Dielectric window heating mechanism of etching equipment and etching equipment

Abstract

The utility model discloses a medium window heating mechanism of etching equipment and etching equipment, including casing and the medium window arranged in the casing, the casing is provided with at least one heating assembly, the heating assembly comprises an airflow amplifier connected with a compressed air source, the suction end of the airflow amplifier is communicated with the inner cavity of the casing, and the suction end of the airflow amplifier is communicated with the inner cavity of the casing. The exhaust end of the airflow amplifier is connected with the air inlet end of the heating pipe through a pipeline, and the air outlet end of the heating pipe is communicated with the inner cavity of the machine shell. According to the utility model, the temperature rise of the medium window can be assisted, the invalid standby time caused by temperature rise can be reduced, the running time loss of a machine can be reduced, and the etching efficiency can be improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of plasma etching technology, specifically to a medium window heating mechanism and etching equipment for an etching device. Background Technology

[0002] Etching is a core process in semiconductor manufacturing, microelectronics processing, and LED chip production, and its precision and stability directly affect the control of device feature dimensions and yield. Among various etching technologies, plasma etching has become the dominant dry etching solution in advanced processes due to its advantages such as excellent anisotropy, high selectivity, and nanometer-level patterning precision. This technology excites process gases to form a plasma state containing highly reactive substances such as ions and free radicals, and then uses a radio frequency electric field to achieve directional bombardment removal of atoms on the substrate surface.

[0003] In current mainstream inductively coupled plasma (ICP) etching equipment, the dielectric window (TCP window) is a key component isolating the vacuum reaction chamber from the RF coil, and its temperature stability has a decisive impact on process repeatability. Because this quartz window must withstand high-energy particle bombardment and thermal load shocks, process specifications require it to maintain a continuous process temperature of 110°C during etching. However, when the equipment is in process intervals, the temperature of the dielectric window gradually decreases due to heat conduction from the cooling system and heat dissipation from the chamber. This necessitates a 1.5-hour preheating operation to raise the temperature to the 110°C process temperature before each process restart to ensure process stability. The resulting ineffective standby time accounts for approximately 20% of the total equipment uptime, leading to lost machine runtime and impacting etching efficiency. Utility Model Content

[0004] The purpose of this invention is to provide a medium window heating mechanism and etching equipment for etching equipment, which can assist the medium window in heating up, reduce the ineffective standby time caused by heating up, reduce the loss of machine running time, and improve etching efficiency.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, the technical solution adopted by this utility model is: a medium window heating mechanism for an etching device, comprising a housing and a medium window disposed within the housing, wherein at least one heating component is disposed on the housing, the heating component comprising an airflow amplifier connected to a compressed air source, the intake end of the airflow amplifier communicating with the inner cavity of the housing, the exhaust end of the airflow amplifier being connected to the inlet end of a heating tube via a pipe, and the outlet end of the heating tube communicating with the inner cavity of the housing.

[0006] A further improvement of this utility model is that the air outlet end of the heating tube is connected to a first air guide part located inside the housing. The air outlet end of the first air guide part is located in the area above the working surface of the medium window, and the air outlet direction of the first air guide part is towards the working surface of the medium window.

[0007] A further improvement of this utility model is that the air intake end of the airflow amplifier is connected to a second air guide located inside the housing. The air inlet end of the second air guide is located in the area above the working surface of the medium window and is spaced apart from the air outlet end of the first air guide.

[0008] A further improvement of this utility model is that the heating assembly is provided in two sets, which are respectively arranged on opposite side walls of the housing.

[0009] A further improvement of this utility model is that the air outlets of the two first air guides and the air inlets of the two second air guides are respectively located at the four vertices of the same quadrilateral, wherein the air outlets of the two first air guides are located at the first set of opposite diagonal vertices of the quadrilateral, and the air inlets of the two second air guides are located at the other set of opposite diagonal vertices of the quadrilateral.

[0010] A further improvement of this utility model is that the first air guide part and the second air guide part are both air guide pipes, the fixed end of each air guide pipe is connected to the heating pipe or the airflow amplifier, and the bottom of the free end of the air guide pipe is provided with a vertically downward air port.

