Substrate fixing device and vapor deposition equipment
By improving the structural design of the substrate fixing device, and utilizing the coplanar arrangement of the chamber and the fixing component, as well as the cooperation of the retaining edge and the recessed area, the problem of substrate adhesion to the fixing device was solved, which improved the equipment operating efficiency and the service life of the target material, and reduced maintenance and replacement costs.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Utility models(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- UNITED NOVA TECHNOLOGY YUEZHOU (SHAOXING) CORP
- Filing Date
- 2025-05-23
- Publication Date
- 2026-04-21
AI Technical Summary
Existing substrate fixing devices are prone to causing the substrate to stick to the fixing device during the fixing process, which affects equipment uptime and process efficiency.
A substrate fixing device is designed, including a substrate and multiple fixing members. The fixing members are arranged circumferentially along the chamber and the fixing surfaces are coplanar. The chamber design avoids the center of the substrate. The multiple fixing members are evenly pressed circumferentially on the substrate surface, reducing the contact area to improve adhesion. The baffle and recessed area reduce the adhesion of deposits.
It effectively improves the adhesion problem between the substrate and the fixing device, reduces the loss of effective equipment uptime, improves process efficiency, extends the service life of the target material, reduces maintenance frequency, and lowers costs.
Smart Images
Figure CN224148160U_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This utility model relates to the field of semiconductor manufacturing technology, and in particular to a substrate fixing device and a vapor deposition equipment. Background Technology
[0002] Vapor deposition technology is a technique that uses physical and chemical processes that occur in the gas phase to form a metal or compound film on the surface of a substrate (such as a wafer).
[0003] For example, for a 6-inch flat-edge silicon carbide wafer, in order to meet its via filling requirements, physical vapor deposition (PVD) is required at 420°C to form a metal film on the wafer surface.
[0004] High-quality metal films are crucial for integrated circuit performance testing. Aluminum films are commonly used in integrated circuits to achieve low-resistance ohmic contacts and internal interconnects. Currently, PVD sputtering (physical vapor deposition) or evaporation is often used to deposit aluminum films on the wafer surface to obtain a uniform, contact-friendly, and stable film structure, thereby improving product reliability.
[0005] To prevent substrate displacement during the deposition process, current processes use a fixing device to hold the substrate in place and limit its displacement during deposition.
[0006] Currently, the fixing device typically secures the substrate by continuously pressing it against the edge. However, substrate warping or manufacturing errors in the fixing device can easily lead to gaps between the device and the substrate. Furthermore, atoms ejected by magnetron sputtering bombard the target at varying angles, resulting in irregular atomic motion. Aluminum atoms can easily deposit in these gaps, causing the substrate to adhere to the device. After the process is complete, as the device releases the substrate and moves upwards, it pulls the substrate along with it, preventing proper removal and necessitating the opening of the chamber to retrieve the substrate. This results in significant loss of effective equipment uptime.
[0007] Therefore, this utility model provides a substrate fixing device and a vapor deposition equipment, which improves the substrate fixing device to reduce the adhesion between the substrate and the fixing device. Utility Model Content
[0008] The purpose of this invention is to provide a substrate fixing device and a vapor deposition equipment, thereby improving the adhesion between the substrate and the fixing device through improvements to the substrate fixing device.
[0009] This utility model provides a substrate fixing device, including: a substrate and multiple fixing components;
[0010] The substrate has a chamber that extends through a first end of the substrate along a first direction;
[0011] The fasteners are connected to the inner wall of the chamber, and each fastener is arranged circumferentially along the chamber.
[0012] The fastener has a fixing surface on the side near the first end along the first direction, and the fixing surfaces of each fastener are coplanar.
[0013] Optionally, the substrate fixing device further includes a retaining edge, which is connected to the inner wall of the chamber;
[0014] The side of the guard edge near the first end along the first direction is a shielding surface, and the shielding surface is located on the side of the fixed surface away from the first end along the first direction.
