Edge ring, heating disc and processing equipment of semiconductor device

Abstract

The utility model provides an edge ring, a heating disc and processing equipment of a semiconductor device. The edge ring is arranged on the edge area of the heating disc, and a radial assembling gap is kept between the edge ring and the rising part of the central area of the heating disc. The upper surface, making contact with and supporting a wafer, of the edge ring is made of an insulating material, and the lower surface, making contact with the edge area of the heating disc, of the edge ring and the inner side surface, aligned with the rising part, of the edge ring are made of a conductive material. And the heating disc is grounded. The inner side surface is conductively connected with the lower surface so as to lead out parasitic charge between the edge ring and the heating disc through the heating disc. According to the utility model, the inner side surface of the edge ring is conductively connected with the lower surface of the heating disc, and the heating disc is grounded, so that parasitic charges between the edge ring and the heating disc are conducted away, the risk of abnormal discharge is reduced, the generation of particulate matters is reduced, and the granularity performance of a film is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The utility model relates to the field of semiconductor device processing, in particular to an edge ring, a heating plate, and semiconductor device processing equipment. Background Art

[0002] In semiconductor device processing equipment, since the surface of the conductive material has a high electronic activity, it is easy for the surrounding area to form abnormal discharge and sparking due to the excitation electric field. Therefore, insulating materials are usually used as edge rings to prevent abnormal discharge from damaging the wafer. However, since the existing technology usually uses metal materials such as aluminum as heating plates, they will also continue to excite and form free electrons around them, and accumulate in the assembly gap between the insulating edge ring and the heating plate. When the accumulated electrons reach a certain number, abnormal discharge will form in the assembly gap, resulting in the generation of impurities such as particulate matter, which seriously affects the thin film deposition process and the quality of the film, and reduces the granularity of the film.

[0003] In order to overcome the above-mentioned defects of the prior art, the art urgently needs an improved edge ring for conducting away the parasitic charges between the edge ring and the heating disk to reduce the risk of abnormal discharge, thereby reducing the generation of particulate matter and improving the granularity performance of the film. Utility Model Content

[0004] The following is a brief summary of one or more aspects to provide a basic understanding of these aspects. This summary is not an exhaustive overview of all conceivable aspects and is neither intended to identify key or critical elements of all aspects nor to define the scope of any or all aspects. Its sole purpose is to present some concepts of one or more aspects in a simplified form as a prelude to the more detailed description that will be provided later.

[0005] In order to overcome the above-mentioned defects of the prior art, the utility model provides an edge ring, a heating plate and a processing equipment for a semiconductor device. The inner surface of the edge ring can be conductively connected to the lower surface of the heating plate, and the heating plate can be grounded to conduct away the parasitic charge between the edge ring and the heating plate, so as to reduce the risk of abnormal discharge, thereby reducing the generation of particulate matter and improving the granularity performance of the film.

[0006] Specifically, the edge ring provided in accordance with the first aspect of the present invention is positioned above the edge region of a heating plate and maintains a radial assembly gap with the raised portion of the central region of the heating plate. The upper surface of the edge ring, which contacts and supports the wafer, is made of an insulating material, while the lower surface, which contacts the edge region of the heating plate, and the inner surface, which aligns with the raised portion, are made of a conductive material. The heating plate is grounded. The inner surface is electrically connected to the lower surface to conduct parasitic charges between the edge ring and the heating plate through the heating plate.

[0007] Furthermore, in some embodiments of the present invention, the edge ring is made of an insulating material, and a metal film is provided on its lower surface and inner surface. The metal film covers the lower surface of the edge ring contacting the edge area of ​​the heating plate and the inner surface thereof aligned with the rising portion.

[0008] Furthermore, in some embodiments of the present invention, the metal film is made of aluminum and / or nickel. The thickness of the metal film is 100 to 200 μm. The metal film is applied to the second surface and / or the third surface of the edge ring via a thermal spraying process, a laser cladding process, or a metallization process.

