Spraying structure and coating equipment

Abstract

The utility model discloses a spraying structure and coating equipment, and belongs to the technical field of atomic layer deposition equipment. The spraying structure comprises an inner spraying plate and an outer spraying plate which are stacked, the inner spraying plate is provided with a plurality of first nozzles, the outer spraying plate is provided with a plurality of second nozzles, the diameter of the first nozzles is smaller than that of the second nozzles, and the first nozzles are arranged towards the outer spraying plate; in the stacking direction, the second nozzle exposes the first nozzle. According to the spraying structure, the precursor passing through the first spraying opening can pass through the second spraying opening more smoothly, the precursor can enter the film coating cavity conveniently, the situation that a thin film generated by reaction of the precursor is attached to the periphery of the second spraying opening is reduced, the structure of the double-layer spraying plate is adopted, rapid installation and replacement can be achieved, the maintenance time is shortened, and the equipment productivity is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application belongs to the technical field of atomic layer deposition equipment, and particularly relates to a spraying structure and a coating device. Background Art

[0002] When an ALD (Atomic Layer Deposition) device coats a film, process powder alumina is likely to deposit on the surface of the spraying plate, blocking the spray nozzles of the spraying plate, resulting in uneven film deposition thickness on the silicon wafer in the process chamber, causing the surface of the silicon wafer to turn red and affecting the appearance. Even worse, trimethylaluminum cannot enter the chamber to react with water to form alumina and adhere to the silicon wafer, affecting the efficiency of the alumina deposition step on the silicon wafer. It is necessary to regularly stop the machine to clean the attached alumina on the spraying plate, which has a high maintenance cost, a long maintenance time, and consumes production capacity. Content of the Utility Model

[0003] This application aims to solve at least one of the technical problems existing in the prior art. For this purpose, this application provides a spraying structure and a coating device, which facilitate the precursor to enter the coating chamber, reduce the film generated by the reaction of the precursor from adhering around the second spray hole, and adopt a double-layer spraying plate structure, which can be quickly installed and replaced, reduce the maintenance time, and improve the production capacity of the device.

[0004] In a first aspect, this application provides a spraying structure, including: an inner spraying plate and an outer spraying plate stacked on top of each other. The inner spraying plate is provided with a plurality of first spray holes, and the outer spraying plate is provided with a plurality of second spray holes. The diameter of the first spray hole is smaller than that of the second spray hole, and the first spray hole is arranged facing the outer spraying plate;

[0005] In the stacking direction, the second spray hole exposes the first spray hole.

[0006] According to the spraying structure of this application, during the film coating process of the substrate, the precursor passes through the first spray hole and the second spray hole in sequence. The diameter of the second spray hole is larger than that of the first spray hole and the second spray hole exposes the first spray hole, preventing the precursor passing through the first spray hole from adhering around the second spray hole, thereby reducing the film generated by the reaction of the precursor from adhering around the second spray hole. Moreover, adopting a double-layer spraying plate structure can be quickly installed and replaced, reduce the maintenance time, and improve the production capacity of the device.

[0007] According to an embodiment of this application, the inner spraying plate is provided with a plurality of first vacuum ports, and the outer spraying plate is provided with a plurality of second vacuum ports. The first vacuum ports and the second vacuum ports are strip-shaped.

[0008] According to an embodiment of this application, in the stacking direction, the centers of the first spray hole and the second spray hole are aligned, and the centers of the first vacuum port and the second vacuum port are aligned.

[0009] According to an embodiment of the present application, the spray nozzles on the inner spray plate and the outer spray plate are arranged in an array, and a plurality of vacuum holes are arranged in the row direction on both sides of the spray nozzle array in the row direction and between adjacent two columns of spray nozzles.

[0010] According to an embodiment of the present application, the outer spray plate is coated with an anti-adhesion coating, and the anti-adhesion coating covers at least the periphery of the second spray nozzle.

[0011] According to an embodiment of the present application, the inner spray plate is coated with an anti-adhesion coating, and the anti-adhesion coating covers at least the periphery of the first spray nozzle.