[0015] Optionally, along the first direction, the distance between the shielding surface and the fixed surface is 0.18mm to 0.2mm.
[0016] Optionally, the baffle extends circumferentially along the chamber in a closed annular structure.
[0017] Optionally, a recessed area is provided on the shielding surface.
[0018] Optionally, the first end of the substrate is provided with a positioning groove.
[0019] Optionally, the chamber extends through the second end of the substrate along the first direction.
[0020] Optionally, the substrate fixing device further includes a boss, one end of which is connected to the first end along the first direction, and the other end of which is provided with a guide groove.
[0021] Optionally, the boss is connected to the outer edge of the first end and extends circumferentially to form a closed ring structure.
[0022] This invention also provides a vapor deposition apparatus, which includes the substrate fixing device described above.
[0023] In summary, the substrate fixing device includes a substrate and multiple fixing members; the substrate has a cavity that extends through a first end of the substrate along a first direction; the fixing members are connected to the inner wall of the cavity, and each fixing member is arranged circumferentially along the cavity; each fixing member has a fixing surface on the side near the first end along the first direction, and the fixing surfaces of each fixing member are coplanar.
[0024] With this configuration, the aforementioned substrate fixing device first places the substrate on a machine platform (e.g., a heating platform) and then drives the substrate fixing device downwards, causing the fixing members to press against the surface of the substrate. Due to the chamber design, the central portion of the substrate can be avoided. Multiple fixing members are provided, and their fixing surfaces are evenly pressed against the substrate surface circumferentially to effectively fix the substrate. The small contact area between each fixing surface and the substrate surface helps reduce the machining precision required for the fixing surfaces and ensures a tight fit between the fixing surfaces and the substrate, reducing gaps between them. This, in turn, mitigates the problem of material deposition in the gaps causing the fixing device to stick to the substrate, reducing equipment uptime loss and improving process efficiency. Attached Figure Description
[0025] Figure 1 This is a cross-sectional structural schematic diagram of the substrate fixing device according to some embodiments of the present invention;
[0026] Figure 2 This is a bottom view of the substrate fixing device according to some embodiments of the present invention;
[0027] Figure 3 This is a partial structural diagram of the substrate fixing device according to some embodiments of the present invention. Figure 1 ;
[0028] Figure 4 This is a partial structural diagram of the substrate fixing device according to some embodiments of the present invention. Figure 2 .
[0029] In the attached diagram:
[0030] 10 - Matrix; 10a - First end; 10b - Second end;
[0031] 11-chamber;
[0032] 20 - Fastener; 21 - Fixing surface;
[0033] 30 - Edge; 31 - Covering surface; 311 - Recessed area; 32 - Protrusion; 33 - Groove;
[0034] 40 - Positioning groove;
[0035] 50-Boss;
[0036] 60-Guide groove;
[0037] a - First direction. Detailed Implementation
[0038] The substrate fixing device proposed in this utility model will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments. The advantages and features of this utility model will become clearer from the following description. It should be noted that the drawings are all in a very simplified form and use non-precise proportions, and are only used to facilitate and clarify the illustration of the embodiments of this utility model.
[0039] As used in this invention, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” include plural objects; the term “or” is generally used to mean “and / or”; the term “a number” is generally used to mean “at least one”; and the terms “at least two” or “more than” are generally used to mean “two or more”. Furthermore, the terms “first,” “second,” and “third” are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of indicated technical features. Thus, a feature defined with “first,” “second,” or “third” may explicitly or implicitly include one or at least two of that feature. Furthermore, the terms "installed," "connected," and "attached," as used in this utility model, and the term "set" on one element from another, should be interpreted broadly. They generally only indicate a connection, coupling, cooperation, or transmission relationship between the two elements, which can be direct or indirect through an intermediate element. They should not be construed as indicating or implying a spatial positional relationship between the two elements, meaning one element can be located inside, outside, above, below, or to one side of the other element, unless otherwise explicitly stated. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of these terms in this utility model according to the specific circumstances. Additionally, directional terms such as above, below, up, down, upward, downward, left, and right are used relative to exemplary embodiments as shown in the figures, with upward or up direction pointing towards the top of the corresponding figure, and downward or down direction pointing towards the bottom of the corresponding figure.
