Multifunctional plasma pretreatment device

Abstract

The utility model provides a multifunctional plasma pretreatment device, and relates to the technical field of vacuum coating. Comprising at least one set of process chambers, and each process chamber is provided with an air exhaust system; the at least one group of plasma generation system adopts at least one mode of inductively coupled plasma, capacitively coupled plasma and a remote plasma source to convey plasma into the process chamber; the at least one group of process gas conveying system is connected to the plasma generating system so as to convey process gas to the plasma generating system; a material tray is arranged in the process chamber, and a single-layer sample rack or a multi-layer sample rack is placed on the tray. According to the scheme, surface treatment processes such as plasma surface cleaning, surface activation, surface defect and vacancy repair and the like can be realized.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of vacuum coating technology, and more specifically, to a multifunctional plasma pretreatment device. Background Technology

[0002] In semiconductor fabrication, processes such as plasma surface cleaning, surface activation, and surface defect repair of substrate surfaces are involved. However, existing plasma pretreatment equipment suffers from problems such as low plasma concentration, low concentration of active free radicals, and significant plasma damage. Furthermore, the high plasma temperature rise effect results in slow pretreatment efficiency and poor effectiveness. CN117915535A discloses a method and apparatus for improving the uniformity and repeatability of glow discharge plasma pretreatment. This method significantly improves the uniformity and repeatability of glow discharge plasma pretreatment of flexible organic thin films by optimizing electrode structure, electrode spacing, and processing techniques. However, this scheme uses two parallel electrode plates in its electrode structure, which are located within the process chamber. This does not effectively address the problem of high plasma temperature rise and occupies a significant amount of process chamber space. Utility Model Content

[0003] This invention discloses a multifunctional plasma pretreatment device, which aims to improve the problems mentioned above.

[0004] The present invention adopts the following solution:

[0005] A multifunctional plasma pretreatment device, comprising:

[0006] At least one set of process chambers, wherein the process chambers are equipped with an air extraction system;

[0007] At least one plasma generation system is provided, wherein the plasma generation device employs at least one of inductively coupled plasma, capacitively coupled plasma, and remote plasma source to deliver plasma into the process chamber; and the inlet of the plasma generation system is located directly above the sample holder.

[0008] At least one process gas delivery system is provided, the process gas delivery system being connected to a plasma generation system to deliver process gas to the plasma generation system;

[0009] The process chamber is equipped with a material tray, on which a single-layer sample rack or a multi-layer sample rack is placed.

[0010] Furthermore, the plasma generation system includes a plasma chamber disposed above the process chamber, and a solenoid-type plasma radio frequency coil is arranged outside the plasma chamber. The plasma radio frequency coil is connected to a radio frequency power supply to generate plasma within the plasma chamber.

[0011] Furthermore, the plasma chamber is provided with an air inlet uniform plate at the inlet end and a plasma uniform plate at the outlet end.

[0012] Furthermore, the plasma generation system includes a plasma chamber disposed above the process chamber, a planar coil-type plasma radio frequency coil disposed at the upper end of the plasma chamber, the process gas delivery system being connected below the planar coil-type plasma radio frequency coil, and the plasma radio frequency coil being connected to a radio frequency power supply to generate plasma within the plasma chamber.

[0013] Furthermore, the plasma generation system includes a plasma chamber disposed above the process chamber, wherein an upper electrode plate and a lower electrode plate are disposed in parallel within the plasma chamber, and the upper electrode plate and the lower electrode plate are connected to a radio frequency power supply to generate plasma within the plasma chamber and deliver it to the material tray.

[0014] Furthermore, the plasma generation system is configured as a remote plasma source, which is connected to the process gas delivery system to generate plasma and delivers it to the process chamber through a delivery channel.

[0015] Furthermore, the process gas delivery system is adapted to deliver process gas into the plasma generation system, wherein the process gas is one or more of O2, Ar, H2, N2, NH3, CO, CO2, NF3, Cl2, CH4, CF4, C4F6, and C3F8.

[0016] Beneficial effects:

[0017] In this invention, the pretreatment device can perform plasma surface cleaning, surface activation, surface defect and vacancy repair and other surface treatment processes on the substrate surface through the plasma generation system set above the process chamber, so that the substrate surface has higher cleanliness, more active sites and fewer defects, so that the material can be better processed in subsequent processes; it is especially suitable for the pretreatment stage of processes such as vacuum coating and surface coating. Attached Figure Description

[0018] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a multifunctional plasma pretreatment device with a solenoid-type plasma radio frequency coil according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0019] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a multifunctional plasma pretreatment device with a planar coil-type plasma radio frequency coil according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0020] Figure 3This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a multifunctional plasma pretreatment device with a flat-plate plasma generation system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0021] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a multifunctional plasma pretreatment device with a remote plasma source according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0022] Icons: 1. Process chamber; 2. Heating device; 3. Temperature control system; 4. Vacuum gauge; 5. Insert valve; 6. Solenoid-type plasma RF coil; 7. Cooling water pipeline; 8. Inlet flow equalizer; 9. Plasma flow equalizer; 10. Material tray; 11. Substrate; 12. Plasma chamber; 13. Planar coil-type plasma RF coil; 131. First RF coil; 132. Second RF coil; 14. Upper electrode plate; 15. Lower electrode plate; 16. Remote plasma source; 17. Conveying channel; 18. Evacuation system; 19. Process gas conveying system; 20. RF power supply. Detailed Implementation

