Plug-in device

Abstract

The utility model discloses a plug-in device for a semiconductor processing tool spray header or a gas distributor. The plug-in device comprises a head part, wherein the head part is provided with a first surface and a second surface parallel to the first surface; a shaft portion extending from the second surface and having a threaded first sub-portion; and a gas distribution hole passing through the head portion and the shaft portion and extending in a direction perpendicular to the second surface.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] A threaded nozzle insert for a semiconductor processing tool showerhead or gas distributor is disclosed. Background Art

[0002] Semiconductor processing tools typically include a showerhead or other gas distributor that is designed to receive one or more process gases through a corresponding inlet or multiple inlets and then distribute the process gas or gases to the wafer being processed through a plurality of gas distribution ports distributed at the bottom of the showerhead (or other gas distributor).

[0003] Improvements related to such showerhead or gas distributor systems are disclosed herein. Utility Model Content

[0004] The details of one or more embodiments of the subject matter described in this specification are set forth in the accompanying drawings and the description below. Other features, aspects, and advantages will become apparent from the description, drawings, and claims.

[0005] In certain embodiments, a plug-in device can be provided, comprising a head, wherein the head has a first surface and a second surface parallel to the first surface, and the second surface has an outer periphery having a size and shape substantially the same as the outer periphery of the first surface; a shaft portion extending from the second surface, wherein: a first subportion of the shaft portion is threaded along its length and has a diameter smaller than the maximum dimension of the second surface, and a gas distribution hole passes through the head and the shaft portion and extends in a direction perpendicular to the second surface.

[0006] In certain embodiments, a plug-in device including a head and a shaft portion may be provided. The head may have a first surface, a second surface parallel to the first surface and substantially the same size and shape as the first surface, and at least two side surfaces between the first surface and the second surface. The shaft portion may extend from the second surface, and a first sub-portion of the shaft portion may be threaded along its length and may have a diameter less than the maximum dimension of the second surface. A gas distribution hole may extend through the head and the shaft portion and in a direction perpendicular to the second surface.

[0007] In some embodiments, the gas distribution hole has a first diameter at at least one location between the first surface and the second surface and has a second diameter greater than the first diameter at a location where the gas distribution hole exits the shaft portion.

[0008] In certain embodiments, the first diameter may be between 0.005" and 0.03".

[0009] In certain embodiments, the second diameter may be between 0.02" and 0.14".

[0010] In certain embodiments, the first subsection of the shaft portion can be threaded with a 10-32 thread.

[0011] In certain embodiments, the diameter of the second subsection of the shaft portion between the first subsection and the second surface of the shaft portion may be 0.15" or less.

[0012] In certain embodiments, the transition radius between the shaft portion and the head portion may be 0.05" or less.

[0013] In certain embodiments, the distance between the first surface and the second surface may be between 0.03" and 0.2".

[0014] In certain embodiments, the shaft portion may extend between 0.2" and 0.3" from the second surface.

[0015] In certain embodiments, there may be at least six sides defining a substantially hexagonal shape.

[0016] In certain embodiments, wherein the perimeter of the first surface and the second surface is substantially hexagonal and has at least six sides, each side extending between straight sides of the perimeter of the first surface and the second surface.

[0017] In some embodiments, the first surface of the head includes a hexagonal groove extending to the head. In some embodiments, the hexagonal groove is centered on the gas distribution hole, and one end of the gas distribution hole terminates at the bottom of the hexagonal groove.

[0018] In certain embodiments, the second surface may intersect the six side surfaces at a chamfered edge.

[0019] In certain embodiments, the first surface can intersect the six side surfaces at rounded edges.

[0020] In certain embodiments, the device may further include six arcuate sides, each arcuate side being located between two of the six sides, and each arcuate side being concentric and coaxial with the other arcuate sides.

[0021] In certain embodiments, the head and shaft portions may be made of aluminum alloy or ceramic.

[0022] In certain embodiments, the head and shaft portions may be made from 6061-T6 aluminum alloy.

[0023] In addition to the embodiments described above, other embodiments apparent from the following discussion and accompanying drawings are also understood to be within the scope of the present disclosure. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0024] In the discussion that follows, reference will be made to the following figures; these figures are not intended to limit the scope thereof, but are provided merely to facilitate the discussion that follows.

