Gas uniformizing disc and spray header

Abstract

The utility model provides a gas uniformizing disc and a spray header. The gas uniformizing disc comprises a pore plate and a gas uniformizing disc, wherein a plurality of first gas holes and at least one mounting structure are arranged on the pore plate; each hole module is provided with a hollow second air hole and is detachably mounted on the mounting structure so as to be matched with the first air hole for ventilation, and the hole modules are used for optimizing a gas flow field, so that the debugging period of the optimized gas uniformizing disc is remarkably shortened, and the machining cost is reduced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of semiconductor manufacturing technology, and in particular to an air distribution plate and a spray head. Background Technology

[0002] In semiconductor thin film deposition processes, the gas distribution plate is a key component for controlling the uniformity of gas distribution. Its design directly affects core parameters such as film thickness profile (Tk profile), thickness non-uniformity (Tk NU%), and thickness range (Tk range). Traditional optimization methods improve gas flow field distribution and enhance film uniformity by adjusting the aperture design of the gas distribution plate (such as aperture diameter, aperture spacing, and channel geometry). However, once the aperture parameters of the gas distribution plate are fixed in existing technologies, its gas control capability is limited to a specific process window. Facing diverse deposition process requirements, customized optimized gas distribution plates are often needed, but such designs rely on empirical models and trial-and-error iterations, making rapid adaptation difficult.

[0003] In current thin-film deposition processes, each adjustment of process parameters requires the redesign and fabrication of a completely new, optimized gas distribution disk assembly, with a single processing cycle lasting weeks or even months. However, due to the strong nonlinear correlation between gas path characteristics and aperture parameters, a single design often fails to accurately match the target thin film uniformity index, necessitating multiple rounds of "design-fabrication-verification" iterative cycles, significantly extending the R&D cycle. Even more critically, if the target remains unmet after multiple adjustments, the high-cost customized components already invested in cannot be reused due to structural rigidity, resulting in an exponential waste of materials and manufacturing costs. These problems trap the optimization process of the optimized gas distribution disk in a vicious cycle of "long cycle - high cost - difficult reuse," adversely affecting the mass production of high-uniformity thin films.

[0004] In order to overcome the above-mentioned defects in the existing technology, there is an urgent need in the field for a gas distribution disk technology to optimize the gas flow field, so as to significantly shorten the commissioning cycle of the optimized gas distribution disk and reduce the processing cost. Utility Model Content

[0005] The following provides a brief overview of one or more aspects to offer a basic understanding of them. This overview is not an exhaustive summary of all conceived aspects, nor is it intended to identify key or decisive elements of all aspects, nor to define the scope of any or all aspects. Its sole purpose is to present some concepts of one or more aspects in a simplified form as a prelude to the more detailed descriptions that follow.

[0006] In order to overcome the above-mentioned defects in the existing technology, this utility model provides a gas distribution plate technology to optimize the gas flow field, so as to significantly shorten the debugging cycle of the optimized gas distribution plate and reduce the processing cost.

[0007] Specifically, the air distribution plate provided according to the first aspect of this utility model includes: a perforated plate having a plurality of first air holes and at least one mounting structure thereon; and a plurality of hole modules, each of the hole modules having a hollow second air hole and being detachably mounted to the mounting structure to cooperate with the first air holes for ventilation.

[0008] Furthermore, in some embodiments of this utility model, the mounting structure is a first mounting hole, and the perforated plate includes a plurality of first mounting holes. The plurality of mounting holes are arranged in at least one circle along the circumference of the perforated plate to support the plurality of hole modules.

[0009] Furthermore, in some embodiments of this utility model, the mounting structure is a mounting groove, and the air distribution plate further includes: at least one annular frame, each of the annular frames having a plurality of second mounting holes, and being detachably mounted on the corresponding mounting groove to support the plurality of hole modules.

[0010] Furthermore, in some embodiments of this utility model, the perforated plate is provided with multiple rings of mounting grooves, and the gas distribution plate includes multiple sets of annular frames with corresponding diameters, wherein each set of annular frames has the same diameter adapted to the corresponding mounting groove, and second mounting holes of different densities, so as to be selectively installed into the corresponding mounting groove according to the gas flow resistance of the corresponding mounting groove.

[0011] Furthermore, in some embodiments of this utility model, a first annular frame with a smaller density of second mounting holes is mounted on a first mounting groove with a smaller gas flow resistance on the orifice plate, and a second annular frame with a larger density of second mounting holes is mounted on a second mounting groove with a larger flow resistance on the orifice plate.

[0012] Furthermore, in some embodiments of this utility model, each of the ring frames is provided with multiple rings of the second mounting holes.

