Thin film deposition apparatus

Abstract

The embodiment of the utility model provides thin film deposition equipment. The thin film deposition equipment comprises a cavity, an exhaust pipeline and a plasma cleaning assembly. Wherein the cavity comprises a first cavity and a second cavity; the air exhaust pipeline comprises a first air exhaust pipeline and a second air exhaust pipeline, the first air exhaust pipeline is connected with the first cavity, and the second air exhaust pipeline is connected with the second cavity; the plasma cleaning assembly is connected with the first exhaust pipeline and the second exhaust pipeline and used for cleaning the first exhaust pipeline and the second exhaust pipeline. According to the thin film deposition equipment, the distance between the first cleaning pipeline and the exhaust pipeline and the distance between the second cleaning pipeline and the exhaust pipeline are shortened, the first cleaning pipeline, the second cleaning pipeline and the exhaust pipeline are arranged in a straight mode, and the connecting positions are chamfered, so that bent angles and obstacles are reduced, and the distance from plasma to a control valve is shortened; therefore, the exhaust pipeline can be cleaned better.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of semiconductor technology, and in particular to a thin film deposition device. BACKGROUND

[0002] After deposition, etching and other process steps have been performed in the process chamber, the process chamber needs to be cleaned to remove process gas residues that can have formed on the chamber walls. The commonly used method is to use a remote plasma source (RPS) which excites the gas by radio frequency or microwave to generate plasma. The free radicals (activated gas molecules) generated after the gas is excited can effectively clean the silicon dust or particulate matter deposited inside the chip structure for chamber cleaning.

[0003] After the chamber is cleaned, the plasma remaining after the by-products in the cleaning chamber need to continue to act on the exhaust pipeline of the subsequent exhaust system, but the exhaust pipeline is far away from the remote plasma source. The plasma has been deactivated before reaching the exhaust pipeline, which cannot meet the cleaning requirements of the exhaust pipeline, especially for double-chamber structures, there are many bends and obstructions, and the control valve of the exhaust system is jammed due to the accumulation of by-products in a short time. At this time, only the exhaust pipeline can be disassembled and cleaned, which is time-consuming and laborious, and affects the work efficiency of the machine. CONTENT OF THE INVENTION

[0004] Embodiments of the present application provide a thin film deposition device, comprising:

[0005] a chamber, the chamber comprising a first chamber and a second chamber;

[0006] an exhaust pipeline, the exhaust pipeline comprising a first exhaust pipeline and a second exhaust pipeline, the first exhaust pipeline being connected to the first chamber, and the second exhaust pipeline being connected to the second chamber;

[0007] a plasma cleaning assembly, the plasma cleaning assembly being connected to the first exhaust pipeline and the second exhaust pipeline respectively, and the plasma cleaning assembly being configured to clean the first exhaust pipeline and the second exhaust pipeline.

[0008] In some embodiments, the plasma cleaning assembly comprises a first remote plasma source, a first cleaning pipeline and a second cleaning pipeline, the first cleaning pipeline being arranged between the first exhaust pipeline and the first remote plasma source, and the second cleaning pipeline being arranged between the second exhaust pipeline and the first remote plasma source.

[0009] In some embodiments, a first control valve is arranged on the first cleaning pipe close to the first pumping pipe, and a second control valve is arranged on the second cleaning pipe close to the second pumping pipe.

[0010] In some embodiments, the included angle between the first cleaning pipe and the first pumping pipe and between the second cleaning pipe and the second pumping pipe is 90°.

[0011] In some embodiments, two first remote plasma sources are arranged and connected to the first cleaning pipe and the second cleaning pipe respectively.

[0012] In some embodiments, the plasma cleaning assembly further comprises a third cleaning pipe, the gas inlet of the third cleaning pipe is connected to the first remote plasma source, and the gas outlets of the first cleaning pipe and the second cleaning pipe are connected to the third cleaning pipe.

[0013] In some embodiments, the first cleaning pipe, the second cleaning pipe and the third cleaning pipe are rounded at the branch points.

