Substrate processing chamber and substrate processing apparatus

Abstract

The utility model provides a substrate processing chamber and substrate processing equipment, and relates to the technical field of semiconductor preparation. The mixing cavity, the reaction cavity and the bearing device are arranged in the shell of the substrate processing chamber, the gas mixed by the mixing cavity is ionized in the reaction cavity, and the plasma generated by ionization is sprayed on the substrate borne by the bearing device through the spraying holes in the bottom of the reaction cavity, so that the uniformity of the prepared film is improved, the film preparation process is simplified, and the production efficiency is improved. The impurity pollution risk caused by a multi-step process is reduced, the production efficiency is improved, and the production cost is reduced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of semiconductor fabrication technology, and in particular to a substrate processing chamber and substrate processing equipment. Background Technology

[0002] With the rapid development of semiconductor technology, heterojunction structures have been widely used in solar cells, LED lighting, microelectronic devices and other fields due to their excellent electrical and optical properties. Semiconductor heterojunctions are typically formed by sequentially depositing two or more thin films of different semiconductor materials on the same substrate.

[0003] Plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) can be used to deposit thin films on substrates. PECVD is achieved by introducing gas into a processing chamber that contains the substrate. Existing heterojunction fabrication methods often require multiple steps, such as gas premixing, substrate pretreatment, and thin film deposition, which is not only time-consuming and resource-intensive but also prone to resulting in uneven thin films. Utility Model Content

[0004] In view of this, this application provides a substrate processing chamber and a substrate processing apparatus to improve the uniformity of the prepared thin film.

[0005] In a first aspect, this application provides a substrate processing chamber, comprising:

[0006] case;

[0007] A mixing chamber, located within the housing, is used for mixing gases;

[0008] A reaction chamber, located inside the housing and communicating with the mixing chamber, has electrodes for ionizing the gas entering the reaction chamber;

[0009] A support device, located inside the housing and below the reaction chamber, is used to support the substrate;

[0010] The bottom of the reaction chamber is provided with several spray holes, which are used to spray the ionized plasma onto the substrate supported by the carrier device.

[0011] In one possible implementation, the top of the reaction chamber is in contact with the bottom of the mixing chamber, the bottom of the mixing chamber has a plurality of first through holes, the top of the reaction chamber has a plurality of second through holes, and the reaction chamber and the mixing chamber are connected through the first through holes and the second through holes.

[0012] In one possible implementation, the first through hole and the second through hole correspond one-to-one, and the diameters of the first through hole and the second through hole are the same.

[0013] In one possible implementation, an insulating sheet is further provided inside the housing, the insulating sheet being located between the mixing chamber and the reaction chamber, the insulating sheet having a plurality of third through holes, and the reaction chamber and the mixing chamber communicating through the first through hole, the second through hole and the third through hole.

[0014] In one possible implementation, the third through hole corresponds one-to-one with the first through hole and the second through hole, and the diameters of the first through hole, the second through hole and the third through hole are the same.

[0015] In one possible implementation, a spray plate is further provided inside the housing, the spray plate is in contact with the bottom of the reaction chamber, the spray plate has spray holes, and the bottom of the reaction chamber has a plurality of fourth through holes, the fourth through holes being used to allow the ionized plasma generated from the reaction chamber to enter the spray holes.

[0016] In one possible implementation, the diameter of the fourth through hole is less than or equal to the diameter of the spray hole.

[0017] In one possible implementation, a plurality of the spray holes are evenly distributed on the spray plate.

[0018] In one possible implementation, the spray hole is circular, and the diameter of the spray hole is 0.5-2mm.

[0019] In a second aspect, this application provides a substrate processing apparatus, including the substrate processing chamber described in the first aspect.

