Double-helix independent flow channel atomic layer deposition gas uniformizing disc structure

The problem of gas cross-reaction in atomic layer deposition equipment is solved by the double-helix independent flow channel structure, which achieves a more efficient deposition process and lower operating costs, and improves deposition consistency and equipment maintenance efficiency.

CN224091995UActive Publication Date: 2026-04-07XIAMEN XINYIFANG TECHNOLOGY CO LTD
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Patent Information

Authority / Receiving Office
CN · China
Patent Type
Utility models(China)
Current Assignee / Owner
Filing Date
2025-04-28
Publication Date
2026-04-07

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

In existing atomic layer deposition equipment, precursor gases are prone to non-self-limiting gas-phase reactions during transport, leading to byproduct deposition, particulate contamination, increased equipment maintenance costs, and excessive purging time and gas consumption.

Method used

The double-helix independent flow channel structure ensures that the precursor gas passes through independent and non-communicating helical flow channels within the gas disk body, avoiding gas encounters and side reactions, while achieving uniform distribution and short-time purging.

Benefits of technology

It completely eliminates the risk of cross-contamination, shortens purging time and reduces inert gas flow, lowers operating costs and carbon emissions, and improves deposition consistency and production capacity.

✦ Generated by Eureka AI based on patent content.

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Abstract

The utility model relates to a double helix independent flow channel atomic layer deposition gas uniformizing disc structure, which comprises a gas disc body, a first gas inlet pipe and a second gas inlet pipe, a first helix flow channel and a second helix flow channel are formed in the gas disc body, and the first helix flow channel and the second helix flow channel are separated from each other. A plurality of first air outlet holes arranged at intervals are formed in the bottom of the first spiral flow channel, a plurality of second air outlet holes arranged at intervals are formed in the bottom of the second spiral flow channel, and the first spiral flow channel and the second spiral flow channel which are independent and not communicated are arranged, so that a precursor A and a precursor B always pass through respective independent channels in the gas disc body. The two gases are thoroughly prevented from meeting and generating side reaction in a distribution path, the risk of powder blockage is eliminated from the source, and even high-activity systems such as TMA / H2O, SiCl4 / NH3 and the like are also safe and reliable.
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Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The utility model belongs to atomic deposition accessory technical field, concretely relates to a double helix independent flow passage atomic layer deposition gas distribution plate structure. BACKGROUND

[0002] Atomic layer deposition (ALD) realizes sub-nanometer thickness control and complete coverage of high aspect ratio structure through the circulation of "precursor-sweeping-co-reactant-sweeping". In order to ensure that each half-reaction only occurs on the substrate surface, precursor A and precursor B must be physically isolated in the entire delivery path, otherwise it is easy to produce side reactions in the gas phase, forming particles or solid deposits.

[0003] The existing showerhead type ALD equipment mostly adopts the following gas injection mode: single distribution manifold type showerhead (single channel): the typical method is to make A and B precursors pass through the same set of serpentine or multi-hole manifold in turn, and rely on nitrogen (or argon) sweeping to discharge residual gas.

[0004] Defects: when the sweeping time or gas flow is insufficient, the residual gas in the distribution manifold and the spray hole may meet the next pulse of the precursor, non-self-limiting gas-phase reaction occurs, generating Al2O3, TiO2, NH4Cl and other solid by-products, blocking the micropores and causing particle pollution. In order to avoid the above problems, only the sweeping time and inert gas flow rate can be increased, which directly leads to the increase of single cycle deposition time (typical increase of 20-40%), the decrease of production capacity and the increase of gas consumption. There is a dead volume in the manifold; even if the sweeping is sufficient, it is also difficult to quickly discharge low vapor pressure or high viscosity precursors (such as silane, silicon chloride), which are more likely to condense and deposit under high temperature conditions, and the channel / spray hole needs to be stopped and cleaned or replaced after being contaminated, increasing the maintenance cost and equipment downtime. In view of this, the present scheme is generated. UTILITY MODEL CONTENTS

[0005] In view of the deficiencies of the prior art, the technical problem to be solved by the utility model is to provide a double helix independent flow passage atomic layer deposition gas distribution plate structure, which can realize complete physical isolation inside the gas distribution plate body, and at the same time maintain the same path and uniform distribution of double gas flow, to reduce the risk of cross contamination, shorten the sweeping time and improve the consistency of large area deposition.