[0023] Example 1

[0024] Combine Figures 1 to 4 As shown, this embodiment provides a multifunctional plasma pretreatment device, including: at least one set of process chambers 1, wherein a vacuum system 18 is provided on the process chambers 1; at least one set of plasma generating systems, wherein the plasma generating devices employ at least one of inductively coupled plasma, capacitively coupled plasma, and remote plasma source 16 to deliver plasma into the process chambers 1; at least one set of process gas delivery systems 19, wherein the process gas delivery systems 19 are connected to the plasma generating systems to deliver process gas to the plasma generating systems; and a material tray 10 is provided in the process chambers 1, wherein a single-layer sample rack or a multi-layer sample rack is placed on the tray.

[0025] In this embodiment, the process chamber 1 can be provided in one or more sets. The process chamber 1 is connected to the vacuum system 18 to achieve a vacuum environment within the process chamber 1. The plasma generation system is located above the process chamber 1 and directly facing the material tray 10 to directly deliver plasma to the substrate 11 on the material tray 10. The substrate 11 can be a 4-8 inch silicon wafer, glass, ceramic, polymer material, metal, PCB circuit board, etc., and the material form can be a disc, square sheet, thin film, etc. The process gas delivery system 19 includes multiple purge lines and carrier gas lines to simultaneously or individually deliver multiple process gases and carrier gases, and each line is equipped with a valve and a gas flow meter.

[0026] The plasma generation system can employ at least one of the following: inductively coupled plasma, capacitively coupled plasma, and remote plasma source 16. It can be a single type or a combination of two or more plasma generation systems to improve the plasma generation effect. The material tray 10 can be equipped with a single-layer sample rack or multiple-layer sample racks to improve the efficiency of each batch pretreatment.

[0027] A heating device 2 is installed on the outside of the process chamber 1. The heating device 2 is connected to a temperature control system 3 for temperature control of the process chamber 1. A vacuum gauge 4 is also connected to the process chamber 1 to control the vacuum level inside the process chamber 1. A slide gate valve 5 is further provided to facilitate material storage and retrieval.

[0028] This pretreatment device can perform surface treatment processes on the substrate surface, such as plasma surface cleaning, surface activation, surface defect removal, and vacancy repair, resulting in a substrate surface with higher cleanliness, more active sites, and fewer defects, thus facilitating subsequent processing. It is particularly suitable for the pretreatment stage of processes such as vacuum coating and surface coating.

[0029] Example 2

[0030] Combine Figure 1 As shown, in this embodiment, the plasma generation system includes a plasma chamber 12 disposed above the process chamber 1. A solenoid-type plasma radio frequency coil 6 is arranged on the outside of the plasma chamber 12. The plasma radio frequency coil is connected to a radio frequency power supply 20 to generate plasma within the plasma chamber 12. This embodiment uses inductive coupling to generate plasma. The plasma chamber 12 extends longitudinally, and the plasma radio frequency coil has a solenoid structure wound around the plasma chamber 12. The process gas delivery system 19 is connected directly above the plasma chamber 12. The solenoid-type plasma radio frequency coil 6 results in a longer ionization path within the plasma chamber 12, leading to a higher continuously generated plasma concentration, a higher concentration of active free radicals, a wider gas pressure operating range, and a weaker plasma temperature rise effect. Additionally, a cooling water pipe 7 is provided outside the plasma radio frequency coil for cooling.

[0031] In a preferred embodiment, an inlet gas equalization plate 8 is provided at the inlet end of the plasma chamber 12, and a plasma equalization plate 9 is provided at the outlet end. The inlet gas equalization plate 8 makes the process gas more uniform in the plasma chamber 12, and the plasma equalization plate 9 is provided at the outlet end of the plasma chamber 12 to make the plasma entering the process chamber 1 more uniform.

[0032] Example 3

[0033] Combine Figure 2 As shown, in this embodiment, the plasma generation system includes a plasma chamber 12 disposed above the process chamber 1. A planar coil-type plasma radio frequency coil 13 is disposed at the upper end of the plasma chamber 12. The process gas delivery system 19 is connected below the planar coil-type plasma radio frequency coil 13, and the plasma radio frequency coil is connected to a radio frequency power supply 20 to generate plasma within the plasma chamber 12. This embodiment generates plasma using inductive coupling. The plasma radio frequency coil is disposed directly above the plasma and includes a first radio frequency coil 131 and a second radio frequency coil 132. The first radio frequency coil 131 and the second radio frequency coil 132 are respectively distributed at the top of the plasma chamber 12 and connected to the radio frequency power supply 20 to form plasma through downward inductive coupling. This design reduces the height of the plasma chamber 12, lowering the height requirement. Furthermore, the planar coil design minimizes damage to the plasma, generates a larger plasma range, and simplifies structural maintenance. It should be noted that in this embodiment, a plasma chamber wall is disposed on the inner wall of the plasma chamber 12, and a process gas flow equalization plate is disposed below the plasma chamber wall.