[0011] A further improvement of this utility model is that the pipeline includes an airflow deflection section, which connects the exhaust end of the airflow amplifier and the inlet end of the heating pipe.

[0012] A further improvement of this utility model is that a cooling sleeve is fitted on the outer wall of the pipe, and a cooling flow channel is formed by spirally extending along its axial direction inside the cooling sleeve. The inlet end and outlet end of the cooling flow channel are respectively connected to the cooling circulation system through cooling connecting pipes, and at least one cooling connecting pipe is equipped with a control valve for adjusting the flow rate of the cooling medium.

[0013] A further improvement of this utility model is that the heating component is provided with a protective shell, which covers the airflow amplifier and the heating tube, and the surface of the protective shell is provided with an array of ventilation holes.

[0014] This utility model also provides an etching device, including the above-mentioned medium window heating mechanism.

[0015] The beneficial effects of this utility model are as follows:

[0016] This invention utilizes a combination structure of an airflow amplifier and a heating tube to achieve airflow circulation through the ejection effect generated by compressed gas. The negative pressure generated by the airflow amplifier accelerates the gas circulation inside the casing, and the heating tube heats the airflow to achieve temperature rise. By using a small amount of compressed gas to drive a large amount of circulating gas flow, it achieves rapid and uniform heating while reducing energy consumption. It can assist in heating the medium window, reduce the ineffective standby time caused by heating, reduce the loss of machine running time, and improve etching efficiency.

[0017] This invention, by setting a first air guide section, directs the hot airflow above the working surface of the medium window, blowing it directly onto the surface. This allows for more targeted heating, avoids heat loss, and improves local temperature control. Furthermore, by setting a second air guide section, with its intake end positioned above the medium window and spaced apart from the first air guide section, it can recover high-temperature gas and reheat it, facilitating airflow circulation. The separation of the intake and exhaust ends ensures continuous renewal of the heated gas, enabling effective circulation of the high-temperature gas.

[0018] In this invention, the outlet ends of the two first air guides are arranged diagonally, and the inlet ends of the two second air guides are arranged diagonally. The outlet ends and inlet ends are distributed in a quadrilateral diagonal pattern, which facilitates the coverage of a larger area by high-temperature gas, reduces dead zones, and prolongs the contact time of high-temperature gas. Attached Figure Description

[0019] Figure 1 This is a top sectional view of the structure of Embodiment 1 of this utility model.

[0020] Figure 2 This is a top sectional view of the structure of Embodiment 2 of this utility model.

[0021] Figure 3 This is a partially enlarged top view of the cooling sleeve structure of this utility model.

[0022] In the figure, 1-casing, 2-medium window, 3-airflow amplifier, 4-pipe, 5-heating tube, 6-first air guide section, 7-second air guide section, 8-cooling sleeve, 9-cooling channel, 10-cooling connection pipe, 11-protective shell. Detailed Implementation

[0023] The present invention will be further explained below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.

[0024] Example 1: Combination Figure 1It is known that a medium window heating mechanism for an etching device includes a housing 1 and a medium window 2 disposed inside the housing 1. At least one heating component is disposed on the housing 1. The heating component includes an airflow amplifier 3 connected to a compressed air source. The airflow amplifier 3 has an intake end connected to the inner cavity of the housing 1 and an exhaust end connected to the inlet end of a heating pipe 5 via a pipe 4. The exhaust end of the heating pipe 5 is connected to the inner cavity of the housing 1.

[0025] The airflow amplifier 3 in this invention is a conventional device in the prior art. It uses a small amount of compressed air as a power source and, through the basic principle of fluid mechanics—the Coanda Effect—drives the surrounding airflow, thereby forming a high-pressure, high-speed airflow. This device can amplify the input amount of compressed air, producing an output airflow much larger than the input amount.

[0026] The outlet end of the heating tube 5 is connected to a first air guide 6 located inside the housing 1. The outlet end of the first air guide 6 is located in the area above the working surface of the medium window 2, and the air outlet direction of the first air guide 6 is towards the working surface of the medium window 2.