[0020] Compared with the prior art, this application has the following advantages:

[0021] This application provides a mixing chamber, a reaction chamber, and a carrier device within the housing of a substrate processing chamber. The gas mixed in the mixing chamber is ionized in the reaction chamber, and the plasma generated by ionization is sprayed onto the substrate carried by the carrier device through a spray hole at the bottom of the reaction chamber. This improves the uniformity of the prepared thin film, simplifies the thin film preparation process, reduces the risk of impurity contamination caused by multi-step processes, improves production efficiency, and reduces production costs. Attached Figure Description

[0022] The accompanying drawings are included to provide a further understanding of this application; they are incorporated into and constitute a part of this application. The drawings illustrate embodiments of this application and, together with this specification, serve to explain the principles of this application. In the drawings:

[0023] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a substrate processing chamber in the prior art;

[0024] Figure 2This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a substrate processing chamber provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0025] Figure 3 This is a top view schematic diagram of a spray plate provided in an embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0026] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application, the accompanying drawings used in the description of the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are merely some examples or embodiments of this application. For those skilled in the art, these drawings can be applied to other similar scenarios without creative effort. Unless obvious from the context or otherwise specified, the same reference numerals in the drawings represent the same structures or operations.

[0027] As indicated in this application, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, the words "a," "an," "an," and / or "the" do not specifically refer to the singular and may also include the plural. 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.

[0028] Unless otherwise specifically stated, the relative arrangement, numerical expressions, and values ​​of the components and steps described in these embodiments do not limit the scope of this application. It should also be understood that, for ease of description, the dimensions of the various parts shown in the drawings are not drawn to actual scale. Techniques, methods, and devices known to those skilled in the art may not be discussed in detail, but where appropriate, such techniques, methods, and devices should be considered part of the specification. In all examples shown and discussed herein, any specific values ​​should be interpreted as merely exemplary and not as limitations. Therefore, other examples of exemplary embodiments may have different values. It should be noted that similar reference numerals and letters in the following drawings denote similar items; therefore, once an item is defined in one drawing, it need not be further discussed in subsequent drawings.

[0029] In the description of this application, it should be understood that the orientation or positional relationship indicated by directional terms such as "front, back, up, down, left, right", "horizontal, vertical, horizontal" and "top, bottom" is usually based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, and is only for the convenience of describing this application and simplifying the description. Unless otherwise stated, these directional terms do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation on the scope of protection of this application; the directional terms "inner" and "outer" refer to the inner and outer contours relative to the outline of each component itself.

[0030] For ease of description, spatial relative terms such as "above," "on top of," "on the upper surface of," "above," etc., are used herein to describe the spatial positional relationship of a device or feature as shown in the figures to other devices or features. It should be understood that spatial relative terms are intended to encompass different orientations in use or operation beyond the orientation of the device as described in the figures. For example, if the device in the figures were inverted, a device described as "above" or "on top of" other devices or structures would subsequently be positioned as "below" or "under" other devices or structures. Thus, the exemplary term "above" can include both "above" and "below." The device may also be positioned in other different ways (rotated 90 degrees or in other orientations), and the spatial relative descriptions used herein will be interpreted accordingly.

[0031] Furthermore, although the terminology used in this application is selected from commonly known and used terms, some terms mentioned in this application's specification may have been chosen by the applicant according to his or her judgment, and their detailed meanings are explained in the relevant sections of the description herein. Moreover, this application is to be understood not only by the actual terms used, but also by the meaning implied by each term.

[0032] It should be understood that when a component is referred to as "on another component," "connected to another component," or "in contact with another component," it can be directly on, connected to, or in contact with that other component, or there may be an insert component. In contrast, when a component is referred to as "directly on another component," "directly connected to," or "directly in contact with" another component, there is no insert component. Similarly, when a first component is referred to as "electrically contacting" or "electrically coupled to" a second component, there is an electrical path between the first and second components that allows current to flow. This electrical path may include capacitors, coupled inductors, and / or other components that allow current to flow, even if there is no direct contact between the conductive components.