[0012] According to an embodiment of the present application, the material of the anti-adhesion coating includes polytetrafluoroethylene.

[0013] According to an embodiment of the present application, the connection between the inner spray plate and the outer spray plate is detachable.

[0014] In a second aspect, the present application provides a coating device, which includes a coating chamber, and the aforementioned spray structure is arranged in the coating chamber.

[0015] According to the coating device of the present application, during the coating process, trimethylaluminum and water sequentially pass through the first spray nozzle and the second spray nozzle in the spray structure. The diameter of the second spray nozzle is larger than that of the first spray nozzle and the second spray nozzle exposes the first spray nozzle, preventing the trimethylaluminum and water passing through the first spray nozzle from adhering around the second spray nozzle, thereby reducing the adhesion of alumina generated by the reaction of trimethylaluminum and water around the second spray nozzle. Moreover, the structure of the double-layer spray plate can be quickly installed and replaced, reducing the maintenance time and improving the equipment productivity.

[0016] According to an embodiment of the present application, the coating device includes a feeding chamber, a heating chamber, a first process chamber, a second process chamber and a discharging chamber connected in sequence. The first process chamber and the second process chamber are configured as coating chambers, and the coating chamber is further provided with a feeding device, and the feeding device is connected to the spray structure for conveying trimethylaluminum and water to the spray structure.

[0017] The additional aspects and advantages of the present application will be partially given in the following description, partially become obvious from the following description, or be understood through the practice of the present application. Description of the Drawings

[0018] The above and / or additional aspects and advantages of the present application will become obvious and easy to understand from the description of the embodiments in conjunction with the following drawings, wherein:

[0019] Figure 1 is a schematic structural diagram of the spray structure provided by the embodiment of the present application;

[0020] Figure 2 is a schematic structural diagram of the inner spray plate provided by the embodiment of the present application;

[0021] Figure 3 It is a schematic structural diagram of the external spray plate provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0022] Figure 4 It is a schematic structural diagram of the coating equipment provided by an embodiment of the present application.

[0023] Reference numerals:

[0024] Internal spray plate 1, first spray orifice 11, first vacuum port 12, external spray plate 2, second spray orifice 21, second vacuum port 22, feed chamber 100, heating chamber 200, coating chamber 300, first process chamber 310, second process chamber 320, discharge chamber 400. Detailed implementation manners

[0025] The embodiments of the present application will be described in detail below. Examples of the embodiments are shown in the drawings, where the same or similar reference numerals denote the same or similar elements or elements having the same or similar functions throughout. The embodiments described by referring to the drawings below are exemplary and are only used to explain the present application and should not be construed as a limitation to the present application.

[0026] The following description relates to elements or components that are "connected" or "coupled" together. As used herein, "connected" may mean that one element / component is mechanically coupled to (or directly communicates with) another element / component, and not necessarily directly. Similarly, "coupled" may mean that one element / component is directly or indirectly coupled to (or directly or indirectly communicates with) another element / component, and does not have to be mechanical. However, it should be understood that although in one embodiment, two elements are described as "connected" below, in an alternative embodiment, similar elements may be "coupled", and vice versa. Therefore, although the schematic diagrams shown herein depict an exemplary arrangement of elements, additional intermediate elements, devices, components, or members may still exist in an actual embodiment.

[0027] In the atomic layer deposition equipment, trimethylaluminum and water are sprayed into the process chamber through the spray orifices of the spray plate. At a high temperature of 260 °C, trimethylaluminum and water react to form aluminum oxide, and an aluminum oxide film is coated on the surface of the silicon wafer.

[0028] During the coating process of the atomic layer deposition equipment, process powder aluminum oxide is likely to deposit on the surface of the spray plate, clogging the spray orifices of the spray plate, resulting in uneven film deposition thickness on the silicon wafer in the process chamber, causing the surface of the silicon wafer to turn red and affecting the appearance. Even worse, trimethylaluminum cannot enter the chamber to react with water to form aluminum oxide and adhere to the silicon wafer, affecting the efficiency of the aluminum oxide deposition step on the silicon wafer. It is necessary to regularly stop the machine to clean the attached aluminum oxide on the spray plate, which has a high maintenance cost, a long maintenance time, and consumes production capacity.

