Process chamber and chemical vapor deposition equipment
By setting up a capacitive sensor on the periphery of the heater wafer load disk in the CVD process chamber, the position of the target wafer is monitored in real time, and the problems of uneven coating caused by the lack of real-time position monitoring in the prior art are solved, and the safety and reliability of the process are improved.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- CN202422232080.5
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Utility models(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2024-09-11
- Publication Date
- 2025-06-17
- Estimated Expiration
- 2034-09-11
AI Technical Summary
The existing CVD process chambers lack the ability to monitor the position of the wafer on the heater surface in real time, resulting in problems such as uneven coating, abnormal film thickness, scratches or debris during the deposition process.
A capacitive sensor is installed on the periphery of the preset processing area of the heater wafer disk working surface of the process chamber to monitor the position status of the target wafer in real time. When the target wafer position deviates, the capacitance value of the capacitor plate changes, causing the alarm to alarm, promptly reminding the operator or control system to pause the process steps.
By monitoring the position of the target wafer in real time, problems such as uneven coating, abnormal film thickness, scratches or fragments caused by position deviation are effectively avoided, the safety and reliability of the process are improved, equipment damage and material waste are reduced, and the quality and consistency of wafer processing are improved.
Smart Images
Figure CN222990213U_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] The present application relates to the field of semiconductor manufacturing technology, and in particular, to a process chamber and a chemical vapor deposition apparatus. Background Art
[0002] In the process of semiconductor manufacturing, the chemical vapor deposition (CVD) process is one of the key process steps for forming a thin film on the surface of a wafer. However, when a wafer enters the CVD process chamber, if the transfer device malfunctions, causing the wafer to deviate from the designated position on the surface of the heater (also known as out of pocket), a series of problems may occur.
[0003] However, currently, the CVD process chamber lacks the ability to monitor the position of the wafer on the surface of the heater in real time and cannot respond in a timely manner when the wafer deviates from its position. Therefore, problems such as uneven film coating and abnormal film thickness are likely to occur during the subsequent deposition process of the wafer, and even scratches or fragments may be generated on the surface of the wafer. This not only affects the process quality but may also cause serious damage to the wafer.
[0004] It should be noted that the information disclosed in the above background art section is only used to enhance the understanding of the background of the present application, and thus may include information that does not constitute the prior art known to those of ordinary skill in the art. Summary of the Utility Model
[0005] Based on this, the embodiments of the present application provide a process chamber and a chemical vapor deposition apparatus, which can realize real-time monitoring of the position of a target wafer in the process chamber, thereby effectively avoiding problems such as uneven film coating, abnormal film thickness, scratches, or fragments caused by position deviation of the target wafer.
[0006] According to some embodiments, on the one hand, the present application provides a process chamber, including:
[0007] A chamber body;
[0008] A heater wafer carrier disposed in the chamber body, and a preset processing area is defined on the working surface of the heater wafer carrier; the preset processing area is used to place a target wafer during the processing;
[0009] A capacitive sensor including at least a pair of capacitive plates; the capacitive plates are disposed on the working surface of the heater wafer carrier and on the outer periphery of the preset processing area;
[0010] An alarm connected to the capacitive plates for alarming when a capacitance change occurs in the capacitive plates.
[0011] In some embodiments, the capacitive sensor includes multiple pairs of capacitor plates, and the multiple pairs of capacitor plates are arranged at intervals along the outer periphery of the preset processing area.
[0012] In some embodiments, the multiple pairs of capacitor plates are evenly spaced along the outer periphery of the preset processing area.
[0013] In some embodiments, the capacitive sensor includes two pairs of capacitor plates, and the two pairs of capacitor plates are evenly spaced along the outer periphery of the preset processing area.
[0014] In some embodiments, the virtual connection line between the two capacitor plates in the first pair of capacitor plates is perpendicular to the virtual connection line between the two capacitor plates in the second pair of capacitor plates.
[0015] In some embodiments, the alarm is disposed outside the chamber body.
