Diffuser for cross flow structure and semiconductor processing equipment
By designing a diffuser with isolated inlet channels and staggered airflow channels, the problem of gas diffusion non-uniformity caused by slit diffusers was solved, improving film uniformity and reducing particle formation, thus enhancing the performance of semiconductor processing equipment.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- CN202423004364.5
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Utility models(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2024-12-05
- Publication Date
- 2025-11-28
- Estimated Expiration
- 2034-12-05
AI Technical Summary
Slit diffusers cause uneven gas diffusion, affecting film uniformity, especially in high-K metal grid processes, where they have a negative impact on film uniformity.
A diffuser for crossflow structures is designed, including an intake module and a diffuser body. The intake is isolated by first and second intake channels, and the gas is uniformly distributed by staggered airflow channels to prevent precursor reactions and reduce particle generation.
It improves the uniformity of the thin film, reduces particulate matter generation, improves gas diffusion uniformity, and enhances the performance of semiconductor processing equipment.
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Figure CN223607360U_ABST
Abstract
Description
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0001] The utility model relates to semiconductor processing equipment especially diffuser. BACKGROUND
[0002] In high K metal gate process, generally adopt horizontal flow structure with inner and outer cavity design to atomic layer deposition (ALD) equipment using solid state chemical, especially in HfO2 and La2O3 two layers, precursor passes through mixer and enters slit-shaped diffuser after mixing, then flows through wafer from one side of reaction chamber, and then flows to the pumping end of the other side and is pumped out of the reaction chamber.
[0003] However, for slit-shaped diffuser, chemical diffusion is uneven, which affects the uniformity of thin film for existing or lower technology node. SUMMARY
[0004] In order to overcome the problem that slit-shaped diffuser affects the uniformity of thin film due to uneven gas diffusion, the utility model provides a diffuser for horizontal flow structure and semiconductor processing equipment.
[0005] The diffuser for horizontal flow structure provided by the utility model comprises a gas inlet module and a diffusion body.
[0006] The gas inlet module comprises a first gas inlet channel and a second gas inlet channel arranged around the first gas inlet channel.
[0007] The diffusion body has an upper channel, a lower channel, a first group of gas flow channels and a second group of gas flow channels.
[0008] The upper channel is communicated with the second gas inlet channel, and the lower channel is communicated with the first gas inlet channel.
[0009] The first group of gas flow channels comprises a plurality of vertically arranged gas flow channels and is communicated with the lower channel.
[0010] The second group of gas flow channels comprises a plurality of vertically arranged gas flow channels and is communicated with the upper channel.
[0011] In an embodiment, the first gas inlet channel is a cylindrical shape with a cavity inside, and a first precursor enters the diffusion body through the first gas inlet channel.
[0012] In an embodiment, the second gas inlet channel is in the shape of a ring and is arranged around the first gas inlet channel, and a second precursor enters the diffusion body through the second gas inlet channel.
[0013] In an embodiment, the upper channel and the lower channel are both arranged in a horizontal direction, and the lower channel is located below the upper channel.
[0014] In one embodiment, the first intake channel is isolated from the second intake channel, the upper layer channel is isolated from the lower layer channel, and the first group of flow channels is isolated from the second group of flow channels.
[0015] In one embodiment, the flow channels in the first group are staggered with the flow channels in the second group.
[0016] In one embodiment, the flow channels are staggered with the aperture size from the middle to the edge being small to large.
[0017] In one embodiment, the flow channels in the middle region have a diameter ranging from 1 to 5 mm.
[0018] In one embodiment, the flow channels in the edge region have a diameter ranging from 1 to 6 mm.
[0019] The utility model also provides a semiconductor processing equipment, including the reaction chamber with support piece, the diffuser for cross flow structure as preceding described, be located the top above one side of the reaction chamber, be located the pump of air extraction below the other side of the reaction chamber, wherein, gas flows into the diffuser, diffuses to the reaction chamber through the diffuser, the gas flows through the surface of support piece laterally, and is extracted by the pump of air extraction.
