surface opposite to the annular flange in the top of the elastic sleeve 12, and the sealing ring 17 is set in the limiting groove 1205, and the elastic sleeve 12 and the annular flange are sealed and connected by the sealing ring 17.

[0048] As described above, the first connecting portion 1201 is provided with an exhaust hole 1204, and optionally, the number of the exhaust hole 1204 is one. In order to improve the exhaust efficiency and uniformity of the gas on the inner side of the elastic sleeve 12, in another embodiment of the present application, a plurality of exhaust holes 1204 may be provided on the first connecting portion 1201, and the plurality of exhaust holes 1204 may be evenly and spacedly distributed along the circumference of the cavity 1'. Specifically, the cross-sectional shape of each exhaust hole 1204 may be circular or rectangular, etc. In a specific embodiment of the present application, each exhaust hole 1204 is formed by a groove provided on the top surface of the first connecting portion 1201 away from the elastic cylinder 1202, that is, each exhaust hole 1204 is an open structure, which can reduce the difficulty of forming the exhaust hole 1204. Of course, in this case, the cross-section of the exhaust hole 1204 may still be rectangular. In another embodiment of the present application, the cross-sectional shape of each exhaust hole 1204 perpendicular to the radial direction of the elastic cylinder 1202 is U-shaped, which makes the exhaust efficiency of the exhaust hole 1204 relatively large and also makes the formation difficulty of the exhaust hole 1204 relatively low. In detail, the width or diameter of the exhaust hole 1204 can be in the range of 0.5 to 3 mm, preferably 1 mm, and the number of the exhaust holes 1204 can be 12-108, preferably 36.

[0049] In addition, due to the presence of plasma and possible corrosive gases in the process chamber, and part of the first connection part 1201 is exposed in the process chamber, the first connection part 1201 can be formed of anti-corrosion materials, specifically Hastelloy, etc., or the first connection part 1201 can be surface treated, such as nickel plating the outside of the first connection part 1201.

[0050] As described above, the elastic sleeve 12 is sealed and connected to the bottom of the cavity 1'. More specifically, when a lining 3' is provided in the cavity 1', the elastic sleeve 12 also includes a second connecting portion 1203. The second connecting portion 1203 may also be an annular structure, and the second connecting portion 1203 is connected to the end of the elastic cylinder 1202 away from the first connecting portion 1201, that is, the bottom end of the elastic cylinder 1202, so as to utilize the second connecting portion 1203 to connect to the cavity 1'.

[0051] In detail, the second connection part 1203 can form a fixed and sealed connection with the cavity 1' by welding or the like. In another embodiment of the present application, the second connection part 1203 can also form a sealed and fixed connection with the liner 3', which can also ensure that the inner side of the elastic sleeve 12 can be isolated from the film transmission port 101. Specifically, the inner side of the liner 3' can be provided with an escape sink, and a part of the second connection part 1203 is extended to the outside of the elastic cylinder 1202 into the escape sink of the liner 3', and then the threaded connector 16 can be used to form a fixed and sealed relationship between the second connection part 1203 and the liner 3'.

[0052] More specifically, the extension direction of the threaded connector 16 can be perpendicular to the axial direction of the cavity 1'. In another embodiment of the present application, in order to improve the connection reliability between the second connection portion 1203 and the liner 3', the extension direction of the threaded connector 16 can be parallel to the axial direction of the cavity 1', and the number of threaded connectors 16 can be multiple, and the multiple threaded connectors 16 are distributed along the circumference of the cavity 1'. In addition, in order to reduce the difficulty of installing the liner 3', the liner 3' can only be supported on the bottom of the cavity 1' under the action of its own weight, and no fixed connection relationship is formed between the two. Of course, in order to make the relative fixed relationship between the liner 3' and the cavity 1' more stable, structural parts such as pins can be provided to provide a limiting effect for the liner 3'.

[0053] As described above, the carrier 2 can switch between the process position and the film transfer position. To this end, it is necessary to make the state of the elastic sleeve 12 change with the position of the carrier 2, so as to ensure that the film transfer work can be carried out normally during the film transfer process, and at the same time, the film transfer port 101 can be isolated from the inner side of the elastic sleeve 12 during the process.