[0009] Furthermore, in some embodiments of the present invention, at least one elastic conductive member is provided between the lower surface of the edge ring and the edge area of ​​the heating disk, for reducing the contact resistance between the lower surface of the edge ring and the edge area of ​​the heating disk, so as to improve the conductivity of the parasitic charge.

[0010] Furthermore, in some embodiments of the present invention, the elastic conductive member includes a first metal spring. One end of the first metal spring is fixedly connected to the lower surface of the edge ring, while the other end contacts the edge region of the heating plate. The first metal spring includes at least one bent portion between the one end and the other end, so as to provide elastic force through elastic deformation of the bent portion.

[0011] Furthermore, in some embodiments of the present invention, a plurality of first metal springs are disposed between the lower surface of the edge ring and the edge region of the heating plate. The first metal springs are distributed in a ring shape to form at least one conductive ring between the lower surface of the edge ring and the edge region of the heating plate.

[0012] Furthermore, in some embodiments of the present invention, the lower surface and the inner surface of the edge ring are chamfered to form a smooth structure.

[0013] Furthermore, the heating plate provided in accordance with the second aspect of the present invention comprises a heating plate body and an edge ring as provided in the first aspect of the present invention. The heating plate body is made of a conductive material and has a raised portion in its central region. The edge ring is disposed above the edge region of the heating plate body and maintains a radial assembly gap with the raised portion.

[0014] Furthermore, in some embodiments of the present invention, at least one second metal spring is provided at the edge of the heating plate. One end of the second metal spring is fixedly connected to the edge of the heating plate, while the other end contacts the lower surface of the edge ring, thereby reducing the contact resistance between the lower surface of the edge ring and the edge of the heating plate, thereby improving the conductivity of the parasitic charge.

[0015] Furthermore, according to a third aspect of the present invention, the semiconductor device processing apparatus includes a process chamber and a radio frequency circuit. The process chamber is provided with a heating plate as provided in the second aspect of the present invention. The radio frequency circuit is configured to provide a radio frequency electric field within the process chamber to perform a thin film deposition process on a wafer supported by the heating plate. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0016] The above features and advantages of the present invention can be better understood after reading the detailed description of the embodiments of the present disclosure in conjunction with the following drawings. In the drawings, the components are not necessarily drawn to scale, and components with similar related properties or characteristics may have the same or similar reference numerals.

[0017] Figure 1 A schematic structural diagram of a heating plate provided according to some embodiments of the present utility model is shown.

[0018] Figure 2 A schematic structural diagram of a heating plate provided according to some embodiments of the present utility model is shown.

[0019] Reference numerals:

[0020] 11 Heating plate body

[0021] 111 ascending part

[0022] 112 Assembly clearance

[0023] 12 Edge Ring

[0024] 121 metal film

[0025] 122 support platform

[0026] 123 extension

[0027] 124 Limiting structure

[0028] 13. Elastic conductive parts

[0029] 14 wafers DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0030] The following specific embodiments illustrate the implementation of the present invention. Those skilled in the art can easily understand other advantages and functions of the present invention from the contents disclosed in this specification. Although the description of the present invention will be introduced in conjunction with the preferred embodiment, this does not mean that the features of this utility model are limited to this implementation. On the contrary, the purpose of introducing the utility model in conjunction with the implementation is to cover other options or modifications that may be extended based on the claims of the present invention. In order to provide an in-depth understanding of the present invention, the following description will contain many specific details. The present invention can also be implemented without using these details. In addition, in order to avoid confusion or blurring the focus of the present invention, some specific details will be omitted in the description.

[0031] In the description of this utility model, it should be noted that, unless otherwise expressly specified or limited, the terms "mounted," "connected," and "connected" should be understood in a broad sense. For example, they can refer to fixed connections, detachable connections, or integral connections; mechanical connections, electrical connections; direct connections, indirect connections through an intermediate medium, and internal communication between two components. Those skilled in the art will understand the specific meanings of the above terms in this utility model based on the specific circumstances.

[0032] Furthermore, the terms "upper," "lower," "left," "right," "top," "bottom," "horizontal," and "vertical" used in the following description should be understood to refer to the orientations depicted in that section and the accompanying drawings. These relative terms are used solely for convenience of description and do not necessarily imply that the devices described herein must be manufactured or operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limiting the present invention.

