Pipeline connecting piece and process equipment of semiconductor device

Abstract

The utility model discloses a pipeline connecting piece and process equipment of a semiconductor device. The pipeline connecting piece comprises an air inlet end connected with a plasma source used for generating plasma; the gas outlet end is connected with the reaction chamber so as to transmit the plasma to the reaction chamber, a plurality of gas holes are formed in the bottom of the inner wall of a pipeline at the gas outlet end and used for introducing protective gas to form a gas cushion at the bottom of the inner wall of the pipeline so as to isolate the plasma from the inner wall of the pipeline when the plasma is transmitted. Through the pipeline connecting piece, direct impact of plasma on the inner wall of the pipeline can be avoided in the plasma transmission process, so that the inner wall of the pipeline is protected, and the service life of the pipeline connecting piece is prolonged.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The utility model relates to the technical field of semiconductor process equipment, in particular to a pipeline connector and process equipment for semiconductor devices. Background Art

[0002] A remote plasma system (RPS) is a device used to generate plasma. It is typically used in vacuum environments for processes such as surface treatment, material modification, and thin film deposition. In thin film deposition equipment, the RPS can be connected to the equipment's reaction chamber to perform regular molecular-level cleaning inside the reaction chamber to prevent contamination that could affect film performance.

[0003] Currently, remote plasma systems can deliver plasma to the reaction chamber via pipe connectors for chamber cleaning. However, because the plasma contains a large number of high-speed charged particles, they directly impact the inner wall of the pipe during transmission, causing damage to the inner wall of the pipe and directly affecting the service life of the pipe connectors.

[0004] In order to solve the above problems existing in the prior art, the art urgently needs an improved pipe connector that can avoid direct impact of plasma on the inner wall of the pipe during the transmission of plasma, thereby protecting the inner wall of the pipe and extending the service life of the pipe connector. Utility Model Content

[0005] 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.

[0006] In order to overcome the above-mentioned defects of the prior art, the utility model provides a pipe connector and a process equipment for a semiconductor device, which can avoid direct impact of plasma on the inner wall of the pipe during the transmission of plasma, thereby protecting the inner wall of the pipe and extending the service life of the pipe connector.

[0007] Specifically, the pipe connector provided according to the first aspect of the present invention includes: an air inlet end, connected to a plasma source for generating plasma; and a air outlet end, connected to a reaction chamber to transmit the plasma to the reaction chamber, wherein the bottom of the inner wall of the pipe at the air outlet end includes a plurality of air holes for passing a protective gas to form an air cushion at the bottom of the inner wall of the pipe to isolate the plasma from the inner wall of the pipe when transmitting the plasma.

[0008] Furthermore, in some embodiments of the present invention, the bottom of the inner wall of the pipe further includes an air inlet channel, the air inlet channel being connected to each of the air holes, and the protective gas is introduced into each of the air holes through the air inlet channel.

[0009] Furthermore, in some embodiments of the present invention, the plurality of air holes are evenly distributed at the bottom of the inner wall of the pipe, so as to form an air cushion with uniform air density at the bottom of the inner wall of the pipe after the protective gas is introduced.

[0010] Furthermore, in some embodiments of the present invention, the gas outlet end includes a plurality of gas outlets, which are respectively connected to a plurality of reaction chambers to transmit the plasma to the corresponding reaction chambers.

[0011] Furthermore, in some embodiments of the present invention, the pipe connector further includes: a cooling water channel, disposed inside the pipe connector, for passing a coolant to cool the pipe connector when transmitting the plasma.

[0012] Furthermore, in some embodiments of the present invention, the cooling water channel includes a plurality of bends distributed in a bend manner around a transmission pipeline inside the pipe connector for transmitting the plasma.

[0013] In addition, the process equipment for the above-mentioned semiconductor device provided according to the second aspect of the present invention includes: a reaction chamber for performing a thin film deposition process; a plasma source for generating plasma; and the above-mentioned pipe connector provided by the first aspect of the present invention, whose air inlet end is connected to the plasma source and whose air outlet end is connected to the reaction chamber, and is used to transfer the plasma to the reaction chamber after the thin film deposition process is completed in the reaction chamber, so as to perform chamber cleaning on the reaction chamber.