[0013] Furthermore, in some embodiments of this utility model, the hole modules of multiple second mounting holes in the same ring have the same internal cavity structure and hole shape.

[0014] Furthermore, in some embodiments of this utility model, the plurality of hole modules have multiple different internal cavity sizes and / or hole shapes, and are installed into corresponding first mounting holes or second mounting holes according to the gas flow resistance distribution at multiple positions on the orifice plate. Specifically, the first hole module with a larger hole depth and / or a smaller hole diameter is installed at a first position on the orifice plate with lower gas flow resistance, and / or the second hole module with a smaller hole depth and / or a larger hole diameter is installed at a second position on the gas distribution plate with higher flow resistance.

[0015] Furthermore, in some embodiments of this utility model, the internal cavity structure includes a cylindrical structure or a regular polygonal prism structure, and / or the hole type of the second air hole includes at least one of a straight hole, a stepped hole, and a flared hole, wherein the diameter of the air inlet end of the stepped hole and the flared hole is smaller than the diameter of the air outlet end.

[0016] Furthermore, in some embodiments of this utility model, the diameter of the perforated plate is greater than 300mm, the outer contour of the perforated module is a cylinder with a diameter less than or equal to 15mm, and the second air hole is a stepped hole with an internal cavity of a cylinder. The stepped hole includes an air outlet step and an air inlet step. The inner diameter of the air outlet step is less than or equal to 10mm, the height of the air inlet step is less than or equal to 25mm, and the air outlet step and the air inlet step are connected by an inclined plane with a vertical height of 0.05mm.

[0017] Furthermore, in some embodiments of this utility model, the gas distribution plate further includes an outer fixing ring, which is fixedly connected to the perforated plate and used to fix the perforated plate at a preset position in the process chamber.

[0018] Furthermore, the spray head provided according to the second aspect of the present invention includes: an air equalization disc as described in any one of the first aspects of the present invention; and a back plate, which is sealed to the air equalization disc and maintains a mixing chamber that uniformly supplies air to the air equalization disc. Attached Figure Description

[0019] The above-described features and advantages of this invention can be better understood after reading the following detailed description of the embodiments of this disclosure in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. In the drawings, the components are not necessarily drawn to scale, and components having similar related characteristics or features may have the same or similar reference numerals.

[0020] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the structure of a gas equalization disc provided according to some embodiments of the present invention is shown.

[0021] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the structure of a plurality of hole modules provided according to some embodiments of the present invention is shown.

[0022] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the structure of a ring frame provided according to some embodiments of the present invention is shown.

[0023] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of several ring frames provided according to some embodiments of the present invention is shown.

[0024] Figures 5A-5B A schematic diagram of the structure of a lifting hole provided according to some embodiments of the present invention is shown.

[0025] Figure 6 A schematic diagram of the structure of a stepped hole provided according to some embodiments of the present invention is shown.

[0026] Figure 7 A schematic diagram of the structure of a sealing groove provided according to some embodiments of the present invention is shown.

[0027] Figure label:

[0028] 10-hole plate

[0029] 11 mounting slots

[0030] 12 lifting holes

[0031] 13. Rubber ring groove

[0032] 14 Radio Frequency Conductive Coil Slot

[0033] 20-hole module

[0034] 30 Ring Frame

[0035] 40 External fixing ring Detailed Implementation

[0036] The following specific embodiments illustrate the implementation of this utility model. Those skilled in the art can easily understand other advantages and effects of this utility model from the content disclosed in this specification. Although the description of this utility model will be presented in conjunction with preferred embodiments, this does not mean that the features of this utility model are limited to this embodiment. On the contrary, the purpose of describing the utility model in conjunction with the embodiments is to cover other options or modifications that may be derived based on the claims of this utility model. To provide a deep understanding of this utility model, many specific details will be included in the following description. This utility model may also be implemented without using these details. Furthermore, to avoid confusion or obscuring the focus of this utility model, some specific details will be omitted in the description.

[0037] In the description of this utility model, it should be noted that, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," and "joining" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; and they can refer to the internal connection of two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this utility model based on the specific circumstances.

[0038] Furthermore, the terms "upper," "lower," "left," "right," "top," "bottom," "horizontal," and "vertical" used in the following description should be understood as the orientations shown in the relevant paragraphs and accompanying drawings. These relative terms are for illustrative purposes only and do not imply that the described device must be manufactured or operated in a specific orientation; therefore, they should not be construed as limiting the scope of this invention.