[0033] It is understood that although the terms "first," "second," "third," etc. may be used herein to describe various components, regions, layers, and / or portions, these components, regions, layers, and / or portions should not be limited by these terms, and these terms are merely used to distinguish different components, regions, layers, and / or portions. Thus, a first component, region, layer, and / or portion discussed below may be referred to as a second component, region, layer, and / or portion without departing from some embodiments of the present invention.

[0034] As mentioned above, in the processing equipment of semiconductor devices, since the surface of the conductive material has a large electronic activity, it is easy for the surrounding area to form abnormal discharge and sparking due to the excitation electric field. Therefore, insulating materials are usually used as edge rings to prevent abnormal discharge from damaging the wafer. However, since metal materials such as aluminum are usually used as heating plates in the prior art, they will also continue to be excited to form free electrons around them and accumulate in the assembly gap between the insulating edge ring and the heating plate. When the accumulated electrons reach a certain number, abnormal discharge will form in the assembly gap, resulting in the generation of impurities such as particulate matter, which seriously affects the thin film deposition process and the quality of the film, and reduces the granularity performance of the film.

[0035] In order to overcome the above-mentioned defects of the prior art, the utility model provides an edge ring, a heating plate and a processing equipment for a semiconductor device. The inner surface of the edge ring can be conductively connected to the lower surface of the heating plate, and the heating plate can be grounded to conduct away the parasitic charge between the edge ring and the heating plate, so as to reduce the risk of abnormal discharge, thereby reducing the generation of particulate matter and improving the granularity performance of the film.

[0036] In some non-limiting embodiments, the heating plate provided in the second aspect of the present invention is configured in the semiconductor device processing equipment provided in the third aspect of the present invention. Specifically, the semiconductor device processing equipment provided in the third aspect of the present invention includes a process chamber and a radio frequency circuit. Here, the heating plate provided in the second aspect of the present invention is installed in the process chamber. The radio frequency circuit is used to provide a radio frequency electric field to the interior of the process chamber to perform a thin film deposition process on the wafer carried by the heating plate.

[0037] Please refer to further Figure 1 . Figure 1 A schematic structural diagram of a heating plate provided according to some embodiments of the present utility model is shown.

[0038] exist Figure 1 In the illustrated embodiment, the edge ring provided in the first aspect of the present invention is configured within the heating plate (e.g., an aluminum plate) provided in the second aspect of the present invention. Specifically, the heating plate provided in the second aspect of the present invention includes a heating plate body 11 and the edge ring 12 provided in the first aspect of the present invention. The heating plate body 11 is made of a conductive material and has a raised portion 111 in its center. The edge ring 12 is positioned above the edge of the heating plate body 11, maintaining a radial assembly gap 112 with the raised portion 111.

[0039] In addition, at least one second metal spring is provided at the edge of the heating plate. One end of the second metal spring is fixedly connected to the edge of the heating plate, while the other end contacts the lower surface of the edge ring 12. This reduces the contact resistance between the lower surface of the edge ring 12 and the edge of the heating plate, thereby improving the conductivity of parasitic charges.

[0040] Further, in Figure 1 In the illustrated embodiment, the upper surface of the edge ring 12 that contacts and supports the wafer 14 is made of insulating material, so that sparking due to abnormal discharge caused by the excitation electric field is more likely to occur around it, thereby preventing abnormal discharge from damaging the wafer 14.

[0041] Specifically, the inner surface of the edge ring 12 is at a high potential, resulting in a cavity capacitor formed in the assembly gap 112. Consequently, parasitic charges may be generated on the inner surface of the edge ring 12, which is made of a poor conductive material. These parasitic charges may cause abnormal discharge in the assembly gap 112. Abnormal discharge on the inner surface of the edge ring 12 may cause changes in the plasma field environment within the deposition area of ​​the heating plate, thereby changing the quality of the thin film deposited on the surface of the wafer 14.

