Semiconductor processing equipment and valve piece thereof

Abstract

The utility model discloses semiconductor processing equipment and a valve piece thereof. The valve piece comprises a valve body, a valve plate and a driving part. The valve body comprises an upper cavity, a lower cavity and a plurality of valve ports, and the upper cavity is communicated with the lower cavity through the valve ports; the multiple valve ports are divided into two valve port sets, the two valve port sets are symmetrically arranged relative to a first horizontal center line, each valve port is correspondingly provided with one valve plate, and the driving component is used for synchronously driving the multiple valve plates to rotate so as to open or close the corresponding valve ports. By improving the structure of the valve, technical support is provided for improving the uniformity of a flow field in the etching process, and the processing quality of semiconductor processing equipment is improved.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of semiconductor processing, in particular to a semiconductor processing equipment and a valve thereof. BACKGROUND

[0002] At present, the plasma etching technology has been applied to various devices of semiconductor, and the basic principle of the plasma etching method is that the radio frequency output generated by the ICP (Inductively Coupled Plasma) radio frequency power supply is output to the annular coupling coil, the mixed etching gas in a certain proportion is coupled to the glow discharge, the high-density plasma is generated, under the radio frequency effect of the lower electrode, the chemical bonds of the semiconductor material on the surface of the substrate are broken, and the volatile substances are generated with the etching gas to be separated from the substrate in the form of gas and be pumped away through the vacuum pipeline.

[0003] Based on the above principle, the gas flow characteristics in the reaction chamber of the semiconductor processing equipment directly affect the process speed and quality during the etching process. Generally speaking, the more uniform the gas flow around the substrate is, the more stable and synchronous the gas reaction on the substrate is.

[0004] At present, the pressure stability in the reaction chamber of the semiconductor processing equipment is mainly realized by relying on the swing valve. The change of the gas flow path during the operation of the swing valve may cause the asymmetric distribution of the gas, hinder the gas discharge or generate the uneven flow rate, and these two factors may cause the negative influence on the substrate in the form of different gas exposure time and different equilibrium convection. In addition, the hindered gas discharge or the uneven flow rate may also cause the increase of the process gas consumption and the prolongation of the process time. In addition, there is also a semiconductor processing equipment relying on the symmetrical lifting type vacuum valve, but for the symmetrical lifting type vacuum valve, there is a difficulty in the leveling operation of the valve plate. CONTENT OF THE UTILITY MODEL

[0005] The purpose of the present application is to provide a semiconductor processing equipment and a valve thereof, which provides technical support for improving the uniformity of the flow field in the etching process by improving the structure of the valve, and is conducive to improving the processing quality of the semiconductor processing equipment.

[0006] In order to solve the above technical problems, the present application provides a valve of a semiconductor processing equipment, which comprises a valve body, a valve plate and a driving component. The valve body comprises an upper cavity, a lower cavity and a plurality of valve ports, the upper cavity is communicated with the lower cavity through the valve ports, a plurality of valve ports are divided into two valve port groups, the two valve port groups are symmetrically arranged relative to a first horizontal center line, one valve plate is arranged at each valve port, and the driving component is used for synchronously driving a plurality of valve plates to rotate to open or close the corresponding valve ports.

[0007] In an embodiment, the rotation center line of the valve plate is parallel to the first horizontal center line, the valve plate is symmetrically arranged relative to the second horizontal center line, and the valve plate is symmetrically arranged relative to the rotation center line, the second horizontal center line is perpendicular to the first horizontal center line, and the valve port has the same shape as the valve plate.

[0008] In an embodiment, the flow area of the valve port gradually decreases in a direction away from the first horizontal center line in the same valve port group.

[0009] In an embodiment, the valve port comprises a first region, a second region, and a third region arranged in sequence in a direction along the first horizontal center line, the size of the first region and the third region in a direction along the second horizontal center line gradually increases in a direction close to the center of the valve body, and the size of the second region in the direction along the second horizontal center line is the same.

[0010] In an embodiment, the first region and the third region have a trapezoidal shape, and the second region has a rectangular shape.