[0039] It is understood that although terms such as "first," "second," and "third" may be used herein to describe various components, regions, layers, and / or parts, these components, regions, layers, and / or parts should not be limited by these terms, and these terms are only used to distinguish different components, regions, layers, and / or parts. Therefore, the first component, region, layer, and / or part discussed below may be referred to as the second component, region, layer, and / or part without departing from some embodiments of this utility model.

[0040] As mentioned above, in semiconductor thin film deposition processes, the gas distribution plate is a key component for controlling the uniformity of gas distribution, and its design directly affects core parameters such as film thickness profile (Tk profile), thickness non-uniformity (Tk NU%), and thickness range (Tk range). Traditional optimization methods improve gas flow field distribution and enhance film uniformity by adjusting the aperture design of the gas distribution plate (such as aperture diameter, aperture spacing, and channel geometry). However, once the aperture parameters of the gas distribution plate are fixed in existing technologies, its gas control capability is limited to a specific process window. Facing diverse deposition process requirements, customized optimized gas distribution plates are often needed, but such designs rely on empirical models and trial-and-error iterations, making rapid adaptation difficult.

[0041] In current thin-film deposition processes, each adjustment of process parameters requires the redesign and fabrication of a completely new, optimized gas distribution disk assembly, with a single processing cycle lasting weeks or even months. However, due to the strong nonlinear correlation between gas path characteristics and aperture parameters, a single design often fails to accurately match the target thin film uniformity index, necessitating multiple rounds of "design-fabrication-verification" iterative cycles, significantly extending the R&D cycle. Even more critically, if the target remains unmet after multiple adjustments, the high-cost customized components already invested in cannot be reused due to structural rigidity, resulting in an exponential waste of materials and manufacturing costs. These problems trap the optimization process of the optimized gas distribution disk in a vicious cycle of "long cycle - high cost - difficult reuse," adversely affecting the mass production of high-uniformity thin films.

[0042] In order to overcome the above-mentioned defects in the existing technology, the present invention provides a gas distribution plate and a spray plate for optimizing the gas flow field, so as to significantly shorten the debugging cycle of the optimized gas distribution plate and reduce the processing cost.

[0043] In some non-limiting embodiments, the air distribution disc provided in the first aspect of the present invention can be configured on the spray plate provided in the second aspect of the present invention. Specifically, the spray head includes: an air distribution disc as described in any of the first aspects of the present invention; and a back plate, which is sealed to the air distribution disc and maintains a mixing chamber that uniformly supplies air to the air distribution disc.

[0044] Please refer to the details. Figures 1-2 , Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the structure of a gas equalization disc provided according to some embodiments of the present invention is shown. Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the structure of a plurality of hole modules provided according to some embodiments of the present invention is shown.

[0045] like Figure 1 As shown, the air distribution plate includes an orifice plate 10 and multiple orifice modules 20. The orifice plate 10 is provided with multiple first air holes and at least one mounting structure. Each of the multiple orifice modules 20 has a hollow second air hole and is detachably mounted to the mounting structure to cooperate with the first air holes for ventilation.

[0046] like Figure 2 As shown, the mounting structure can be a first mounting hole. The perforated plate 10 includes a plurality of first mounting holes, which are arranged in at least one circle around the circumference of the perforated plate 10 to support a plurality of hole modules 20.

[0047] Please refer to Figures 3-4 , Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the structure of a ring frame provided according to some embodiments of the present invention is shown. Figure 4 A schematic diagram of several ring frames provided according to some embodiments of the present invention is shown.

[0048] like Figure 3 As shown, the mounting structure can be a mounting groove 11. The air distribution plate also includes at least one annular frame 30, each annular frame 30 having multiple second mounting holes and being detachably mounted on the corresponding mounting groove 11 to support multiple hole modules 20. For example, the air distribution plate has a diameter greater than 300mm and has 0 to 70 annular frames 30.

[0049] like Figure 4 As shown, the orifice plate 10 may also be provided with multiple mounting grooves 11 to simultaneously accommodate multiple annular frames 30. The arrangement of the mounting holes and mounting grooves 11 can be configured according to the actual heat distribution.

[0050] Please refer to Figures 5A-5B , Figures 5A-5B A schematic diagram of the structure of a lifting hole provided according to some embodiments of the present invention is shown.

[0051] like Figures 5A-5BAs shown, the annular frame 30 may have lifting holes 12 to facilitate the removal of the annular frame 30 from the orifice plate 10. During installation, the annular frame 30 can be moved to the position above the corresponding position of the gas equalization plate, and the lower part of the annular frame 30 is fixed to the orifice plate 10 by positioning pins.