[0025] Figure 1 An isometric view of an example of a threaded nozzle insert for a semiconductor processing tool showerhead is depicted.

[0026] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 Front view of an example of a medium thread nozzle insert.

[0027] Figure 3 yes Figure 1 Rear view of an example of a threaded nozzle insert.

[0028] Figure 4 yes Figure 1 Right side view of an example of a threaded nozzle insert.

[0029] Figure 5 yes Figure 1 Left side view of an example of a threaded nozzle insert.

[0030] Figure 6 yes Figure 1 Top view of an example of a threaded nozzle insert.

[0031] Figure 7 yes Figure 1 Bottom view of an example of a threaded nozzle insert.

[0032] Figure 8 yes Figure 1 Cross-sectional view of an example of a threaded nozzle insert, along Figure 6 Obtained from the section line shown.

[0033] Fig. 9 yes Figure 8 Detail of the circled area.

[0034] Fig. 10A and 10B An isometric view and a cross-sectional view of another threaded nozzle insert design are depicted, respectively.

[0035] Fig.11A and 11B An isometric view and a cross-sectional view, respectively, of an alternative threaded nozzle insert design are depicted.

[0036] The figures described above are provided to facilitate understanding of the concepts discussed in the present disclosure and are intended to illustrate some embodiments within the scope of the present disclosure, but are not intended to be limiting - embodiments consistent with the present disclosure and not described in the figures are still considered to be within the scope of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0037] Semiconductor processing tools are typically configured to distribute one or more process gases over a semiconductor wafer during one or more stages of a semiconductor processing operation. Such gas distribution is typically achieved using a showerhead or gas distributor (hereinafter the term "showerhead" will be understood to refer to a showerhead and other gas distributors that can be used to distribute process gases within a semiconductor processing chamber). Such a showerhead may have a plurality of gas distribution ports distributed along its bottom.

[0038] In many of these showerheads, the gas distribution ports are holes machined directly into the bottom surface of the showerhead, thereby providing the showerhead with a flat or smooth bottom surface with a plurality of holes therethrough.

[0039] However, other types of showerheads may be designed with removable nozzle inserts that are threaded into threaded holes in the showerhead. In this case, the showerhead itself may have at least some of its gas distribution ports terminate in a larger threaded hole that is not sized to provide the desired gas delivery profile. Such a showerhead may have multiple threaded nozzle inserts that are threaded into these threaded holes prior to use. The use of threaded nozzle inserts may increase the cost of manufacturing such a showerhead because each threaded hole requires multiple machining steps compared to one or two drilling operations for gas distribution port nozzles that are directly machined into the showerhead. Since the inserts themselves must be machined and then installed, more expense is incurred. However, the use of threaded nozzle inserts also has several significant advantages. For example, such threaded nozzle inserts are removable and can therefore be easily replaced, for example, if the nozzle becomes partially blocked due to accumulation of deposition byproducts or becomes enlarged due to exposure to etchants. In addition, for showerheads with gas distribution holes drilled directly into the showerhead, one or more of such gas distribution holes may be too large, for example, out of tolerance. If threaded nozzle inserts are used, any threaded nozzle insert that is out of tolerance can simply be replaced with a new threaded nozzle insert. This approach avoids the situation where an entire sprinkler assembly may need to be scrapped due to out of tolerance.

[0040] Threaded nozzle inserts have been used in semiconductor processing systems in the past, but typically in the case of nozzles with outlet orifices that are significantly offset from the bottom of the showerhead. For example, such threaded nozzle inserts may protrude more than 0.5", such as 0.75", from the bottom surface of the showerhead to provide a separation distance between the bottom surface of the showerhead and the plane where the nozzle outlet orifice is located. In contrast, the present threaded nozzle insert can be relatively low profile, protruding a small amount, such as between 0.03" and 0.2", from the bottom of the showerhead. This allows the threaded nozzle insert to protrude into the space below the showerhead by a minimal amount, while still being able to be connected to a wrench or other tool that can be used to tighten or loosen the threaded interface of the threaded nozzle insert.

