Plasma processing apparatus

Abstract

The utility model discloses a plasma processing device. The plasma processing device comprises a reaction cavity; the substrate supporting piece is arranged in the reaction cavity and is used for bearing a substrate, and the substrate supporting piece is provided with a rectangular main body; the chamber wall is defined by four side walls; the substrate conveying opening is formed in one of the side walls and is used for conveying the substrate; the substrate conveying opening shielding device is arranged in the reaction cavity and used for shielding the tip end of the substrate conveying opening in the technological process, and the substrate conveying opening shielding device comprises a shielding plate, a connecting rod and a transmission mechanism arranged outside the reaction cavity; according to the invention, the shielding plate made of the dielectric material is adopted to shield the tip of the wafer conveying port, so that the breakdown voltage intensity near the tip of the wafer conveying port is far higher than the electric field intensity at the tip of the wafer conveying port, and the tip of the wafer conveying port is not easy to generate a tip discharge phenomenon.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The utility model relates to the field of semiconductor thin film deposition, in particular to a plasma processing device. Background Art

[0002] Large-area thin-film deposition equipment is a type of equipment used in flat-panel display manufacturing. For example, a PECVD (Plasma Enhanced Chemical Vapor Deposition) system can be used to uniformly deposit thin film materials onto large glass substrates. This type of equipment is crucial in industries such as flat-panel display manufacturing, where uniform thin films over large areas are required.

[0003] Large-area thin-film deposition devices generally use a relatively high-frequency radio frequency power supply, such as a 13.56 MHz RF power supply, to excite plasma, forming a strong electric field in the reaction chamber. The transfer port, a key component for introducing and removing the glass substrate from the reaction chamber of the large-area thin-film deposition device, is arranged on one side wall of the reaction chamber. Due to the tip discharge phenomenon, the transfer port has a sharp edge, and the electric field lines are concentrated at the sharp point on the transfer port, which significantly enhances the electric field strength around the tip of the transfer port, exceeding the breakdown electric field strength of the surrounding gas, thereby triggering discharge at the tip of the transfer port. This not only leads to abnormal reaction conditions in the nearby area and affects the uniformity of the thin film, but the discharge may also decompose the gas to produce by-products, thereby contaminating the chamber.

[0004] Therefore, a device is needed to reduce the discharge phenomenon at the tip of the film transfer port. Utility Model Content

[0005] The utility model aims to provide a plasma processing device, which can prevent the tip of a film transfer port from easily causing tip discharge.

[0006] To achieve the above-mentioned objectives, the present invention proposes a plasma processing device, comprising: a reaction chamber; a substrate support member, arranged in the reaction chamber, for carrying a substrate, the substrate support member having a rectangular body; a chamber wall surrounded by four side walls; a film transfer port, arranged on one of the side walls, for transferring the substrate; and a film transfer port shielding device, arranged in the reaction chamber, for shielding the tip of the film transfer port during the process.

[0007] Optionally, the film transmission port shielding device includes: a shielding plate for blocking or exposing the tip of the film transmission port; a connecting rod connected to the lower end of the shielding plate for supporting the shielding plate; a transmission mechanism connected to the lower end of the connecting rod for providing power to lift and lower the connecting rod and the shielding plate, thereby blocking or exposing the tip of the film transmission port.

[0008] Optionally, the shielding plate includes a dielectric layer.

[0009] Optionally, the shielding plate comprises a metal layer, and the shielding plate has smooth edges.

[0010] Optionally, the shielding plate is in close contact with the side wall provided with the film transmission opening.

[0011] Optionally, the film transmission port shielding device further includes: a horizontal moving mechanism connected to the shielding plate, for horizontally moving the shielding plate so that the shielding plate is close to or away from the film transmission port.

[0012] Optionally, the shielding plate further includes a metal layer, the metal layer is close to the film transmission port, and the dielectric layer is far away from the film transmission port.

[0013] Optionally, when the shielding plate blocks the film transmission port, a projection area of the shielding plate on the side wall where the film transmission port is provided may cover the film transmission port.

