Annealing equipment
By introducing a cooling chamber and circulating cooling fluid into the annealing equipment, the problem of insufficient cooling rate of existing equipment was solved, achieving faster cooling and lower thermal budget, thus meeting the high requirements of semiconductor processes.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- CN202422908144.9
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Utility models(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2024-11-27
- Publication Date
- 2025-10-31
- Estimated Expiration
- 2034-11-27
AI Technical Summary
The cooling rate of existing annealing equipment is not up to standard, and it is impossible to effectively reduce the cooling time of the annealing process while maintaining the peak temperature, resulting in excessively high wafer thermal budget.
A cooling chamber is set in the annealing equipment. The cooling chamber has an inlet and an outlet. The cooling fluid absorbs the heat of the wafer through circulation and convection, thereby increasing the cooling rate.
It significantly improves the cooling rate, reduces the cooling time of the annealing process, lowers the thermal budget of the wafer, and reduces the diffusion of implanted ions.
Smart Images
Figure CN223501824U_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This application relates to the field of semiconductor manufacturing technology, and in particular to an annealing apparatus. Background Technology
[0002] Thermal budget is a key parameter in semiconductor manufacturing processes that optimizes semiconductor performance by controlling thermal energy. One of the goals of semiconductor processes is to minimize the total heat received by silicon, achieved by reducing cooling or processing time to minimize the thermal budget. For annealing equipment in semiconductor manufacturing, the heating and cooling rates directly affect the thermal budget during the annealing process and are critical process parameters. As chip thermal budget requirements become increasingly stringent, it is necessary to minimize the cooling time of the annealing process while maintaining the peak annealing temperature, thereby reducing the diffusion of implanted ions.
[0003] Existing annealing equipment adds a high heat absorption plate after the heat source to increase the cooling rate, but the performance is still not up to standard, and the cooling rate needs to be improved. Utility Model Content
[0004] In view of the shortcomings of the prior art described above, the purpose of this application is to provide an annealing device to solve the problem of insufficient cooling rate in the prior art.
[0005] This application provides an annealing apparatus, including a reaction chamber, a cooling chamber, and heat sources. The reaction chamber is used to accommodate a wafer. The cooling chamber is located at least on one side of the reaction chamber and is arranged adjacent to the reaction chamber. A plurality of heat sources are used to heat the wafer in the reaction chamber and are arranged in the cooling chamber. The walls at both ends of the cooling chamber are respectively provided with inlets and outlets for cooling fluid to pass through the cooling chamber.
[0006] In some embodiments, the cooling chamber further includes an inflow pipe and an outflow pipe, the inflow pipe being connected to the inlet and the outflow pipe being connected to the outlet, the cooling fluid flowing into the cooling chamber through the inflow pipe and flowing out of the cooling chamber through the outflow pipe.
[0007] In some embodiments, the inlet and the outlet are respectively located at both ends of the cooling cavity near the wafer, and are situated between the heat source and the wafer in a direction perpendicular to the wafer plane.
[0008] In some embodiments, a fluid flow meter is provided on the inflow pipe.
[0009] In some embodiments, the number of inlets is greater than one.
[0010] In some embodiments, a fluid flow meter is provided on each of the inflow pipes.
[0011] In some embodiments, the cooling fluid is a non-hazardous gas or an inert gas.
[0012] In some embodiments, the reaction chamber is a cuboid, and the cooling chamber is a cuboid adapted to the top, bottom, and side surfaces of the reaction chamber.
[0013] In some embodiments, the cooling cavity is made of a transparent, high-temperature resistant material on at least one side facing the wafer.
[0014] In some embodiments, the cooling chamber shares a cavity wall with the side adjacent to the reaction chamber.
[0015] As described above, the annealing equipment of this application has the following beneficial effects: it can significantly improve the cooling rate, reduce the cooling time of the annealing process while ensuring the peak temperature, thereby reducing the wafer thermal budget and reducing the diffusion of implanted ions. Attached Figure Description
[0016] The following accompanying drawings describe in detail the exemplary embodiments disclosed in this application. The same reference numerals denote similar structures in several views of the drawings. Those skilled in the art will understand that these embodiments are non-limiting and exemplary, and the drawings are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of this application. Other embodiments may similarly fulfill the inventive intent of this application. It should be understood that the drawings are not drawn to scale.