[0027] The intake end of the airflow amplifier 3 is connected to a second air guide 7 located inside the housing 1. The intake end of the second air guide 7 is located above the working surface of the medium window 2 and is spaced apart from the outlet end of the first air guide 6. Preferably, both the first air guide 6 and the second air guide 7 are air guide pipes.

[0028] Pipe 4 includes an airflow deflection section, which connects the exhaust end of the airflow amplifier 3 to the air inlet end of the heating pipe 5. Preferably, the airflow deflection section is an elbow pipe.

[0029] The heating assembly is provided with a protective housing 11, which covers the airflow amplifier 3 and the heating tube 5. The surface of the protective housing 11 is provided with an array of ventilation holes.

[0030] Heating tube 5 is a conventional resistance heating tube in the prior art. It usually uses stainless steel or ceramic as the base material, with a spirally wound resistance wire or electric heating film heating element embedded inside. The outside is filled with a high thermal conductivity insulating material (such as magnesium oxide) and encapsulated by a metal tube shell. When the airflow passes through the inside of the tube, the Joule heat generated by the energized resistance wire is evenly transferred to the tube wall through the thermally conductive material, thereby heating the circulating gas.

[0031] Preferably, the heating assembly is provided in two sets, which are respectively arranged on opposite side walls of the housing 1. The air outlets of the two first air guides 6 and the air inlets of the two second air guides 7 are respectively located at the four vertices of the same quadrilateral, wherein the air outlets of the two first air guides 6 are located at the first set of opposite diagonal vertices of the quadrilateral, and the air inlets of the two second air guides 7 are located at the other set of opposite diagonal vertices of the quadrilateral.

[0032] Both the first air guide section 6 and the second air guide section 7 of the two sets of heating components are air guide pipes. In specific implementation (in conjunction with...) Figure 1 , Figure 2 As shown in the diagram, the fixed ends of each air guide tube are connected to the heating tube 5 or the airflow amplifier 3, and the free ends extend to the working area. A vertically downward air port is provided at the bottom of the free end of the air guide tube (the air port is blocked by the tube body because the diagram is a top view). The lower air port of the first air guide section 6 is used for directional exhaust, while the lower air port of the second air guide section 7 is responsible for the intake function.

[0033] Preferably, the air inlet is circular, and the centers of the lower air inlets of the four air guide tubes are located at the four vertices of the same quadrilateral.

[0034] Preferably, the quadrilateral is a square, which facilitates the coverage of a larger area by high-temperature gas, reduces dead corners, and prolongs the contact time of high-temperature gas.

[0035] This utility model also provides an etching device, including the above-mentioned medium window heating mechanism.

[0036] Example 2: Combination Figures 2-3 As can be seen, this embodiment modifies the structure in embodiment 1 based on embodiment 1. The modified technical solution is as follows:

[0037] A cooling sleeve 8 is fitted onto the outer wall of the pipe 4. A cooling channel 9 is formed by spirally extending along the axial direction inside the cooling sleeve 8. The inlet and outlet ends of the cooling channel 9 are connected to the cooling circulation system through cooling connecting pipes 10, and at least one cooling connecting pipe 10 is equipped with a control valve for adjusting the flow rate of the cooling medium. The spiral cooling channel 9 extends the contact area of ​​the cooling medium.

[0038] The cooling circulation system is a conventional liquid cooling system in the prior art, which typically includes a circulating pump, a plate or tubular heat exchanger, a liquid storage tank, and connecting pipelines. The system regulates the flow rate of the cooling medium through a control valve. Driven by the circulating pump, the cooling medium flows into the cooling jacket 8, extends the contact area and heat exchange path with the high-temperature pipes through the spiral flow channel 9, and then enters the heat exchanger for heat dissipation and cooling, before returning to the liquid storage tank for recirculation.

[0039] After the process begins, the temperature inside the chamber will rise due to the plasma, and the temperature of the medium window will also rise. At this time, the heating tube is kept closed, the cooling circulation system is turned on, and the airflow amplifier 3 extracts the gas in the chamber and dissipates the heat through the cooling sleeve on the pipe, which can help the equipment to cool down and improve the utilization efficiency of the airflow amplifier 3.