[0016] In some embodiments, the process chamber further includes: a controller connected to the capacitive sensor for sending a shutdown control signal when the capacitive sensor generates a capacitance change.
[0017] In some embodiments, the controller is disposed outside the chamber body.
[0018] According to some embodiments, on the one hand, the present application further provides a chemical vapor deposition apparatus, including the process chamber provided in any of the above embodiments.
[0019] In some embodiments, the chemical vapor deposition apparatus is configured to: shut down in response to the shutdown control signal.
[0020] It should be understood that the above general description and the following detailed description are only exemplary and explanatory, and cannot limit the present application.
[0021] The embodiments of the present application can / at least have the following advantages:
[0022] In the embodiments of the present application, a capacitive sensor is disposed on the outer periphery of a preset processing area on the working surface of a heater wafer carrier to real-time monitor the position state of a target wafer during the processing. When the position of the target wafer deviates from the preset processing area, the part of the target wafer exceeding the preset processing area will cause a change in the capacitance value of the capacitor plate, thereby causing a change in the capacitance voltage. In the embodiments of the present application, an alarm is connected to the capacitor plate, so that when the above capacitance change occurs in the capacitor plate, the alarm can give an alarm in time, realizing the real-time monitoring of the position of the target wafer in the process chamber. When the position of the target wafer in the process chamber deviates, the embodiments of the present application can timely remind the operator or the control system to pause the process step to prevent the target wafer from being further damaged.
[0023] Therefore, using the embodiments of the present application can effectively avoid problems such as uneven coating, abnormal film thickness, scratching or fragmentation of the target wafer caused by position deviation, significantly improve the safety and reliability of the process, reduce equipment damage and material waste, and at the same time improve the processing quality and consistency of the target wafer.
[0024] Other advantages, objects and features of the present application will be described to some extent in the subsequent specification, and to some extent, will be obvious to those skilled in the art based on the study of the following text, or can be taught from the practice of the present application. The objects and other advantages of the present application can be realized and obtained through the following specification. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0025] By reading the detailed description of the non-restrictive embodiments with reference to the following drawings, other features, objects and advantages of the present application will become more obvious.
[0026] Figure 1 FIG. is a schematic structural diagram of a process chamber provided for some embodiments of the present application.
[0027] DESCRIPTION OF THE REFERENCE NUMERALS
[0028] 101, chamber body; 102, heater wafer carrier; 102A, preset processing area; 103, capacitive sensor body; 103a, first capacitor plate; 103b, second capacitor plate; 103c, third capacitor plate; 103d, fourth capacitor plate; 201, spray head; 202, kit. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS
[0029] To make the technical objectives, technical solutions, and technical effects of this application clearer, the technical solutions in this application will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the embodiments. Obviously, the described embodiments are part of the embodiments of this application, rather than all of them. Usually, the components of the embodiments of this application described and shown in the drawings here can be arranged and designed in various different configurations.
[0030] Therefore, the following detailed description of the embodiments of this application is not intended to limit the scope of this application that is claimed, but merely represents the selected embodiments of this application. Based on the embodiments in this application, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative efforts fall within the scope of protection of this application.
[0031] In the description of this application, it should be noted that the orientation or positional relationships indicated by the terms "center", "longitudinal", "transverse", "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", etc. are based on the orientation or positional relationships shown in the drawings, and are 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 of this application. The terms "installation", "connection", and "coupling" should be understood in a broad sense. For example, it can be a fixed connection or a detachable connection. Additionally, the description with reference to terms such as "one embodiment", "some embodiments", "illustrative embodiments", "examples", "specific examples", or "some examples" means that the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described in connection with the embodiments or examples are included in at least one embodiment or example of this application. In this specification, the schematic descriptions of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiments or examples. Moreover, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described can be combined in a suitable manner in any one or more embodiments or examples.
[0032] In the semiconductor manufacturing process, the Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD) process is one of the key process steps and is used to form a thin film on the surface of a wafer. However, when a wafer enters the CVD process chamber, if the transfer device malfunctions, causing the wafer to deviate from the designated position (also known as out of pocket) on the surface of the heater, a series of problems may occur.