[0014] Optionally, the end of the connecting rod not connected to the shielding plate extends from the bottom wall of the reaction chamber to outside the reaction chamber, and the end of the connecting rod extending from the reaction chamber is connected to the bottom wall of the reaction chamber via a bellows.

[0015] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has at least the following advantages and beneficial effects:

[0016] The utility model discloses a plasma processing device, including a film transmission port shielding device arranged in a reaction chamber, used to shield the tip of the film transmission port during the process, and the film transmission port shielding device includes: a shielding plate, a connecting rod, and a transmission mechanism arranged outside the reaction chamber; the shielding plate shields the tip of the film transmission port, thereby preventing the tip of the film transmission port from causing tip discharge;

[0017] The shield plate covers the transfer port in its projected area on the sidewall where the transfer port is located. This not only reduces the amount of plasma and reaction gases that enter the transfer channel during the process, but also prevents product particles in the transfer channel from being blown into the reaction chamber when the slit valve is opened to transfer the substrate.

[0018] The shielding plate includes a metal layer. By arranging the shielding plate close to the side wall, it can also complement the electric field of the reaction chamber, thereby ensuring the uniformity of plasma distribution and the precision and accuracy of substrate processing. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0019] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the plasma treatment device of the present invention during the process;

[0020] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the plasma processing apparatus of the present invention when transferring a substrate. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0021] The following, in conjunction with the accompanying drawings of the embodiments of the present invention, describes in detail the technical solutions, structural features, achieved objectives, and effects of the present invention. The description of these embodiments is intended to facilitate understanding of the present invention and does not constitute a limitation of the present invention. In addition, the technical features involved in the various embodiments of the present invention described below may be combined with each other as long as they do not conflict with each other.

[0022] It should be noted that the accompanying drawings are in a very simplified form and use non-precise proportions. They are only used to conveniently and clearly assist in explaining the implementation methods of the present invention, and are not used to limit the conditions for the implementation of the present invention. Therefore, they have no substantive technical significance. Any structural modification, change in proportional relationship or adjustment of size should still fall within the scope of the technical content disclosed in the present invention without affecting the efficacy and purpose that can be achieved by the present invention.

[0023] It should be noted that, in the present invention, relational terms such as first and second, etc. are used only to distinguish one entity or operation from another entity or operation, and do not necessarily require or imply any actual relationship or order between these entities or operations. Moreover, the terms "include", "comprises" or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, so that a process, method, article or apparatus comprising a series of elements includes not only the elements explicitly listed, but also other elements not explicitly listed, or also includes elements inherent to such process, method, article or apparatus.

[0024] In flat panel display manufacturing equipment, PECVD (Plasma Enhanced Chemical Vapor Deposition) is a commonly used large-area deposition technology. The utility model proposes a plasma processing device for PECVD, such as Figure 1 and Figure 2As shown, it includes: a reaction chamber 100, which is a rectangular body and has a chamber wall surrounded by four side walls 110. A substrate support 140 is provided in the reaction chamber 100. The substrate support 140 has a rectangular body and is used to hold a substrate 150. In this embodiment, the substrate 150 is a rectangular glass substrate; a gas shower head 170 is also provided on the top of the reaction chamber 100. The gas shower head 170 is used to transport process gas into the reaction chamber 100; at least one radio frequency power supply 160 is applied to the gas shower head 170 to generate a radio frequency electric field between the substrate support 140 and the gas shower head 170, dissociating part of the process gas in the reaction chamber 100 into plasma. The plasma reacts with other process gases to decompose the process gas molecules into active particles, which chemically react with the surface of the substrate 150 to form a thin film. In other embodiments, at least one of the RF power sources 160 may also be applied to the substrate support 140 , or applied to both the substrate support 140 and the gas showerhead 170 .

[0025] Figure 1 The figure shows a schematic diagram during the process, at which time the substrate support 140 supports the substrate 150 to rise. Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of lowering the substrate support 140 to transfer the substrate 150 before or after a process starts.