[0041] Figures 1 to 9 Various views of examples of threaded nozzle inserts are depicted. Figure 1 An isometric view of an example of a threaded nozzle insert for a semiconductor processing tool showerhead is depicted. Figure 2-5 Provided Figure 1 Front, rear, right and left views of the threaded nozzle insert, and Figure 6 and Figure 7 Described separately Figure 1 Top and bottom views of a threaded nozzle insert. Figure 8 Describes Figure 1 The threaded nozzle insert along Figure 6 The cross-sectional view shown in the hatching line is Fig. 9 Describes Figure 8 Detail of the circled area.

[0042] like Figures 1 to 9 , a threaded nozzle insert 100 is described. The threaded nozzle insert 100 may have a head portion 102 and a shaft portion 104. The head portion 102 may have a first surface 106, which is designed to face the semiconductor wafer when the threaded nozzle insert 100 is installed in a showerhead and used to deliver process gases to the semiconductor wafer. The threaded nozzle insert 100 may also have a second surface 108 that is parallel to the first surface 106 and has substantially the same size and shape as the first surface 106. Therefore, the first surface 106 and the second surface 108 may actually be end caps of a prismatic solid, such as a prismatic solid that is generally hexagonal. As described above, the thickness of the head portion 102, such as the distance between the first surface 106 and the second surface 108, may be relatively thin, such as less than 0.2". In some cases, the distance may be between 0.03" and 0.2".

[0043] The threaded nozzle insert may also include a plurality of side surfaces 110 interposed between the first face surface 106 and the second face surface 108, for example, generally spanning between the first surface 106 and the second surface 108. In certain embodiments, there may be six side surfaces 110 defining a generally hexagonal shape, but other embodiments may have other numbers of side surfaces 110, such as four, five, seven, or more side surfaces 110. For example, the side surfaces 110 may define the sides of a regular polygon, and in certain embodiments, may include at least two mutually parallel side surfaces 110. In certain embodiments, the side surfaces 110 may be planar in nature, i.e., flat. In certain other embodiments, the threaded nozzle insert 100 may also include a plurality of arcuate side surfaces 112. For example, each arcuate side surface 112 may be circumferentially interposed between a different pair of adjacent side surfaces 110. In certain such embodiments, the arcuate side surfaces 112 may have concentric and co-directional arcs. In certain embodiments, several sets of opposing side surfaces 110 may be spaced a certain distance apart, such as about 0.3" or 0.4". In some cases, the side 110 of the head 102 may intersect the first surface 106 and / or the second surface 108 at a chamfered and / or rounded edge. For example, the side 110 of the head 102 may intersect the first surface 106 at a rounded edge 128 and the second surface 108 at a chamfered edge 126. Such rounded transitions may prevent or reduce the potential generation of particulate contaminants that may cause defects on the wafer.

[0044] The shaft portion 104 can extend outwardly from the second surface 108, away from the first surface 106. The shaft portion 104 can have a first sub-portion 114 having threads 130 along its length to threadably connect the threaded nozzle insert into a threaded hole of the showerhead panel. For example, the threads 130 can be threads 130, such as 10-32 UNF threads. In certain embodiments, the shaft portion 104 can also include a second sub-portion 116. The second sub-portion 116 can be disposed between the first sub-portion 114 and the second surface 108, and can have no threads along its length. In certain such embodiments, for example, in such embodiments where the threads 130 are 10-32 UNF threads, the diameter of the second sub-portion 116 can be 0.15" or less.

[0045] In some embodiments, the shaft portion 104 may extend away from the second face surface 108 a distance between 0.2" and 0.3", such as approximately 0.25".

[0046] Regardless of the specific implementation, the threaded nozzle insert 100 may also include a gas distribution hole 118 extending through the threaded nozzle insert 100 in a direction perpendicular to the second surface 108, i.e., through the head portion 102 and through the shaft portion 104. The gas distribution hole 118 may be, for example, a circular hole having a first diameter 120 in an area between the first surface 106 and the second surface 108, which may be the smallest diameter of the gas distribution hole 118. In some cases, the portion of the gas distribution hole 118 having the first diameter 120 may transition to a larger second diameter 122 at a location within the threaded nozzle insert 100. For example, the gas distribution hole 118 may be the second diameter 122 when it exits the shaft portion 104. In certain embodiments, the first diameter may be between 0.005" and 0.03", and the second diameter (if present) may be between about 0.02" and 0.14". For example, such a transition may be achieved by a tapered intermediate surface between two differently sized portions of the gas distribution hole 118. In certain embodiments, the gas distribution holes 118 may have chamfered edges where they exit from the first surface 106 .

