Edge ring

Abstract

An edge ring includes an annular body portion, a first inner ring portion, a second inner ring portion, and an outer ring portion. The annular body portion has an opening. The first inner ring portion extends downwardly from a lower surface of the annular body portion. The second inner ring portion extends downwardly from the lower surface of the annular body portion and surrounds the first inner ring portion. The outer ring portion extends downwardly from the lower surface of the annular body portion and surrounds the second inner ring portion, where a first region on the lower surface of the annular body portion is higher than a second region on the lower surface of the annular body portion, the first region being between the first inner ring portion and the second inner ring portion, the second region being between the first inner ring portion and the second inner ring portion. The second region is between the second inner ring portion and the outer ring portion. The edge ring is integrally formed on the lower surface of the cleaning ring, so that the mounting problems such as screw loosing or screw hole breaking are solved. According to the design, the service life of the edge ring is prolonged, and the maintenance cost of the edge ring is reduced.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an apparatus for vacuum processing, and more particularly to an edge ring in a vacuum chamber. BACKGROUND

[0002] In the prior art, the conventional installation method is to lock the edge ring on the purge ring by screws. However, the prior edge ring often fails to be installed and causes the edge ring to be damaged during the installation process. For example, the screws are not aligned with the screw holes on the edge ring and the purge ring, and are locked to cause the screws to slip. In addition, the edge ring is damaged due to long-term use. For example, the edge ring and the purge ring are damaged due to repeated locking of the screws, and the edge ring is scrapped. Furthermore, since the materials of the purge ring and the edge ring are mainly aluminum, the edge ring is easily deformed by external force during the installation process, and thus cannot be used, resulting in an increase in maintenance cost. Therefore, how to provide an edge ring to solve the above problems is still the goal of the people in the field to strive for. SUMMARY

[0003] Some embodiments of the present disclosure provide an edge ring suitable for being placed in a vacuum chamber. The edge ring is formed on the lower surface of the purge ring in a one-piece manner to avoid installation problems such as screw slipping or screw hole damage. Furthermore, the material of the edge ring is replaced with stainless steel to avoid damage to the edge ring due to external force during the installation process. This design increases the service life of the edge ring and reduces the maintenance cost of the edge ring.

[0004] Some embodiments of the present disclosure provide an edge ring suitable for being placed in a vacuum chamber. The edge ring includes a ring body portion, a first inner ring portion, a second inner ring portion, and an outer ring portion. The ring body portion has an opening extending from the upper surface of the ring body portion to the lower surface of the ring body portion. The first inner ring portion extends downward from the lower surface of the ring body portion. The second inner ring portion extends downward from the lower surface of the ring body portion and surrounds the first inner ring portion. The outer ring portion extends downward from the lower surface of the ring body portion and surrounds the second inner ring portion, wherein the first region of the lower surface of the ring body portion is higher than the second region of the lower surface of the ring body portion, the first region is between the first inner ring portion and the second inner ring portion, and the second region is between the second inner ring portion and the outer ring portion.

[0005] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the edge ring described above, wherein the first region of the lower surface of the ring body portion is lower than the third region of the lower surface of the ring body portion, and the first inner ring portion surrounds the third region.

[0006] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the edge ring described above has a first region with a width greater than the third region.

[0007] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the aforementioned edge ring, wherein the first inner ring portion has a first side facing the opening and a second side facing away from the opening, the height of the first side being greater than the height of the second side.

[0008] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the edge ring described above, wherein the lower surface of the second inner ring portion is lower than the lower surface of the first inner ring portion.

[0009] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the aforementioned edge ring, wherein the lower surface of the outer ring portion is lower than the lower surface of the second inner ring portion.

[0010] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the aforementioned edge ring, wherein the second inner ring portion has a third side facing the opening and a fourth side facing away from the opening, the height of the third side being greater than the height of the fourth side.

[0011] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the aforementioned edge ring, wherein the opening, the first inner ring portion, the second inner ring portion, and the outer ring portion are arranged in concentric circles.

[0012] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the aforementioned edge ring further includes an annular limiting portion located on the upper surface of the annular body portion, wherein the edge of the annular limiting portion overlaps with the first region.