[0020] The diffuser of the utility model is suitable for cross flow process, changes the original mixed single pipeline intake into isolated intake of first precursor and second precursor, can reduce the contact of first precursor and second precursor, prevents two kinds of source from reacting in advance, can improve the uniformity of film, reduces the generation of particulate matter simultaneously. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
[0021] The above utility model content and the following specific embodiment of the utility model can be better understood when reading in conjunction with the drawings. It should be noted that the drawings are only as examples of the claimed utility model. In the drawings, the same reference signs represent the same or similar elements.
[0022] Figure 1 A semiconductor processing equipment with a diffuser is shown in an exploded view;
[0023] Figure 2 A semiconductor processing equipment with a diffuser is shown in a cross-sectional view;
[0024] Figure 3 A top view of a diffuser according to an embodiment of the utility model is shown;
[0025] Figure 4A side view cross-sectional view of the diffuser according to an embodiment of the present application is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0026] The detailed description of the present application is described in the following detailed description with reference made to the accompanying drawings. The content of the present application is sufficient for any person skilled in the art to understand the technical content of the present application and to implement it according to the description, claims and drawings disclosed in the present specification. Those skilled in the art can easily understand the related purposes and advantages of the present application according to the description, claims and drawings disclosed in the present specification. Although the description of the present application will be introduced together with the preferred embodiments, it does not mean that the features of the present application are limited to the embodiments. On the contrary, the purpose of introducing the present application together with the embodiments is to cover other options or modifications which can be extended based on the claims of the present application. In order to provide a deep understanding of the present application, many specific details will be included in the following description. The present application can also be implemented without using these details. In addition, in order to avoid confusion or obscure the focus of the present application, some specific details will be omitted in the description.
[0027] In the description of the present application, it should be noted that unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "mounting", "connecting", "connection" should be understood broadly, for example, it can be fixedly connected, or it can be detachably connected, or integrally connected; it can be mechanically connected, or it can be electrically connected; it can be directly connected, or it can be indirectly connected through an intermediate medium, or it can be connected inside two elements. For those skilled in the art, the specific meaning of the above terms in the present application can be understood according to the specific circumstances.
[0028] In addition, "up", "down", "left", "right", "top", "bottom", "horizontal", "vertical" used in the following description should be understood as the orientation shown in the section and the related drawings. Such relative terms are only used for convenience of description, and do not mean that the device described thereby needs to be manufactured or operated in a particular orientation, and therefore should not be understood as a limitation on the present application.
[0029] It can be understood that although the terms "first", "second", "third" and the like can be used herein to describe various components, passages, assemblies, regions, layers and / or parts, these components, passages, assemblies, regions, layers and / or parts should not be limited by these terms, and these terms are only used to distinguish different components, passages, assemblies, regions, layers and / or parts. In addition, the terms "first", "second", "third" are only for descriptive purposes, and should not be understood as indicating or implying relative importance.
[0030] As indicated in this application and claims, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, the words "a," "an," "an," and / or "the" are not specifically singular and may include plural forms. Generally speaking, the terms "comprising" and "including" only indicate the inclusion of explicitly identified steps and elements, which do not constitute an exclusive list, and the method or apparatus may also include other steps or elements.
[0031] In some embodiments, numbers describing the quantity of components and attributes are used. It should be understood that such numbers used in the description of embodiments are modified in some examples with the terms "approximately," "approximately," or "generally." Unless otherwise stated, "approximately," "approximately," or "generally" indicates that the numbers are allowed to vary by ±20%. Accordingly, in some embodiments, the numerical parameters used in the specification and claims are approximate values, which may be changed depending on the characteristics required by individual embodiments. In some embodiments, numerical parameters should take into account specified significant digits and employ a general method of digit reservation. Although the numerical ranges and parameters used to confirm their breadth of scope in some embodiments of this application are approximate values, in specific embodiments, such values are set as precisely as feasible.
[0032] Furthermore, this application uses specific terms to describe embodiments of the application. 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 the 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 specification do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment. In addition, certain features, structures, or characteristics in one or more embodiments of the application can be appropriately combined.