[0047] In some embodiments, the threaded nozzle insert 100 may have a rounded or arcuate transition 124 where the shaft portion 104 intersects the second surface 108. In certain such embodiments, the transition 124 may be arcuate with a radius of 0.05" or less.

[0048] It will be appreciated that the second surface 108 is large enough to contact and compress the planar bottom surface of the showerhead to which the threaded nozzle insert is to be threadedly connected, thereby effectively sealing the threaded interface between the threaded nozzle insert and the showerhead from contact with process gases, which may generate particles when interacting with sharp edges (such as the sharp edges of the threads).

[0049] The threaded nozzle inserts discussed herein can be machined from any suitable material, for example, a material that is chemically compatible with the process gas to be flowed therethrough and that can withstand the process conditions, such as temperature, expected to be reached during semiconductor processing operations. For example, the threaded nozzle insert can be made of a material such as an aluminum alloy, such as 6061-T6 aluminum alloy. In other embodiments, the threaded nozzle insert can be made of a ceramic, such as alumina.

[0050] Particulate contamination can be particularly reduced when threaded nozzle inserts, such as those discussed herein, are used in showerheads for certain semiconductor processes. For example, a 98% reduction in particulate contamination on processed wafers was observed for a given total deposition volume when using a longer nozzle insert that is greater than 0.5" in length to provide a similar total deposition volume.

[0051] It will be appreciated that threaded nozzle inserts, such as threaded nozzle insert 100, may also be provided in a variety of forms. Threaded nozzle insert 100 has a hexagonal head that can be tightened into place using a box wrench. However, this arrangement causes the head of the threaded nozzle insert to protrude from the first side of the showerhead. Although this protrusion is relatively small, it is still preferable to use a threaded nozzle insert that is flush with the first side of the showerhead, or at least has a smaller profile than threaded nozzle insert 100.

[0052] Fig. 10A and 10B An isometric view and a cross-sectional view of the threaded nozzle insert are depicted, respectively. It can be seen that the threaded nozzle insert 1000 does not have a hexagonal head, but rather a round head. The threaded hole on the showerhead into which the threaded nozzle insert 1000 is screwed may have a reverse hole feature (e.g., Fig. 10B ), allowing the threaded nozzle insert 1000 to be screwed into the showerhead so that the top surface of the head is flush or nearly flush with the first side of the showerhead. The threaded nozzle insert 1000 also includes a pair of spaced apart wrench drive holes located on the top surface of the head on either side of the gas distribution port extending through the threaded nozzle insert 1000. Such wrench drive holes allow the threaded nozzle insert 1000 to be tightened into place (or removed from the showerhead) during installation using, for example, a wrench screwdriver or a wrench driver.

[0053] Fig.11A and 11B Also depicted are an isometric view and a cross-sectional view, respectively, of another example of such a threaded nozzle insert. Threaded nozzle insert 1100 is similar to threaded nozzle insert 1000, but threaded nozzle insert 1100 has a hexagonal recess in the middle that is sized to accommodate a hexagonal or Allen wrench, thereby enabling threaded nozzle insert 1100 to be tightened during installation, rather than the wrench drive hole used in threaded nozzle insert 1000. Threaded nozzle insert 1100, like threaded nozzle insert 1000, can be installed flush with a first side of a showerhead, thereby providing a smoother / flatter bottom surface of the showerhead.

[0054] Semiconductor processing tools can be controlled using a controller that can be programmed to control various processes or parameters, such as the delivery of process gases, temperature settings (e.g., heating and / or cooling), pressure settings, vacuum settings, power settings, radio frequency (RF) generator settings, RF matching circuit settings, frequency settings, flow rate settings, fluid delivery settings, position and operation settings, wafer transfer into and out of a chamber. Where a controller is used with the threaded nozzle insert disclosed herein, such a controller can control various valves that can be actuated to allow process gases to flow through the threaded nozzle insert, for example, through a showerhead in which the threaded nozzle insert is installed.