[0017] in:
[0018] Figure 1 This is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of an annealing apparatus according to some embodiments of this application;
[0019] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the appearance of the cooling cavity according to some embodiments of this application;
[0020] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram showing the switching time points and temperature changes of the cooling fluid according to some embodiments of this application;
[0021] Figure 4 This is a comparative schematic diagram showing the cooling situation with and without a cooling cavity, according to some embodiments of this application;
[0022] Figure 5 This is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of an annealing apparatus with a cooling plate according to some embodiments of this application. Detailed Implementation
[0023] The following description provides specific application scenarios and requirements for this application, intended to enable those skilled in the art to make and use the content of this application. Various partial modifications to the disclosed embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein can be applied to other embodiments and applications without departing from the spirit and scope of this application. Therefore, this application is not limited to the embodiments shown, but rather to the widest scope consistent with the claims.
[0024] This application provides an annealing apparatus, including a reaction chamber, a cooling chamber, and heat sources. The reaction chamber is used to accommodate a wafer; the cooling chamber is located at least on one side of the reaction chamber and is disposed adjacent to the reaction chamber. Several heat sources are used to heat the wafer in the reaction chamber and are disposed within the cooling chamber. The walls at both ends of the cooling chamber are respectively provided with inlets and outlets for cooling fluid to pass through the cooling chamber. The cooling fluid carries away the heat from the wafer through circulation and convection, thereby increasing the cooling rate of the annealing process.
[0025] The technical solution of this application will be described in detail below with reference to the embodiments and accompanying drawings.
[0026] like Figure 1 As shown, in some embodiments, the annealing apparatus 100 of this application includes a reaction chamber 1, a cooling chamber 2, and a heat source 3. The reaction chamber 1 is used to accommodate a wafer 4. The heat source 3 is used to heat the wafer 4 within the reaction chamber 1. The cooling chamber 2 is located at least on one side of the reaction chamber 1 and is disposed adjacent to the reaction chamber 1. In some embodiments of this application, the cooling chamber 2 shares a chamber wall with the side adjacent to the reaction chamber 1 to improve the cooling rate. Several heat sources 3 are disposed within the cooling chamber 2, and the chamber walls at both ends of the cooling chamber 2 are respectively provided with inlet 21 and outlet 22 for cooling fluid to pass through the cooling chamber 2. After the heat source 3 stops supplying heat, the cooling fluid within the cooling chamber 2 absorbs and carries away the heat from the reaction chamber 1 and the wafer 4 through circulation and convection, thereby increasing the cooling rate of the annealing process.
[0027] In some embodiments, the cooling chamber 2 further includes an inlet pipe 6 and an outlet pipe 7. The inlet pipe 6 is connected to the inlet 21, and the outlet pipe 7 is connected to the outlet 22. Cooling fluid flows between the inlet pipe 6 and the outlet pipe 7. Cooling fluid flows into the cooling chamber 2 through the inlet pipe 6, passes through the cooling chamber 2, and then flows out of the cooling chamber 2 through the outlet pipe 7.
[0028] In some embodiments, the inlet 21 and the outlet 22 are positioned at the same horizontal height at opposite ends of the cooling chamber 2 to facilitate convection of the cooling fluid within the cooling chamber 2.
[0029] In some embodiments, the number of inlets 21 is greater than one, i.e., multiple, for example, ranging from 2 to 20. The specific number of inlets 21 can be set according to actual needs. Similarly, there can also be multiple outlets 22. Moreover, the number of inlets 21 and outlets 22 may not be the same. In some embodiments, preferably, the number of inlets 21 is equal to the number of outlets 22, and their positions are arranged relative to each other.
[0030] In some embodiments, the inflow pipe 6 and the outflow pipe 7 have circular cross-sections with diameters ranging from 5 to 30 mm, which facilitates connection with external pipes.