[0011] In an embodiment, the valve body comprises a base and a partition plate, the base has an inner cavity, the partition plate is fixedly arranged in the base, the partition plate divides the inner cavity into the upper cavity and the lower cavity, and the valve port is arranged on the partition plate.

[0012] In an embodiment, a plurality of valve plates are divided into two valve plate groups, two valve plate groups correspond to two valve port groups respectively, the rotation directions of the valve plates in the same valve plate group are the same, and the rotation directions of the valve plates in one valve plate group are opposite to the rotation directions of the valve plates in the other valve plate group.

[0013] In an embodiment, the driving component comprises a driving source and a plurality of transmission shafts, the valve plate is fixedly arranged on the transmission shaft, the transmission shaft is rotatably arranged on the valve body, and the driving source is used to synchronously drive the plurality of transmission shafts to rotate.

[0014] In an embodiment, the driving component comprises a transmission assembly, an output shaft of the driving source is in transmission connection with the transmission shaft through the transmission assembly, the transmission assembly comprises a first helical gear and a second helical gear, the first helical gear is fixedly sleeved on the output shaft, and the second helical gear is fixedly sleeved on the transmission shaft; the first helical gear matched with one valve plate group and the first helical gear matched with the other valve plate group are arranged in opposite directions.

[0015] In an embodiment, the driving source is a stepper motor.

[0016] This application also provides a semiconductor processing apparatus, including a cavity component, a valve component, and a pump body, wherein the valve component is any of the valve components described above, and the valve component is installed between the cavity component and the pump body.

[0017] The valve provided in this application is used in semiconductor processing equipment. Multiple valve ports are symmetrically arranged, and multiple valve plates corresponding to these ports rotate synchronously under the drive of a driving component. This ensures a more symmetrical gas flow path through the valve ports, improving the symmetry of the flow field distribution within the etching equipment's chamber. This results in better etching uniformity during the process, contributing to improved process quality and speed. Furthermore, the valve plates open the valve ports by rotation, avoiding the leveling issues of lifting valves in related technologies, making operation relatively simple. Attached Figure Description

[0018] Figure 1 This is a cross-sectional view of a semiconductor processing apparatus provided in one embodiment of this application;

[0019] Figure 2 for Figure 1 A top view of the valve in its fully open position;

[0020] Figure 3 for Figure 1 The valve shown is in a fully closed state (top view).

[0021] Figure 4 for Figure 1 The valve shown is in a fully closed state (cross-sectional view).

[0022] Figure 5 for Figure 4 A partial structural diagram of the drive component.

[0023] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures:

[0024] Cavity component 10, chamber 11;

[0025] Valve component 20, valve body 21, base 211, air extraction port 2111, partition plate 212, upper chamber 213, lower chamber 214, valve port 215, first valve port group 215A, valve port one 2151, valve port two 2152, valve port three 2153, second valve port group 215B, valve port four 2154, valve port five 2155, valve port six 2156, valve plate 22, first valve plate group 22A, valve plate one 221, valve plate two 222, valve plate three 223, second valve plate group 22B, valve plate four 224, valve plate five 225, valve plate six 226, drive component 23, drive source 231, output shaft 2311, transmission shaft 232, first helical gear 233, 233', second helical gear 234;

[0026] Pump body 30. Detailed Implementation

[0027] To enable those skilled in the art to better understand the present application, the present application will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.

[0028] The terms "first," "second," etc., used in this article are only used to distinguish one component from another with the same name, and do not indicate any sequential or hierarchical relationship between these components. The directional terms used in this article are... Figure 1 The definition of the position of the components and the positional relationship between them is based on the fact that it is only for the purpose of expressing the technical solution clearly and conveniently, and does not constitute a limitation on the scope of protection.

[0029] For ease of understanding and concise description, the following text will explain the semiconductor processing equipment and its valves together, and the beneficial effects will not be discussed again.

[0030] Please refer to Figure 1 , Figure 1 This is a cross-sectional view of a semiconductor processing apparatus provided in one embodiment of this application.