[0052] Thus, by decomposing the gas distribution plate into independent and controllable depth adjustment modules, dynamic combination and rapid reconstruction of the hole depth parameters can be achieved. This solution allows for flexible adjustment of the hole depth distribution on the same hardware basis. By simply performing a high-temperature cooling operation during the process (which typically takes one day), the hole module 20 can be quickly adjusted, thereby optimizing the gas flow field and thin film deposition uniformity. This significantly shortens the processing cycle for replacing the plate (which typically takes four weeks), thereby improving the efficiency of gas distribution plate debugging and reducing processing costs.

[0053] In some embodiments, the orifice plate 10 is provided with multiple mounting grooves 11, and the gas distribution plate includes multiple sets of annular frames 30 with corresponding diameters. Each set of annular frames 30 has the same diameter adapted to the corresponding mounting groove 11, and second mounting holes of different densities, so that they can be selectively installed into the corresponding mounting groove 11 according to the gas flow resistance of the corresponding mounting groove 11.

[0054] Furthermore, the first annular frame 30 with a smaller density of second mounting holes is mounted on the orifice plate 10 in the first mounting groove 11 with a smaller gas flow resistance, and the second annular frame 30 with a larger density of second mounting holes is mounted on the orifice plate 10 in the second mounting groove 11 with a larger flow resistance.

[0055] In some embodiments, each ring frame 30 may be provided with multiple rings of second mounting holes.

[0056] In some embodiments, the hole modules 20 with multiple second mounting holes in the same ring have the same internal cavity structure and hole shape. Here, the annular frame 30 and the hole modules 20 can be fixed by step surface fitting, or the hole modules 20 and the annular frame 30 can be integrally processed.

[0057] In this way, the ring frame 30 can simultaneously pick up and put in multiple corresponding hole modules 20, which is simpler to install than a single hole module 20. At the same time, only the required rotations can be adjusted without operating on other rotations, improving the debugging efficiency of the air distribution plate.

[0058] Furthermore, the multiple orifice modules 20 have multiple different internal cavity sizes and / or orifice shapes, and are installed into corresponding first or second mounting holes according to the gas flow resistance distribution at multiple locations on the orifice plate 10. The first orifice module 20 with a larger hole depth and / or smaller hole diameter is installed at a first position on the orifice plate 10 where the gas flow resistance is lower. The second orifice module 20 with a smaller hole depth and / or larger hole diameter is installed at a second position on the gas distribution plate where the flow resistance is higher.

[0059] In some embodiments, the internal cavity structure includes a cylindrical structure or a regular polygonal prism structure. The second vent type includes at least one of a straight hole, a stepped hole, and a flared hole, wherein the inlet diameter of the stepped hole and the flared hole is smaller than the outlet diameter. The flared hole includes a first-level step, a second-level step, and a flared step.

[0060] In some embodiments, the diameter of the perforated plate 10 is greater than 300 mm, the outer contour of the perforated module 20 is a cylinder with a diameter less than or equal to 15 mm, and the second vent is a stepped hole with an internal cavity of a cylinder.

[0061] Please refer to Figure 6 , Figure 6 A schematic diagram of the structure of a stepped hole provided according to some embodiments of the present invention is shown.

[0062] like Figure 6 As shown, the stepped hole includes an outlet step and an inlet step. The inner diameter of the outlet step is less than or equal to 10 mm, and the height of the inlet step is less than or equal to 25 mm. The outlet step and the inlet step are connected by an inclined plane with a vertical height of 0.05 mm.

[0063] In some embodiments, the H dimension value can be marked on the outer surface of the hole module 20 to facilitate classification, management and storage.

[0064] In addition, the gas distribution plate also includes an outer fixing ring 40. It is fixedly connected to the orifice plate 10 and is used to fix the orifice plate 10 in a preset position in the process chamber.

[0065] Please refer to Figure 7 , Figure 7 A schematic diagram of the structure of a sealing groove provided according to some embodiments of the present invention is shown.

[0066] like Figure 7 As shown, the non-planar lower surface structure of the conventional via 10 introduces RF field distortion, requiring additional adjustments to process parameters to compensate for uniformity loss, further increasing debugging complexity and overall cost. Therefore, the lower surface of the via 10 can also be designed as a planar surface, effectively eliminating RF field distortion and ensuring the uniformity of the RF electric field.

[0067] In some embodiments, the perforated plate 10 is further provided with a rubber ring groove 13 for installing a rubber ring to seal the perforated plate 10 and the outer fixing ring 40.

[0068] In some embodiments, the perforated plate 10 also has an RF conductive coil groove 14 structure to ensure good RF connection between the perforated plate 10 and the outer fixing ring 40.

[0069] In some embodiments, the outer fixing ring 40 also retains structures such as the gas distribution plate thermocouple, thermocouple / power filter, etc., and is positioned with the orifice plate 10 by a positioning pin / thread.