[0006] To solve the above technical problems, the utility model adopts the technical scheme: double helix independent flow channel atomic layer deposition gas distribution plate structure, including gas distribution plate body, first gas inlet pipe and second gas inlet pipe, the first spiral flow channel and the second spiral flow channel are formed in the gas distribution plate body, the first spiral flow channel and the second spiral flow channel are blocked, a plurality of first gas outlet holes that are spaced apart are formed in the bottom of the first spiral flow channel, a plurality of second gas outlet holes that are spaced apart are formed in the bottom of the second spiral flow channel, the first gas inlet pipe and the second gas inlet pipe are connected with the first gas inlet hole and the second gas inlet hole respectively.

[0007] Further, the gas distribution plate body includes a front gas outlet frame and a rear cover plate, the front gas outlet frame has a gas cavity groove, and the rear cover plate is used for closing the gas cavity groove opening and is detachably and sealingly connected with the front gas outlet frame.

[0008] Further, the rear cover plate is formed with a first turbine-shaped protrusion and a second turbine-shaped protrusion, the head of the first turbine-shaped protrusion is connected with the head of the second turbine-shaped protrusion, the tail of the first turbine-shaped protrusion is connected with the tail of the second turbine-shaped protrusion, and the first turbine-shaped protrusion and the second turbine-shaped protrusion surround the first spiral flow channel and the second spiral flow channel.

[0009] Further, the gas cavity groove bottom is formed with a strip-shaped groove matched with the first turbine-shaped protrusion and the second turbine-shaped protrusion, the first turbine-shaped protrusion and the second turbine-shaped protrusion extend into the strip-shaped groove, and the strip-shaped groove bottom is provided with a sealing strip.

[0010] Further, the gas cavity groove bottom is formed with a first turbine-shaped protrusion and a second turbine-shaped protrusion, the head of the first turbine-shaped protrusion is connected with the head of the second turbine-shaped protrusion, the tail of the first turbine-shaped protrusion is connected with the tail of the second turbine-shaped protrusion, and the first turbine-shaped protrusion and the second turbine-shaped protrusion surround the first spiral flow channel and the second spiral flow channel.

[0011] Further, the rear cover plate end face is formed with a strip-shaped groove matched with the first turbine-shaped protrusion and the second turbine-shaped protrusion, the first turbine-shaped protrusion and the second turbine-shaped protrusion extend into the strip-shaped groove, and the strip-shaped groove bottom is provided with a sealing strip.

[0012] Further, the gas cavity groove bottom surface is formed with a plurality of annularly spaced connecting convex tubes close to the edge, the rear cover plate is formed with a plurality of connecting holes corresponding to the connecting convex tubes, and the rear cover plate is fixed by penetrating the connecting convex tubes through the connecting holes and the connecting pieces.

[0013] Further, the front gas outlet frame end face is provided with a Clean-in-Place interface.

[0014] Further, the first gas outlet hole centers are connected to form a turbine line length, and the second gas outlet hole centers are connected to form a turbine line length.

[0015] Further, the rear cover plate is formed with a positioning convex ring, and the openings of the first and second air inlet holes are located in the positioning convex ring.

[0016] Compared with the prior art, the utility model has the following beneficial effects:

[0017] 1. The utility model discloses two independent and non-communicating first spiral flow channels and second spiral flow channels are arranged, so that the precursor A and the precursor B always pass through the independent channels in the gas disc body, completely avoid the secondary reaction of the two gases in the distribution path, eliminate the powder blocking risk from the source, and the high-activity system such as TMA / H2O, SiCl4 / NH3 is also safe and reliable.