[0031] In this embodiment, the semiconductor processing equipment includes a cavity component 10, a valve component 20, and a pump body 30; the cavity component 10 has a chamber 11, which is used as a processing chamber for workpieces such as substrates and requires a vacuum environment; the pump body 30 is used to evacuate air from the cavity component 10 to make the chamber 11 have a vacuum environment; during the etching process, in order to control the pressure and airflow distribution in the chamber 11, a valve component 20 is installed between the cavity component 10 and the pump body 30.

[0032] Semiconductor processing equipment can be plasma etching equipment.

[0033] by Figure 1 As shown, valve 20 is installed at the bottom of cavity component 10, and pump body 30 is installed at the bottom of valve 20. Pump body 30 performs vacuum treatment on cavity 11 of cavity component 10 through valve 20. Valve 20 can be used to adjust the airflow distribution in cavity 11 of cavity component 10.

[0034] For example, the pump body 30 can be a turbomolecular pump.

[0035] The valve component 20 includes a valve body 21 and a valve plate 22. The valve body 21 has an inner cavity, which is connected to the chamber 11 of the cavity component 10. The inner cavity of the valve body 21 is also connected to the pump body 30 through an air extraction port 2111. The valve body 21 is also provided with a valve port 215, which is connected to the chamber 11 through the valve port 215. The valve plate 22 is used to open or close the valve port 215. The valve plate 22 can also adjust the opening degree of the valve port 215 to control the pressure of the chamber 11.

[0036] In the plasma etching process, the gas flow characteristics in the chamber 11 affect the process speed and quality. The structure of the valve 20 is improved in this paper. By operating the valve 20, a stable pressure can be formed in the chamber 11, and the gas flow is symmetrical, so that the chamber has a more uniform flow field, thereby improving the process quality and process speed of etching.

[0037] Please refer to Figures 2 to 4 , Figure 2 for Figure 1 the top view of the valve shown in the full open state; Figure 3 for Figure 1 the top view of the valve shown in the full closed state; Figure 4 for Figure 1 the cross-sectional view of the valve shown in the full closed state.

[0038] In this embodiment, the valve 20 includes a valve body 21, a valve plate 22 and a driving component 23. The valve body 21 includes an upper cavity 213, a lower cavity 214 and a plurality of valve ports 215. The upper cavity 213 communicates with the lower cavity 214 through the valve ports 215. The valve body 21 also has a gas extraction port 2111 communicating with the lower cavity 214.

[0039] The upper cavity 213 is located above the lower cavity 214. After the valve 20 is applied to the semiconductor processing equipment, the upper cavity 213 communicates with the chamber 11 of the chamber component 10, and the lower cavity 214 is connected with the pump body 30 through the gas extraction port 2111.

[0040] The plurality of valve ports 215 of the valve 20 can be divided into two valve port groups, and the two valve port groups are symmetrically arranged with respect to a first horizontal center line L1. Here, the first horizontal center line L1 can be understood as a horizontal line passing through the center of the inner cavity of the valve body 21.

[0041] For the convenience of description, the two valve port groups are referred to as the first valve port group 215A and the second valve port group 215B, respectively. It can be understood that because the first valve port group 215A and the second valve port group 215B are symmetrically arranged with respect to the first horizontal center line L1, the number of valve ports 215 in the first valve port group 215A is the same as the number of valve ports 215 in the second valve port group 215B.

[0042] Each valve port 215 is provided with a valve plate 22, and the driving component 23 is used to synchronously drive a plurality of valve plates 22 to rotate to open or close the corresponding valve ports 215.

[0043] With the above scheme, the plurality of valve ports 215 of the valve piece 20 are symmetrically arranged, and the plurality of valve plates 22 corresponding to the plurality of valve ports 215 synchronously rotate under the driving of the driving component 23, so that the gas flow in the chamber 11 is symmetrical, which is beneficial to improve the symmetry of the flow field distribution in the chamber 11, so that the etching uniformity in the process is better, which is helpful to improve the process quality and process speed. In addition, the valve plate 22 of the valve piece 20 opens the valve port 215 in a rotating manner, avoiding the leveling problem of the lifting type vacuum valve in the related art, and the operation is relatively simple.

[0044] Specifically, the plurality of valve ports 215 are in the same horizontal plane.