[0040] In this embodiment, the circumferential, axial, and radial directions are all referenced to the chamber 11.
[0041] This utility model proposes a substrate fixing device, including: a substrate 10 and a plurality of fixing members 20;
[0042] The substrate 10 has a chamber 11, which extends through the first end 10a of the substrate 10 along a first direction a.
[0043] In this embodiment, the first direction a corresponds to Figure 1 In the vertical direction, the first end 10a corresponds to the lower end of the substrate 10, and the chamber 11 extends through the first end 10a, so that the lower end of the first end 10a has an open structure to facilitate the avoidance of the substrate located below.
[0044] In this embodiment, the chamber 11 also extends along the first direction a through the second end 10b of the base 10, and the second end 10b corresponds to Figure 1 The upper end of the substrate 10, i.e., both the upper and lower ends of the chamber 11, are open structures, exposing the central region of the substrate located below through the chamber 11, facilitating the performance of vapor deposition processes on the substrate. In other alternative embodiments, depending on the process requirements of the substrate, the chamber 11 may only extend through the first end 10a, and the extension method of the chamber 11 can be adaptively adjusted based on the process requirements of the substrate.
[0045] The fasteners 20 are connected to the inner wall of the chamber 11. Each fastener 20 is arranged circumferentially around the chamber 11. Each fastener 20 has a fixing surface 21 on the side closest to the first end 10a along the first direction a. The fixing surfaces 21 of each fastener 20 are coplanar and are used to contact and press against the edge of the substrate. By using multiple circumferentially arranged fasteners 20, the fixing surfaces 21 of the multiple fasteners 20 can press against the edge of the substrate circumferentially, thereby fixing the substrate.
[0046] Combination Figure 1 As shown, the chamber 11 has an overall cylindrical structure, and the internal parts of the chamber 11 can be adjusted according to the shape of the substrate. For example, when the substrate is a flat-edge wafer, the wafer has a flat edge on its side, so the inner wall of the chamber 11 is also adapted to have a plane to correspond to the flat edge of the wafer. In other alternative embodiments, the shape of the chamber 11 can be adapted to the specific shape of the substrate.
[0047] In this embodiment, six fixing members 20 are symmetrically arranged around the central axis of the chamber 11. For example... Figure 2 As shown, projected along the axial direction, the fastener 20 has an approximately equilateral trapezoidal structure, with its long side connected to the inner wall of the chamber 11. In other alternative embodiments, the number, arrangement, and shape of the fasteners 20 can be adjusted based on actual fastening requirements. For example, two, three, four, five, or more fasteners 20 can be provided; for example, each fastener 20 can be non-centrally symmetrically distributed; for example, the shape of the fasteners 20 can be a rectangular structure or other shapes, which will not be elaborated further here.
[0048] In this embodiment, the fastener 20 is integrally formed with the substrate 10, and the fastener 20 protrudes from the inner wall of the substrate 10 to facilitate the processing of the substrate fixing device. In other alternative embodiments, the fastener 20 can be connected to the substrate 10 by welding, mechanical connection or other connection methods.
[0049] In this embodiment, the fixing surfaces 21 of each of the fixing members 20 are coplanar, and the fixing surfaces 21 are coplanar with the first end 10a of the substrate 10, which facilitates processing. The inner diameter of the chamber 11 should be larger than the diameter of the substrate, and the minimum radial distance between the fixing member 20 and the central axis of the chamber 11 should be smaller than the diameter of the substrate. During the process of pressing down and fixing the substrate by the substrate fixing device, the substrate and the central axis of the chamber 11 should be kept collinear. At this time, since the inner diameter of the chamber 11 is large, the edge of the chamber 11 will not contact the substrate, and the fixing surfaces 21 of each fixing member 20 are pressed against the edge of the substrate. In other alternative embodiments, the fixing surfaces 21 can have a certain height difference with the first end 10a in the first direction a.
