Shielding ring of physical vapor deposition equipment and physical vapor deposition equipment

Abstract

The utility model relates to the technical field of semiconductors, in particular to a shielding ring of physical vapor deposition equipment and the physical vapor deposition equipment, the shielding ring comprises a shielding ring body, the shielding ring is integrally formed, and a coating area is arranged on the shielding ring; the ring body base is connected to the bottom of the shielding ring body; wherein the shielding ring body is provided with a coating area, the coating area is arranged in the axial direction of the shielding ring body, and the thickness of the coating area ranges from 50 micrometers to 200 micrometers. According to the utility model, the impurity pollution to the physical vapor deposition chamber can be reduced, the manufacturing cost is low, the forming process is simple, and meanwhile, the uniformity of a sputtering film can be improved.

Description

[0001] The original application, numbered 202420731526.6 and filed on April 10, 2024, was entitled "A Shielding Ring for a Semiconductor Device and a Physical Vapor Deposition Apparatus." This utility model is a divisional application of that application. Technical Field

[0002] This utility model relates to the field of semiconductor technology, and in particular to a shielding ring for a physical vapor deposition (PVD) apparatus and the PVD apparatus itself. Background Technology

[0003] Currently, physical vapor deposition (PVD) is a process used to deposit thin films onto substrates. Due to its stable process, technical flexibility, and suitability for large-scale production, PVD technology has been widely used in integrated circuit (IC) manufacturing. PVD processing typically uses ions from plasma to bombard a target containing the source material, causing the source material to sputter from the target. The sputtered source material is then accelerated toward the substrate to be processed, resulting in the deposition of the source material with or without reaction with other reactants. Therefore, there are areas for improvement. Utility Model Content

[0004] This invention provides a shielding ring for a physical vapor deposition (PVD) device and the PVD device itself, in order to solve the technical problems existing in the PVD process.

[0005] This utility model provides a shielding ring for a physical vapor deposition (PVD) device, comprising:

[0006] The shielding ring body, wherein the shielding ring is integrally formed, and the shielding ring has a coating area; and

[0007] The ring base is connected to the bottom of the shielding ring body;

[0008] The coating area is arranged along the axial direction of the shielding ring body, and the thickness of the coating area is in the range of 50um to 200um.

[0009] In one embodiment of the present invention, the coating region includes a silicon oxide layer region and an aluminum oxide layer region.

[0010] In one embodiment of this utility model, the number of silicon oxide layer regions is equal to the number of aluminum oxide layer regions.

[0011] In one embodiment of the present invention, there are two coating areas. In the two coating areas, the silicon oxide layer area is located at the end away from the ring base, and the aluminum oxide layer area is located at the end closer to the ring base.

[0012] In one embodiment of this utility model, when the number of coating areas is greater than two, the silicon oxide layer area and the aluminum oxide layer area are alternately arranged.

[0013] In one embodiment of the present invention, the shielding ring body has a material port, which is rectangular in shape.

[0014] This invention also provides a physical vapor deposition apparatus, which includes a shielding ring as described in any of the preceding claims.

[0015] In one embodiment of the present invention, the device further includes a chamber body, a stage, a target, an air inlet mechanism, and an air outlet mechanism, wherein the stage, the target, the shielding ring, and the air inlet mechanism are disposed in the internal space of the chamber body, and the air outlet mechanism is disposed at the bottom of the chamber body.

[0016] In one embodiment of the present invention, the top of the shielding ring surrounds the target, and the bottom of the shielding ring surrounds the platform.

[0017] In summary, this invention provides a shielding ring for a physical vapor deposition (PVD) apparatus and the PVD apparatus itself, offering the following advantages: The shielding ring can be made of a single-piece molded material, reducing impurity contamination of the PVD chamber and offering advantages such as low manufacturing cost and simple molding process. Furthermore, this invention allows for the formation of multiple continuous coating layers on the shielding ring. By adjusting the physical properties of different coating materials, the adsorption effect of the shielding ring on the target material can be controlled, thereby improving the uniformity of the sputtered film. Attached Figure Description

[0018] Figure 1 The diagram shown is a structural schematic of the shielding ring of a physical vapor deposition apparatus provided by this utility model.

[0019] Figure 2 The diagram shown is a schematic representation of the arrangement of the coating area in one embodiment of this utility model.

[0020] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram showing the arrangement of the coating area in another embodiment of the present invention.

[0021] Figure 4 The diagram shown is a structural schematic of a physical vapor deposition apparatus provided by this utility model.

[0022] Icon labels:

[0023] 100. Shielding ring; 110. Shielding ring body; 111. Silicon oxide layer area; 112. Alumina layer area; 113. Material inlet; 120. Ring body base;

[0024] 200, main chamber; 300, stage; 400, target; 500, air inlet mechanism; 600, air outlet mechanism; 700, heater. Detailed Implementation

[0025] The following specific examples 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. This utility model can also be implemented or applied through other different specific embodiments, and various details in this specification can also be modified or changed based on different viewpoints and applications without departing from the spirit of this utility model. It should be noted that, unless otherwise specified, the following embodiments and features described therein can be combined with each other.