[0033] However, currently, the CVD process chamber lacks the ability to monitor the position of the wafer on the heater surface in real time and cannot respond in a timely manner when the wafer deviates from its position. As a result, problems such as uneven film coating and abnormal film thickness are likely to occur during the subsequent deposition process of the wafer, and even scratches or fragments may be generated on the wafer surface. This not only affects the process quality but may also cause serious damage to the wafer.
[0034] In view of the deficiencies in the related art, the present application provides a process chamber and a chemical vapor deposition device, which can realize real-time monitoring of the position of a target wafer in the process chamber, thereby effectively avoiding problems such as uneven film coating, abnormal film thickness, scratches, or fragments caused by the position deviation of the target wafer. Its detailed content will be elaborated in the subsequent embodiments.
[0035] On the one hand, according to some embodiments of the present application, a process chamber is provided. Please refer to Figure 1 , the process chamber may specifically include: a chamber body 101, a heater wafer carrier 102, a capacitive sensor, and an alarm.
[0036] The heater wafer carrier 102 may be disposed within the chamber body 101. The heater wafer carrier 102 has at least one working surface, and a preset processing area 102A is defined on the working surface. The preset processing area 102A can be used to place the target wafer during the processing.
[0037] It can be understood that when the target wafer deviates from the preset processing area 102A, a part of the target wafer will exceed the preset processing area 102A, and at this time, the position of the target wafer in the process chamber deviates.
[0038] The capacitive sensor may specifically include at least a pair of capacitive plates. Each capacitive plate may be disposed on the working surface of the heater wafer carrier 102 and on the outer periphery of the preset processing area 102A.
[0039] The alarm ( Figure 1 not shown in the figure) may be connected to each capacitive plate and is used to give an alarm when a capacitance change occurs in the capacitive plate. Exemplarily, the alarm may be configured to give an alarm when a capacitance change occurs in any pair of capacitive plates.
[0040] In the above process chamber, a capacitive sensor is disposed around the periphery of a preset processing area 102A on the working surface of the heater wafer carrier 102 to monitor the position state of the target wafer in real time during the processing. When the position of the target wafer deviates from the preset processing area 102A, the distance between the part of the target wafer beyond the preset processing area 102A and the capacitive electrode plate close thereto decreases. Therefore, the part of the target wafer beyond the preset processing area 102A causes a change in the capacitance value of the capacitive electrode plate. When the capacitance value of the capacitive electrode plate changes and the charge remains unchanged, the capacitance voltage will change accordingly.
[0041] The above process chamber is connected with an alarm to each capacitive electrode plate, so that when the capacitance changes as above in the capacitive electrode plate, the alarm can give an alarm in time, realizing real-time monitoring of the position of the target wafer in the process chamber. When the position of the target wafer deviates in the process chamber, the above process chamber can timely remind the operator or the control system to pause the process step to prevent further damage to the target wafer.
[0042] Therefore, using the above process chamber can effectively avoid problems such as uneven coating, abnormal film thickness, scratching or fragmentation caused by the position deviation of the target wafer, significantly improve the safety and reliability of the process, reduce equipment damage and material waste, and at the same time improve the quality and consistency of the processing of the target wafer.
[0043] In the process chamber provided by some embodiments, the capacitive sensor may specifically include multiple pairs of capacitive electrode plates, and the multiple pairs of capacitive electrode plates are arranged at intervals along the periphery of the preset processing area 102A.
[0044] In the above process chamber, by arranging multiple pairs of capacitive electrode plates, higher monitoring accuracy is provided, and more comprehensive coverage of the circumferential side of the target wafer can be achieved, thereby improving the accuracy of monitoring the position of the target wafer and facilitating further reduction of the risk of processing abnormalities.
[0045] In the process chamber provided by some embodiments, the above multiple pairs of capacitive electrode plates may be arranged at uniform intervals along the periphery of the preset processing area 102A.