[0013] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the aforementioned edge ring, wherein the annular body portion and the first inner ring portion are integrally formed. Attached Figure Description

[0014] Figure 1A This is a perspective view of an edge ring according to a partial embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0015] Figure 1B For along Figure 1A Cross-sectional view along section line A-A';

[0016] Figure 2A This is a perspective view of an edge ring mounted on a support element according to a partial embodiment of this disclosure;

[0017] Figure 2B For along Figure 2A Cross-sectional view along section line B-B'.

[0018] [Symbol Explanation]

[0019] 100: Edge ring

[0020] 102: Circular Body Part

[0021] 102A: Open

[0022] 102B: Top surface

[0023] 102C: Lower surface

[0024] 102D: Inner side

[0025] RG1: First Area

[0026] RG2: Second Region

[0027] RG3: Third Region

[0028] 104: First Inner Ring Section

[0029] 104A: Lower surface

[0030] 104B: First side view

[0031] 104C: Second side view

[0032] 106: Second Inner Ring Section

[0033] 106A: Lower surface

[0034] 106B: Third side view

[0035] 106C: Fourth side

[0036] 108: Outer Ring Section

[0037] 108A: Lower surface

[0038] 108B: Fifth Side View

[0039] 110: Circular limiting section

[0040] 110A: Edge

[0041] 110B: Upper surface

[0042] 200: Load-bearing element

[0043] 202: Support Platform

[0044] 204: Bearing shaft

[0045] D1: Diameter

[0046] H1, H2, H3, H4: Height

[0047] W1, W2, W3: Width

[0048] th1: thickness

[0049] A-A', B-B': Section lines Detailed Implementation

[0050] The embodiments disclosed herein are discussed in detail below. However, it should be understood that the embodiments provide many applicable concepts that can be implemented in a wide variety of specific situations. The embodiments discussed and disclosed are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of this disclosure. The terms "first," "second," etc., used herein are not specifically intended to indicate order or sequence, but are merely used to distinguish components or operations described using the same technical terms.

[0051] In addition, for ease of description, spatial relative terms such as “below,” “under,” “lower,” “above,” “upper,” and similar terms are used herein to describe the relationship between one element or feature and another illustrated in the figures. Besides the orientation depicted in the figures, spatial relative terms are also intended to cover different orientations of the device in use or operation. The device may be oriented in other ways (rotated 90 degrees or in other orientations), and the spatial relative descriptive terms used herein shall be interpreted accordingly. As used herein, “approximately,” “about,” “approximately,” or “substantially” generally refers to within 20%, 10%, or 5% of a given value or range. The numerical quantities given herein are approximate, meaning that the terms “approximately,” “about,” “approximately,” or “substantially” may be conjectured unless explicitly specified.

[0052] Figure 1A This is a perspective view of an edge ring 100 according to a partial embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 1B For along Figure 1A The cross-sectional view along section line A-A'. Please also refer to... Figure 1A , Figure 1B In some embodiments, the edge ring 100 may include an annular body portion 102, a first inner ring portion 104, a second inner ring portion 106, an outer ring portion 108, and an annular limiting portion 110. The edge ring 100 can be applied to various vacuum equipment and can improve process efficiency, such as vacuum coating machines like sputtering machines and evaporation machines, or chemical vapor deposition (CVD) equipment. The edge ring 100 can be manufactured using common methods, such as CNC (Computer Numerical Control) machining. However, it should be noted that the edge ring 100 can be manufactured using any suitable method and used in any suitable vacuum equipment, and is not limited thereto.

[0053] In some embodiments, the annular body portion 102 has an opening 102A, which extends from the upper surface 102B of the annular body portion 102 to the lower surface 102C of the annular body portion 102. Furthermore, the opening 102A has a diameter D1, which can be varied according to the size of the workpiece (not shown).

[0054] In some embodiments, the annular body portion 102 has an inner surface 102D. The inner surface 102D surrounds the opening 102A. The inner surface 102D extends from the upper surface 102B to the lower surface 102C of the annular body portion 102, wherein the inner surface 102D has a thickness th1. The thickness th1 can be varied according to functional requirements. For example, in this embodiment, the thickness th1 is between 3.1 mm and 3.3 mm. However, it should be noted that the thickness th1 can be any suitable thickness, and is not limited thereto.