[0026] A transfer port 120 for transferring a substrate 150 is provided on one of the side walls 110 of the reaction chamber 100. Under the action of the RF power supply 160, a strong electric field environment is created within the reaction chamber 100. Since the transfer port 120 has a tip 121, the electric field lines are concentrated near the tip of the transfer port 120, and the electric field strength is greater than that at other positions, and may be greater than the breakdown voltage strength of the gas near the tip 121. As a result, tip discharge is prone to occur at the tip 121 of the transfer port 120, affecting the distribution of plasma and active particles near the transfer port 120, and further affecting the uniformity of the deposited thin film. Tip discharge may also decompose nearby gases to produce by-products that contaminate the reaction chamber.

[0027] In order to reduce the discharge phenomenon at the tip 121 of the film transmission port 120, this embodiment provides a film transmission port shielding device 130, which is arranged in the reaction chamber 100 and is used to block the tip 121 of the film transmission port 120 during the process to reduce the discharge phenomenon at the tip 121 of the film transmission port 120.

[0028] The wafer transfer port shielding device 130 includes a shielding plate 131 disposed within the reaction chamber 100 and configured to shield or expose the tip 121 of the wafer transfer port 120; a connecting rod 132 connected to the lower end of the shielding plate 131 for supporting the shielding plate 131; and a transmission mechanism 133 connected to the lower end of the connecting rod 132 for providing power to raise and lower the connecting rod 132 and the shielding plate 131, thereby causing the shielding plate 131 to shield or expose the tip 121 of the wafer transfer port 120. During a process, the shielding plate 131 rises to shield the tip 121 of the wafer transfer port 120, thereby reducing discharge at the tip 121 of the wafer transfer port 120. Before or after a process begins, the shielding plate 131 descends to expose the tip 121 of the wafer transfer port 120, enabling the substrate 150 to be transferred through the wafer transfer port 120.

[0029] The first end of the connecting rod 132 is connected to the lower end of the shielding plate 131, and the second end extends from the bottom wall of the reaction chamber 100 outside the reaction chamber 100 to connect to the transmission mechanism 133 located outside the reaction chamber 100. To maintain the vacuum environment within the reaction chamber 100, a bellows 134 is used to connect the second end of the connecting rod 132 to the bottom wall of the reaction chamber 100. When the connecting rod 132 is raised or lowered under the power of the transmission mechanism 133, the bellows 134 contracts or expands accordingly. Part of the connecting rod 132 is located within the reaction chamber 100. Due to the high process temperature within the reaction chamber 100, the material of the connecting rod 132 is preferably a material that can withstand temperatures of at least 200°C, such as aluminum or an aluminum alloy. In some embodiments, ceramic materials can also be used.

[0030] The transmission mechanism 133 may be a cylinder, a motor, or other components capable of providing lifting power. In some embodiments, a controller may be provided to control the transmission mechanism 133. During the process, the transmission mechanism 133 is raised to a set height to block the tip of the wafer transfer port 120. When the substrate 150 needs to be transferred, the transmission mechanism 133 is lowered to a set height to expose the wafer transfer port 120, facilitating transfer of the substrate 150 through the wafer transfer port 120.

[0031] In this embodiment, the shielding plate 131 includes a dielectric layer made of a dielectric material, such as a ceramic material. The shielding plate 131 made of this dielectric material blocks the tip 121 of the transmission port 120. This, on the one hand, disperses and weakens the electric field lines at the tip 121 of the transmission port 120, thereby reducing the electric field intensity at the tip 121 of the transmission port 120. Furthermore, the provision of the shielding plate 131 having a high dielectric strength can also increase the breakdown voltage near the tip 121 of the transmission port 120. As a result of these two factors, the breakdown voltage near the tip 121 of the transmission port 120 is much higher than the electric field intensity at the tip 121 of the transmission port 120, thereby making it less susceptible to tip discharge at the tip 121 of the transmission port 120.

[0032] Furthermore, the area of the shielding plate 131 is set to be larger than the film transmission port 120, that is, when the shielding plate 131 blocks the tip 121 of the film transmission port 120, the projection area of the shielding plate 131 on the side wall 110 where the film transmission port 120 is provided can cover the film transmission port 120. At this time, the shielding plate 131 blocks the entire film transmission port 120.