[0026] It should be noted that the illustrations provided in the following embodiments are only schematic representations of the basic concept of the present invention. Therefore, the drawings only show the components related to the present invention and are not drawn according to the number, shape and size of the components in actual implementation. In actual implementation, the form, quantity and proportion of each component can be arbitrarily changed, and the layout of the components may also be more complex.

[0027] In the following description, numerous details are explored to provide a more thorough explanation of embodiments of the present invention. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that embodiments of the present invention may be practiced without these specific details. In other embodiments, well-known structures and devices are shown in block diagram form rather than in detail to avoid obscuring embodiments of the present invention.

[0028] Please see Figures 1 to 4 This invention proposes a shielding ring for a physical vapor deposition (PVD) apparatus and the apparatus itself, applicable to PVD processes in semiconductor manufacturing. For example, the invention utilizes a one-piece molded stainless steel shielding ring with one or more coating zones, reducing PVD chamber contamination and lowering equipment costs. Detailed descriptions are provided below using specific embodiments.

[0029] Please see Figure 1 , Figure 1This diagram illustrates the structure of a shielding ring 100 for a physical vapor deposition (PVD) apparatus according to this invention. In one embodiment, the shielding ring 100 may include a shielding ring body 110 and a ring base 120. The shielding ring body 110 may be a thin-walled circular ring. Coating areas are provided on both the inner and outer sides of the shielding ring body 110, and the number of coating areas may be one or more. Multiple coating areas are continuously arranged along the axial direction of the shielding ring body 110, thereby completely covering the entire side surface of the shielding ring body 110. In this embodiment, the shielding ring body 110 and the ring base 120 may be formed independently or integrally. The shielding ring body 110 and the ring base 120 may be made of stainless steel or other materials, such as SUS304 stainless steel, SUS316 stainless steel, etc. Using stainless steel instead of quartz for the shielding ring body 110 has the advantages of lower manufacturing process requirements and lower pollution during use, which can reduce the cost and weight of the PVD equipment.

[0030] In one embodiment of this utility model, the material of the coating area may be... (Silicon oxide), or for (Alumina). The coating area can be deposited on the inner and outer sides of the shielding ring body 110 by plasma spraying. Plasma spraying, also known as thermal spraying or spray welding, involves heating and melting materials such as powder or wire, and then impacting and adhering them to the surface of the substrate or workpiece under high-speed gas conveying, thereby accumulating and solidifying to form a film or coating area. The final deposit of plasma spraying is a dense metallic crystalline structure that forms a metallurgical bond layer with the substrate, which has the advantages of good impact resistance, wear resistance, corrosion resistance, and a mirror-like appearance. In this embodiment, the thickness of the coating area formed by plasma spraying can be in the range of 50µm to 200µm.

[0031] Please see Figure 2 , Figure 2 This diagram illustrates the arrangement of the coating regions in one embodiment of the present invention. In one embodiment, there may be two coating regions, one being a silicon oxide layer region 111 and the other an aluminum oxide layer region 112. It should be noted that in the physical vapor deposition process, the end of the shielding ring body 110 closest to the target will adsorb more target material. (It is known that...) (Silicon oxide) material relative to Alumina material is less prone to adsorbing the target material in the deposition process; therefore, when there are two coating areas, the silicon oxide layer area 111 can be located at the end furthest from the ring base 120, that is, the silicon oxide layer area 111 is closer to the target in the physical vapor deposition process, and the alumina layer area 112 can be located at the end closer to the ring base 120, that is, the alumina layer area 112 is farther away from the target in the physical vapor deposition process. This achieves more uniform target material deposition on the entire shielding ring body 110 in the physical vapor deposition process.

[0032] Please see Figure 3 , Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram showing the arrangement of the coating areas in another embodiment of the present invention. In one embodiment of the present invention, when there are multiple coating areas, the number of silicon oxide layer areas 111 and aluminum oxide layer areas 112 can be equal. Multiple silicon oxide layer areas 111 and multiple aluminum oxide layer areas 112 can be arranged alternately and continuously along the axial direction of the shielding ring body 110, thereby completely covering the entire side surface of the shielding ring body 110. In this embodiment, the widths of the multiple silicon oxide layer areas 111 and multiple aluminum oxide layer areas 112 can remain equal, or they can gradually increase or decrease according to a certain pattern.