[0042] Therefore, in Figure 1 In the illustrated embodiment, the edge ring 12 has a conductive material at its lower surface in contact with the edge region of the heating plate, and its inner surface aligned with the raised portion 111. Here, the heating plate is grounded, and the inner surface of the edge ring 12 is conductively connected to the lower surface to conduct parasitic charges between the edge ring 12 and the heating plate through the heating plate.

[0043] Furthermore, in Figure 1 In the embodiment shown, the edge ring 12 is made of an insulating material, and its lower surface and inner surface are provided with a metal film 121. Here, the metal film 121 covers the lower surface of the edge region of the edge ring 12 contacting the heating plate, and the inner surface of the edge ring 12 aligned with the raised portion 111.

[0044] In this way, the edge ring 12 provided by the first aspect of the present invention can introduce the parasitic charges that cause abnormal discharge into the heating disk body 11, i.e., the grounding end, through the metal film 121 without affecting the plasma field in the deposition area of ​​the heating disk, thereby eliminating the cavity capacitance effect in the assembly gap 112 and reducing the risk of poor graininess of the thin film deposited on the surface of the wafer 14.

[0045] Here, the metal film 121 is optionally made of aluminum and / or nickel. The thickness of the metal film 121 is 100-200 μm. The metal film 121 is coated on the second surface and / or the third surface of the edge ring 12 by a thermal spraying process, a laser cladding process, or a metal spraying process.

[0046] Please refer to further Figure 2 . Figure 2 A schematic structural diagram of a heating plate provided according to some embodiments of the present utility model is shown.

[0047] In addition, Figure 2 In the illustrated embodiment, at least one elastic conductive member 13 is preferably provided between the lower surface of the edge ring 12 and the edge area of ​​the heating disk, for reducing the contact resistance between the lower surface of the edge ring 12 and the edge area of ​​the heating disk to improve the conductivity to parasitic charges.

[0048] Furthermore, in some preferred embodiments, the elastic conductive member 13 comprises a first metal spring. One end of the first metal spring is fixedly connected to the lower surface of the edge ring 12, while the other end contacts the edge of the heating plate. The first metal spring includes at least one bend between one end and the other end. The bend provides elastic force through elastic deformation, thereby increasing the ground contact of the heating plate and enhancing conductivity.

[0049] Furthermore, in Figure 2 In the illustrated embodiment, a plurality of first metal springs are disposed between the lower surface of the edge ring 12 and the edge region of the heating plate. The first metal springs are distributed in a ring-like pattern to form at least one conductive ring between the lower surface of the edge ring and the edge region of the heating plate.

[0050] Specifically, the elastic conductive member 13 is fixed to the edge region of the heating plate via a fastening plate 131 and a plurality (e.g., two) fasteners 132, thereby providing a grounding path between the lower surface of the edge ring 12 and the edge region of the heating plate. The fasteners 132 are, for example, bolts, screws, rivets, welds, or other fasteners.

[0051] Furthermore, in some optional embodiments, the height, width, and compression of the elastic conductive member 13 can be adaptively adjusted based on the contact between the lower surface of the edge ring and the edge area of ​​the heating plate. In one embodiment, the compression of the elastic conductive member 13 is 1-50 mm, which can increase the adjustable space for the heating plate to rise.

[0052] In addition, in some preferred embodiments, the lower surface and the inner surface of the edge ring 12 are chamfered to a smooth structure to facilitate the formation of a metal film and avoid abnormal discharge caused by electric field distortion at sharp corners.

[0053] In addition, Figure 1 and Figure 2 In the embodiment shown, the upper surface of the edge ring 12 is a stepped structure, including a support platform 122 for supporting the wafer 14, and an extension portion 123 extending radially outward along the edge of the support platform 122, and the upper surface of the extension portion 123 is higher than the upper surface of the support platform 122.

[0054] In addition, Figure 1 and Figure 2 In the embodiment shown, the bottom of the edge ring 12 is preferably provided with a limiting structure 124. Here, the limiting structure 124 is used to limit the edge ring 12 so as to facilitate the assembly between the edge ring 12 and the heating plate body 11 in the process chamber.