[0045] In some implementations, the rotation center line of the valve plate 22 is parallel to the first horizontal center line L1, the valve plate 22 is structurally symmetric relative to the second horizontal center line L2, and the valve plate 22 is structurally symmetric relative to the rotation center line, wherein the second horizontal center line L2 is perpendicular to the first horizontal center line L1. The shape of the valve port 215 is consistent with the shape of the valve plate 22.

[0046] As set forth above, the valve port 215 is symmetrical relative to the rotation center line of the valve plate 22, and also symmetrical relative to the second horizontal center line L2 perpendicular to the rotation center line. During the opening and closing of the valve port 215 by the valve plate 22, the uniformity of the gas flow is better, which can make the flow field distribution of the chamber 11 of the cavity component 10 more uniform, and is more beneficial to improve the process effect.

[0047] In specific implementations, in the same valve port group, the flow area of the valve port 215 gradually decreases in the direction away from the first horizontal center line L1.

[0048] As shown in the figure, Figure 2 With the above scheme, the plurality of valve ports 215 of the valve piece 20 are symmetrically arranged, and the plurality of valve plates 22 corresponding to the plurality of valve ports 215 synchronously rotate under the driving of the driving component 23, so that the gas flow in the chamber 11 is symmetrical, which is beneficial to improve the symmetry of the flow field distribution in the chamber 11, so that the etching uniformity in the process is better, which is helpful to improve the process quality and process speed. In addition, the valve plate 22 of the valve piece 20 opens the valve port 215 in a rotating manner, avoiding the leveling problem of the lifting type vacuum valve in the related art, and the operation is relatively simple.

[0049] In the illustrated embodiment, the first valve port group 215A and the second valve port group 215B each have three valve ports 215. The first valve port group 215A includes valve port one 2151, valve port two 2152 and valve port three 2153 arranged in sequence from left to right, and the second valve port group 215B includes valve port four 2154, valve port five 2155 and valve port six 2156 arranged in sequence from left to right. Since the first valve port group 215A and the second valve port group 215B are symmetrically arranged relative to the first horizontal center line L1, the structure of valve port one 2151 is identical to that of valve port six 2156, the structure of valve port two 2152 is identical to that of valve port five 2155, and the structure of valve port three 2153 is identical to that of valve port four 2154.

[0050] The valve plates 22 corresponding to the first valve port group 215A are referred to as the first valve plate group 22A, and the valve plates 22 corresponding to the second valve port group 215B are referred to as the second valve plate group 22B.

[0051] In the illustrated embodiment, the first valve plate group 22A and the second valve plate group 22B each include three valve plates 22. The first valve plate group 22A includes valve plate one 221, valve plate two 222 and valve plate three 223, which are respectively matched with valve port one 2151, valve port two 2152 and valve port three 2153, and the second valve plate group 22B includes valve plate four 224, valve plate five 225 and valve plate six 226, which are respectively matched with valve port four 2154, valve port 2155 and valve port six 2156.

[0052] In other embodiments, the number of valve ports 215 in each valve port group can be set according to application requirements, and the valve plates 22 of the corresponding valve plate group are matched and set.

[0053] Figure 2 The illustrated state is that the valve port 215 is in a fully open state, i.e., the opening degree of the valve port 215 is 100%, at which time the valve plate 22 is in a position perpendicular to the plane in which the valve port 215 is located.

[0054] Figure 3 And Figure 4 The illustrated state is that the valve port 215 is in a fully closed state, i.e., the opening degree of the valve port 215 is 0, at which time the valve plate 22 is in a position parallel to the plane in which the valve port 215 is located.

[0055] In one implementation, along the extension direction of the first horizontal center line L1, the valve port 215 includes first region 1Z, second region 2Z and third region 3Z arranged in sequence, wherein the dimensions of the first region 1Z and the third region 3Z in the direction of the second horizontal center line L2 gradually increase towards the center of the valve body 21, and the dimensions of the second region 2Z in the direction of the second horizontal center line L2 can be the same.

[0056] In the illustrated example, the first region 1Z and the third region 3Z can be trapezoidal, and the second region 2Z can be rectangular. It can be understood that, because the valve port 215 is symmetrical to the rotation center line of the valve plate 22 in the corresponding position, the first region 1Z and the third region 3Z are both isosceles trapezoidal.