[0033] Please see Figure 4 , Figure 4 The diagram shows a structural schematic of a physical vapor deposition (PVD) apparatus provided by this invention. In one embodiment, the PVD apparatus may include a chamber body 200, a stage 300, a target 400, a shielding ring 100, an inlet mechanism 500, an outlet mechanism 600, and a heater 700. The chamber body 200 provides an internal space. The stage 300 is used to hold the wafer being processed. The target 400 is used to generate the target material in the PVD process. The inlet mechanism 500 is used to introduce reactive gases, such as argon (Ar), helium (He), krypton (Kr), and nitrogen (N), into the chamber body 200. (e.g., exhaust mechanism 600 can be used to exhaust waste gas. Heater 700 can be connected to the bottom of stage 300 to heat the wafer during processing.)

[0034] Please see Figure 4 In one embodiment of this utility model, the stage 300, target 400, shielding ring 100, air intake mechanism 500, and heater 700 can be disposed within the internal space of the chamber body 200. Specifically, the air intake mechanism 500, target 400, and stage 300 are arranged sequentially from top to bottom. The top of the shielding ring 100 can surround the target 400, and the bottom of the shielding ring 100 can surround the stage 300, which can be used to confine the target material generated in the physical vapor deposition process. A material port 113 can be provided on the shielding ring body 110 of the shielding ring 100. The material port 113 can be used for picking up and placing wafers. The air exhaust mechanism 600 can be disposed at the bottom of the chamber body 200.

[0035] In summary, this invention provides a shielding ring for a physical vapor deposition (PVD) apparatus and the PVD apparatus itself, applicable to PVD processes in semiconductor manufacturing. The shielding ring of this invention employs a one-piece molding process. By replacing the original quartz material with stainless steel or other materials, it reduces impurity contamination of the PVD chamber, offering advantages such as low manufacturing cost and simple molding process. Furthermore, this invention forms one or more continuous coatings on the shielding ring. By adjusting the physical properties of different coating materials, the adsorption effect of the shielding ring on the target material can be controlled, improving the uniformity of the sputtered film. Therefore, this invention effectively overcomes the various shortcomings of existing technologies and possesses high industrial applicability.

[0036] It should be understood that the structures, proportions, sizes, etc., illustrated in the accompanying drawings of this specification are merely for illustrative purposes to aid those skilled in the art and are not intended to limit the scope of implementation of this utility model. Therefore, they have no substantial technical significance. Any modifications to the structure, changes in proportions, or adjustments to size, without affecting the effectiveness and purpose of this utility model, should still fall within the scope of the technical content disclosed in this utility model. Furthermore, the terms such as "upper," "lower," "left," "right," "middle," and "one" used in this specification are merely for clarity of description and are not intended to limit the scope of implementation of this utility model. Changes or adjustments to their relative relationships, without substantially altering the technical content, should also be considered within the scope of implementation of this utility model.

[0037] The above embodiments are merely illustrative of the principles and effects of this utility model and are not intended to limit the scope of this utility model. Any person skilled in the art can modify or alter the above embodiments without departing from the spirit and scope of this utility model. Therefore, all equivalent modifications or alterations made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and technical concept disclosed in this utility model should still be covered by the claims of this utility model.

Claims

1. A shielding ring for a physical vapor deposition apparatus, characterized in that, include: The shielding ring body is integrally formed, and the shielding ring has a coating area; as well as The ring base is connected to the bottom of the shielding ring body; The coating area is arranged along the axial direction of the shielding ring body, and the thickness of the coating area is in the range of 50um to 200um.

2. The shielding ring according to claim 1, characterized in that, The coating area includes a silicon oxide layer area and an aluminum oxide layer area.

3. The shielding ring according to claim 2, characterized in that, The number of silicon oxide layer regions is equal to the number of aluminum oxide layer regions.

4. The shielding ring according to claim 3, characterized in that, The number of coating areas is two. In the two coating areas, the silicon oxide layer area is located at the end away from the ring base, and the aluminum oxide layer area is located at the end closer to the ring base.

5. The shielding ring according to claim 3, characterized in that, When the number of coating regions is greater than two, the silicon oxide layer region and the aluminum oxide layer region are alternately arranged.

6. The shielding ring according to claim 1, characterized in that, The shielding ring body has a material opening, which is rectangular in shape.

7. A physical vapor deposition apparatus, characterized in that, Includes the shielding ring as described in claim 1.

8. The physical vapor deposition apparatus according to claim 7, characterized in that, The physical vapor deposition apparatus further includes a chamber body, a stage, a target, an air inlet mechanism, and an air outlet mechanism, wherein the stage, the target, the shielding ring, and the air inlet mechanism are disposed in the internal space of the chamber body, and the air outlet mechanism is disposed at the bottom of the chamber body.

9. The physical vapor deposition apparatus according to claim 8, characterized in that, The top of the shielding ring surrounds the target, and the bottom of the shielding ring surrounds the platform.

10. The physical vapor deposition apparatus according to claim 7, characterized in that, The shielding ring body has a material inlet.

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