[0055] In a broad sense, a controller can be defined as an electronic device with various integrated circuits, logic, memory and / or software that receives instructions, issues instructions, controls operations, enables cleaning operations, enables endpoint measurements, etc. The integrated circuits may include chips in the form of firmware that stores program instructions, digital signal processors (DSPs), chips defined as application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), and / or one or more microprocessors or microcontrollers that execute program instructions (such as software). Program instructions can be instructions communicated to the controller in the form of various individual settings (or program files) that define operating parameters for performing a specific process on a semiconductor wafer or system. In some examples, the operating parameters can be part of a recipe defined by a process engineer to complete one or more processing steps when manufacturing one or more layers, materials, metals, oxides, silicon, silicon dioxide, surfaces, circuits, and / or chips of a wafer.

[0056] In some embodiments, the controller may be part of or coupled to a computer, or a combination of both, that is integrated with the system, coupled to the system, or otherwise networked with the system. For example, the controller may be located in the "cloud" or may be all or part of a fab host computer system, such that remote access to wafer processing is enabled. In the case of a controller used with a semiconductor processing system, the computer may enable remote access to the system to monitor the current progress of a manufacturing operation, examine the history of past manufacturing operations, examine trends or performance indicators from multiple manufacturing operations, change parameters of a current process, set processing steps to follow up on a current process, or initiate a new process. In some examples, a remote computer (such as a server) may provide a process recipe to the system over a network, which may include a local network or the Internet. The remote computer may include a user interface for inputting or programming parameters and / or settings, which are then transmitted from the remote computer to the system. In some examples, the controller receives instructions in the form of data that specify parameters for each processing step to be performed during one or more operations. It should be understood that these parameters may be related to the type of process to be performed and the type of tool that the controller is configured to interface or control. Thus, as described above, the controller may be distributed, such as consisting of one or more discrete controllers that are networked together and work for a common purpose, such as the processes and controls described herein. An example of a distributed controller for such a purpose is one or more integrated circuits on a chamber communicating with one or more integrated circuits located remotely (e.g., at the platform level or as part of a remote computer) to jointly control the process on the chamber.

[0057] Without limitation, example threaded nozzle inserts according to the present disclosure may be installed in or a portion of a semiconductor processing tool having a plasma etch chamber or module, a deposition chamber or module, a spin rinse chamber or module, a metal plating chamber or module, a cleaning chamber or module, a bevel etch chamber or module, a physical vapor deposition (PVD) chamber or module, a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) chamber or module, an atomic layer deposition (ALD) chamber or module, an atomic layer etch (ALE) chamber or module, an ion implantation chamber or module, a track chamber or module, and any other semiconductor processing system that may be associated with or used for semiconductor wafer fabrication and / or production.

[0058] As described above, depending on the process step or steps to be performed by the tool, the controller may communicate with one or more of other tool circuits or modules, other tool components, cluster tools, other tool interfaces, adjacent tools, neighboring tools, tools located throughout the facility, a host computer, another controller, or tools for material transport that bring wafer containers into and out of tool locations and / or load ports in a semiconductor manufacturing facility.

[0059] In the present disclosure and claims, if ordinal indicators are used, such as (a), (b), (c)... or (1), (2), (3)... or similar indicators, it should be understood that they do not indicate any particular order or sequence unless such order or sequence is explicitly indicated. For example, if there are three steps labeled (i), (ii) and (iii), it should be understood that unless otherwise specified, these steps can be performed in any order (or even simultaneously if there are no other taboos). For example, if step (ii) involves processing the elements created in step (i), then step (ii) can be considered to occur at a point in time after step (i). Similarly, if step (i) involves processing the elements created in step (ii), it should be understood in reverse. It should also be understood that the ordinal indicator "first" used herein, such as "the first item", should not be understood to imply or inherently imply that there must be a "second" instance, such as "the second item".

