Etching container and etching equipment

Abstract

The utility model relates to the technical field of semiconductor manufacturing, and provides an etching container and etching equipment. The etching container comprises a container body and a structural member; a cavity is formed in the container body in the first direction in a penetrating mode. The structural part is arranged on the inner wall of the cavity and protrudes out of the inner wall of the cavity. The improvement of the etching container is beneficial to realizing reliable and efficient taking and placing.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of semiconductor manufacturing technology, and in particular to an etching container and etching equipment. Background Technology

[0002] Dry etching is a technique that uses plasma to etch thin films, and it is the result of a balance between physical and chemical processes on the substrate surface.

[0003] The basic principles of dry etching include physical etching, chemical etching, and reactive ion etching. Physical etching primarily uses plasma to bombard the substrate surface, causing collisions between particles to achieve the etching effect. The entire process involves purely physical changes without the formation of new material. Chemical etching uses plasma to react chemically with the substrate surface material, generating byproducts that are then removed. Reactive ion etching combines the processes of physical and chemical etching; most dry etching methods are reactive ion etching.

[0004] The above-mentioned etching methods usually require the configuration of an etching container, which needs to be installed in a chamber. The interior of the etching container serves as a reaction chamber and the etching site for the substrate.

[0005] During the etching process, gaseous substances are generated due to physical and chemical reactions. After cooling, these gaseous substances adhere to the inner wall of the etching container. Therefore, the etching container needs to be maintained regularly and reinstalled after maintenance.

[0006] Existing etching containers typically have a uniform wall thickness and are usually handled manually. Furthermore, these containers are often made of fragile materials, making them prone to breakage during manual handling and installation.

[0007] Therefore, how to reliably and efficiently pick up and place the etching container has become a technical problem that urgently needs to be solved in this field. Utility Model Content

[0008] The purpose of this invention is to provide an etching container and etching equipment. The improvement of the etching container facilitates reliable and efficient loading and unloading.

[0009] This utility model provides an etching container, including: a container body and structural components;

[0010] A chamber is provided through the container body along the first direction;

[0011] The structural component is disposed on the inner wall of the chamber and protrudes from the inner wall of the chamber.

[0012] Optionally, the structural member is a ring structure formed by closing around the circumferential direction of the chamber.

[0013] Optionally, along the first direction, the structural member is located on the side of the container body near the first end, at the center.

[0014] Optionally, the structural member extends along the first direction to a first end of the container body.

[0015] Optionally, the outer wall of the container body is provided with a positioning structure for positioning the electromagnetic induction coil.

[0016] Optionally, the positioning structure is a groove provided on the outer wall of the container body.

[0017] Optionally, the groove extends around the circumferential direction of the chamber to form a closed annular groove.

[0018] Optionally, the positioning structure is offset from the structural member along the first direction.

[0019] Optionally, a sealing groove is provided at the second end of the container body along the first direction.

[0020] This utility model also provides an etching apparatus, which includes the etching container described above.

[0021] In summary, the etching container includes a container body and a structural component; a cavity is provided through the container body along a first direction; the structural component is disposed on the inner wall of the cavity and protrudes from the inner wall of the cavity.

[0022] This configuration, with structural components within the etching container, provides an anchoring point inside, facilitating reliable and efficient handling and placement of the container body. This effectively prevents breakage during installation. Furthermore, the structural components provide a reference point on the etching container, serving as a guide for the installation position of the electromagnetic induction coil. This facilitates rapid installation of the coil, improves assembly efficiency, and reduces preventative maintenance (PM) time. Attached Figure Description

[0023] Figure 1 This is a cross-sectional view of an etching container according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0024] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the etching container and lifting tool working together according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0025] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the installation structure of the etching container according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0026] In the attached diagram:

[0027] 10-Container body; 11-Cavity; 12-Sealing groove;

[0028] 20 - Structural component; 21 - Step surface;

[0029] 30 - Positioning structure; 31 - Groove;

[0030] 40 - Lifting tool; 41 - Support arm; 42 - Lifting arm;

[0031] 50 - Electromagnetic induction coil;

[0032] 60 - Sealing ring;

[0033] 70 - Base;

[0034] 80-Wafer Stage;

[0035] a-First direction;

[0036] A-Center plane. Detailed Implementation

[0037] The etching container 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.