[0029] Refer toFigures 1 to 3 , an embodiment of the present application provides a spraying structure, including: an inner spraying plate 1 and an outer spraying plate 2 arranged in a stacked manner. The inner spraying plate 1 is provided with a plurality of first nozzles 11, and the outer spraying plate 2 is provided with a plurality of second nozzles 21. The diameter of the first nozzle 11 is smaller than that of the second nozzle 21, and the first nozzle 11 is arranged facing the outer spraying plate 2; in the stacking direction, the second nozzle 21 exposes the first nozzle 11.

[0030] The coating equipment includes a coating chamber 300. The outer spraying plate 2 and the inner spraying plate 1 are sequentially arranged at the top of the coating chamber 300, and the inner spraying plate 1 is arranged on the side of the outer spraying plate 2 away from the bottom of the coating chamber 300. A certain distance is provided between the inner spraying plate 1 and the outer spraying plate 2.

[0031] The materials of the inner spraying plate 1 and the outer spraying plate 2 can be selected according to the actual application scenario and are not limited here. For example, the inner spraying plate 1 and the outer spraying plate 2 can be made of steel or stainless steel, etc.

[0032] The first nozzle 11 is arranged facing the outer spraying plate 2, so that the fluid ejected from the first nozzle 11 can directly impact the outer spraying plate 2, and then secondary spraying is performed through the second nozzle 21.

[0033] The diameter of the first nozzle 11 is smaller than that of the second nozzle 21, and the second nozzle 21 exposes the first nozzle 11, that is, the first nozzle 11 on the inner spraying plate 1 can be seen from the side of the outer spraying plate 2 away from the inner spraying plate 1 through the second nozzle 21 on the outer spraying plate 2, so that the fluid ejected from the first nozzle 11 can smoothly pass through the second nozzle 21.

[0034] The diameters and numbers of the first nozzle 11 and the second nozzle 21 can be selected according to the actual application scenario, as long as it is ensured that the diameter of the first nozzle 11 is smaller than that of the second nozzle 21, and the number of the first nozzles 11 is less than or equal to the number of the second nozzles 21. Specific limitations are not provided here.

[0035] As an example, the inner spraying plate 1 is provided with 10 first nozzles 11 with a diameter of 1 mm; the outer spraying plate 2 is provided with 10 second nozzles 21 with a diameter of 2 mm. The first nozzles 11 are evenly distributed on the inner spraying plate 1, and the second nozzles 21 are also evenly distributed on the outer spraying plate 2.

[0036] This text is illustrated by taking the process of depositing aluminum oxide on a silicon wafer using a coating device as an example. Trimethylaluminum and water enter the coating chamber 300 through the first nozzle 11 on the inner spray plate 1 and the second nozzle 21 on the outer spray plate 2 in sequence. Since the diameter of the first nozzle 11 is smaller than that of the second nozzle 21, and the second nozzle 21 exposes the first nozzle 11, the trimethylaluminum and water sprayed from the first nozzle 11 towards the outer spray plate 2 can smoothly pass through the second nozzle 21 and enter the coating chamber 300, reducing the attachment of aluminum oxide generated by the reaction of trimethylaluminum and water on the outer spray plate 2.

[0037] According to the spray structure of the present application, during the coating process of the substrate, the precursor passes through the first nozzle 11 and the second nozzle 21 in sequence. The diameter of the second nozzle 21 is larger than that of the first nozzle 11 and the second nozzle 21 exposes the first nozzle 11, preventing the precursor passing through the first nozzle 11 from adhering around the second nozzle 21, thereby reducing the attachment of the film generated by the reaction of the precursor around the second nozzle 21. Moreover, the structure of the double-layer spray plate can be quickly installed and replaced, reducing the maintenance time and improving the equipment productivity.