[0034] Example 4

[0035] Combine Figure 3 As shown, the plasma generation system includes a plasma chamber 12 disposed above the process chamber 1. An upper electrode 14 and a lower electrode 15 are arranged in parallel within the plasma chamber 12. The upper electrode 14 and lower electrode 15 are connected to a radio frequency power supply 20 to generate plasma within the plasma chamber 12 and deliver it to the material tray 10. The lower electrode 15 is disposed at the lower end of the plasma chamber 12, and the upper electrode 14 and lower electrode 15 are used to form plasma through capacitive coupling. This design offers high ion energy, a wide range of applicable gas types, and simple structural maintenance, while also having relatively low height requirements for the plasma chamber 12.

[0036] Example 5

[0037] Combine Figure 4 As shown, the plasma generation system is configured as a remote plasma source 16, which is connected to the process gas delivery system 19 to generate plasma and deliver it to the process chamber 1 through the delivery channel 17.

[0038] In this embodiment, by separately configuring the plasma generation system and the process chamber, and connecting them via a delivery pipeline, and supplying plasma to the process chamber 1 through a remote plasma source 16, the overall size of the equipment can be reduced. Furthermore, the form of the remote plasma source 16 can be more diverse, not limited by the volume and size of the process chamber 1. The remote plasma source 16 can be an existing plasma generation device, used to connect to the process gas delivery system 19 and generate plasma. This solution allows for a larger plasma flux, and the modular design facilitates the replacement and cleaning of the plasma source, resulting in a wider process window.

[0039] In the above embodiments, the process gas delivery system 19 is adapted to deliver process gas into the plasma generation system. The process gas is one or more of O2, Ar, H2, N2, NH3, CO, CO2, NF3, Cl2, CH4, CF4, C4F6, and C3F8, including but not limited to these, and has a wide range of applicable gas types.

[0040] In other embodiments, two or three of the plasma generation systems described in embodiments 2-5 can be selected and integrated into the same process chamber to meet requirements such as high plasma flux. For example, a remote plasma source can be combined with inductively coupled plasma or capacitively coupled plasma.

[0041] It should be understood that the above are only preferred embodiments of the present utility model, and the protection scope of the present utility model is not limited to the above embodiments. All technical solutions that fall within the scope of the present utility model are protected by the present utility model.

[0042] The accompanying drawings used in the above description of the embodiments only show some embodiments of the present invention and should not be regarded as a limitation of the scope. For those skilled in the art, other related drawings can be obtained from these drawings without creative effort.

Claims

1. A multifunctional plasma pretreatment device, characterized in that, include: At least one set of process chambers, wherein the process chambers are equipped with an air extraction system; At least one plasma generation system is provided, wherein the plasma generation device employs at least one of inductively coupled plasma, capacitively coupled plasma, and remote plasma source to deliver plasma into the process chamber; and the inlet of the plasma generation system is located directly above the sample holder. At least one process gas delivery system is provided, the process gas delivery system being connected to a plasma generation system to deliver process gas to the plasma generation system; The process chamber is equipped with a material tray, on which a single-layer sample rack or a multi-layer sample rack is placed.

2. The multifunctional plasma pretreatment device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The plasma generation system includes a plasma chamber disposed above the process chamber. A solenoid-type plasma radio frequency coil is arranged outside the plasma chamber. The plasma radio frequency coil is connected to a radio frequency power supply to generate plasma within the plasma chamber.

3. The multifunctional plasma pretreatment device according to claim 2, characterized in that, An air inlet uniform plate is provided at the inlet end of the plasma chamber, and a plasma uniform plate is provided at the outlet end.

4. The multifunctional plasma pretreatment device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The plasma generation system includes a plasma chamber disposed above the process chamber. A planar coil-type plasma radio frequency coil is disposed at the upper end of the plasma chamber. The process gas delivery system is connected to the lower part of the planar coil-type plasma radio frequency coil, and the plasma radio frequency coil is connected to a radio frequency power supply to generate plasma in the plasma chamber.

5. The multifunctional plasma pretreatment device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The plasma generation system includes a plasma chamber disposed above the process chamber. The plasma chamber is provided with an upper electrode plate and a lower electrode plate arranged in parallel. The upper electrode plate and the lower electrode plate are connected to a radio frequency power supply to generate plasma in the plasma chamber and deliver it to the material tray.

6. The multifunctional plasma pretreatment device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The plasma generation system is configured as a remote plasma source, which is connected to the process gas delivery system to generate plasma and delivers it to the process chamber through a delivery channel.

7. The multifunctional plasma pretreatment device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The process gas delivery system is suitable for delivering process gas into the plasma generation system. The process gas is one or more of the following: O2, Ar, H2, N2, NH3, CO, CO2, NF3, Cl2, CH4, CF4, C4F6, and C3F8.

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