[0057] In other implementations, the shape of the valve port 215 can be other forms, for example, the first region 1Z and the third region 3Z can both be semicircular, etc.; the valve port 215 can also be provided in the form of a whole rectangle.

[0058] In an implementation, the valve body 21 of the valve piece 20 can include a base 211 and a partition plate 212, the base 211 has an inner cavity, and the partition plate 212 is fixed in the base 211, and the partition plate 212 can separate the inner cavity of the base 211 into the aforementioned upper cavity 213 and lower cavity 214, and the aforementioned valve ports 215 can be provided on the partition plate 212.

[0059] The base 211 can be in the form of a cup structure, including a bottom wall part and a peripheral wall part, and the suction port 2111 can be provided on the bottom wall part of the base 211. The top open end of the peripheral wall part of the base 211 of the valve body 21 is connected with the cavity component 10, and the connection can be in the form of press fitting. In application, a sealing gasket or the like can be provided between the base 211 and the cavity component 10 to ensure the sealing of the cavity 11.

[0060] In an implementation, the rotation directions of the valve plates 22 in the same valve plate group are the same, and the rotation directions of the valve plates 22 in one valve plate group are opposite to the rotation directions of the valve plates 22 in another valve plate group.

[0061] Specifically, the rotation directions of the valve plate one 221, the valve plate two 222, and the valve plate three 223 in the first valve plate group 22A are the same, the rotation directions of the valve plate four 224, the valve plate five 225, and the valve plate six 226 in the second valve plate group 22B are the same, and the rotation directions of the valve plates 22 in the first valve plate group 22A are opposite to the rotation directions of the valve plates 22 in the second valve plate group 22B.

[0062] The driving component 23 can synchronously drive the first valve plate group 22A and the second valve plate group 22B to rotate, and the rotation directions of the valve plates 22 in the two valve plate groups are opposite.

[0063] After the above arrangement, the air flow paths of the valve ports 215 in the first valve port group 215A and the second valve port group 215B are symmetrical to the first horizontal center line L1 during the opening or closing process of the valve ports 215, that is, during the pressure regulation of the cavity 11, the symmetrical distribution of the flow field in the cavity 11 can be realized, and during the operation of the valve piece 20, the gas in the cavity 11 flows symmetrically during the whole switching cycle, which can further reduce the problems of poor etching uniformity and low production yield in the process.

[0064] In specific implementation, the driving component 23 of the valve member 20 includes a driving source 231 and a plurality of transmission shafts 232, the valve plate 22 is fixedly arranged on the transmission shaft 232, the transmission shaft 232 is rotatably arranged on the valve body 21, and the driving source 231 is used to synchronously drive the plurality of transmission shafts 232 to rotate.

[0065] The driving component 23 can further include a transmission assembly, and the output shaft 2311 of the driving source 231 is in transmission connection with the transmission shaft 232 through the transmission assembly.

[0066] The transmission assembly can be in the form of a helical gear pair, which is convenient for arranging the driving source 231 and the plurality of transmission shafts 232 to realize power transmission and is also convenient for realizing the rotation of the two valve plate groups in different directions. Specifically, the transmission assembly includes first helical gears 233 and 233' and second helical gears 234, the first helical gears 233 and 233' are fixedly sleeved on the output shaft 2311, and the second helical gears 234 are fixedly sleeved on the transmission shaft 232.

[0067] Among them, the first helical gears 233 correspond to the transmission shafts 232 of the first valve plate group 22A, and the first helical gears 233' correspond to the transmission shafts 232 of the second valve plate group 22B. The first helical gears 233 and the first helical gears 233' are oppositely arranged on the output shaft 2311, which can be referred to Figure 5 for understanding. That is, the first helical gears 233 matched with the first valve plate group 22A and the first helical gears 233' matched with the second valve plate group 22B are oppositely arranged.

[0068] In this way, when the driving source 231 drives the output shaft 2311 to rotate, because the first helical gears 233 and the first helical gears 233' are oppositely arranged, the rotation directions of the transmission shafts 232 in transmission connection with the first helical gears 233 are opposite to the rotation directions of the transmission shafts 232 in transmission connection with the first helical gears 233', so that the first valve plate group 22A and the second valve plate group 22B can be synchronously driven and rotated in opposite directions.