[0038] 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.

[0039] This embodiment provides an etching container, including: a container body 10 and a structural component 20;

[0040] like Figure 1 As shown, a chamber 11 is provided through the container body 10 along the first direction a. The container body 10 has a cylindrical structure, and the chamber 11 has a cylindrical cavity and is coaxially arranged with the container body 10. The first direction a corresponds to the axial direction of the container body 10.

[0041] The structural member 20 is disposed on the inner wall of the chamber 11 and protrudes from the inner wall of the chamber 11.

[0042] The etching container is equipped with a structural component 20, which provides an anchoring position inside the container. This facilitates the use of a lifting tool, allowing for reliable and efficient handling of the container body 10 and effectively preventing breakage during installation. Simultaneously, the structural component 20 provides a reference point on the etching container, serving as a guide for the installation position of the electromagnetic induction coil. This facilitates rapid installation of the electromagnetic induction coil, improves assembly efficiency, and reduces preventative maintenance (PM) time.

[0043] Please continue to refer to this. Figure 1 As shown, in this embodiment, the structural member 20 is a ring structure that is closed around the circumferential direction of the chamber 11.

[0044] Because chamber 11 is cylindrical, structural component 20 is annular, and the radial wall thickness of structural component 20 is constant. For example... Figure 2 As shown, the annular structural member 20 forms a stepped surface 21 on the inner wall of the chamber 11, which can cooperate with the lifting tool 40 that extends into the chamber 11.

[0045] Combination Figure 2 As shown, the lifting tool 40 has a pair of support arms 41 and a pair of lifting arms 42. The support arms 41 are rotatably engaged, and their relative rotation angle is limited to 180°. Each support arm 41 is rotatably connected to a lifting arm 42. In use, the two support arms 41 are first closed and inserted into the chamber 11. Then, the lifting arms 42 are used to rotate and unfold the two support arms 41 relative to each other to 180°. At this time, the support arms 41 are as follows: Figure 2 As shown, it is attached to the stepped surface 21, and part of the lifting arm 42 is located outside the chamber 11. It can be used by hand or connected to a robotic arm to lift the etched container upward.

[0046] The above embodiments provide a structure for a lifting tool. In other alternative embodiments, the lifting tool may also employ other existing structures that can mate with the stepped surface 21 described above.

[0047] Since the structural component 20 has a circular structure, the step surface 21 also has a circular surface. During the process of the lifting tool 40 cooperating with the step surface 21, the two support arms 41 naturally cooperate with the step surface 21 when they are unfolded. The lifting tool 40 does not need to adjust its direction along the circumference, which facilitates the cooperation between the lifting tool 40 and the step surface 21 and improves the disassembly and assembly efficiency of the etching container.

[0048] Please continue to refer to this. Figure 2 As shown, the structural member 20 extends along the first direction a to the first end of the container body 10, the first end corresponding to Figure 2 The upper end of the container body 10. During actual assembly and use, the first end of the etched container should also be facing upwards.

[0049] In this embodiment, the container body 10 and the structural component 20 are integrally formed. The structural component 20 extends to the upper end of the container body 10, resulting in a structure where the wall thickness of the container body 10 is thicker at the top and thinner at the bottom. The inner cavity of the structural component 20 also serves as the air inlet of the container body 10. Furthermore, the extension of the structural component 20 to the upper end of the container body 10 creates a difference in wall thickness at both ends of the container body 10, thus forming a foolproof design that makes it easy to distinguish the upper and lower ends of the container body 10 during installation, thereby improving installation efficiency.