[0054] To this end, in a specific embodiment of the present application, the elastic sleeve 12 and the carrier 2 can be connected to each other so that the carrier 2 can drive the top of the elastic sleeve 12 to move up and down along the axial direction of the cavity 1' relative to the cavity 1'. In another embodiment of the present application, the carrier 2 and the elastic sleeve 12 are no longer connected, but only the natural length of the elastic sleeve 12 is appropriately increased so that the elastic sleeve 12 is still in a compressed state when it abuts against the annular flange of the liner 3'. That is, when the carrier 2 is in the process position, the top of the elastic sleeve 12 is elastically abutted against the annular flange of the liner 3' along the axial direction of the cavity 1', so that when the carrier 2 does not squeeze the elastic sleeve 12, it is ensured that the elastic sleeve 12 can also form a more reliable matching relationship with the liner 3' under the action of its own elasticity. Of course, in this case, the top of the elastic sleeve 12 can be spaced apart from the bottom wall of the supporting member 2, so that even if the exhaust hole 1204 is not provided on the elastic sleeve 12, it can be ensured that the elastic sleeve 12 can be compressed normally by the squeezing action of the supporting member 2.

[0055] Specifically, the size range of the elastic sleeve 12 during the deformation process can be between 55-120mm, and by making the natural length of the elastic sleeve 12 greater than 120mm, it can be ensured that the elastic sleeve 12 still has a certain elastic effect after abutting against the cavity 1', so that the elastic sleeve 12 can form a stable matching relationship with the cavity 1'.

[0056] As described above, in order to further improve the uniformity of the process gas around the carrier 2 and the workpiece to be processed on the carrier 2, in the embodiment of the present application, when the carrier 2 is in the process position, the elastic sleeve 12 can be spaced apart from the carrier 2 along the axial direction of the cavity 1', so that a gas outlet channel can be further formed between the elastic sleeve 12 and the carrier 2, and the gas outlet channel is an annular structure, so that the protective gas introduced into the process chamber from the through hole can flow out from the inner side of the elastic sleeve 12 through the gap between the elastic sleeve 12 and the carrier 2, further preventing the space below the carrier 2 from generating a deposition effect. Specifically, the size of the elastic sleeve 12 and the carrier 2 in the axial direction of the cavity 1' can be 2-5mm.

[0057] In addition, when the deposition process is carried out in the process chamber disclosed in the embodiment of the present application, heat is usually conducted through the cavity 1'. Affected by the film transfer port 101 set on the cavity 1', the amount of heat conduction at the film transfer port 101 is relatively small, which in turn causes the temperature of the protective gas flowing near the film transfer port 101 on the inner side of the elastic sleeve 12 to be relatively low, which will also have an adverse effect on the uniformity of the deposition process.

[0058] To this end, in the embodiment of the present application, the process chamber further includes an inlet pipeline 103, an outlet pipeline 102 and a heating element 141. Correspondingly, when the liner 3' is provided in the chamber 1', the liner 3' is provided with an inlet channel 303 and an outlet channel 302, wherein the inlet channel 303 is provided below the opening 301, and the two are connected to each other, so that the gas introduced through the inlet channel 303 can flow to the opening 301. The port of the inlet channel 303 communicating with the annular cavity is located at the opening 301, and the port of the outlet channel 302 communicating with the annular cavity is located on the side away from the opening 301.

[0059] Based on the above structure of the process chamber, when the carrier 2 is in the process position, the elastic sleeve 12 and the liner 3' form an annular cavity, and the air inlet channel 303 and the air outlet channel 302 are both connected to the annular cavity, so that the gas entering through the air inlet channel 303 can heat the space at the annular cavity, and the protective gas in the area corresponding to the opening 301 on the inner side of the elastic sleeve 12 can be heated accordingly.