[0050] In the aforementioned substrate fixing device, when fixing the substrate, the substrate is first placed on a machine platform (e.g., a heating platform), with the first end 10a of the substrate fixing device facing downwards and directly opposite the machine platform. Then, the substrate fixing device is driven downwards, causing the fixing member 20 to press against the surface of the substrate. Due to the arrangement of the chamber 11, the center of the substrate can be avoided. Multiple fixing members 20 are provided, and the fixing surfaces 21 of the multiple fixing members 20 are pressed evenly on the surface of the substrate in a circumferential manner to effectively fix the substrate. Each fixing surface 21 has a small contact area with the substrate surface. On the one hand, this helps to reduce the machining precision of the fixing surface 21, and on the other hand, it helps to ensure a tight fit between the fixing surface 21 and the substrate, improving the phenomenon of gaps between the two. This, in turn, improves the phenomenon of material deposition in the gaps causing the fixing device to stick to the substrate, reduces the effective operating time loss of the equipment, and improves the process efficiency.
[0051] Furthermore, the substrate fixing device also includes a retaining edge 30, which is connected to the inner wall of the chamber 11;
[0052] The flange 30 is located near the first end 10a along the first direction a. Figure 1 One side of the lower end of the middle baffle 30 is a shielding surface 31, which is located on the side of the fixed surface 21 away from the first end 10a along the first direction a. Figure 1 The shielding surface 31 is located above the fixing surface 21. This arrangement prevents the shielding surface 31 from contacting the substrate. When the fixing surface 21 presses against the substrate, the retaining edge 30 is located entirely above the substrate. At the same time, the retaining edge 30 is connected to the inner wall of the chamber 11. The retaining edge 30 can shield the edge of the substrate to further improve the adhesion between the substrate and the edge of the fixing member 20.
[0053] In this embodiment, the baffle 30 extends circumferentially along the cavity 11 to form a closed ring structure. Here, the closed ring structure refers to a closed structure formed by connecting the ends along the circumferential direction. It can be a circular ring, an elliptical ring, or other polygonal ring structure.
[0054] like Figure 2 As shown, the overall shape of the baffle 30 is adapted to the shape of the chamber 11, so in this embodiment, the baffle 30 has an approximately circular structure.
[0055] The baffle 30 is configured as a circumferentially closed structure, so that the baffle 30 can completely cover the edge of the substrate in the circumferential direction.
[0056] Please continue to refer to this. Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, the baffle 30 has an overall ring structure and multiple protrusions 32 that protrude radially inward. Each protrusion 32 corresponds to each fastener 20 in the radial direction. The protrusions 32 cover one side of the fastener 20 to reduce the deposits in contact with the fastener 20, thereby improving the adhesion between the fastener 20 and the substrate.
[0057] In this embodiment, the retaining edge 30 is integrally formed with the substrate 10, and the retaining edge 30 protrudes from the inner wall of the substrate 10 to facilitate the processing of the substrate fixing device. The retaining edge 30 can be formed by integral casting, or the retaining edge 30 can be formed by machining, for example in... Figure 1 A groove 33 is machined on the first end 10a of the substrate 10, and the groove 33 communicates with the inner wall of the chamber 11, forming a retaining edge 30 after machining. In other alternative embodiments, the retaining edge 30 may be connected to the substrate 10 by welding, mechanical connection or other connection methods.
[0058] Furthermore, along the first direction a, the distance between the shielding surface 31 and the fixing surface 21 is 0.18mm to 0.2mm, for example, it can be set to 0.19mm.
[0059] Combination Figure 1 As shown, the shielding surface 31 and the fixing surface 21 are parallel to each other and perpendicular to the first direction a. The distance between the shielding surface 31 and the fixing surface 21 along the first direction a is H. When the fixing surface 21 is pressed onto the substrate, the gap between the substrate and the shielding surface 31 is H. By limiting H, the thickness of the material deposited on the shielding surface 31 during the process is much smaller than H, thus preventing the substrate and the shielding surface 31 from being completely filled with deposits and thus causing adhesion.