[0038] Refer to Figure 2 and Figure 3 In some embodiments, the inner spray plate 1 is provided with a plurality of first vacuum ports 12, and the outer spray plate 2 is provided with a plurality of second vacuum ports 22. The first vacuum ports 12 and the second vacuum ports 22 are strip-shaped.

[0039] A high-vacuum environment is crucial for the coating process. In a vacuum environment, gas collisions can be reduced, the reaction temperature and pressure can be lowered, thereby improving the quality and efficiency of coating. Setting the first vacuum ports 12 and the second vacuum ports 22 can assist in exhausting the gas in the coating chamber 300 to make the inside of the coating chamber 300 reach the required vacuum degree.

[0040] The number of the first vacuum ports 12 and the second vacuum ports 22 can be the same or different. The specific number of the first vacuum ports 12 and the second vacuum ports 22 can be selected according to the actual application scenario and is not limited herein. As an example, the number of the first vacuum ports 12 is 15, and the number of the second vacuum ports 22 is also 15.

[0041] The first vacuum ports 12 and the second vacuum ports 22 are strip-shaped, which helps to achieve a more uniform air flow distribution. When the air flow passes through the strip-shaped vacuum ports, its induction rate is high, and the temperature can rapidly drop, thereby optimizing the temperature control during the coating process.

[0042] In some embodiments, in the stacking direction, the centers of the first nozzle 11 and the second nozzle 21 are aligned, and the centers of the first vacuum ports 12 and the second vacuum ports 22 are aligned.

[0043] The first nozzle 11 and the second nozzle 21 are arranged with their centers aligned, that is, the centers of the first nozzle 11 and the second nozzle 21 are aligned on the same vertical axis, so that trimethylaluminum and water ejected from the first nozzle 11 can pass through the second nozzle 21 more accurately, rather than being dissipated around the second nozzle 21, optimizing the spraying efficiency and reducing the adhesion of the aluminum oxide film generated by the reaction of trimethylaluminum and water on the outer spraying plate 2.

[0044] In some embodiments, the nozzles on the inner spraying plate 1 and the outer spraying plate 2 are arranged in an array, and a plurality of vacuum holes are arranged along the row direction on both sides of the nozzle array in the row direction and between adjacent two columns of nozzles.

[0045] The arrangement of the nozzles in an array can ensure the uniform distribution of trimethylaluminum and water sprayed in the coating chamber 300, thereby obtaining a more uniform coating effect. In addition, the array arrangement enables each nozzle to cover a certain area, avoiding dead corners or overlaps in spraying, and further improving the uniformity of spraying.

[0046] The vacuum holes are strip-shaped, extend along the column direction and are arranged along the row direction. The vacuum holes are arranged on both sides of the nozzle array in the row direction and between adjacent two columns of nozzles, which can timely recover the excess liquid or gas generated during the spraying process and prevent them from staying on the coating surface and affecting the coating quality.

[0047] In some embodiments, the outer spraying plate 2 is coated with an anti-adhesion coating, and the anti-adhesion coating covers at least the periphery of the second nozzle 21.

[0048] The anti-adhesion coating usually has high temperature resistance, corrosion resistance and non-adhesion properties, and can play an insulating role. The anti-adhesion coating covers at least the periphery of the second nozzle 21, avoiding the adhesion of the aluminum oxide film generated by the reaction of trimethylaluminum and water to the periphery of the second nozzle 21 on the outer spraying plate 2 and causing blockage of the second nozzle 21.

[0049] In some embodiments, the inner spraying plate 1 is coated with an anti-adhesion coating, and the anti-adhesion coating covers at least the periphery of the first nozzle 11.

[0050] The anti-adhesion coating usually has high temperature resistance, corrosion resistance and non-adhesion properties. Coating the periphery of the first nozzle 11 with the anti-adhesion coating can play an insulating role, avoiding the adhesion of the aluminum oxide film generated by the reaction of trimethylaluminum and water to the periphery of the first nozzle 11 on the inner spraying plate 1 and causing blockage of the first nozzle 11.