[0060] In more detail, the air inlet pipe 103 is arranged through the cavity 1', and the air inlet pipe 103 is connected to the air inlet channel 303, and the air outlet pipe 102 is arranged through the cavity 1', and the air outlet pipe 102 is connected to the air outlet channel 302, so that the gas outside the cavity 1' can be passed into the aforementioned annular cavity inside the cavity 1'.

[0061] In detail, the heating element 141 is located outside the cavity 1', and the heating element 141 can heat the thermal compensation gas 18 introduced into the process chamber through the air inlet pipe 103, and then use the heated thermal compensation gas 18 to provide heat for the film transfer port 101, so that the protective gas in the elastic sleeve 12 near the film transfer port 101 can be heated, thereby making the temperature uniformity of the protective gas at different positions in the elastic sleeve 12 relatively higher, further improving the process uniformity of the workpiece to be processed.

[0062] Specifically, control devices such as valves can be provided on both the air inlet pipeline 103 and the air outlet pipeline 102 to control the on-off relationship and parameters such as flow rate of the air inlet pipeline 103 and the air outlet pipeline 102 according to the process conditions. Of course, the end of the air inlet pipeline 103 away from the cavity 1' needs to be connected to the gas source 14, and the end of the air outlet pipeline 102 away from the cavity 1' can also be connected to a vacuum device 15, etc., to extract the heat compensation gas 18 introduced into the process chamber through the air inlet pipeline 103. The heat compensation gas 18 introduced into the air inlet pipeline 103 can specifically be nitrogen or an inert gas or other gas that does not participate in the process to prevent the gas from having an adverse effect on the process. Among them, the diameter of the air outlet pipeline 102 can be made larger than the diameter of the air inlet pipeline 103 to improve the air extraction effect and efficiency. More specifically, the diameter of the air inlet pipe 103 may range from 0.25 to 0.5 inches, preferably 0.25 inches, and the diameter of the air outlet pipe 102 may range from 0.5 to 1 inch, preferably 1 inch.

[0063] The heating element 141 can be provided by electric heating, and the temperature of the gas delivered to the process chamber through the air inlet line 103 can be controlled to meet the requirements by controlling the heating power and other parameters of the heating element 141. Specifically, the temperature of the gas delivered to the process chamber through the air inlet line 103 can be higher than the temperature of the outer wall of the chamber 1' by a difference of 2 to 10°C.

[0064] As described above, in the circumferential direction of the cavity 1', the inlet channel 303 can be arranged at the location of the film transfer port 101, and as for the outlet channel 302, it can be arranged at a position adjacent to the inlet channel 303. Considering that the angle spanned by the film transfer port 101 in the circumferential direction of the cavity 1' is usually relatively large, in order to enable the gas input through the inlet channel 103 to provide a more comprehensive thermal compensation effect for the gas corresponding to the film transfer port 101 in the inner side of the elastic sleeve 12, in another embodiment of the present application, in the circumferential direction of the cavity 1', the outlet channel 302 and the inlet channel 303 can be arranged 180° apart, so that the gas transported into the process chamber through the inlet channel 303 can flow to opposite sides along the circumferential direction of the cavity 1', so as to more comprehensively cover the area where the film transfer port 101 is located, which can further improve the temperature uniformity of the protective gas inside the elastic sleeve 12.

[0065] Based on the process chamber disclosed in any of the above embodiments, an embodiment of the present application further discloses a semiconductor process equipment, which includes any of the above process chambers.

[0066] It should be noted that, in this article, the terms "comprise", "include" or any other variant thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, so that the process, method, article or device including a series of elements includes not only those elements, but also includes other elements not explicitly listed, or also includes elements inherent to such process, method, article or device. In the absence of further restrictions, the elements defined by the sentence "comprise one..." do not exclude the presence of other identical elements in the process, method, article or device including the element. In addition, it should be pointed out that the scope of the methods and devices in the embodiments of the present application is not limited to performing functions in the order shown or discussed, and may also include performing functions in a substantially simultaneous manner or in reverse order according to the functions involved, for example, the described method may be performed in an order different from that described, and various steps may also be added, omitted, or combined. In addition, the features described with reference to certain examples may be combined in other examples.