[0033] Figure 1 An exploded view of a semiconductor processing device with a diffuser is shown. This diffuser is used in a crossflow structure. Figure 1 As shown, the gas (e.g., precursor) flows in the direction indicated by the arrow. After flowing into the diffuser 101, the gas diffuses into the reaction chamber, flows laterally across the surface of the support member, and is finally extracted by the vacuum pump 102.
[0034] Figure 2 A cross-sectional view of a semiconductor processing device with a diffuser is shown. This diffuser is used in a crossflow structure. Figure 2As shown, the semiconductor processing equipment is located in a vacuum chamber 204. The semiconductor processing equipment has a cross-flow structure, and comprises a diffuser 205, a reaction chamber 200 and a gas pump 202. The diffuser 205 is located on a side top surface of the reaction chamber 200. Gas flows into an air inlet module 201 of the diffuser 205, which is arranged in a horizontal direction. The gas flows from a diffusion port of the diffuser 205 into the reaction chamber 200 from a side top portion in a vertical direction, flows through a support 203 in a horizontal direction, and then flows out of the reaction chamber 200 from a side bottom portion, and is pumped out by the gas pump 202.
[0035] Figure 3 A bottom view of the diffuser according to an embodiment of the present application is shown.
[0036] The diffuser of the present application comprises an air inlet module 301 and a diffuser body 302.
[0037] The air inlet module 301 comprises a first air inlet channel 303 and a second air inlet channel 304.
[0038] The first air inlet channel 303 is a cylindrical shape with a cavity inside. A first precursor enters the diffuser body 302 through the first air inlet channel 303.
[0039] The second air inlet channel 304 is a circular ring shape, and is arranged around the first air inlet channel 303. A second precursor enters the diffuser body 302 through the second air inlet channel 304.
[0040] The first air inlet channel 303 and the second air inlet channel 304 are isolated from each other.
[0041] Figure 4 A side view cross-sectional view of the diffuser according to an embodiment of the present application is shown.
[0042] The diffuser body 302 has an upper layer channel 305, a lower layer channel 306, a first group of gas flow channels 307 and a second group of gas flow channels 308.
[0043] The upper layer channel 305 is arranged in a horizontal direction, and is in communication with the second air inlet channel 304.
[0044] The lower layer channel 306 is located below the upper layer channel 305, is arranged in a horizontal direction, and is in communication with the first air inlet channel 303.
[0045] The second group of gas flow channels 308 comprises a plurality of vertically arranged gas flow channels, which are in communication with the upper layer channel 305.
[0046] The first group of gas flow channels 307 comprises a plurality of vertically arranged gas flow channels, which are in communication with the lower layer channel 306.
[0047] The first group of flow channels 307 and the second group of flow channels 308 are staggered.
[0048] The diameters of the staggered flow channels are arranged from small to large from the middle to the edge.
[0049] In one embodiment, the diameters of the flow channels in the middle region range from 1 to 5 mm.
[0050] In one embodiment, the diameters of the flow channels in the edge region range from 1 to 6 mm.
[0051] In one embodiment, the first gas inlet channel is isolated from the second gas inlet channel, the upper channel is isolated from the lower channel, and the first group of flow channels is isolated from the second group of flow channels, so that the first precursor and the second precursor are isolated from each other before entering the reaction chamber.
[0052] In the diffuser structure of the present application, the first precursor and the second precursor can be isolated before entering the reaction chamber, and the flow is relatively uniform, and the diameters of the flow channels are arranged from small to large from the middle to the edge, so that the central flow resistance increases, and the precursors are not excessively concentrated in the center of the reaction chamber, but can be uniformly distributed in the center and the periphery, so that the deposition is more uniform.
[0053] The terms and expressions used above are only used for description, and the present application should not be limited to these terms and expressions. The use of these terms and expressions does not mean the exclusion of any equivalent features described (or part thereof), and it should be recognized that various modifications can also be included in the scope of the claims. Other modifications, changes and replacements can also exist. Accordingly, the claims should be considered to cover all these equivalents.