[0050] Furthermore, it is preferable that the dimension of the structural component 20 along the first direction a is less than 1 / 3 of the overall dimension of the container body 10 along that direction, so that the placement of the structural component 20 does not affect the electromagnetic induction coil.

[0051] In this embodiment, the container body 10 is made of ceramic, and the structural component 20 is made of the same material as the container body 10. The container body 10 and the structural component 20 are integrally formed. In other alternative embodiments, the container body 10 and the structural component 20 can be separately configured. The structural component 20 can be connected to the container body 10 by mechanical connection or other connection methods. The materials of the container body 10 and the structural component 20 can also be selected based on usage requirements.

[0052] In this embodiment, the structural member 20 is configured as a structure protruding from the inner wall of the chamber 11. In other alternative embodiments, the structural member 20 may be configured as a groove structure, and the specific structure and position of the structural member 20 may be adjusted based on actual needs.

[0053] In this embodiment, the container body 10 and the chamber 11 are adapted to the existing wafer shape and configured as a cylindrical structure. In other alternative embodiments, the container body 10 can be other shapes, such as a cuboid, and the shape of the chamber 11 can be flexibly adjusted based on actual usage requirements. Furthermore, the shape of the structural component 20 can also be adaptively adjusted based on changes in the shape of the chamber 11.

[0054] In this embodiment, the structural member 20 is configured as a continuous annular structure. In other alternative embodiments, the structural member 20 may be configured as a discontinuous structure, for example, the structural member 20 may include a plurality of protrusion structures evenly distributed along the circumference of the chamber 11.

[0055] Furthermore, along the first direction a, the structural member 20 is located at the center of the container body 10 near the first end ( Figure 1 One side of the upper part (of the middle).

[0056] Please continue to refer to this. Figure 1 As shown, the center position of the container body 10 along the first direction a is the center surface A, and the structural component 20 is located on the side of the center surface A near its upper end, so as to ensure that the setting position of the structural component 20 does not coincide with the position of the electromagnetic induction coil axially.

[0057] For inductively coupled plasma (ICP) etching, an electromagnetic induction coil is typically required on the exterior of the container body 10. The installation position of the electromagnetic induction coil requires high precision. Since there is no reference on the existing container body 10, the distance must be manually measured using calipers to ensure installation accuracy. This installation method is time-consuming and prone to causing positional deviations, which in turn alter the plasma magnetic field pattern and affect the etching quality of the product.

[0058] Therefore, in this embodiment, a positioning structure 30 for positioning the electromagnetic induction coil is provided on the outer wall of the container body 10.

[0059] In this embodiment, the positioning structure 30 is a groove 31 provided on the outer wall of the container body 10. The groove 31 extends around the circumferential direction of the chamber 11 to form a closed annular groove. The annular groove 31 is used to accommodate the electromagnetic induction coil, so that the electromagnetic induction coil is installed entirely within the groove 31, and the installation position of the electromagnetic induction coil is naturally positioned to improve installation efficiency.

[0060] In other alternative embodiments, the groove 31 can be a non-annular groove formed on the outer wall of the container body 10. In this case, the electromagnetic induction coil can be partially installed in the groove 31, which also serves as a positioning function.

[0061] In other alternative embodiments, the positioning structure may be a scale mark or protrusion provided on the outer wall of the container body 10 to mark the installation position of the electromagnetic induction coil.

[0062] Please continue to refer to this. Figure 1 As shown, in this embodiment, the positioning structure 30 and the structural member 20 are offset along the first direction a.

[0063] The positioning structure 30 passes through the center plane A, and the projection of the positioning structure 30 and the structural component 20 along the direction perpendicular to the first direction a does not coincide, so that the setting position of the structural component 20 does not affect the electromagnetic induction coil.