[0070] In summary, the gas distribution plate and spray plate provided by this utility model can be used to optimize the gas flow field, thereby significantly shortening the debugging cycle of the optimized gas distribution plate and reducing processing costs.

[0071] Although the methods described above are illustrated and depicted as a series of actions for the sake of simplicity, it should be understood and appreciated that these methods are not limited by the order of the actions, as some actions may occur in a different order and / or concurrently with other actions from the illustrations and descriptions herein or not illustrated and described herein but which may be understood by those skilled in the art, according to one or more embodiments.

[0072] The prior description of this disclosure is provided to enable any person skilled in the art to make or use this disclosure. Various modifications to this disclosure will be apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein may be applied to other variations without departing from the spirit or scope of this disclosure. Therefore, this disclosure is not intended to be limited to the examples and designs described herein, but should be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and novel features disclosed herein.

Claims

1. A gas distribution plate, characterized by, The gas distribution plate comprises: a plurality of first gas holes and at least one mounting structure; and a plurality of hole modules, each of which has a hollow second gas hole and is detachably mounted on the mounting structure to cooperate with the first gas hole for air ventilation.

2. The gas distribution plate of claim 1, wherein The mounting structure is a first mounting hole, and the gas distribution plate comprises a plurality of first mounting holes, which are arranged in at least one circle along the circumference of the gas distribution plate to carry the plurality of hole modules.

3. The gas distribution plate of claim 1, wherein The mounting structure is a mounting groove, and the gas distribution plate further comprises: at least one annular frame, each of which is provided with a plurality of second mounting holes and is detachably mounted on the corresponding mounting groove to carry the plurality of hole modules.

4. The gas distribution plate of claim 3, wherein The gas distribution plate is provided with a plurality of mounting grooves, and the gas distribution plate comprises a plurality of groups of annular frames with corresponding diameters, wherein each group of annular frames has the same diameter adapted to the corresponding mounting groove and different densities of second mounting holes, so as to be selectively mounted on the corresponding mounting groove according to the gas flow resistance of the corresponding mounting groove.

5. The gas distribution plate of claim 4, wherein, The first annular frame with smaller density of second mounting holes is mounted on the first mounting groove with smaller gas flow resistance on the gas distribution plate, and the second annular frame with larger density of second mounting holes is mounted on the second mounting groove with larger flow resistance on the gas distribution plate.

6. The gas distribution plate of claim 3, wherein Each of the annular frames is respectively provided with a plurality of second mounting holes.

7. The gas distribution plate of claim 6, wherein, The hole modules of a plurality of second mounting holes provided in the same circle have the same internal cavity structure and hole type.

8. The gas distribution plate of claim 2 or 3, wherein The plurality of hole modules have a plurality of different internal cavity sizes and / or hole types, and are mounted on the corresponding first mounting hole or second mounting hole according to the gas flow resistance distribution of a plurality of positions on the gas distribution plate, wherein the first hole module with larger hole depth and / or smaller hole diameter is mounted on the first position with smaller gas flow resistance on the gas distribution plate, and / or the second hole module with smaller hole depth and / or larger hole diameter is mounted on the second position with larger flow resistance on the gas distribution plate.

9. The gas distribution plate of claim 7, wherein, The internal cavity structure comprises a cylindrical structure or a regular polygonal prism structure, and / or the hole type of the second gas hole comprises at least one of a straight hole, a stepped hole and a horn hole, wherein the diameter of the gas inlet end of the stepped hole and the horn hole is smaller than the diameter of the gas outlet end.

10. The gas distribution plate of claim 9, wherein, The diameter of the gas distribution plate is greater than 300 mm, the external contour of the hole module is a cylinder with a diameter of less than or equal to 15 mm, and the second gas hole is the stepped hole with a cylindrical internal cavity, wherein the stepped hole comprises a gas outlet end step and a gas inlet end step, the inner diameter of the gas outlet end step is less than or equal to 10 mm, the height of the gas inlet end step is less than or equal to 25 mm, the gas outlet end step and the gas inlet end step are connected through a slope, and the vertical height of the slope is 0.05 mm.

11. The gas distribution plate of claim 1, wherein Further comprising: an outer fixing ring fixedly connected with the gas distribution plate, used for fixing the gas distribution plate at a predetermined position of a process chamber.

12. A showerhead, characterized by, The gas distribution plate comprises: the gas distribution plate according to any one of claims 1-11; and a back plate sealingly connected with the gas distribution plate to maintain a uniform gas supply to the gas distribution plate in a gas mixing chamber.

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