[0014] In some embodiments, the first cleaning pipe, the second cleaning pipe and the third cleaning pipe are coated with a Teflon coating or a soluble Teflon coating.

[0015] In some embodiments, the plasma cleaning assembly is arranged on the side of the cavity facing the pumping pipe, and the first remote plasma source is arranged adjacent to the pumping pipe.

[0016] In some embodiments, the side of the cavity away from the pumping pipe is provided with a cavity cover, the first remote plasma source is arranged on the side of the cavity cover away from the cavity, and the first remote plasma source is arranged on the cavity cover and is separate from the first cleaning pipe, the second cleaning pipe or the third cleaning pipe connected thereto.

[0017] The thin film deposition device provided by the present application can clean the pumping pipe by increasing the plasma cleaning assembly, and the first remote plasma source is arranged adjacent to the pumping pipe, so that the first cleaning pipe and the second cleaning pipe are arranged straight between the pumping pipe and the first remote plasma source, the distance of the plasma to the pumping pipe is further shortened, and the pumping pipe can be better cleaned. At the same time, the double-chamber structure is adopted, which not only improves the efficiency of thin film deposition, but also when one of the chambers fails, only one of the chambers can be closed, and the other chamber can be used normally, so as to not affect the use of the whole thin film deposition device. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0018] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application, the drawings needed to be used in the embodiments will be briefly introduced. Obviously, the drawings in the following description only represent some of the embodiments of the present application, and all other drawings obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative effort based on these drawings are within the scope of the present application.

[0019] Figure 1 is a thin film deposition device in the prior art;

[0020] Figure 2 is a structural schematic diagram of an embodiment of the thin film deposition device of the present application;

[0021] Figure 3 is a structural schematic diagram of another embodiment of the thin film deposition device of the present application;

[0022] Figure 4 is a structural schematic diagram of still another embodiment of the thin film deposition device of the present application;

[0023] Figure 5 is a control method of the thin film deposition device in the embodiments of the present application;

[0024] 10 cavity, 100 first cavity, 101 second cavity, 102 cavity cover, 20 pumping line,

[0025] 200 first pumping line, 201 second pumping line, 202 third pumping line, 30 remote plasma source, 300 second remote plasma source, 301 third remote plasma source, 40 control valve, 401 first control valve, 402 second control valve, 403 third control valve, 404 fourth control valve, 50 plasma cleaning assembly, 501 first remote plasma source, 502 fourth remote plasma source, 503 first cleaning line, 504 second cleaning line, 505 third cleaning line. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0026] The technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application will be described clearly and completely below with reference to the drawings in the embodiments of the present application. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some of the embodiments of the present application, not all the embodiments. Based on the embodiments in the present application, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative effort are within the scope of the present application.

[0027] The above description is only some of the embodiments of the present application, and does not limit the patent scope of the present application. Any equivalent structure or equivalent process transformation based on the content of the specification and drawings of the present application, or direct or indirect application in other related technical fields, are also included in the patent protection scope of the present application.

[0028] The terms "first," "second," and "third" used in the embodiments of this application are for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of indicated technical features. Therefore, a feature defined as "first," "second," or "third" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of that feature. In the description of this utility model, "multiple" means at least two, such as two, three, etc., unless otherwise explicitly specified. All directional indications (such as up, down, left, right, front, back, etc.) in the embodiments of this application are only used to explain the relative positional relationships and movement of components in a specific posture (as shown in the accompanying drawings). If the specific posture changes, the directional indication will also change accordingly. The terms "comprising" and "having," and any variations thereof, in the embodiments of this application are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion. For example, a process, method, system, product, or device that includes a series of steps or units is not limited to the listed steps or units, but may optionally include steps or units not listed, or may optionally include other steps or components inherent to these processes, methods, products, or devices.

[0029] In this document, the term "embodiment" means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with an embodiment may be included in at least one embodiment of the present invention. The appearance of this phrase in various places throughout the specification does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, nor is it a separate or alternative embodiment mutually exclusive with other embodiments. It will be explicitly and implicitly understood by those skilled in the art that the embodiments described herein can be combined with other embodiments.