[0046] In the above process chamber, by arranging multiple pairs of capacitive electrode plates at uniform intervals, the entire periphery of the preset processing area 102A can be monitored uniformly, thereby more comprehensively preventing the position deviation of the target wafer and further improving the process stability and monitoring reliability.
[0047] With Figure 1The process chamber shown is an example. In this example, the capacitive sensor specifically includes two pairs of capacitive plates. The first capacitive plate 103a and the second capacitive plate 103b together form the first pair of capacitive plates, and the third capacitive plate 103c and the fourth capacitive plate 103d together form the second pair of capacitive plates.
[0048] As Figure 1 shown, the first capacitive plate 103a, the third capacitive plate 103c, the second capacitive plate 103b, and the fourth capacitive plate 103d can be arranged at intervals along the outer periphery of the preset processing area 102A in sequence.
[0049] In the above process chamber, the design of the two pairs of capacitive plates can reduce the system complexity of the capacitive sensor while ensuring the monitoring accuracy, thereby helping to reduce the manufacturing cost of the process chamber, and still ensuring sufficient monitoring coverage of the target wafer position.
[0050] In the process chamber provided by some embodiments, the two pairs of capacitive plates can be evenly arranged at intervals along the outer periphery of the preset processing area 102A.
[0051] As Figure 1 shown, the first capacitive plate 103a, the third capacitive plate 103c, the second capacitive plate 103b, and the fourth capacitive plate 103d can be evenly arranged at intervals along the outer periphery of the preset processing area 102A in sequence.
[0052] In the process chamber provided by some embodiments, the virtual connection line between the two capacitive plates in the first pair of capacitive plates (for example, the first capacitive plate 103a and the second capacitive plate 103b) can be perpendicular to the virtual connection line between the two capacitive plates in the second pair of capacitive plates (for example, the third capacitive plate 103c and the fourth capacitive plate 103d).
[0053] In the above process chamber, by using the perpendicular arrangement of the first pair of capacitive plates and the second pair of capacitive plates, the monitoring sensitivity to the position deviation of the target wafer is further improved, and the displacement of the target wafer relative to the preset processing area 102A can be monitored in multiple directions simultaneously, thereby enhancing the accuracy of the monitoring of the position deviation of the target wafer in this process chamber.
[0054] The embodiments of the present application do not specifically limit the type of the alarm. As long as it can achieve the function of alarming when a capacitance change occurs on the capacitive plate. The alarm can include but is not limited to a buzzer alarm, an LED indicator alarm, a relay control alarm, and / or an audible and visual alarm, etc. These alarm devices have a simple structure and are easy to install, and can cooperate with the capacitive sensor to quickly respond to the capacitance voltage change and trigger an alarm.
[0055] The embodiments of the present application do not specifically limit the installation position of the alarm. In the process chamber provided in some embodiments, the alarm can be installed outside the chamber body 101, so that the operator can quickly respond to the alarm during the process, thereby promptly pausing the process steps, reducing the loss caused by the deviation of the target wafer position, and improving the operation convenience.
[0056] In some embodiments, the process chamber may further include a controller, which can be connected to the capacitive sensor and is used to send a shutdown control signal when the capacitive sensor generates a capacitance change.
[0057] The shutdown control signal can be used to control the shutdown of the equipment (such as chemical vapor deposition equipment). When the position of the target wafer deviates in the process chamber, the capacitive sensor generates a capacitance change and sends a shutdown control signal to promptly control the shutdown of the equipment. Therefore, the above process chamber can ensure that the equipment immediately stops operating when it monitors that the position of the target wafer in the process chamber deviates, avoiding further damage to the target wafer and improving the automation and safety of the equipment.
[0058] The embodiments of the present application do not specifically limit the installation position of the controller either. In the process chamber provided in some embodiments, the controller can be installed outside the chamber body 101, which is convenient for the maintenance and management of the equipment, not only reducing the structural complexity of the chamber body 101, but also improving the operability and maintainability of the equipment.