[0033] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a substrate processing chamber in the prior art. For example... Figure 1 As shown, the substrate processing chamber of a conventional substrate processing device typically includes a housing 110, with a pipe 101 connected to the housing 110. Gas required for substrate processing enters the housing 110 through the pipe 101. The housing 110 contains a spray head 102 and a support device 103, on which the substrate to be processed can be supported. The gas entering the housing 110 through the pipe 101 is sprayed onto the substrate supported by the support device 103 through the spray head 102. The spray head 102 can be mounted on the upper cover plate of the housing 110.

[0034] use Figure 1 The substrate processing chamber shown often requires multiple steps to prepare thin films on the substrate, such as gas premixing, substrate pretreatment, and thin film deposition. This not only consumes time and resources, but also easily leads to uneven thin films.

[0035] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a substrate processing chamber provided in an embodiment of this application. Figure 2 As shown, the substrate processing chamber includes a housing 210, a mixing chamber 204, a reaction chamber 205, and a support device 203. A pipe 201 is connected to the housing 210, allowing the gas required for substrate processing to enter the housing 210 through the pipe 201. The mixing chamber 204, reaction chamber 205, and support device 203 are all located within the housing 210, and the substrate to be processed can be supported on the support device 203. It is understood that the substrate processing chamber is not limited to the structure of this embodiment and can have different variations. For example, some components can be changed or omitted, or additional components can be added.

[0036] The mixing chamber 204 is used to mix gases. The mixing chamber 204 is connected to the pipe 201, and the gas entering the housing 210 through the pipe 201 is mixed in the mixing chamber 204. In one example, the mixing chamber 204 is a hollow structure inside a gas distribution plate.

[0037] The reaction chamber 205 is connected to the mixing chamber 204. The reaction chamber 205 has electrodes for ionizing the gas entering the reaction chamber 205. The support device 203 is located below the reaction chamber 205, and the bottom of the reaction chamber 205 is provided with several spray holes for spraying the ionized plasma onto the substrate supported by the support device 203.

[0038] In this embodiment, a mixing chamber 204, a reaction chamber 205, and a support device 203 are provided within the housing 210 of the substrate processing chamber. The gas mixed in the mixing chamber 204 is ionized in the reaction chamber 205. The plasma generated by ionization is sprayed onto the substrate supported by the support device 203 through the spray holes at the bottom of the reaction chamber 205. Through the integrated substrate processing chamber, the entire process from gas mixing to thin film deposition can be completed in a single step, thereby greatly simplifying the process flow, improving the uniformity of the prepared thin film, simplifying the thin film preparation process, reducing the risk of impurity contamination caused by multi-step processes, improving production efficiency, and reducing production costs.

[0039] In some embodiments, the reaction chamber 205 is located below the mixing chamber 204, meaning the top of the reaction chamber 205 contacts the bottom of the mixing chamber 204. The bottom of the mixing chamber 204 has several first through holes, and the top of the reaction chamber 205 has several second through holes. The reaction chamber 205 and the mixing chamber 204 are connected through the first and second through holes, allowing gas to enter the reaction chamber 205 from the mixing chamber 204 through the first and second through holes. In one example, the first and second through holes correspond one-to-one, and their diameters are the same, preventing gas from diffusing out between the mixing chamber 204 and the reaction chamber 205.

[0040] In some embodiments, an insulating sheet 206 is further provided inside the housing 210. The insulating sheet 206 may be a ceramic sheet, a quartz sheet, or the like. The insulating sheet 206 is located between the mixing chamber 204 and the reaction chamber 205 to prevent electrical conduction between the reaction chamber 205 and the mixing chamber 204. It should be noted that the insulating sheet 206 may not be provided between the mixing chamber 204 and the reaction chamber 205. For example, if the bottom of the mixing chamber 204 is made of an insulating material, the same insulating effect can be achieved.

[0041] The insulating sheet 206 has several third through holes. The reaction chamber 205 and the mixing chamber 204 are connected through the first through hole, the third through hole, and the second through hole. That is, gas enters the reaction chamber 205 from the mixing chamber 204 through the first through hole, the third through hole, and the second through hole. In one example, the third through hole corresponds one-to-one with the first through hole and the second through hole, and the diameters of the first through hole, the second through hole, and the third through hole are the same to prevent gas from diffusing out between the mixing chamber 204 and the reaction chamber 205.