[0055] In some embodiments, a first inner ring portion 104 extends downward from the lower surface 102C of the annular body portion 102. The first inner ring portion 104 has a first side surface 104B facing the opening 102A and a second side surface 104C facing away from the opening 102A. The first side surface 104B extends from the lower surface 102C of the annular body portion 102 to one end of the lower surface 104A of the first inner ring portion 104. The second side surface 104C extends from the lower surface 102C of the annular body portion 102 to the other end of the lower surface 104A of the first inner ring portion 104. The first side surface 104B has a height H1. The second side surface 104C has a height H2, wherein height H1 is greater than height H2.

[0056] In some embodiments, the first inner ring portion 104 and the annular body portion 102 can be manufactured by the above-described manufacturing method and integrally formed. This design increases the thickness th1 of the inner surface 102D of the annular body portion 102, thereby improving the processing effect of the vacuum process. For example, in a coating process, the edge ring 100 can improve the coating uniformity of the wafer. Furthermore, this design makes the inner surface 102D a continuous surface, which can reduce the generation of particles during the process, thereby improving the processing effect of the vacuum process.

[0057] In some embodiments, the second inner ring portion 106 extends downward from the lower surface 102C of the annular body portion 102 and surrounds the first inner ring portion 104. The second inner ring portion 106 has a third side surface 106B facing the opening 102A and a fourth side surface 106C facing away from the opening 102A. The third side surface 106B extends from the lower surface 102C of the annular body portion 102 to one end of the lower surface 106A of the second inner ring portion 106. The fourth side surface 106C extends from the lower surface 102C of the annular body portion 102 to the other end of the lower surface 106A of the second inner ring portion 106. The third side surface 106B has a height H3. The fourth side surface 106C has a height H4, wherein the height H3 is greater than the height H4.

[0058] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the lower surface 106A of the second inner ring portion 106 is lower than the lower surface 104A of the first inner ring portion 104. In other words, the height H3 of the third side surface 106B of the second inner ring portion 106 is greater than the height H2 of the second side surface 104C of the first inner ring portion 104. However, it should be noted that the heights H3 and H2 can be changed according to functional requirements and are not limited thereto.

[0059] In some embodiments, the outer ring portion 108 extends downward from the lower surface 102C of the annular body portion 102 and surrounds the second inner ring portion 106. The outer ring portion 108 has a lower surface 108A and a fifth side surface 108B, wherein the lower surface 108A is lower than the lower surface 104A of the second inner ring portion 106.

[0060] In some embodiments, the first inner ring portion 104, the second inner ring portion 106, and the outer ring portion 108 are substantially concentrically arranged. However, it should be noted that the first inner ring portion 104, the second inner ring portion 106, and the outer ring portion 108 can be arranged in any suitable manner, and are not limited thereto.

[0061] Furthermore, in some embodiments, the outer ring portion 108, the first inner ring portion 104, and the second inner ring portion 106 divide the lower surface 102C of the annular body portion 102 into a first region RG1, a second region RG2, and a third region RG3. The first region RG1 is located between the second inner ring portion 106 and the first inner ring portion 104. The second region RG2 is located between the outer ring portion 108 and the second inner ring portion 106. The third region RG3 is located between the first inner ring portion 104 and the opening 102A.

[0062] In this embodiment, a first region RG1 extends from the second side 104C of the first inner ring portion 104 to the third side 106B of the second inner ring portion 106, and the first region RG1 has a width W1. A second region RG2 extends from the fourth side 106C of the second inner ring portion 106 to the fifth side 108B of the outer ring portion 108, and the second region RG2 has a width W2. A third region RG3 extends from the first side 104B of the first inner ring portion 104 to the opening 102A, and the third region RG3 has a width W3. The first region RG1 is higher than the second region RG2, and the first region RG2 is lower than the third region RG3, and the first inner ring portion 104 surrounds the third region RG3. The width W1 of the first region is greater than the width W3 of the third region and the width W2 of the second region. The width W1 of the first region RG1, the width W2 of the second region RG2, and the width W3 of the third region RG3 can be any suitable width, and are not limited thereto.

[0063] In some embodiments, the first region RG1, the first inner ring portion 104, and the second inner ring portion 106 may form a groove. The edge ring 100 can be stably placed on the support element 200 through the first region RG1 (see subsequent descriptions). Figure 2A as well as Figure 2B )superior.