[0030] The purpose of this application is to overcome the defects and deficiencies in the prior art and provide a thin film deposition device. This thin film deposition device aims to solve the problems that the distance between the exhaust pipe and the remote plasma source is too far, the plasma is deactivated before it reaches the exhaust pipe, and the exhaust pipe cannot meet the requirements for cleaning the exhaust pipe. In a short time, the exhaust pipe will be blocked due to the accumulation of by-products. At this time, the exhaust pipe can only be removed for cleaning, which is time-consuming and laborious and affects the working efficiency of the machine.

[0031] like Figure 1 As shown, Figure 1This is a thin film deposition device in the prior art. The device includes a chamber 10, a vacuum line 20, a remote plasma source 30, and a control valve 40. The chamber 10 is a reaction chamber used for processes such as thin film deposition. The remote plasma source 30 is used to excite gas via radio frequency or microwave to generate plasma for cleaning the interior of the chamber 10. Plasma is an electrically neutral substance composed of equal amounts of positive ions and negative electrons. When the gas receives sufficiently high energy, electrons are stripped from its atoms or molecules, resulting in a coexistence of positive ions and free electrons. The vacuum line 20 is located at the bottom of the chamber 10 and is used to discharge byproducts and remove residues from the cleaning process. The control valve 40 is located on the vacuum line 20 and is used to control its opening and closing.

[0032] It can be seen that in the existing technology, the control valve 40 is far from the remote plasma source 30. Especially when facing a dual-chamber structure with many bends and obstructions, the plasma is deactivated before reaching the control valve 40, which cannot meet the requirements for cleaning the control valve 40. At the same time, by-products of cleaning the chamber 10 will remain in the exhaust pipe 20, and the inside of the exhaust pipe 20 cannot be cleaned well.

[0033] like Figure 2 As shown, Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of a thin film deposition apparatus according to an embodiment of the present application. The thin film deposition apparatus includes a cavity 10, an extraction pipeline 20, a remote plasma source 30, and a plasma cleaning assembly 50. There are two or more cavities 10, which can be independently arranged or separated by partitions. The cavities 10 share a common exhaust vent. The number of extraction pipelines 20 corresponds to the number of cavities 10. The plasma cleaning assembly 50 is disposed on the side of the cavity 10 facing the extraction pipeline 20, and is connected to each extraction pipeline 20. The plasma cleaning assembly 50 is used to clean the extraction pipelines 20.

[0034] In the embodiment of the present application, the cavity 10 is divided into a first cavity 100 and a second cavity 101, and the two cavities 10 are independently arranged; the exhaust pipeline 20 is divided into a first exhaust pipeline 200, a second exhaust pipeline 201 and a third exhaust pipeline 202, the first exhaust pipeline 200 is connected to the first cavity 100, the second exhaust pipeline 201 is connected to the second cavity 101, and the first exhaust pipeline 200 and the second exhaust pipeline 201 extend out of the third exhaust pipeline 202 at the converging position; the plasma cleaning assembly 50 comprises a first remote plasma source 501, a first cleaning pipeline 503 and a second cleaning pipeline 504, the first cleaning pipeline 503 is arranged straight between the first exhaust pipeline 200 and the first remote plasma source 501, the second cleaning pipeline 504 is arranged straight between the second exhaust pipeline 201 and the first remote plasma source 501, the first cleaning pipeline 503 and the second cleaning pipeline 504 are free of tortuousness and arc, and the first remote plasma source 501 is arranged adjacent to the exhaust pipeline 20. In some embodiments, the first remote plasma source 501 directly installed on the pipeline adopts a mini remote plasma source with a smaller power.

[0035] In some embodiments, the plasma cleaning assembly 50 further comprises a third cleaning pipeline 505, the gas inlet of the third cleaning pipeline 505 is connected to the first remote plasma source 501, and the first cleaning pipeline 503 and the second cleaning pipeline 504 converge at the gas outlet of the third cleaning pipeline 505, that is, the first cleaning pipeline 503 and the second cleaning pipeline 504 diverge at the gas outlet of the third cleaning pipeline 505.