[0054] Similarly, it should be noted that, in order to simplify the description of the present application and to help understand one or more embodiments of the present application, in the foregoing description of the embodiments of the present application, various features are sometimes combined into one embodiment, figure or description thereof. However, this method of disclosure does not mean that the features required by the present application are more than those mentioned in the claims.
[0055] Similarly, it should be noted that, although the present application has been described with reference to the current specific embodiments, those skilled in the art should recognize that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the present application, and various equivalent changes or replacements can be made without departing from the spirit of the present application, therefore, any changes or modifications to the above embodiments within the scope of the spirit of the present application will fall within the scope of the claims of the present application.
Claims
1. A diffuser for a crossflow structure, characterized by The air inlet module comprises a first air inlet channel and a second air inlet channel arranged around the first air inlet channel. The air inlet module comprises a first air inlet channel and a second air inlet channel arranged around the first air inlet channel. The diffusion body has an upper layer channel, a lower layer channel, a first group of flow channels and a second group of flow channels. The upper layer channel is in communication with the second air inlet channel, and the lower layer channel is in communication with the first air inlet channel. The first group of flow channels comprises a plurality of vertically arranged flow channels in communication with the lower layer channel. The second group of flow channels comprises a plurality of vertically arranged flow channels in communication with the upper layer channel.
2. The diffuser for a crossflow construction of claim 1, wherein, The first air inlet channel is a cylindrical shape with a cavity inside, and the first precursor enters the diffusion body through the first air inlet channel.
3. The diffuser for a crossflow construction of claim 1, wherein, The second air inlet channel is in the shape of a ring and is arranged around the first air inlet channel, and the second precursor enters the diffusion body through the second air inlet channel.
4. The diffuser for a crossflow construction of claim 1, wherein, The upper layer channel and the lower layer channel are both arranged in a horizontal direction, and the lower layer channel is located below the upper layer channel.
5. The diffuser for a crossflow construction of claim 1 wherein, The first air inlet channel is isolated from the second air inlet channel, the upper layer channel is isolated from the lower layer channel, and the first group of flow channels is isolated from the second group of flow channels.
6. The diffuser for a crossflow construction of claim 1 wherein, Each flow channel in the first group of flow channels is staggered with each flow channel in the second group of flow channels.
7. The diffuser for a crossflow construction of claim 6, wherein, The pore size of the flow channels after staggering is distributed from small to large from the middle to the edge.
8. The diffuser for a crossflow construction of claim 6, wherein, The diameter of the flow channels in the middle region ranges from 1 to 5 mm.
9. The diffuser for a crossflow construction of claim 6, wherein, The diameter of the flow channels in the edge region ranges from 1 to 6 mm.
10. A semiconductor processing apparatus, characterized by comprising: The air inlet module comprises a first air inlet channel and a second air inlet channel arranged around the first air inlet channel. The air inlet module comprises a first air inlet channel and a second air inlet channel arranged around the first air inlet channel. The diffusion body has an upper layer channel, a lower layer channel, a first group of flow channels and a second group of flow channels. The upper layer channel is in communication with the second air inlet channel, and the lower layer channel is in communication with the first air inlet channel. The first group of flow channels comprises a plurality of vertically arranged flow channels in communication with the lower layer channel. The second group of flow channels comprises a plurality of vertically arranged flow channels in communication with the upper layer channel. The first air inlet channel is a cylindrical shape with a cavity inside, and the first precursor enters the diffusion body through the first air inlet channel. The second air inlet channel is in the shape of a ring and is arranged around the first air inlet channel, and the second precursor enters the diffusion body through the second air inlet channel. The upper layer channel and the lower layer channel are both arranged in a horizontal direction, and the lower layer channel is located below the upper layer channel. The first air inlet channel is isolated from the second air inlet channel, the upper layer channel is isolated from the lower layer channel, and the first group of flow channels is isolated from the second group of flow channels. Each flow channel in the first group of flow channels is staggered with each flow channel in the second group of flow channels. The pore size of the flow channels after staggering is distributed from small to large from the middle to the edge. The diameter of the flow channels in the middle region ranges from 1 to 5 mm. The diameter of the flow channels in the edge region ranges from 1 to 6 mm.