[0042] The number of spray holes can be one or more, and multiple spray holes can be evenly distributed to make the gas sprayed more evenly on the substrate. The spray holes can be directly provided on the bottom plate of the reaction chamber 205, or they can be provided on other devices. By connecting the device with spray holes to the bottom of the reaction chamber 205, the bottom of the reaction chamber 205 is provided with spray holes.

[0043] In one example, please refer to the reference. Figure 2 and Figure 3The substrate processing chamber's housing 210 also includes a spray plate 202, which contacts the bottom of the reaction chamber 205. The spray plate 202 has multiple spray holes 2021, which are evenly distributed across it. The bottom of the reaction chamber 205 has several fourth through holes, which allow the ionized plasma to enter the spray holes 2021 from the reaction chamber 205. In some embodiments, the diameter of the fourth through holes is less than or equal to the diameter of the spray holes 2021. The spray holes 2021 can be circular, and their diameter is 0.5-2 mm, such as 0.5 mm, 1 mm, 1.5 mm, or 2 mm. This embodiment allows for more uniform gas spraying onto the substrate, thereby improving the uniformity of the prepared thin film.

[0044] In some embodiments, a heating device 207 is further provided inside the housing 210 of the substrate processing chamber. The heating device 207 is connected to the support device 203 and is used to heat the substrate to improve the quality of the prepared film.

[0045] Figure 2 The substrate processing chamber shown can be applied to various substrate processing equipment, such as PECVD and atomic layer deposition (ALD). In addition to the substrate processing chamber, the substrate processing equipment may also include a gas mixing and supply system, a plasma generator, and a temperature control system connected to the substrate processing chamber. The gas mixing and supply system is connected to pipe 201 and can control the proportional mixing of various reactive gases to ensure uniform and stable gas flow into the substrate processing chamber. The plasma generator can use a high-frequency power supply to excite plasma; for example, the plasma generator includes a power supply with a frequency of 30-50MHz (e.g., 30MHz, 35MHz, 40MHz, 45MHz, 50MHz) to provide a high-frequency AC voltage to the electrodes in the reaction chamber, optimizing reaction conditions and promoting the decomposition of gas molecules and the growth of thin films. The temperature control system can regulate the temperature of the substrate processing chamber and can be connected to the heating device 207 inside the substrate processing chamber to ensure a suitable thin film preparation environment. In actual operation, the substrate processing equipment can be controlled by an automated control program, with the required parameters preset to achieve fully automated control from gas mixing to thin film deposition.

[0046] To better understand this application, a specific embodiment is described below. In this specific embodiment, the substrate processing equipment is a PECVD machine equipped with... Figure 2 The substrate processing chamber is shown. The raw materials include hydrogen (purity ≥5N), silane (purity ≥6N), and carbon dioxide (purity ≥5N). The process parameters are as follows: hydrogen flow rate is 1500 sccm, silane flow rate is 500 sccm, and the ratio is 3:1.

[0047] The substrate processing includes the following steps:

[0048] Step S1: Place the substrate on the support device 203.

[0049] Step S2: Start the gas mixing and supply system and mix the required gas according to the set ratio.

[0050] Step S3: Turn on the plasma generator and adjust it to the required operating state.

[0051] Step S4: Start the temperature control system to control the temperature inside the substrate processing chamber and keep the temperature inside the substrate processing chamber within a suitable deposition temperature range.

[0052] Step S5: Gas is injected into the housing 210 of the substrate processing chamber through pipe 201. After the gas is mixed in the mixing chamber 204, it enters the reaction chamber 205. After the power supply is fed into the ionization reaction, plasma is generated. When the pressure value in the reaction chamber 205 reaches the preset value, the spray hole automatically opens. The plasma is evenly sprayed onto the substrate through the spray hole to perform thin film deposition.

[0053] Step S6: Continuously monitor the film growth until the predetermined thickness is reached.