[0064] In some embodiments, the edge ring 100 further includes an annular limiting portion 110. The annular limiting portion 110 is located on the upper surface 102B of the annular body portion 102, wherein the edge 110A of the annular limiting portion 110 overlaps with the first region RG1. The edge 110A of the annular limiting portion 110 extends from the upper surface 110B of the annular limiting portion 110 to the upper surface 102B of the annular body portion 102. The edge 110A can be adjusted according to functional requirements. For example, in this embodiment, the edge 110A is a flat slope. Alternatively, in some embodiments, the edge 110A may be a curved surface.

[0065] Figure 2A This is a perspective view of an edge ring 100 mounted on a carrier element 200 according to a partial embodiment of this disclosure. Figure 2B For along Figure 2A The cross-sectional view along section line B-B'. Please also refer to... Figure 2A as well as Figure 2B .

[0066] In some embodiments, the support element 200 includes a support platform 202 and a support shaft 204. The support platform 202 may include a heater or an electrostatic chuck (E-chuck), and may be modified according to process purposes or instrument design requirements, without limitation. The support shaft 204 is used to support the support platform 202. For example, in some embodiments, the support shaft 204 may be a lifting shaft, and may raise or lower the support platform 202 during manufacturing to process an object (not shown), such as a wafer. However, it should be noted that the support shaft 204 may use any suitable support element, without limitation.

[0067] In some embodiments, the edge ring 100 may be disposed on the support element 200. More specifically, the edge ring 100 may be disposed on a protrusion of the support platform 202. However, it should be noted that the edge ring 100 may be disposed at any suitable location on the support element and is applicable to any suitable support element, without limitation.

[0068] This disclosure provides an edge ring suitable for placement within a vacuum chamber. By integrally forming the edge ring onto the lower surface of the cleaning ring, installation problems such as stripped screws or broken screw holes are avoided. Furthermore, the edge ring is made of stainless steel to prevent damage from external forces during installation. This design increases the service life of the edge ring and reduces its maintenance costs.

[0069] The foregoing summary outlines features of several embodiments, enabling those skilled in the art to better understand the various aspects of this disclosure. Those skilled in the art will understand that they can readily use this disclosure as a basis for designing or modifying other processes and structures to achieve the same purposes and / or advantages of the embodiments introduced herein. Those skilled in the art will also recognize that such equivalent constructions do not depart from the spirit and scope of this disclosure, and that various changes, substitutions, and modifications can be made herein without departing from the spirit and scope of this disclosure.

Claims

1. An edge ring adapted to be placed in a vacuum chamber, characterized in that, The edge ring comprises: a ring body portion having an opening, wherein the opening extends from an upper surface of the ring body portion to a lower surface of the ring body portion; a first inner ring portion extending downwardly from the lower surface of the ring body portion; a second inner ring portion extending downwardly from the lower surface of the ring body portion and surrounding the first inner ring portion; and an outer ring portion extending downwardly from the lower surface of the ring body portion and surrounding the second inner ring portion, wherein a first region of the lower surface of the ring body portion is higher than a second region of the lower surface of the ring body portion, the first region being between the first inner ring portion and the second inner ring portion, and the second region being between the second inner ring portion and the outer ring portion.

2. The edge ring of claim 1, wherein, The first region of the lower surface of the ring body portion is lower than a third region of the lower surface of the ring body portion, the first inner ring portion surrounding the third region.

3. The edge ring of claim 2, wherein, A width of the first region is greater than a width of the third region.

4. The edge ring of claim 1, wherein, The first inner ring portion has a first side facing the opening and a second side facing away from the opening, a height of the first side being greater than a height of the second side.

5. The edge ring of claim 1, wherein, A lower surface of the second inner ring portion is lower than a lower surface of the first inner ring portion.

6. The edge ring of claim 5, wherein, A lower surface of the outer ring portion is lower than the lower surface of the second inner ring portion.

7. The edge ring of claim 1, wherein, The second inner ring portion has a third side facing the opening and a fourth side facing away from the opening, a height of the third side being greater than a height of the fourth side.

8. The edge ring of claim 1, wherein, The opening, the first inner ring portion, the second inner ring portion and the outer ring portion are arranged in concentric circles.

9. The edge ring of claim 1, wherein, Further comprising: a ring limiting portion on the upper surface of the ring body portion, wherein an edge of the ring limiting portion overlaps the first region.

10. The edge ring of claim 1, wherein, The ring body portion and the first inner ring portion are integrally formed.

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