[0014] Furthermore, in some embodiments of the present invention, the process equipment includes a plurality of the reaction chambers, and the gas outlet end of the pipe connector includes a plurality of gas outlets, which are respectively connected to each of the reaction chambers to transmit the plasma to the corresponding reaction chambers. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0015] 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.

[0016] Figure 1A schematic structural diagram of a semiconductor device process equipment provided according to some embodiments of the present utility model is shown;

[0017] Figure 2 A schematic structural diagram of a pipe connector provided according to some embodiments of the present utility model is shown;

[0018] Figure 3 for Figure 2 a side cross-sectional view of the pipe connection shown at its midline position;

[0019] Figure 4 for Figure 2 A side cross-sectional view of the pipe connection shown alongside its delivery pipe; and

[0020] Figure 5 A flow chart of a method for cleaning process equipment of a semiconductor device provided according to some embodiments of the present invention is shown.

[0021] Reference numerals:

[0022] 100 Process equipment for semiconductor devices;

[0023] 110 plasma source;

[0024] 120 reaction chamber;

[0025] 200 pipe connectors;

[0026] 210 intake end;

[0027] 220 outlet end;

[0028] 221 air outlet;

[0029] 230 stomata;

[0030] 240 air intake passage;

[0031] 250 cooling water channel;

[0032] 260 plasma transport path;

[0033] 270 shielding gas flow path; and

[0034] Steps S501~S502. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0035] 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.

[0036] 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.

[0037] 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.

[0038] 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.

[0039] As mentioned above, current remote plasma systems can deliver plasma to the reaction chamber via pipe connectors for chamber cleaning. However, because the plasma contains a large number of high-speed charged particles, they directly impact the inner wall of the pipe during transmission, causing damage to the inner wall of the pipe and directly affecting the service life of the pipe connectors.

[0040] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems existing in the prior art, the utility model provides a pipe connector and a process equipment for a semiconductor device, which can avoid direct impact of plasma on the inner wall of the pipe during the transmission of plasma, thereby protecting the inner wall of the pipe and extending the service life of the pipe connector.

[0041] In some non-limiting embodiments, the pipe connector provided in the first aspect of the present invention may be configured in the process equipment of the semiconductor device provided in the second aspect of the present invention.

[0042] The following describes the operating principles of the aforementioned pipe connector in conjunction with examples of semiconductor device process equipment. Those skilled in the art will understand that these examples of semiconductor device process equipment are merely non-limiting implementations of the present invention, intended to clearly demonstrate the main concepts of the present invention and provide specific solutions that facilitate implementation by the public. They are not intended to limit the full operating methods or functions of the pipe connector. Similarly, the pipe connector is merely a non-limiting implementation of the present invention and does not constitute a limitation on the configuration objects in these semiconductor device process equipment.

[0043] Please see Figure 1 , Figure 1 A schematic structural diagram of a semiconductor device process equipment provided according to some embodiments of the present invention is shown.

[0044] like Figure 1 As shown, in some embodiments of the present invention, a process equipment 100 for a semiconductor device may include a reaction chamber 120, a plasma source 110, and a pipe connector 200. Wafers may be fed into the reaction chamber 120 and subjected to a thin film deposition process. The plasma source 110 is used to generate plasma, and preferably, a remote plasma system (RPS) may be used. The gas inlet end 210 of the pipe connector 200 may be connected to the plasma source 110, and the gas outlet end 220 thereof may be connected to the reaction chamber 120, for transferring the plasma to the reaction chamber 120 after the thin film deposition process is completed in the reaction chamber 120, so as to perform chamber cleaning on the reaction chamber 120.

[0045] Specifically, the plasma source 110 can dissociate nitrogen fluoride (NF3) gas to produce plasma, wherein the plasma can include a large number of fluoride ions. After completing the thin film deposition process, the wafer is sent out of the reaction chamber 120, and then a cleaning process can be run in the reaction chamber 120 to clean off the thin film deposited on the inner side of the chamber dome, the surface of the wafer tray, and the inner wall of the chamber. The plasma in the plasma source 110 is transmitted to the reaction chamber 120 through the pipe and the pipe connector 200. These high-energy fluoride ions in the plasma can react with the residual silicon dioxide, silicon nitride and other deposits in the reaction chamber 120 to form volatile silicon fluoride, thereby being able to remove the residual accumulation of silicon dioxide and silicon nitride films on the internal surface of the reaction chamber 120 and other parts during the chamber cleaning process, thereby achieving the effect of chamber cleaning.