[0036] In some embodiments, the gas outlet of the third cleaning pipeline 505 has a certain arc at the diverging position of the first cleaning pipeline 503 and the second cleaning pipeline 504, so that the plasma flows more smoothly from the third cleaning pipeline 505 into the first cleaning pipeline 503 and the second cleaning pipeline 504, and the loss is reduced. The diverging position can be, but is not limited to, a round corner guide angle. The included angle between the first cleaning pipeline 503, the second cleaning pipeline 504 and the third cleaning pipeline 505 is set to 90°-110°, and the round corner chamfer of the first cleaning pipeline 503 and the second cleaning pipeline 504 on the pipeline is set to 90°-100°.

[0037] In some embodiments, a polytetrafluoroethylene coating (PTFE) or a soluble polytetrafluoroethylene coating (PTFE / PFA) is arranged in the first cleaning pipeline 503, the second cleaning pipeline 504 and the third cleaning pipeline 505. The coating has good heat resistance, chemical resistance and electrical insulation performance, and has a very low friction coefficient and a lubricating effect. The use of the coating not only protects the inside of the first cleaning pipeline 503, the second cleaning pipeline 504 and the third cleaning pipeline 505, but also has a lubricating effect, so that the plasma flows more smoothly.

[0038] The film deposition equipment is also provided with a first control valve 401 and a second control valve 402. The first control valve 401 is arranged at the connection position of the first cleaning pipeline 503 and the first pumping pipeline 200. The second control valve 402 is arranged at the connection position of the second cleaning pipeline 504 and the second pumping pipeline 201. The first control valve 401 and the second control valve 402 are used to control the flow direction of the plasma released by the first remote plasma source 501, so that the direction of the plasma cleaning can be flexibly controlled, and thus the cleaning can be accurately and directionally performed.

[0039] Compared with the prior art, the plasma cleaning assembly 50 is arranged to clean the pumping pipeline 20, and the first remote plasma source 501 is arranged adjacent to the pumping pipeline 20. The first cleaning pipeline 503 and the second cleaning pipeline 504 are arranged close to the pumping pipeline 20, and the first cleaning pipeline 503 and the second cleaning pipeline 504 are arranged straight with the pumping pipeline 20, so that there is no bending and arc between the connecting pipelines, the distance of the plasma to the control valve 40 is shortened, the loss of the plasma is reduced, and thus the control valve 40 and the pumping pipeline 20 can be better cleaned.

[0040] Meanwhile, the film deposition equipment is also provided with a third control valve 403 and a fourth control valve 404. The third control valve 403 is arranged between the first exhaust pipeline and the first pumping pipeline 200 at the connection position of the first chamber 100. The fourth control valve 404 is arranged between the second exhaust pipeline and the second pumping pipeline 201 at the connection position of the second chamber 101. The control valve 40 can be but is not limited to an electromagnetic control valve 40. The opening and closing of the valve can be controlled according to the electromagnetic signal. In the embodiment, two valves are arranged corresponding to two chambers. When one of the chambers fails, only one of the valves can be closed, and the other chamber can be normally used, without affecting the use of the whole film deposition equipment.

[0041] As shown in FIG. 1, Figure 3 Figure 3 is a structural schematic diagram of another embodiment of the film deposition equipment. In the embodiment, the chamber 10 is divided into a first chamber 100 and a second chamber 101, and the two chambers 10 are independently arranged. The pumping pipeline 20 is divided into a first pumping pipeline 200, a second pumping pipeline 201 and a third pumping pipeline 202. The first pumping pipeline 200 is connected to the first chamber 100. The second pumping pipeline 201 is connected to the second chamber 101. The first pumping pipeline 200 and the second pumping pipeline 201 converge to extend the third pumping pipeline 202.

[0042] ​The plasma cleaning assembly 50 comprises a first remote plasma source 501, a fourth remote plasma source 502, a first cleaning pipeline 503 and a second cleaning pipeline 504. The first remote plasma source 501 is arranged in a straight line with the first pumping pipeline 200 through the first cleaning pipeline 503. The fourth remote plasma source 502 is arranged in a straight line with the second pumping pipeline 201 through the second cleaning pipeline 504. The first remote plasma source 501 and the fourth remote plasma source 502 are arranged adjacent to the pumping pipeline 20.