[0060] Combination Figure 4As shown, the shielding surface 31 is provided with multiple recessed areas 311. These recessed areas 311 are densely arranged on the shielding surface 31. In this embodiment, the recessed areas 311 have a hemispherical pit structure. The arrangement of these recessed areas 311 helps to accommodate more deposits, thereby reducing the thickness of the deposits adhering to the shielding surface 31 and further improving the phenomenon of the substrate and shielding surface 31 being filled with deposits and thus sticking together. In other alternative embodiments, the recessed areas 311 can be triangular grooves or irregular grooves. In other alternative embodiments, the recessed areas 311 can be wavy grooves provided on the shielding surface 31, or irregular pit structures formed on the shielding surface 31 by sandblasting, or a combination of wavy grooves and sandblasting. The specific shape of the recessed areas 311 can be flexibly adjusted according to actual needs.
[0061] The aforementioned substrate fixing device can improve substrate adhesion, extend the service life of the substrate fixing device, and thus extend the normal operating time of the machine. It can also improve the lifespan of the target material during physical vapor deposition, increasing utilization. Existing substrate fixing rings experience substrate adhesion at 380 kWh, while the substrate fixing device of this invention allows the target material to be used up to 440 kWh, helping to extend the target material's lifespan and thus saving costs. These improvements can increase the number of times the substrate fixing device can be used, for example, from 10 times to 15 times, reducing the number of times the substrate fixing device needs to be replaced annually, lowering operating costs, reducing machine maintenance due to substrate fixing device maintenance or modification, and helping to increase machine utilization, reduce the use of process kits, extend the PM (process management) cycle, and effectively reduce labor costs.
[0062] Furthermore, the first end 10a of the substrate 10 is provided with a positioning groove 40.
[0063] Please continue to refer to this. Figures 1 to 3 As shown, in this embodiment, the positioning groove 40 is a circular groove with a hemispherical bottom. Six positioning grooves 40 are provided, each corresponding radially to one of the six fixing members 20. The positioning grooves 40 are used to conformally engage with protrusions on the machine platform (e.g., a heating platform) that carries the substrate, thereby positioning the substrate fixing device relative to the machine platform.
[0064] In other alternative embodiments, the number and shape of the positioning slots 40 can be adjusted based on actual usage requirements, for example, the positioning slots 40 can be set as rectangular slots or slots of other shapes.
[0065] Combination Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the substrate fixing device further includes a boss 50, one end of which is along the first direction a ( Figure 1 The upper end of the boss 50 is connected to the first end 10a, and the other end of the boss 50 along the first direction a ( Figure 1 The lower end of the middle section is provided with a guide groove 60.
[0066] In this embodiment, the boss 50 is integrally formed with the substrate 10, and the boss 50 protrudes from the first end 10a of the substrate 10. The boss 50 is provided with a guide groove 60, which is used to cooperate with the guide column of the machine tool to guide the movement direction of the substrate fixing device, so that the substrate fixing device moves in a predetermined direction to press or loosen the substrate.
[0067] In other alternative embodiments, the boss 50 and the base 10 can be separately provided, and the boss 50 can be connected to the base 10 by welding, mechanical connection or other connection methods.
[0068] In this embodiment, the boss 50 is connected to the outer edge of the first end 10a in a closed ring structure. Similarly, the closed ring structure here refers to a closed structure formed by connecting the ends along the circumference, which can be a circular ring, an elliptical ring, or other polygonal ring structure.
[0069] like Figure 2 As shown, the overall shape of the boss 50 is adapted to the shape of the base 10, so in this embodiment, the boss 50 has an approximately circular structure.