[0046] Further, continue as Figure 1 As shown, the semiconductor device process equipment 100 may further include multiple reaction chambers 120, for example, two reaction chambers 120. The gas outlet end of the pipe connector 200 may include multiple gas outlets 221, which are respectively connected to each reaction chamber 120 to transmit plasma to the corresponding reaction chamber 120, thereby increasing the production capacity of the equipment.

[0047] Next, please refer to Figure 2 and Figure 3 , Figure 2 A schematic structural diagram of a pipe connector provided according to some embodiments of the present invention is shown. Figure 3 for Figure 2 A side cross-sectional view of a pipe connection is shown at its mid-line position.

[0048] like Figure 2 As shown, the pipe connector 200 may include an inlet end 210 and an outlet end 220, wherein the inlet end 210 may be connected to the plasma source 110 for generating plasma, and the outlet end 220 may be connected to the reaction chamber 120 for transmitting the plasma to the reaction chamber 120, wherein the plasma transmission path 260 may be as shown in FIG. Figure 3 As shown by the dotted arrow in .

[0049] Furthermore, before the plasma enters the pipe connector 200, its inlet pressure, temperature, and flow rate ratio can be adjusted to ensure the activity of the plasma. Alternatively, the plasma inlet pressure can be adjusted by a precision pressure reducing valve, the plasma flow rate can be adjusted by a mass flow controller (MFC), and the temperature of the heating belt can be used to close the loop to control the plasma temperature.

[0050] Continue as Figure 3 As shown, the bottom of the inner wall of the pipe at the gas outlet end 220 may include a plurality of air holes 230 for introducing a protective gas to form an air cushion at the bottom of the inner wall of the pipe, so as to isolate the plasma from the inner wall of the pipe during transmission. Furthermore, the bottom of the inner wall of the pipe may also include an air inlet channel 240, which may be connected to each of the air holes 230, and the protective gas may be introduced into each of the air holes 230 through the air inlet channel 240, wherein the flow path 270 of the protective gas may be as shown. Figure 3 As shown by the solid arrow in .

[0051] Optionally, the protective gas may include but is not limited to nitrogen, argon, helium, etc.

[0052] Furthermore, in some preferred embodiments, multiple air holes 230 can be evenly distributed at the bottom of the inner wall of the pipe. For example, the bottom of the inner wall of the pipe can be provided with multiple air holes 230, which are used to form an air cushion with uniform air density at the bottom of the inner wall of the pipe after the protective gas is introduced, thereby avoiding the local air density of the air cushion being low, which causes the inner wall of the pipe at that location to directly contact with the plasma during the plasma transmission process, and be impacted and corroded by the plasma.

[0053] Preferably, the amount of shielding gas introduced and the amount of plasma transmitted can be set according to a certain ratio, and the shielding gas introduced can also be heated, so that the temperature of the plasma will not be significantly reduced during the transmission of the plasma on the air cushion, thereby ensuring the activity of the plasma gas.

[0054] Furthermore, when the plasma is output from the plasma source 110 and passes through the pipe connector 200, not only is the plasma itself a high-temperature ionized gas in a high-temperature state, but the heat released by the gas during the internal reaction will cause the temperature of the pipe connector 200 to rise sharply. Furthermore, due to the corrosion caused by the transmitted plasma, many harmful particles, such as fluoride, will be generated on the surface of the pipe connector 200. These particles will enter the reaction chamber 120 with the air flow and cause defects in the deposited film. Therefore, please refer to Figure 4 , Figure 4 for Figure 2 A pipe connection is shown in side cross-section alongside its delivery pipe.

[0055] like Figure 4As shown, in order to avoid harmful particles generated by the rapid temperature rise of the pipe connector 200 during the transmission of plasma, the interior of the pipe connector 200 may further include a cooling water channel 250 to reduce the overall heat of the pipe connector 200. Specifically, the cooling water channel 250 may include a plurality of bends so that it is distributed in a bent manner around the transmission pipeline for transmitting plasma inside the pipe connector 200, so that coolant can be passed into the pipe connector 200 to cool the pipe connector 200 when the plasma is transmitted. In this embodiment, by providing a plurality of bends on the cooling water channel 250, the contact area between the cooling water channel 250 and the interior of the pipe connector 200 can be increased within a limited space, that is, the heat dissipation efficiency is increased, and the water cooling time of the coolant circulation is extended, which is conducive to improving the cooling effect on the pipe connector 200, and can quickly take away heat and reduce the temperature fluctuation of the pipe connector 200.