[0043] The embodiment adds the fourth remote plasma source 502, and connects the first remote plasma source 501 and the fourth remote plasma source 502 through the first cleaning pipeline 503 and the second cleaning pipeline 504 respectively, so as to enhance the cleaning efficiency of the plasma cleaning assembly 50.

[0044] As shown in Figure 4 , Figure 4 is a structural schematic diagram of another embodiment of the thin film deposition device. In the embodiment, the cavity 10 is divided into a first cavity 100 and a second cavity 101, and the two cavities 10 are independently arranged. The pumping pipeline 20 is divided into a first pumping pipeline 200, a second pumping pipeline 201 and a third pumping pipeline 202. The first pumping pipeline 200 is connected to the first cavity 100. The second pumping pipeline 201 is connected to the second cavity 101. The first pumping pipeline 200 and the second pumping pipeline 201 converge to extend the third pumping pipeline 202.

[0045] The plasma cleaning assembly 50 comprises a first remote plasma source 501, a first cleaning pipeline 503 and a second cleaning pipeline 504. The first remote plasma source 501 is arranged in a straight line with the first pumping pipeline 200 through the first cleaning pipeline 503. The first remote plasma source 501 is arranged in a straight line with the second pumping pipeline 201 through the second cleaning pipeline 504.

[0046] The cavity cover 102 can be opened by turning. The first cavity 100 is connected to the second remote plasma source 300 on the side facing the cavity cover 102. The second cavity 101 is connected to the third remote plasma source 301 on the side facing the cavity cover 102. The second remote plasma source 300 and the third remote plasma source 301 are used to clean the first cavity 100 and the second cavity 101.

[0047] In this embodiment, the first remote plasma source 501 is arranged on the side of the cavity cover 102 away from the cavity 10, and the second remote plasma source 300 and the third remote plasma source 301 are arranged on the same side as the first remote plasma source 501. By arranging the first remote plasma source 501, the second remote plasma source 300, and the third remote plasma source 301 on the same side, all of them are arranged above the cavity cover 102, which facilitates the installation and maintenance of the three at the same time. In other embodiments, a fourth remote plasma source can be additionally arranged, and the first cleaning pipeline 503 and the second cleaning pipeline 504 are respectively connected, thereby enhancing the cleaning efficiency of the plasma cleaning assembly 50.

[0048] The first remote plasma source 501 is arranged separately from the lower cleaning pipeline, and a remote plasma source with relatively large power can be used. The first remote plasma source 501 is flipped with the cavity cover 102, which facilitates the cleaning of the first remote plasma source 501 and the lower cleaning pipeline.

[0049] As a variant, Figure 4 The fourth remote plasma source 502 can be additionally arranged, and the first remote plasma source 501 and the fourth remote plasma source 502 are arranged on the side of the cavity cover 102 away from the cavity 10, and the second remote plasma source 300 and the third remote plasma source 301 are arranged on the same side as the first remote plasma source 501 and the fourth remote plasma source 502. The first remote plasma source 501 is arranged in a straight line with the first cleaning pipeline 503 and the first pumping pipeline 200, and the fourth remote plasma source 502 is arranged in a straight line with the second cleaning pipeline 504 and the second pumping pipeline 201. This not only enhances the cleaning efficiency of the plasma cleaning assembly 50, but also facilitates the maintenance of the first remote plasma source 501 and the fourth remote plasma source 502.

[0050] As shown in Figure 5 , Figure 5 The control method of the thin film deposition device in the embodiment of the present application. The control method comprises:

[0051] S401: introducing a cleaning gas into the remote plasma source 30;

[0052] It should be noted that in the present application, if the first remote plasma source 501, the second remote plasma source 300 and the third remote plasma source 301 exist simultaneously, the cleaning gas is first introduced into the second remote plasma source 300 and the third remote plasma source 301, and after cleaning is completed, the cleaning gas is introduced into the first remote plasma source 501. If the first remote plasma source 501, the second remote plasma source 300, the third remote plasma source 301 and the fourth remote plasma source 502 exist simultaneously, the cleaning gas is first introduced into the second remote plasma source 300 and the third remote plasma source 301, and after cleaning is completed, the cleaning gas is introduced into the first remote plasma source 501 and the fourth remote plasma source 502.