[0070] like Figure 2 As shown, the boss 50 is connected to the outer periphery of the first end 10a of the substrate 10. The boss 50 has an overall annular structure, with its outer diameter equal to that of the substrate 10 and its inner diameter larger than that of the chamber 11. The inner diameter of the boss 50 should also be larger than the outer diameter of the machine platform (e.g., a heating platform) that supports the substrate. The boss 50 is set as an annular structure, which provides better overall consistency with the substrate 10. In other alternative embodiments, the boss 50 can also be a plurality of protrusion structures distributed circumferentially along the substrate 10 (i.e., the boss 50 is a circumferentially discontinuous structure), and the overall shape of the boss 50 can be adjusted based on actual usage requirements.
[0071] like Figure 2 As shown, in this embodiment, the guide groove 60 is a circular groove, and three guide grooves 60 are provided and symmetrically arranged with the central axis of the chamber 11 as the center. In other alternative embodiments, the shape, number, and distribution of the guide grooves 60 can be set based on actual guiding requirements.
[0072] The aforementioned substrate fixing device is installed inside a semiconductor device. The central axis of the chamber 11 extends vertically, the first end 10a faces downward, and the fixing surface 21 is horizontally set. The substrate fixing device can be driven to perform lifting and lowering movements.
[0073] Taking a physical vapor deposition (PVD) apparatus as an example, after the substrate is positioned on the heating stage, the substrate fixing device is driven downward, causing each fixing surface 21 to press against the edge of the substrate. Simultaneously, the positioning groove 40 conformally engages with the protrusions on the heating stage, thereby positioning the substrate fixing device relative to the heating stage. Other components surround the heating stage, including guide posts that extend vertically and are conformally inserted into guide grooves 60. The cooperation between the guide posts and guide grooves 60 guides the lifting and lowering movement of the substrate fixing device.
[0074] This embodiment also provides a vapor deposition apparatus, which includes the substrate fixing device described above. The vapor deposition apparatus is, for example, a physical vapor deposition apparatus. The difference between this apparatus and existing apparatus lies in the substrate fixing device, while the rest of the structure remains consistent with that of existing apparatus.
[0075] The various embodiments in this specification are described in a progressive manner, with each embodiment focusing on the differences from other embodiments. The same or similar parts between the various embodiments can be referred to each other.
[0076] The above description is only a description of the preferred embodiment of the present utility model and is not intended to limit the scope of the present utility model in any way. Any changes or modifications made by those skilled in the art based on the above disclosure shall fall within the protection scope of the claims.
Claims
1. A substrate fixing device, characterized in that, include: The base and multiple fasteners; The substrate has a chamber that extends through a first end of the substrate along a first direction; The fasteners are connected to the inner wall of the chamber, and each fastener is arranged circumferentially along the chamber. The fastener has a fixing surface on the side near the first end along the first direction, and the fixing surfaces of each fastener are coplanar.
2. The substrate holding apparatus according to claim 1, wherein The substrate fixing device further includes a retaining edge, which is connected to the inner wall of the chamber; The side of the guard edge near the first end along the first direction is a shielding surface, and the shielding surface is located on the side of the fixed surface away from the first end along the first direction.
3. The substrate holding apparatus according to claim 2, wherein Along the first direction, the distance between the shielding surface and the fixed surface is 0.18mm to 0.2mm.
4. The substrate holding apparatus according to claim 2, wherein The baffle extends circumferentially along the cavity in a closed ring structure.
5. The substrate holding apparatus according to claim 2, wherein The shielding surface has a recessed area.
6. The substrate holding apparatus according to claim 1, wherein The first end of the substrate is provided with a positioning groove.
7. The substrate holding apparatus according to claim 1, wherein The chamber extends through the second end of the substrate along the first direction.
8. The substrate holding apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein The substrate fixing device further includes a boss, one end of which is connected to the first end along the first direction, and the other end of which is provided with a guide groove.
9. The substrate holding apparatus according to claim 8, wherein The boss is connected to the outer edge of the first end and extends circumferentially to form a closed ring structure.
10. A vapour deposition apparatus characterized by, The vapor deposition apparatus includes a substrate fixing device as described in any one of claims 1 to 9.