[0054] Step S7: Shut down the gas mixing and supply system, plasma generator, and temperature control system.

[0055] use Figure 2 Table 1 shows a comparison of the uniformity of the thin films prepared in the substrate processing chamber shown with those prepared using existing techniques. Experiments 1 and 3 correspond to existing techniques, while Experiments 2 and 4 correspond to those prepared using existing techniques. Figure 2 The substrate processing chamber shown.

[0056] Table 1

[0057] Case hydrogen silane Gas ratio temperature pressure Inhomogeneity Experiment 1 1500 500 3：1 180 0.5MPa 5.60％ Experiment 2 1500 500 3：1 180 0.5MPa 0.62％ Experiment 3 2000 500 4：1 180 0.5MPa 4.80％ Experiment 4 2000 500 4：1 180 0.5MPa 0.72％

[0058] As can be seen from Table 1, the use Figure 2 The substrate processing chamber shown can improve the uniformity of the prepared thin film.

[0059] The basic concepts have been described above. Obviously, for those skilled in the art, the above disclosure is merely illustrative and does not constitute a limitation of this application. 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 application, and therefore remain within the spirit and scope of the exemplary embodiments of this application.

[0060] 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.

[0061] 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, 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 present application requires more features than those mentioned. In fact, the embodiments have fewer features than all the features of the single embodiments disclosed above.

[0062] 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 are approximate values, which may be changed according to 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 range in some embodiments of this application are approximate values, in specific embodiments, such values ​​are set as precisely as feasible.

[0063] Although this application has been described with reference to specific embodiments, those skilled in the art should recognize that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate this application, and various equivalent changes or substitutions can be made without departing from the spirit of this application. Therefore, any changes or modifications to the above embodiments within the scope of the essential spirit of this application will fall within the scope of this application.

Claims

1. A substrate processing chamber, characterized in that, include: case; A mixing chamber, located within the housing, is used for mixing gases; A reaction chamber, located inside the housing and communicating with the mixing chamber, has electrodes for ionizing the gas entering the reaction chamber; A support device, located inside the housing and below the reaction chamber, is used to support the substrate; The bottom of the reaction chamber is provided with several spray holes, which are used to spray the ionized plasma onto the substrate supported by the carrier device.

2. The substrate processing chamber as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The top of the reaction chamber is in contact with the bottom of the mixing chamber. The bottom of the mixing chamber has several first through holes, and the top of the reaction chamber has several second through holes. The reaction chamber and the mixing chamber are connected through the first through holes and the second through holes.

3. The substrate processing chamber as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The first through hole and the second through hole correspond one-to-one, and the diameter of the first through hole and the second through hole are the same.

4. The substrate processing chamber as described in claim 2, characterized in that, It also includes an insulating sheet disposed within the housing, the insulating sheet being located between the mixing chamber and the reaction chamber, the insulating sheet having a plurality of third through holes, the reaction chamber and the mixing chamber being connected through the first through hole, the second through hole and the third through hole.

5. The substrate processing chamber as described in claim 4, characterized in that, The third through hole corresponds one-to-one with the first through hole and the second through hole, and the diameters of the first through hole, the second through hole and the third through hole are the same.

6. The substrate processing chamber as described in any one of claims 1-5, characterized in that, It also includes a spray plate disposed inside the housing, the spray plate being in contact with the bottom of the reaction chamber, the spray plate having spray holes, and the bottom of the reaction chamber having a plurality of fourth through holes, the fourth through holes being used to allow the ionized plasma generated from the reaction chamber to enter the spray holes.

7. The substrate processing chamber as described in claim 6, characterized in that, The diameter of the fourth through hole is less than or equal to the diameter of the spray hole.

8. The substrate processing chamber as described in claim 6, characterized in that, The multiple spray holes are evenly distributed on the spray plate.

9. The substrate processing chamber as described in claim 8, characterized in that, The spray holes are circular, and the diameter of the spray holes is 0.5-2mm.

10. A substrate processing apparatus, characterized in that, Includes the substrate processing chamber according to any one of claims 1-9.

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