[0051] In some other embodiments, the entire surfaces of the inner spraying plate 1 and the outer spraying plate 2 are coated with an anti-adhesion coating, which can better isolate trimethylaluminum and water from the surfaces of the inner spraying plate 1 and the outer spraying plate 2, avoiding the adhesion of the generated aluminum oxide film to the surfaces of the inner spraying plate 1 and the outer spraying plate 2.

[0052] In some embodiments, the material of the anti - adhesion coating includes polytetrafluoroethylene.

[0053] Polytetrafluoroethylene shows inertness to most chemicals and solvents, and can resist strong acids, strong bases, water and various organic solvents. Therefore, it can well isolate trimethylaluminum and water from the surfaces of the inner spray plate 1 and the outer spray plate 2. In addition, polytetrafluoroethylene has good high - temperature resistance. The reaction of trimethylaluminum and water to form alumina needs to be carried out at a high temperature of 260 °C. The high - temperature resistance of polytetrafluoroethylene enables the spray plate to work normally under high - temperature conditions and will not be thermally damaged.

[0054] In some embodiments, the connection between the inner spray plate 1 and the outer spray plate 2 is detachable.

[0055] The inner spray plate 1 and the outer spray plate 2 adopt a connection method that is convenient for disassembly, which can be quickly installed and replaced, reducing maintenance time and improving equipment productivity.

[0056] An embodiment of the present application provides a coating device, which includes a coating chamber 300, and the aforementioned spray structure is arranged in the coating chamber 300.

[0057] The spray structure is arranged at the top of the coating chamber 300, mainly for evenly spraying the reactants for preparing the thin film into the coating chamber 300 to form a thin film uniformly covering the surface of the substrate. The specific structure and principle of the spray structure can refer to the foregoing embodiments and will not be elaborated here.

[0058] According to the coating device of the present application, during the coating process of the substrate, trimethylaluminum and water pass through the first nozzle 11 and the second nozzle 21 in sequence. The diameter of the second nozzle 21 is smaller than that of the first nozzle 11 and the second nozzle 21 exposes the first nozzle 11, preventing the trimethylaluminum and water passing through the first nozzle 11 from adhering around the second nozzle 21, thereby reducing the alumina generated by the reaction of trimethylaluminum and water from adhering around the second nozzle 21. Moreover, the structure of the double - layer spray plate can be quickly installed and replaced, reducing maintenance time and improving equipment productivity.

[0059] Refer to Figure 4 , in some embodiments, the coating device includes a feeding chamber 100, a heating chamber 200, a first process chamber 310, a second process chamber 320 and a discharging chamber 400 connected in sequence. The first process chamber 310 and the second process chamber 320 are configured as the coating chamber 300. The coating chamber 300 is also provided with a feeding device, and the feeding device is connected to the spray structure for conveying trimethylaluminum and water to the spray structure.

[0060] The feeding chamber 100 is mainly used for loading the substrate to be processed.

[0061] The main function of the heating chamber 200 is to heat the substrate to the temperature required for film coating. Heating can enhance the reaction rate and adsorption ability, making the film deposition more uniform. The heating chamber 200 is usually equipped with heating elements inside, such as resistance wires or heating plates. By controlling the power and temperature of the heating elements, precise control of the substrate temperature can be achieved.

[0062] The first process chamber 310 and the second process chamber 320 are configured as a coating chamber 300 for performing specific coating processes, such as physical vapor deposition or chemical vapor deposition, etc. Inside the first process chamber 310, the required materials are deposited on the substrate through sputtering, evaporation, or chemical reactions to form a thin film.

[0063] The spraying structure is arranged at the top of the coating chamber 300. The feeding device is connected to the spraying structure for delivering trimethylaluminum and water to the spraying structure. The spraying structure evenly sprays trimethylaluminum and water into the coating chamber 300, and trimethylaluminum and water react to generate an alumina thin film covering the surface of the substrate.

[0064] The discharging chamber is mainly used to unload the substrates that have completed film coating. Inside the discharging chamber, subsequent treatments such as cooling and cleaning of the substrates are usually carried out to ensure the quality and stability of the film coating. In addition, the discharging chamber can also be equipped with quality inspection devices for inspecting and evaluating the film coating quality.