[0018] 2. The path length of the first spiral flow channel and the second spiral flow channel from the inlet to each gas outlet hole is almost consistent, the pressure drop is balanced, the jet hole flow deviation is controlled within ± 2%, and the deposition thickness non-uniformity can be pressed to ± 1.5% for the wafer above 8 inches.

[0019] 3. Since the first spiral flow channel and the second spiral flow channel are isolated, the cross-contamination risk is greatly reduced, the single-cycle purging time can be shortened by 20-40%, the inert purge gas (N2 / Ar) flow can be reduced by 15-25%, the vacuum pumping and heating load are reduced, and the operation cost and carbon emission are reduced. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0020] Figure 1 It is the gas circuit principle drawing of the double-spiral independent flow channel atomic layer deposition uniform gas disc structure in the utility model;

[0021] Figure 2 It is the split structure schematic diagram of embodiment 1 of the utility model;

[0022] Figure 3 It is the split structure schematic diagram of another direction of embodiment 1 of the utility model;

[0023] Figure 4 It is the overhead structure schematic diagram of the rear cover plate in embodiment 1 of the utility model;

[0024] Figure 5 It is the overhead structure schematic diagram of the front gas outlet frame body in embodiment 1 of the utility model;

[0025] Figure 6 It is the split structure schematic diagram of embodiment 2 of the utility model;

[0026] Figure 7 It is the split structure schematic diagram of another direction of embodiment 2 of the utility model;

[0027] Figure 8 This is a top view of the rear cover plate in Embodiment 2 of this utility model;

[0028] Figure 9 This is a top view of the front air outlet frame in Embodiment 2 of this utility model.

[0029] The markings in the diagram are as follows: 1. Air disc body; 11. Front air outlet frame; 111. Air chamber groove; 112. Connecting protrusion; 12. Rear cover plate; 121. Connecting hole; 122. Positioning protrusion; 2. First air inlet pipe; 3. Second air inlet pipe; 4. First turbine-shaped protrusion; 5. Second turbine-shaped protrusion; 6. First spiral flow channel; 61. First air outlet; 7. Second spiral flow channel; 71. Second air outlet; 8. Strip groove. Detailed Implementation

[0030] To make the above-mentioned features and advantages of this utility model more apparent and understandable, specific embodiments are described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings for detailed explanation.

[0031] Example 1

[0032] like Figures 1-5 As shown, this embodiment provides a dual-helix independent flow channel atomic layer deposition uniform gas disk structure, including a gas disk body 1, a first air inlet pipe 2, and a second air inlet pipe 3.

[0033] The air disc body 1 has a first spiral flow channel 6 and a second spiral flow channel 7 formed inside, which are separated from each other. The air disc body 1 includes a front air outlet frame 11 and a rear cover plate 12. The front air outlet frame 11 has an air chamber groove 111. The rear cover plate 12 is used to close the opening of the air chamber groove 111 and is detachably and sealingly connected to the front air outlet frame 11. Specifically, six annularly spaced connecting protrusions 112 are formed near the edge of the bottom surface of the air chamber groove 111. Six connecting holes 121 corresponding to the connecting protrusions 112 are formed on the rear cover plate 12. The rear cover plate 12 is fixed by a connector that passes through the connecting holes 121 and extends into the connecting protrusions 112. The connector is a screw. The connecting protrusions 112 have internal threads and a sealing element, such as a gasket or sealant, is provided at the connection.

[0034] The rear cover plate 12 is provided with a first turbine-shaped protrusion 4 and a second turbine-shaped protrusion 5, the head of the first turbine-shaped protrusion 4 is connected with the head of the second turbine-shaped protrusion 5, the tail of the first turbine-shaped protrusion 4 is connected with the tail of the second turbine-shaped protrusion 5, the first turbine-shaped protrusion 4 and the second turbine-shaped protrusion 5 form a first spiral flow channel 6 and a second spiral flow channel 7, the bottom of the air cavity groove 111 is provided with a strip-shaped groove 8 matched with the first turbine-shaped protrusion 4 and the second turbine-shaped protrusion 5, the first turbine-shaped protrusion 4 and the second turbine-shaped protrusion 5 extend into the strip-shaped groove 8, and the bottom of the strip-shaped groove 8 is provided with a sealing strip.