[0031] Furthermore, in some embodiments, the inlet 21 and outlet 22 are respectively located at both ends of the cooling chamber 2 near the wafer 4, and are situated between the heat source 3 and the wafer 4 in a direction perpendicular to the wafer plane. Simultaneously, the heat source 3 is located on the side of the cooling chamber 2 away from the wafer 4. As the cooling fluid enters through the inlet pipe 6 and flows out through the outlet pipe 7, a main flow path 5 is formed. This main flow path 5, sandwiched between the heat source 3 and the wafer 4, facilitates faster removal of heat from the reaction chamber 1 and the wafer 4 from the cooling chamber 2 after heating is stopped.
[0032] Combination Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, in some embodiments, the annealing apparatus 100 has cooling chambers 2 on both sides of the plane where the wafer 4 is located, and heat sources 3 are disposed in the cooling chambers 2. Inside the cooling chambers 2, a plurality of heat sources 3 are disposed near the first plane 23; an inflow pipe 6 and an outflow pipe 7 are disposed near the second plane 24 of the cooling chamber 2. Preferably, the space inside the cooling chamber 2 is divided into a first space and a second space. In some embodiments, the space at a height of H / 2 near the first plane 23 is the first space, and the space at a height of H / 2 near the second plane 24 is the second space. A plurality of heat sources 3 are disposed in the first space, and the second space is used to provide space for forming the main cooling fluid flow 5. In the annealing apparatus 100, the two second planes 24 are respectively disposed opposite to the wafer 4, and the two first planes 23 are respectively located on both sides away from the wafer 4.
[0033] In some embodiments, the cooling fluid and the heat source 3 are located in the same cooling chamber 2 without isolation. The cooling fluid immerses in or surrounds the heat source 3 and comes into contact with the outer surface of the heat source 3, thereby assisting in cooling the heat source 3 during the cooling phase, and thus assisting in the cooling of the reaction chamber 1 and the wafer 4.
[0034] In some embodiments, the heat source 3 is a halogen lamp. Halogen lamps have high thermal efficiency, do not oxidize when heated, have a long service life, and are safe and reliable.
[0035] In some embodiments, a fluid flow meter (not shown) is provided on the inflow pipe 6 to control and adjust the flow rate of the cooling fluid as needed. The circulation rate of the cooling fluid per unit time is related to the amount of heat it carries away, which in turn affects the cooling rate.
[0036] In some embodiments, flow meters (not shown) are installed on multiple inflow pipes 6 to independently control the cooling fluid flow rate of each inflow pipe 6, so that the cooling fluid in different parts of the cooling chamber 2 has different flow rates and different cooling effects. For example, the temperature in the middle part is higher, and more heat needs to be removed during cooling. Therefore, the flow rate of the cooling fluid in the middle part can be adjusted to be higher than that in the surrounding parts, so that the temperature of the entire reaction chamber 1 and the surface of the wafer 4 is more uniform, thereby obtaining a better annealing effect.
[0037] In some embodiments, the cooling fluid is a non-hazardous gas or an inert gas. For example, the inert gas may be argon or helium. These gases are commonly used in semiconductor manufacturing and have advantages in terms of availability and cost.
[0038] In some embodiments, the reaction chamber 1 is a cuboid, and the cooling chamber 2 is a cuboid adapted to the top, bottom, and side surfaces of the reaction chamber 1. (Reference) Figure 2 The schematic diagram of the cooling cavity 2 shown illustrates that, in some embodiments, the first plane 23 and the second plane 24 of the cooling cavity 2 are both rectangles with a length L and a width W. The length L ranges from 320 to 600 mm, the width W ranges from 320 to 600 mm, and the height H ranges from 60 to 150 mm.
[0039] In some embodiments, the cooling chamber 2 and the reaction chamber 1 are separated by the second plane 24 of the cooling chamber 2, which avoids the cooling fluid flow from affecting the annealing process and also avoids the cooling fluid from contacting the wafer 4 and causing contamination.
[0040] In the annealing process, the highest temperature can reach approximately 1000°C. In some embodiments, at least the side of the cooling chamber 2 facing the wafer 4 (i.e., the second plane 24) is made of a transparent high-temperature resistant material. This transparent high-temperature resistant material both isolates the cooling fluid from the reaction chamber 1 at 1000°C and allows heat to easily penetrate the isolation surface into or out of the reaction chamber 1. During heating, the heat generated by the heat source 3 smoothly passes through the transparent high-temperature resistant material into the reaction chamber 1 and reaches the wafer 4; during cooling, the heat from the wafer 4 and the reaction chamber 1 can be absorbed by the cooling fluid through the transparent high-temperature resistant material.