[0060] It should be understood that the phrase "for each <item> in one or more <items>", "each <item> in one or more <items>", or similar phrases, if used herein, include both single groups of items and multiple groups of items, i.e., the phrase "for each of..." is used in the sense used in programming languages ​​to refer to each item in any group of items. For example, if the group of items referenced is a single item, then "each" will refer only to that single item (although the dictionary definition of "each" generally means "each of two or more things"), and does not mean that there must be at least two of those items. Similarly, the term "set" or "subset" itself does not necessarily include multiple items - it is understood that a set or subset can contain just one member or multiple members (unless the context indicates otherwise).

[0061] The term "between" as used herein, when used with a numerical range, is to be understood to include the starting and ending values ​​of the range unless otherwise specified. For example, between 1 and 5 is to be understood to include the numbers 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5, not just the numbers 2, 3, and 4.

[0062] It should be understood that the examples and embodiments described herein are for illustrative purposes only, and that various modifications or changes may be made by those skilled in the art based on these examples and embodiments. Although various details have been omitted for clarity, various design alternatives may still be implemented. Therefore, this example should be considered illustrative rather than restrictive, and the present disclosure is not limited to the details given herein, but may be modified within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0063] It should be understood that the above disclosure, while focused on one or more exemplary embodiments, is not limited to the examples discussed, but is also applicable to similar variations and mechanisms, and such similar variations and mechanisms are also considered to be within the scope of the present disclosure.

Claims

1. A plug-in device, comprising: a head, wherein the head has a first surface and a second surface parallel to the first surface, and the second surface has an outer periphery substantially the same size and shape as an outer periphery of the first surface; a shaft portion extending from the second surface, wherein: a first subsection of the shaft portion being threaded along its length and having a diameter less than a maximum dimension of the second surface, and A gas distribution hole passes through the head portion and the shaft portion and extends in a direction perpendicular to the second surface.

2. The insert device of claim 1, wherein the gas distribution hole has a first diameter at at least one location between the first surface and the second surface and has a second diameter greater than the first diameter where the gas distribution hole exits from the shaft portion.

3. The insert device of claim 2, wherein the first diameter is between 0.005" and 0.03".

4. The insert device of claim 3, wherein the second diameter is between 0.02" and 0.14".

5. The plug-in device of claim 4, wherein the first subsection of the shaft portion is threaded with a 10-32 thread.

6. The plug device of claim 5, wherein a second subsection of the shaft portion between the first subsection and the second surface of the shaft portion has a diameter of 0.15" or less.

7. The plug device of claim 5, wherein a transition radius between the shaft portion and the head portion is 0.05" or less.

8. The plug-in device of claim 7, wherein the distance between the first surface and the second surface is between 0.03" and 0.2".

9. The plug device of claim 8, wherein the shaft portion extends between 0.2" and 0.3" from the second surface.

10. The plug-in device according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the head further comprises at least two side surfaces located between the first surface and the second surface.

11. The plug-in device of claim 10, wherein the perimeter of the first and second surfaces is generally hexagonal and has at least six sides, each side extending between straight sides of the perimeter of the first and second surfaces.

12. The insert device of claim 11, wherein the second surface intersects the six side surfaces at a chamfered edge.

13. The plug-in device of claim 12, wherein the first surface intersects the six side surfaces at rounded edges.

14. The plug-in device according to claim 11, further comprising six arcuate side surfaces, each arcuate side surface being located between two of the six side surfaces and each arcuate side surface being concentric and having the same diameter as the other arcuate side surfaces.

15. The plug-in device according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the head portion and the shaft portion are made of aluminum alloy or ceramic.

16. The plug-in device of claim 15, wherein the head portion and the shaft portion are made of 6061-T6 aluminum alloy.

17. An insert device according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the first surface of the head includes two wrench drive holes extending into the head and is positioned such that the gas distribution hole is located between the two wrench drive holes.

18. The insert device of claim 17, wherein the wrench drive hole is larger than the gas distribution hole and does not intersect the gas distribution hole.

19. The plug device according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the first surface of the head includes a hexagonal groove extending into the head.

20. The plug-in device of claim 19, wherein the hexagonal groove is centered on the gas distribution hole, and one end of the gas distribution hole terminates at a bottom of the hexagonal groove.

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