[0035] Preferably, the rear cover plate 12, the first turbine-shaped protrusion 4 and the second turbine-shaped protrusion 5 are integrally formed, and are processed by five-axis CNC machining without welding dead angle.

[0036] The bottom of the first spiral flow channel 6 is provided with a plurality of first air outlets 61 arranged at intervals, the bottom of the second spiral flow channel 7 is provided with a plurality of second air outlets 71 arranged at intervals, the length of turbine line formed by the centers of the plurality of first air outlets 61 is the same as the length of turbine line formed by the centers of the plurality of second air outlets 71, the path length from the inlet to each air outlet of the first spiral flow channel 6 and the second spiral flow channel 7 is almost consistent, the pressure drop is balanced, the nozzle flow deviation is controlled within ±2%, and the deposition thickness non-uniformity of a wafer with a diameter of 8 inches or more can be reduced to ±1.5%.

[0037] The first spiral flow channel 6 is provided with a first air inlet, the second spiral flow channel 7 is provided with a second air inlet, the rear cover plate 12 is provided with a positioning convex ring 122, the openings of the first air inlet and the second air inlet are located in the positioning convex ring 122, and the first air inlet pipe 2 and the second air inlet pipe 3 are respectively connected with the first air inlet and the second air inlet.

[0038] The end surface of the front air outlet frame 11 is provided with a Clean-in-Place interface (not shown in the figure), so that in-situ pulse solvent or high-pressure steam cleaning can be performed, and the maintenance time is shortened by more than half.

[0039] Example 2

[0040] As Figure 1 , Figures 6-9As shown, the difference between this embodiment and Embodiment 1 is that a first turbine-shaped protrusion 4 and a second turbine-shaped protrusion 5 are formed at the bottom of the air cavity groove 111. The head of the first turbine-shaped protrusion 4 is connected to the head of the second turbine-shaped protrusion, and the tail of the first turbine-shaped protrusion 4 is connected to the tail of the second turbine-shaped protrusion. The first turbine-shaped protrusion 4 and the second turbine-shaped protrusion 5 surround and form a first spiral flow channel 6 and a second spiral flow channel 7. A strip-shaped groove 8 adapted to the first turbine-shaped protrusion 4 and the second turbine-shaped protrusion 5 is formed on the end face of the rear cover plate 12. The first turbine-shaped protrusion 4 and the second turbine-shaped protrusion 5 extend into the strip-shaped groove 8, and a sealing strip is provided at the bottom of the strip-shaped groove 8.

[0041] Preferably, the front exhaust frame 11, the first turbine-shaped protrusion 4, and the second turbine-shaped protrusion 5 can be integrally formed and machined by five-axis CNC, without weld seams or dead corners.

[0042] In another implementation, the gas cylinder body 1 in this solution can also be configured as a three-section structure, which will not be elaborated here.

[0043] This solution establishes two independent and non-communicating first spiral flow channels 6 and second spiral flow channels 7, ensuring that precursor A and precursor B always follow their own independent channels within the gas disk body 1. This completely avoids the two gases meeting and undergoing side reactions in the distribution path, eliminating the risk of powder blockage at the source. It is safe and reliable even for highly reactive systems such as TMA / H2O and SiCl4 / NH3. Furthermore, because the first spiral flow channels 6 and second spiral flow channels 7 are isolated from each other, the risk of cross-contamination is significantly reduced. The single-cycle purging time can be shortened by 20–40%, and the inert purging gas (N2 / Ar) flow rate can be reduced by 15–25%. At the same time, the vacuuming and heating loads are reduced, operating costs and carbon emissions are decreased. Through increased production capacity, reduced maintenance downtime, and gas conservation, semiconductor production costs are reduced.