[0067] The embodiments of the present application are described above in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, but the present application is not limited to the above-mentioned specific implementation methods. The above-mentioned specific implementation methods are merely illustrative and not restrictive. Under the guidance of the present application, ordinary technicians in this field can also make many forms without departing from the purpose of the present application and the scope of protection of the claims, all of which are within the protection of the present application.

Claims

1. A process chamber, characterized in that: It includes a cavity, an annular liner, a bearing member and an elastic sleeve; wherein; The liner, the bearing member and the elastic sleeve are all arranged in the cavity, the liner is arranged around the bearing member, and the top end of the liner has an annular flange extending radially inward; The side wall of the cavity is provided with a film transmission port, and the area of ​​the lining corresponding to the film transmission port has an opening; The carrier is movably connected to the cavity in the axial direction of the cavity, so that the carrier can be switched between the process position and the film transfer position; The elastic sleeve is arranged below the carrier, the bottom end of the elastic sleeve is sealed and connected to the bottom of the cavity, and when the carrier is in the process position, the top end of the elastic sleeve abuts against the annular flange and forms a seal, so that the inner side of the elastic sleeve is isolated from the opening.

2. The process chamber according to claim 1, characterized in that: The elastic sleeve is provided with an exhaust hole near the top end, the inner side of the elastic sleeve is communicated with the outer side of the elastic sleeve through the exhaust hole, and when the carrier is in the process position, the exhaust hole and the opening are isolated from each other.

3. The process chamber according to claim 2, characterized in that: The elastic sleeve comprises an elastic cylinder and an annular first connecting portion, wherein the first connecting portion is connected to the top end of the elastic cylinder, and an annular boss extending radially outward is provided on the outer peripheral wall of the first connecting portion, and when the bearing member is in the process position, the annular boss abuts against the annular flange and forms a seal; The top end of the first connection part is arranged higher than the annular boss, the exhaust hole is located on the first connection part and above the annular boss, and the inner side and the outer side of the first connection part are connected to each other through the exhaust hole.

4. The process chamber according to claim 3, characterized in that: The first connecting portion is provided with a plurality of exhaust holes which are evenly and spacedly distributed along the circumference of the cavity; The exhaust hole is formed by a groove arranged on the top surface of the first connecting portion.

5. The process chamber according to claim 4, characterized in that: The cross-section shape of each exhaust hole perpendicular to the radial direction of the elastic cylinder is U-shaped.

6. The process chamber according to claim 3, characterized in that: The elastic sleeve also includes a second connecting portion, which is connected to the bottom end of the elastic cylinder, and the second connecting portion is fixedly and sealingly connected to the cavity through a threaded connector.

7. The process chamber according to claim 1, characterized in that: A limiting groove is provided on the surface of one side of the top end of the elastic sleeve opposite to the annular flange, and a sealing ring is installed in the limiting groove. The sealing ring is used for sealingly connecting the elastic sleeve and the annular flange.

8. The process chamber according to claim 1, characterized in that: When the carrier is in the process position, along the axial direction, the top end of the elastic sleeve elastically abuts against the annular flange, and the top end of the elastic sleeve is spaced apart from the bottom wall of the carrier.

9. The process chamber according to claim 1, characterized in that: The process chamber further comprises an air inlet pipeline, an air outlet pipeline and a heating element, and the liner is further provided with an air inlet channel and an air outlet channel, wherein the air inlet channel is arranged below the opening; When the carrier is in the process position, the elastic sleeve and the inner liner form an annular cavity, and the air inlet channel and the air outlet channel are both connected to the annular cavity; The air inlet pipeline runs through the cavity and is communicated with the air inlet passage, the air outlet pipeline runs through the cavity and is communicated with the air outlet passage, and the heating element is located outside the cavity to heat the gas in the air inlet pipeline.

10. The process chamber according to claim 9, characterized in that: The port through which the air inlet channel communicates with the annular cavity is located at the opening, and the port through which the air outlet channel communicates with the annular cavity is located at a side away from the opening.

11. A semiconductor process equipment, characterized in that: A process chamber comprising any one of claims 1-10.

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