[0040] The other structures in this embodiment are the same as in embodiment 1, and will not be described again here.

[0041] The working principle of the medium window heating mechanism of the etching equipment provided by this utility model is as follows:

[0042] When the system is working, the airflow amplifier 3 generates a high-speed airflow driven by a compressed air source, drawing in the gas inside the casing 1 through the second air guide section 7 to form a pressurized airflow. This airflow enters the heating tube 5 through the pipe 4 for heating, and then is blown onto the surface of the medium window 2 through the first air guide section 6. After completing surface heating, the hot airflow re-enters the airflow amplifier 3 through the second air guide section 7, ensuring continuous renewal of the heating gas and effective circulation of the high-temperature gas.

[0043] In the description of this utility model, it should be understood that the terms "upper," "lower," "front," "rear," "left," "right," "top," "bottom," "inner," and "outer," etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing this utility model and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this utility model. Any equivalent structural or procedural transformations made using the content of this utility model specification and drawings, or direct or indirect applications in other related technical fields, are similarly included within the patent protection scope of this utility model.

Claims

1. A medium window heating mechanism for an etching apparatus, comprising a housing (1) and a medium window (2) disposed within the housing (1), characterized in that: At least one heating component is provided on the housing (1). The heating component includes an airflow amplifier (3) connected to a compressed air source. The intake end of the airflow amplifier (3) is connected to the inner cavity of the housing (1). The exhaust end of the airflow amplifier (3) is connected to the inlet end of the heating tube (5) through a pipe (4). The outlet end of the heating tube (5) is connected to the inner cavity of the housing (1). A cooling sleeve (8) is fitted on the outer wall of the pipe (4). A cooling channel (9) is formed by spirally extending along its axial direction inside the pipe wall of the cooling sleeve (8). The inlet end and outlet end of the cooling channel (9) are connected to the cooling circulation system through a cooling connecting pipe (10). At least one cooling connecting pipe (10) is provided with a control valve for adjusting the flow rate of the cooling medium. The heating component is provided with a protective shell (11). The protective shell (11) covers the airflow amplifier (3) and the heating tube (5). An array of ventilation holes is provided on the surface of the protective shell (11).

2. The medium window heating mechanism of the etching equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that: The outlet end of the heating tube (5) is connected to a first air guide (6) located inside the housing (1). The outlet end of the first air guide (6) is located in the area above the working surface of the medium window (2), and the air outlet direction of the first air guide (6) is towards the working surface of the medium window (2).

3. The medium window heating mechanism of the etching equipment according to claim 2, characterized in that: The air intake end of the airflow amplifier (3) is connected to a second air guide (7) located inside the housing (1). The air inlet end of the second air guide (7) is located in the area above the working surface of the medium window (2) and is spaced apart from the air outlet end of the first air guide (6).

4. The medium window heating mechanism of the etching apparatus according to claim 3, characterized in that: The heating components are provided in two sets, which are respectively arranged on opposite side walls of the housing (1).

5. The medium window heating mechanism of the etching apparatus according to claim 4, characterized in that: The outlet ends of the two first air guides (6) and the inlet ends of the two second air guides (7) are located at the four vertices of the same quadrilateral, with the outlet ends of the two first air guides (6) located at the first set of opposite vertices of the quadrilateral and the inlet ends of the two second air guides (7) located at the other set of opposite vertices of the quadrilateral.

6. The medium window heating mechanism of the etching apparatus according to claim 5, characterized in that: The first air guide (6) and the second air guide (7) are both air guide pipes. The fixed end of each air guide pipe is connected to the heating pipe (5) or the airflow amplifier (3). A vertically downward air port is provided at the bottom of the free end of the air guide pipe.

7. The medium window heating mechanism of the etching equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that: The pipe (4) includes an airflow deflection section, which connects the exhaust end of the airflow amplifier (3) to the inlet end of the heating pipe (5).

8. An etching apparatus, characterized in that: The medium window heating mechanism includes any one of claims 1 to 7.

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