[0069] Exemplarily, the driving source 231 can be a stepping motor. The driving source 231 can be arranged on the valve body 21.

[0070] The principles and implementation modes of the present application are described by using specific examples in the present application, and the above examples are only used to help understand the method and core idea of the present application. It should be pointed out that, for ordinary skilled in the art, without departing from the principles of the present application, the present application can be improved and modified in several ways, and these improvements and modifications also fall within the protection scope of the claims of the present application.

Claims

1. A valve component for semiconductor processing equipment, characterized in that, The device includes a valve body (21), a valve plate (22), and a drive component (23). The valve body (21) includes an upper chamber (213), a lower chamber (214), and multiple valve ports (215). The upper chamber (213) is connected to the lower chamber (214) through the valve ports (215). The multiple valve ports (215) are divided into two valve port groups, which are symmetrically arranged relative to the first horizontal center line. Each valve port (215) is provided with a corresponding valve plate (22). The drive component (23) is used to synchronously drive the multiple valve plates (22) to rotate to open or close the corresponding valve port (215).

2. The valve according to claim 1, characterized in that, The rotation center line of the valve plate (22) is parallel to the first horizontal center line. The valve plate (22) is structurally symmetrical with respect to the second horizontal center line. The second horizontal center line is perpendicular to the first horizontal center line. The valve port (215) has the same shape as the valve plate (22).

3. The valve according to claim 2, characterized in that, In the same valve port group, the flow area of ​​the valve port (215) gradually decreases along the direction away from the first horizontal center line.

4. The valve according to claim 2, characterized in that, Along the direction of the first horizontal center line, the valve port (215) includes a first region (1Z), a second region (2Z) and a third region (3Z) arranged in sequence. The dimensions of the first region (1Z) and the third region (3Z) in the direction of the second horizontal center line gradually increase in the direction close to the center of the valve body (21). The dimensions of the second region (2Z) in the direction of the second horizontal center line are the same.

5. The valve according to claim 4, characterized in that, The first region (1Z) and the third region (3Z) are trapezoidal in shape, while the second region (2Z) is rectangular in shape.

6. The valve according to claim 1, characterized in that, The valve body includes a base (211) and a partition plate (212). The base has an inner cavity, and the partition plate (212) is fixed in the base (211). The partition plate (212) divides the inner cavity into an upper cavity (213) and a lower cavity (214). The valve port (215) is located on the partition plate (212).

7. The valve according to any one of claims 1-6, characterized in that, The multiple valve plates (22) are divided into two valve plate groups, and the two valve plate groups correspond to the two valve port groups respectively. In the same valve plate group, the rotation direction of each valve plate (22) is the same, and the rotation direction of the valve plate (22) in one valve plate group is opposite to the rotation direction of the valve plate (22) in the other valve plate group.

8. The valve according to claim 7, characterized in that, The drive component (23) includes a drive source (231) and multiple drive shafts (232). The valve plate (22) is fixed to the drive shaft (232). The drive shaft (232) is rotatably mounted on the valve body (21). The drive source (231) is used to synchronously drive the multiple drive shafts (232) to rotate.

9. The valve according to claim 8, characterized in that, The driving component includes a transmission assembly. The output shaft (2311) of the driving source (231) is connected to the transmission shaft (232) via the transmission assembly. The transmission assembly includes a first helical gear (233) and a second helical gear (234). The first helical gear (233) is fixedly sleeved on the output shaft (2311), and the second helical gear (234) is fixedly sleeved on the transmission shaft (232). The first helical gear matched with one valve plate group and the first helical gear matched with another valve plate group are arranged in opposite directions.

10. The valve according to claim 8, characterized in that, The drive source (231) is a stepper motor.

11. Semiconductor processing equipment, characterized in that, It includes a cavity component (10), a valve component (20), and a pump body (30), wherein the valve component (20) is the valve component according to any one of claims 1-10, and the valve component (20) is installed between the cavity component (10) and the pump body (30).

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