[0059] In addition, as Figure 1 shown, the process chamber may further include a showerhead 201 (Showerhead) installed above the heater wafer carrier 102, and the showerhead 201 can be used to spray reaction gas onto the target wafer; it may also include at least a pair of kits 202 (Kit) installed close to the side wall of the chamber body 101.
[0060] It can be understood that the showerhead 201 (Showerhead) and the kit 202 (Kit) are well-known to those skilled in the art and are not the focus of the present application, so their specific structures and principles will not be elaborated here.
[0061] Those skilled in the art can understand that Figure 1 the structure shown in is only a schematic diagram of some structures related to the solution of the present application, and does not constitute a limitation on the components to which the solution of the present application is applied. Exemplarily, the specific process chamber may further include other components for implementing the backside coating process, such as pipelines for transporting process materials, vacuum pumping devices, power supply lines, etc. The installation methods and specific principles of these components can refer to the prior art and will not be elaborated here.
[0062] On the other hand, according to some embodiments, the present application also provides a chemical vapor deposition apparatus. The chemical vapor deposition apparatus includes a process chamber provided in any of the foregoing embodiments. It can be understood that the technical effects achievable by the foregoing process chamber can also be achieved by the chemical vapor deposition apparatus, and will not be elaborated herein.
[0063] In some embodiments, the chemical vapor deposition apparatus may be specifically configured to: respond to the foregoing shutdown control signal and perform shutdown.
[0064] The technical features of the above-described embodiments can be combined arbitrarily. For the sake of brevity of description, not all possible combinations of the technical features of the above embodiments are described. However, as long as there is no contradiction in the combination of these technical features, it should be considered as the scope described in this specification.
[0065] The above-described embodiments merely represent several implementation manners of the present application, and the description thereof is relatively specific and detailed, but it should not be construed as a limitation on the scope of the patent application. It should be noted that for those of ordinary skill in the art, without departing from the concept of the present application, several modifications and improvements can be made, and these all belong to the protection scope of the present application. Therefore, the protection scope of the patent of the present application shall be subject to the appended claims.
Claims
1. A process chamber, characterized in that: include: chamber body; A heater wafer carrier is disposed in the chamber body, and a working surface of the heater wafer carrier is defined with a preset processing area; the preset processing area is used to place a target wafer during the processing; A capacitive sensor, comprising at least one pair of capacitor plates; the capacitor plates are arranged on the working surface of the heater wafer carrier and at the periphery of the preset processing area; An alarm is connected to the capacitor plate and is used to sound an alarm when the capacitor plate generates a capacitance change.
2. The process chamber according to claim 1, characterized in that: The capacitive sensor includes a plurality of pairs of capacitor plates, and the plurality of pairs of capacitor plates are arranged at intervals along the periphery of the preset processing area.
3. The process chamber according to claim 2, characterized in that: A plurality of pairs of capacitor plates are evenly spaced and arranged along the periphery of the preset processing area.
4. The process chamber according to claim 2, characterized in that: The capacitive sensor includes two pairs of capacitor plates, and the two pairs of capacitor plates are evenly spaced and arranged along the periphery of the preset processing area.
5. The process chamber according to claim 4, characterized in that: A virtual line between two of the first pair of capacitor plates and a virtual line between two of the second pair of capacitor plates are perpendicular to each other.
6. The process chamber according to claim 1, characterized in that: The alarm is arranged outside the chamber body.
7. The process chamber according to claim 1, characterized in that: The process chamber further includes: a controller connected to the capacitive sensor and configured to send a shutdown control signal when the capacitive sensor generates a capacitance change.
8. The process chamber according to claim 7, characterized in that: The controller is arranged outside the chamber body.
9. A chemical vapor deposition device, characterized in that: The process chamber comprises the process chamber as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 8.
10. The chemical vapor deposition equipment according to claim 9, characterized in that: The chemical vapor deposition equipment is configured to shut down in response to a shutdown control signal.