[0056] In order to more clearly describe the structure and working principle of the pipe connector 200, please refer to Figure 5 , Figure 5 A flow chart of a method for cleaning process equipment of a semiconductor device provided according to some embodiments of the present invention is shown.

[0057] like Figure 5 As shown, in some embodiments of the present invention, a method for cleaning process equipment for semiconductor devices may include the following step S501: in response to the completion of a thin film deposition process in the reaction chamber 120 of the semiconductor device process equipment 100, a protective gas is introduced into the plurality of air holes 230 at the bottom of the inner wall of the pipe at the gas outlet end 220 of the pipe connector 200, so that the protective gas forms an air cushion at the bottom of the inner wall of the pipe. Thereafter, step S502 may be performed, whereby plasma is generated by the plasma source 110 and transferred to the reaction chamber 120 via the pipe connector 200 for chamber cleaning. During this transfer process, the plasma is isolated from the inner wall of the pipe by the air cushion.

[0058] Specifically, the plasma in the plasma source 110 is transmitted to the reaction chamber 120 through the pipe and the pipe connector 200. These high-energy fluorine ions in the plasma can react with residual silicon dioxide, silicon nitride and other deposits in the reaction chamber 120 to form volatile silicon fluoride. Therefore, during the chamber cleaning process, the residual accumulation of silicon dioxide and silicon nitride films on the internal surface of the reaction chamber 120 and other parts can be removed, thereby achieving the effect of chamber cleaning.

[0059] 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.

[0060] In summary, the utility model provides a pipe connector and a process equipment for a semiconductor device, which can avoid direct impact of plasma on the inner wall of the pipe during the transmission of plasma, thereby protecting the inner wall of the pipe and extending the service life of the pipe connector.

[0061] 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. A pipe connector, characterized in that: include: An air inlet end connected to a plasma source for generating plasma; as well as The gas outlet end is connected to the reaction chamber to transmit the plasma to the reaction chamber, wherein the bottom of the inner wall of the pipe of the gas outlet end includes a plurality of air holes for passing a protective gas to form an air cushion at the bottom of the inner wall of the pipe to isolate the plasma from the inner wall of the pipe when transmitting the plasma.

2. The pipe connector according to claim 1, wherein: The bottom of the inner wall of the pipeline further comprises an air inlet channel, the air inlet channel being connected to the air holes, and the protective gas is introduced into the air holes through the air inlet channel.

3. The pipe connector according to claim 1, wherein: The plurality of air holes are evenly distributed at the bottom of the inner wall of the pipe, and are used to form an air cushion with uniform air density at the bottom of the inner wall of the pipe after the protective gas is introduced.

4. The pipe connector according to claim 1, wherein: The gas outlet end includes a plurality of gas outlets, which are respectively connected to a plurality of reaction chambers to transmit the plasma to the corresponding reaction chambers.

5. The pipe connector according to claim 1, wherein: Also includes: A cooling water channel is provided inside the pipe connector and is used to pass a cooling liquid to cool the pipe connector when the plasma is transmitted.

6. The pipe connector according to claim 5, wherein: The cooling water channel includes a plurality of bending portions distributed in a bending manner around a transmission pipeline inside the pipe connector for transmitting the plasma.

7. A process equipment for a semiconductor device, characterized in that: include: a reaction chamber for performing a thin film deposition process; a plasma source for generating plasma; as well as The pipe connector according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the gas inlet end is connected to the plasma source and the gas outlet end is connected to the reaction chamber, and is used to transfer the plasma to the reaction chamber after the thin film deposition process is completed in the reaction chamber to perform chamber cleaning on the reaction chamber.

8. The process equipment according to claim 7, characterized in that The system comprises a plurality of reaction chambers, and the gas outlet end of the pipeline connector comprises a plurality of gas outlets, which are respectively connected to the reaction chambers to transmit the plasma to the corresponding reaction chambers.

Images