[0033] Because the sidewall 110 of the reaction chamber 100 has a certain thickness, the film transfer channel of the film transfer port 120 also has a certain length. In this embodiment, the film transfer channel is approximately 100 mm long. The substrate 150 is moved into or out of the reaction chamber 100 through this film transfer channel. The film transfer port 120 also includes a slit valve disposed on the outer wall of the sidewall 110 (i.e., on the side near the transfer chamber). When transferring the substrate 150, the slit valve opens, exposing the film transfer channel, and transferring the substrate 150 between the transfer chamber and the reaction chamber 100. When the process flow is in progress, the slit valve is closed to maintain the vacuum environment within the reaction chamber 100. However, during the process, plasma and process gases inevitably enter the transfer channel, depositing to form product particles that fall into the transfer channel. When the slit valve is subsequently opened to transfer the substrate 150, the pressure difference between the reaction chamber 100 and the transfer chamber will blow the product particles in the transfer channel into the reaction chamber 100, where they may precipitate on the surface of the substrate 150, contaminating it, or fall on other components within the reaction chamber 100, contaminating the chamber environment and thus affecting subsequent processes. In this embodiment, the shielding plate 131 is provided to cover the entire transfer port 120. This not only reduces the amount of plasma and reaction gases that enter the transfer channel during the process, but also prevents the product particles in the transfer channel from being blown into the reaction chamber 100 when the slit valve is opened to transfer the substrate 150. To better prevent product particles from entering the reaction chamber 100, when the slit valve is opened to transfer the substrate 150, the shielding plate 131 is kept completely covering the transfer port 120 and does not move, so that the product particles fall on the shielding plate 131. When the pressure inside and outside the reaction chamber 100 is balanced, the shielding plate 131 is controlled to descend through the transfer mechanism 133 to expose the transfer port 120.

[0034] In another embodiment, the shielding plate 131 comprises a metal layer and is made of a metal material. The area of the shielding plate 131 is larger than the film-transmitting port 120 and can completely block or expose the film-transmitting port 120. Specifically, when the shielding plate 131 blocks the tip 121 of the film-transmitting port 120, the projection of the shielding plate 131 on the sidewall 110 where the film-transmitting port 120 is located can cover the film-transmitting port 120. When the metal shielding plate 131 is placed in the strong electric field environment of the reaction chamber 100, an electric charge is induced on the surface of the shielding plate 131. To prevent the accumulation of electric charge on the surface of the shielding plate 131, the shielding plate 131 is grounded. In this embodiment, the connecting rod 132 is made of a metal material. Since the second end of the connecting rod 132 is connected to the bottom wall of the reaction chamber 100 via a bellows 134, and the bottom wall of the reaction chamber 100 is grounded, the shielding plate 131 is grounded by providing the metal connecting rod 132. The metal shielding plate 131 is provided to completely block the film transmission port 120 during the process, thereby shielding the portion of the electric field lines within the reaction chamber 100 directed toward the film transmission port 120 and preventing the electric field from converging at the tip 121 of the film transmission port 120. This reduces the electric field intensity near the tip 121 of the film transmission port 120 and reduces the possibility of discharge at the tip of the film transmission port 120. Considering that the metal shielding plate 131 is placed in the strong electric field environment of the reaction chamber 100, the shielding plate 131 may also have the possibility of discharge at the tip. Therefore, the shielding plate 131 is provided with a smooth edge, that is, the edge is rounded or chamfered to eliminate any sharp edges. This prevents the charge on the surface of the shielding plate 131 from accumulating in a single location, thereby preventing discharge from the shielding plate 131.

[0035] In other embodiments, the shielding plate 131 can also be placed in close contact with the side wall 110 where the film-transmitting port 120 is provided. In this case, the shielding plate 131 and the film-transmitting port 120 become equipotential bodies, which can complement the incomplete electric field of the reaction chamber caused by the setting of the film-transmitting port, thereby solving the problem of asymmetric plasma distribution.

[0036] In addition, since the metal shielding plate 131 completely blocks the wafer transfer port 120 during the process, it also serves to reduce the entry of plasma and reaction gas into the wafer transfer channel during the process, and prevents the product particles in the wafer transfer channel from being blown into the reaction chamber 100 when the slit valve is opened to transfer the substrate 150.