[0041] In some embodiments, any side of the cooling chamber 2 other than the side facing the wafer 4 (i.e., the second plane 24) is shared with the chamber wall of the reaction chamber 1, which can save equipment space and material costs.
[0042] In some embodiments, the transparent, high-temperature resistant material is quartz. Other materials with similar properties may also be used.
[0043] Figure 3 This diagram illustrates the switching time points of the cooling fluid and temperature changes according to some embodiments of this application. The horizontal axis represents time, and the vertical axis represents temperature. The annealing equipment 100 of this application, with appropriate cooling fluid switching time control, can meet the increasingly demanding requirements of annealing processes for heating and cooling control. In some embodiments, the process for controlling the cooling fluid switching time is as follows: When heating begins, the cooling fluid is off; the cooling fluid is switched on at the beginning of the temperature stabilization phase of the process (t1); the cooling fluid remains on, including at the start of heating (t2), the time point when the heat source 3 is turned off and cooling begins (t3); and the cooling fluid is switched off at the end of the cooling process (t4) when the required temperature is reached.
[0044] Further, refer to Figure 4 The diagram shows a comparison of cooling rates with and without a cooling chamber. The experimental conditions were: nitrogen was used as the cooling fluid, with an initial nitrogen temperature of 25°C and a nitrogen flow rate of 2000 sccm (Standard Cubic Centimeter per Minute). As can be seen from the diagram, the cooling rate is significantly increased during the first half of the cooling period in the annealing process with the cooling chamber. The temperature at the same time point is more than 200°C lower than that of the annealing equipment without a cooling chamber, demonstrating a significant effect. Therefore, the annealing equipment 100 of this application can meet the requirements for controlling the cooling rate in the annealing process.
[0045] In some embodiments, reference Figure 5 As shown, the annealing apparatus 100 of this application also includes a cooling plate 8. The cooling plate 8 is located on the outside of the cooling chamber 2, that is, on the side close to the first plane 23 of the heat source 3. The cooling plate 8 is used to absorb the heat from the heat source 3, so as to rapidly cool the heat source 3 during the cooling stage, thereby assisting in the cooling of the reaction chamber 1 and the wafer 4.
[0046] In some embodiments, the cooling plate 8 is configured in conjunction with the cooling cavity 2, with each cooling cavity 2 having one cooling plate 8, and the horizontal area of the cooling plate 8 being adapted to the first plane 23 of the cooling cavity 2. For example... Figure 5 As shown, two cooling plates 8 are respectively located on the outside of the two cooling chambers 2.
[0047] In some embodiments, the cooling plate 8 is a high heat absorption plate used to quickly absorb heat from the heat source 3 during the cooling phase.
[0048] In some embodiments, a coolant pipe 9 is provided in the cooling plate 8 to quickly remove the heat absorbed by the cooling plate 8 and accelerate the cooling rate of the heat source 3. In some embodiments, the coolant pipe 9 is arranged parallel and uniformly inside the cooling plate 8.
[0049] The beneficial effects that the embodiments of this application may bring include, but are not limited to: placing the cooling chamber between the heat source and the wafer in the annealing equipment, and isolating the cooling chamber and the wafer with a transparent high-temperature resistant material to prevent the cooling fluid from contacting the wafer and affecting the annealing process. The circulating cooling fluid carries away the heat from the heat source, reaction chamber, and wafer through convection, significantly improving the cooling rate, reducing the cooling time of the annealing process, ensuring the peak temperature while reducing the wafer thermal budget, and meeting the technical requirements of the annealing process.
[0050] It should be noted that different embodiments may produce different beneficial effects. In different embodiments, the beneficial effects may be any one or a combination of the above, or any other possible beneficial effects.
[0051] The basic concepts have been described above. Obviously, for those skilled in the art, the detailed disclosure above is merely illustrative and does not constitute a limitation of this specification. Although not explicitly stated herein, those skilled in the art may make various modifications, improvements, and corrections to this application. Such modifications, improvements, and corrections are suggested in this specification, and therefore remain within the spirit and scope of the exemplary embodiments of this application.