[0064] Please continue to refer to this. Figure 1 As shown, the container body 10 is provided with a sealing groove 12 at its second end along the first direction a.

[0065] The sealing groove 12 extends along the circumferential direction of the container body 10 to form a closed annular groove. The cross-section of the sealing groove 12 is a trapezoidal groove with a larger inner diameter and a smaller outer diameter, so as to facilitate the installation of the sealing structure.

[0066] The sealing groove 12 makes etching easy and allows for the installation of a sealing structure. During assembly, the sealing ring can be installed in the sealing groove 12 of the etching container first, and then cooperate with other components to improve the sealing effect and assembly efficiency.

[0067] In other alternative embodiments, the sealing groove 12 may be configured as a rectangular groove or other shapes.

[0068] This embodiment also provides an etching apparatus, which includes the etching container described above.

[0069] Combination Figure 3 As shown, the etching apparatus also includes a base 70, in which an electromagnetic induction coil 50 is wound within a groove 31, and a sealing ring 60 is embedded within a sealing groove 12, with a portion located within the sealing groove 12. The etching container is entirely mounted on the base 70, wherein the second end of the container body 10 ( Figure 3 The lower end of the container body 10 is embedded in a groove of the base 70, and the sealing ring 60 seals between the base 70 and the lower end of the container body 10, which helps to improve the phenomenon of easy leakage at the seal.

[0070] A wafer stage 80 is mounted on the base 70 for placing wafers. When the etching container mates with the base 70, the two together form an etching chamber, in which the wafer stage 80 is located. Furthermore, the etching equipment is equipped with upper and lower electrodes to create an electric field within the etching chamber.

[0071] Etching equipment, such as inductively coupled plasma (ICP) etching equipment, performs ICP etching, a type of reactive ion etching. This etching method utilizes gas glow discharge to generate plasma, achieving pattern transfer from the photoresist mask to the wafer surface through a combination of chemical and physical processes. Its basic principle is that under low vacuum and pressure, the ICP RF power supply generates RF output, which is then fed to a ring coupling coil. A mixed etching gas of a specific ratio enters the etching chamber through the upper end of the etching container, where a coupled glow discharge generates a high-density plasma (ions, electrons, active particles, photons, and excited-state atoms). Under the RF action of the lower electrode, these heavy ions physically bombard the wafer surface, breaking the chemical bonds of the semiconductor material in the patterned areas. Active particles react chemically with the patterned material to generate volatile substances, which are then detached from the wafer in gaseous form and extracted from the vacuum tube, thus transferring the pattern from the photoresist mask to the wafer.

[0072] In this embodiment, the etching equipment differs from existing etching equipment in that the etching container is different, while the other structures are consistent with those of existing etching equipment, and will not be described in detail here.

[0073] 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.

[0074] 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. An etching container, characterized in that, include: Container body and structural components; A chamber is provided through the container body along the first direction; The structural component is disposed on the inner wall of the chamber and protrudes from the inner wall of the chamber.

2. The etching container as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The structural component is a ring structure that is closed around the circumference of the cavity.

3. The etching container as described in claim 1, characterized in that, Along the first direction, the structural member is located on the side of the center of the container body near the first end.

4. The etching container as described in any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, The structural member extends along the first direction to the first end of the container body.

5. The etching container as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The outer wall of the container body is provided with a positioning structure for positioning the electromagnetic induction coil.

6. The etching container as described in claim 5, characterized in that, The positioning structure is a groove provided on the outer wall of the container body.

7. The etching container as described in claim 6, characterized in that, The groove extends around the circumferential direction of the chamber to form a closed annular groove.

8. The etching container as described in any one of claims 5 to 7, characterized in that, The positioning structure is offset from the structural component along the first direction.

9. The etching container as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that, The container body has a sealing groove at its second end along the first direction.

10. An etching apparatus, characterized in that, The etching apparatus includes the etching container as described in any one of claims 1 to 9.

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