[0065] The terms "first", "second", etc. in the description and claims of this application are used to distinguish similar objects and are not used to describe a specific order or sequence. It should be understood that such used data can be interchanged under appropriate circumstances so that the embodiments of this application can be implemented in an order other than those illustrated or described herein, and the objects distinguished by "first", "second", etc. are usually of the same category and do not limit the number of objects. For example, the first object can be one or multiple. In addition, "and / or" in the description and claims means at least one of the connected objects, and the character " / ", generally represents an "or" relationship between the associated objects before and after.

[0066] In the description of this application, it should be understood that the orientation or positional relationship indicated by the terms "center", "longitudinal", "transverse", "length", "width", "thickness", "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", "clockwise", "counterclockwise", "axial", "radial", "circumferential", etc. is based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the drawings, and is only for the convenience of describing this application and simplifying the description, rather than indicating or implying that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as a limitation to this application.

[0067] In the description of the present application, the first feature being "above" or "below" the second feature may include direct contact between the first and second features, or may include the first and second features not being in direct contact but in contact through additional features therebetween.

[0068] In the description of the present application, the first feature being "above", "over" and "on top of" the second feature includes the first feature being directly above and obliquely above the second feature, or merely indicating that the horizontal height of the first feature is higher than that of the second feature.

[0069] In the description of this specification, the description of reference terms such as "an embodiment", "some embodiments", "illustrative embodiments", "examples", "specific examples", or "some examples", etc. means that the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described in connection with the embodiment or example are included in at least one embodiment or example of the present application. In this specification, the schematic representations of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Moreover, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described may be combined in any one or more embodiments or examples in a suitable manner.

[0070] Although the embodiments of the present application have been shown and described, those of ordinary skill in the art can understand that various changes, modifications, substitutions, and variations can be made to these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the present application, and the scope of the present application is defined by the claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A spray structure, characterized in that: It comprises a stacked inner spray plate and an outer spray plate, wherein the inner spray plate is provided with a plurality of first nozzles, and the outer spray plate is provided with a plurality of second nozzles, wherein the diameter of the first nozzles is smaller than the diameter of the second nozzles, and the first nozzles are arranged toward the outer spray plate; In the stacking direction, the second nozzle exposes the first nozzle.

2. The spray structure according to claim 1, characterized in that: The inner spray plate is provided with a plurality of first vacuum ports, and the outer spray plate is provided with a plurality of second vacuum ports, and the first vacuum ports and the second vacuum ports are in strip shape.

3. The spray structure according to claim 2, characterized in that: In the stacking direction, the first nozzle and the second nozzle are arranged with their centers aligned, and the first vacuum port and the second vacuum port are arranged with their centers aligned.

4. The spray structure according to claim 3, characterized in that: The nozzles on the inner spray plate and the outer spray plate are arranged in an array, and a plurality of vacuum holes arranged along the row direction are provided on both sides of the nozzle array in the row direction and between two adjacent columns of nozzles.

5. The spray structure according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that: The outer spray plate is coated with an anti-adhesion coating, and the anti-adhesion coating at least covers the periphery of the second nozzle.

6. The spray structure according to claim 5, characterized in that: The inner spray plate is coated with an anti-adhesion coating, and the anti-adhesion coating at least covers the periphery of the first nozzle.

7. The spray structure according to claim 5, characterized in that: The material of the anti-adhesion coating includes polytetrafluoroethylene.

8. The spray structure according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that: The inner spray plate and the outer spray plate are detachably connected.

9. A coating device, characterized in that: The coating equipment comprises a coating chamber, in which a spray structure according to any one of claims 1 to 8 is arranged.

10. The coating device according to claim 9, characterized in that: The coating equipment includes a feed chamber, a heating chamber, a first process chamber, a second process chamber and a discharge chamber connected in sequence. The first process chamber and the second process chamber are configured to form the coating chamber. The coating chamber is also provided with a feeding device, which is connected to the spray structure and is used to transport trimethylaluminum and water to the spray structure.

Images