[0037] Furthermore, the film transmission port shielding device 130 also includes a horizontal movement mechanism, comprising a mechanical transmission rod and a drive device. The mechanical transmission rod is connected to the metal shielding plate 131 and is used to horizontally move the shielding plate 131 toward or away from the film transmission port 120, thereby placing the shielding plate 131 in close contact with the sidewall 110 provided with the film transmission port 120, or to change the distance between the shielding plate 131 and the sidewall 110. The shielding plate 131 is moved horizontally along a predetermined horizontal movement path. In this embodiment, the mechanical transmission rod is parallel to the connecting rod 132, extending from the bottom of the reaction chamber 100 and connected to the drive device at the bottom of the reaction chamber 100. The drive device controls the horizontal movement of the shielding plate 131 along the movement path via the mechanical transmission rod. A bellows connects the drive device to the bottom wall of the reaction chamber 100 to achieve sealing of the reaction chamber 100. In other embodiments, the mechanical transmission rod is horizontally arranged, perpendicular to the connecting rod 132, extending from the film transmission port 120 outside the reaction chamber 100, and connected to the external driving device; the driving device and the film transmission port 120 are connected by a bellows to achieve sealing of the reaction chamber 100.

[0038] In another embodiment, the shielding plate 131 includes both a dielectric layer and a metal layer. The shielding plate 131, under the lifting power provided by the transmission mechanism 133, shields the tip 121 of the film transfer port 120 during the process. The dielectric layer is made of a dielectric material, and the metal layer is made of a metal material. The dielectric layer is disposed at one end close to the substrate support 140 and away from the film transfer port 120, while the metal layer is disposed at one end close to the film transfer port 120 and away from the substrate support 140.

[0039] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention. Although the present invention has been disclosed as a preferred embodiment, it is not intended to limit the present invention. Any person skilled in the art can, without departing from the scope of the technical solution of the present invention, use the methods and technical contents disclosed above to make many possible changes and modifications to the technical solution of the present invention, or modify it into an equivalent embodiment with equivalent changes. Therefore, any simple modification, equivalent change and modification made to the above embodiment based on the technical essence of the present invention without departing from the content of the technical solution of the present invention shall still fall within the scope of protection of the technical solution of the present invention.

Claims

1. A plasma processing device, characterized in that include: reaction chamber; a substrate support member, disposed in the reaction chamber and used to carry a substrate, the substrate support member having a rectangular body; A chamber wall formed by four side walls; a substrate transfer port, provided on one of the side walls, for transferring the substrate; The film transfer port shielding device is arranged in the reaction chamber and is used to shield the tip of the film transfer port during the process.

2. The plasma processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein The film transmission port shielding device comprises: A shielding plate, used for shielding or exposing the tip of the film transmission port; a connecting rod connected to the lower end of the shielding plate and used to support the shielding plate; The transmission mechanism is connected to the lower end of the connecting rod and provides power to lift and lower the connecting rod and the shielding plate, thereby covering or exposing the tip of the film transmission port.

3. The plasma processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein: The shielding plate includes a dielectric layer.

4. The plasma processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein: The shielding plate includes a metal layer and has smooth edges.

5. The plasma processing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein: The shielding plate is in close contact with the side wall provided with the film transmission opening.

6. The plasma processing apparatus according to claim 3 or 4, wherein: The film transmission port shielding device further includes: a horizontal moving mechanism connected to the shielding plate, for horizontally moving the shielding plate to move the shielding plate closer to or farther away from the film transmission port.

7. The plasma processing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein: The shielding plate further comprises a metal layer, wherein the metal layer is close to the film transmission port, and the dielectric layer is far away from the film transmission port.

8. The plasma processing apparatus according to claim 3 or 4, wherein: When the shielding plate blocks the film transmission port, the projection area of the shielding plate on the side wall where the film transmission port is provided can cover the film transmission port.

9. The plasma processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein: The end of the connecting rod not connected to the shielding plate extends from the bottom wall of the reaction chamber to the outside of the reaction chamber, and the end of the connecting rod extending from the reaction chamber is connected to the bottom wall of the reaction chamber through a bellows.

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