[0044] The foregoing has shown and described the basic principles and main features of this invention, as well as its advantages. Those skilled in the art should understand that this invention is not limited to the above embodiments. The embodiments and descriptions in the specification are merely illustrative of the principles of this invention. Various changes and modifications can be made to this invention without departing from its spirit and scope. All such changes and modifications fall within the scope of this invention as defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A double-helix independent flow channel atomic layer deposition uniform gas disk structure, characterized in that: The device includes an air plate body, a first air inlet pipe, and a second air inlet pipe. The air plate body has a first spiral flow channel and a second spiral flow channel, which are separated from each other. The bottom of the first spiral flow channel has a plurality of spaced first air outlets, and the bottom of the second spiral flow channel has a plurality of spaced second air outlets. A first air inlet is formed in the first spiral flow channel, and a second air inlet is formed in the second spiral flow channel. The first air inlet pipe and the second air inlet pipe are respectively connected to the first air inlet and the second air inlet.

2. The double-helix independent flow channel atomic layer deposition uniform gas disk structure according to claim 1, characterized in that: The air plate body includes a front air outlet frame and a rear cover plate. The front air outlet frame has an air cavity groove, and the rear cover plate is used to close the opening of the air cavity groove and is detachably and sealed to the front air outlet frame.

3. The double-helix independent flow channel atomic layer deposition uniform gas disk structure according to claim 2, characterized in that: The rear cover plate has a first turbine-shaped protrusion and a second turbine-shaped protrusion. The head of the first turbine-shaped protrusion and the head of the second turbine-shaped protrusion are connected, and the tail of the first turbine-shaped protrusion and the tail of the second turbine-shaped protrusion are connected. The first turbine-shaped protrusion and the second turbine-shaped protrusion surround each other to form a first spiral flow channel and a second spiral flow channel.

4. The double-helix independent flow channel atomic layer deposition uniform gas disk structure according to claim 3, characterized in that: The bottom of the air cavity groove is formed with a strip-shaped groove that matches the first turbine-shaped protrusion and the second turbine-shaped protrusion. The first turbine-shaped protrusion and the second turbine-shaped protrusion extend into the strip-shaped groove, and a sealing strip is provided at the bottom of the strip-shaped groove.

5. The double-helix independent flow channel atomic layer deposition uniform gas disk structure according to claim 2, characterized in that: The bottom of the air cavity groove is formed with a first turbine-shaped protrusion and a second turbine-shaped protrusion. The head of the first turbine-shaped protrusion and the head of the second turbine-shaped protrusion are connected, and the tail of the first turbine-shaped protrusion and the tail of the second turbine-shaped protrusion are connected. The first turbine-shaped protrusion and the second turbine-shaped protrusion surround each other to form a first spiral flow channel and a second spiral flow channel.

6. The double-helix independent flow channel atomic layer deposition uniform gas disk structure according to claim 5, characterized in that: The end face of the rear cover plate is formed with a strip groove that matches the first turbine-shaped protrusion and the second turbine-shaped protrusion. The first turbine-shaped protrusion and the second turbine-shaped protrusion extend into the strip groove, and a sealing strip is provided at the bottom of the strip groove.

7. The double-helix independent flow channel atomic layer deposition uniform gas disk structure according to claim 2 or 5, characterized in that: The bottom surface of the air chamber groove has a plurality of annularly spaced connecting protrusions near the edge. The rear cover plate has a plurality of connecting holes corresponding to the connecting protrusions. The rear cover plate is fixed by a connector that passes through the connecting holes and extends into the connecting protrusions.

8. The double-helix independent flow channel atomic layer deposition uniform gas disk structure according to claim 2 or 5, characterized in that: The front air vent frame end face is provided with a Clean-in-Place interface.

9. The double-helix independent flow channel atomic layer deposition uniform gas disk structure according to claim 1, characterized in that: The length of the turbine line formed by connecting the centers of the multiple first air outlets is the same as the length of the turbine line formed by connecting the centers of the multiple second air outlets.

10. The double-helix independent flow channel atomic layer deposition uniform gas disk structure according to claim 2 or 5, characterized in that: The rear cover plate has a positioning protrusion ring, and the openings of the first air inlet and the second air inlet are located inside the positioning protrusion ring.