[0053] In the present application, the cleaning gas can be, but is not limited to, NF3, N2 and Ar. When the cleaning gas is NF3, the corresponding flow rate can be, for example, 800-1200 SCCM, or 900 SCCM, 1000 SCCM or 1100 SCCM.

[0054] When the cleaning gas is N2, the corresponding flow rate can be, for example, 100-300 SCCM, or 150 SCCM, 200 SCCM or 250 SCCM.

[0055] When the cleaning gas is Ar, the corresponding flow rate can be, for example, 5000-7000 SCCM, or 5500 SCCM, 6000 SCCM or 6500 SCCM.

[0056] S402 starts the remote plasma source 30 to excite the cleaning gas into plasma, and delivers the plasma to the position to be cleaned through the pumping line 20.

[0057] The plasma operating pressure during the cleaning of the cleaning gas in the pumping line 20 can be, for example, 3.5-4.5 Torr, or 3.75 Torr, 4.00 Torr or 4.25 Torr, and the cleaning time can be, for example, 180-220 s, or 190 s, 200 s or 210 s.

[0058] The above only describes some embodiments of the present application, and does not limit the protection scope of the present application, and any equivalent device or equivalent process transformation using the content of the present application specification and drawings, or direct or indirect application in other related technical fields, are also included in the patent protection scope of the present application.

Claims

1. A thin film deposition apparatus, characterized by, The utility model relates to a chamber, the chamber includes first chamber and second chamber; The utility model relates to a pumping line, the pumping line includes first pumping line and second pumping line, first pumping line connects first chamber, second pumping line connects second chamber; The utility model relates to a plasma cleaning assembly, the plasma cleaning assembly is connected first pumping line and second pumping line respectively, and the plasma cleaning assembly is used for cleaning first pumping line and second pumping line. The utility model relates to a first remote plasma source, first cleaning line and second cleaning line, first remote plasma source is adjacent pumping line arrangement, first cleaning line is arranged between first pumping line and first remote plasma source, and second cleaning line is arranged between second pumping line and first remote plasma source.

2. The thin film deposition apparatus of claim 1, wherein, First control valve is arranged on first cleaning line near first pumping line, and second control valve is arranged on second cleaning line near second pumping line.

3. The thin film deposition apparatus of claim 2, wherein, The included angle of first cleaning line and first pumping line, second cleaning line and second pumping line is 90-100 DEG.

4. The thin film deposition apparatus of claim 2, wherein The utility model relates to two first remote plasma sources, and first remote plasma source is connected first cleaning line and second cleaning line respectively.

5. The thin film deposition apparatus of claim 2, wherein The utility model relates to a third cleaning line, the air inlet of third cleaning line is connected first remote plasma source, and the air outlet of third cleaning line is gathered first cleaning line and second cleaning line.

6. The thin film deposition apparatus of claim 2, wherein The first cleaning line, second cleaning line and the bifurcation of third cleaning line are rounded and guided, and the bending part angle is 90-110 DEG.

7. The thin film deposition apparatus of claim 6, wherein The utility model relates to polytetrafluoroethylene coating or soluble polytetrafluoroethylene coating that is arranged in first cleaning line, second cleaning line and third cleaning line.

8. The thin film deposition apparatus of claim 6, wherein, The utility model relates to a plasma cleaning assembly, and first remote plasma source is adjacent pumping line arrangement.

9. The thin film deposition apparatus according to claim 5 or claim 6, wherein The utility model relates to a chamber cover, and first remote plasma source is arranged on chamber cover and is connected first cleaning line, second cleaning line or third cleaning line separately.

10. The thin film deposition apparatus of claim 6, wherein, ​

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