[0055] In summary, the above-mentioned edge ring, heating plate and semiconductor device processing equipment provided by the present invention can all conductively connect the inner surface of the edge ring to the lower surface of the heating plate and ground the heating plate to conduct away the parasitic charges between the edge ring and the heating plate, so as to reduce the risk of abnormal discharge, thereby reducing the generation of particulate matter and improving the granularity performance of the film.

[0056] Although the above methods are illustrated and described as a series of acts for simplicity of explanation, it is to be understood and appreciated that these methods are not limited by the order of the acts, as some acts may occur in a different order and / or concurrently with other acts from those illustrated and described herein or not illustrated and described herein but understandable to those skilled in the art according to one or more embodiments.

[0057] The previous description of the disclosure is provided to enable any person skilled in the art to make or use the disclosure. Various modifications to the disclosure will be apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein may be applied to other variations without departing from the spirit or scope of the disclosure. Thus, the disclosure is not intended to be limited to the examples and designs described herein but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and novel features disclosed herein.

Claims

1. An edge ring, provided on the edge area of ​​a heating plate, and maintaining a radial assembly gap with the rising portion of the central area of ​​the heating plate, characterized in that: The upper surface of the edge ring that contacts and supports the wafer is made of an insulating material, while the lower surface that contacts the edge area of ​​the heating plate and the inner surface aligned with the rising portion are made of a conductive material, wherein the heating plate is grounded and the inner surface is conductively connected to the lower surface to conduct parasitic charges between the edge ring and the heating plate through the heating plate.

2. The edge ring according to claim 1, wherein: The edge ring is made of insulating material, and a metal film is provided on its lower surface and inner surface, wherein the metal film covers the lower surface of the edge ring contacting the edge area of ​​the heating plate and the inner surface thereof aligned with the rising portion.

3. The edge ring according to claim 2, wherein: The metal film is made of aluminum and / or nickel, and / or The thickness of the metal film is 100-200 μm, and / or The metal film is coated on the second surface and / or the third surface of the edge ring through a thermal spraying process, a laser cladding process, or a metal spraying process.

4. The edge ring according to claim 2, wherein: At least one elastic conductive member is further provided between the lower surface of the edge ring and the edge area of ​​the heating disk, for reducing the contact resistance between the lower surface of the edge ring and the edge area of ​​the heating disk to improve the conductivity of the parasitic charge.

5. The edge ring according to claim 4, wherein: The elastic conductive part includes a first metal spring, wherein one end of the first metal spring is fixedly connected to the lower surface of the edge ring, and the other end thereof contacts the edge area of ​​the heating plate, and the first metal spring includes at least one bending portion between the one end and the other end to provide elastic force through elastic deformation of the bending portion.

6. The edge ring according to claim 5, wherein: A plurality of first metal springs are provided between the lower surface of the edge ring and the edge area of ​​the heating plate, wherein the first metal springs are distributed in a ring shape to form at least one circle of conductive structure between the lower surface of the edge ring and the edge area of ​​the heating plate.

7. The edge ring of claim 1, wherein: The lower surface and the inner surface of the edge ring are chamfered to form a smooth structure.

8. A heating plate, characterized in that: include: The heating plate body is made of a conductive material and has a raised portion in its central area; as well as The edge ring according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the edge ring is provided on an edge region of the heating disk body and maintains a radial assembly gap with the rising portion.

9. The heating plate according to claim 8, wherein At least one second metal spring is provided in the edge area of ​​the heating disk, wherein one end of the second metal spring is fixedly connected to the edge area of ​​the heating disk, and the other end thereof contacts the lower surface of the edge ring, so as to reduce the contact resistance between the lower surface of the edge ring and the edge area of ​​the heating disk, thereby improving the conductivity to the parasitic charge.

10. A semiconductor device processing equipment, characterized in that: include: A process chamber, wherein a heating plate according to claim 8 or 9 is provided; as well as The radio frequency circuit is used to provide a radio frequency electric field to the interior of the process chamber so as to perform a thin film deposition process on the wafer carried by the heating plate.

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