[0052] It should be noted that, in the description of this application, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," "linking," and "fixing" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral part; a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; a rotating connection or a sliding connection; a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; or the internal communication of two components or the interaction between two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this application in light of the specific circumstances.
[0053] Furthermore, when the terms "first," "second," "third," etc., are used in this application specification to describe various features, these terms are only used to distinguish these features and should not be construed as indicating or implying the correlation or relative importance between features or implicitly indicating the number of features indicated.
[0054] In addition, this application specification describes exemplary embodiments by referring to idealized exemplary cross-sectional views and / or plan views and / or perspective views. Therefore, differences from the illustrated shapes are foreseeable due to factors such as manufacturing techniques and / or tolerances. Therefore, exemplary embodiments should not be construed as limited to the shapes of the regions shown herein, but should include deviations in shape caused, for example, by manufacturing processes. Thus, the regions shown in the figures are substantially schematic, and their shapes are not intended to illustrate the actual shapes of the regions of the device, nor to limit the scope of the exemplary embodiments.
[0055] Furthermore, this application uses specific terms to describe embodiments of this specification. For example, "an embodiment," "one embodiment," and / or "some embodiments" refer to a particular feature, structure, or characteristic related to at least one embodiment of this application. Therefore, it should be emphasized and noted that "an embodiment," "one embodiment," or "an alternative embodiment" mentioned twice or more in different locations in this application do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment. In addition, certain features, structures, or characteristics in one or more embodiments of this application can be appropriately combined.
[0056] Similarly, it should be noted that, in order to simplify the description of the present application and thus aid in the understanding of one or more embodiments of the invention, the foregoing description of the embodiments of the present application sometimes combines multiple features into a single embodiment, drawing, or description thereof. However, this disclosure method does not imply that the subject matter of the application requires more features than those mentioned in the claims. In fact, the embodiments contain fewer features than all the features of the single embodiments disclosed above.
[0057] Finally, it should be understood that the embodiments described in this application are merely illustrative of the principles of the embodiments of this application. Other modifications may also fall within the scope of this application. Therefore, alternative configurations of the embodiments of this application are considered as examples and not limitations, and are regarded as consistent with the teachings of this application. Accordingly, the embodiments of this application are not limited to the embodiments explicitly described and illustrated in this application.
Claims
1. An annealing apparatus, characterized in that, The device includes a reaction chamber, a cooling chamber, and heat sources. The reaction chamber is used to contain a wafer. The cooling chamber is located at least on one side of the reaction chamber and is arranged adjacent to the reaction chamber. Several heat sources are used to heat the wafer in the reaction chamber and are arranged in the cooling chamber. The walls at both ends of the cooling chamber are respectively provided with inlets and outlets for cooling fluid to pass through the cooling chamber.
2. The annealing equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, The cooling chamber further includes an inflow pipe and an outflow pipe. The inflow pipe is connected to the inlet, and the outflow pipe is connected to the outlet. The cooling fluid flows into the cooling chamber through the inflow pipe and flows out of the cooling chamber through the outflow pipe.
3. The annealing equipment according to claim 2, characterized in that, The inlet and outlet are respectively located at both ends of the cooling cavity near the wafer, and are situated between the heat source and the wafer in a direction perpendicular to the wafer plane.
4. The annealing equipment according to claim 2, characterized in that, A fluid flow meter is installed on the inflow pipe.
5. The annealing equipment according to claim 2, characterized in that, The number of inlets is greater than one.
6. The annealing equipment according to claim 5, characterized in that, A fluid flow meter is installed on each of the aforementioned inflow pipes.
7. The annealing equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, The cooling fluid is a non-hazardous gas or an inert gas.
8. The annealing equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, The reaction chamber is a cuboid, and the cooling chamber is a cuboid adapted to the top, bottom, and side surfaces of the reaction chamber.
9. The annealing equipment according to claim 8, characterized in that, The cooling cavity is made of a transparent, high-temperature resistant material on at least one side facing the wafer.
10. The annealing equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, The cooling chamber shares a common wall with the side adjacent to the reaction chamber.