A thin film deposition apparatus
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Utility models(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- ANHUI YOFC ADVANCED SEMICONDUCTOR CO LTD
- Filing Date
- 2025-09-02
- Publication Date
- 2026-08-07
Smart Images
Figure CN224605065U_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This application relates to the field of thin film deposition technology, and more particularly to a thin film deposition apparatus. Background Technology
[0002] In existing technologies, standard aluminum vapor deposition is the most cost-effective method for channel filling processes. However, this method has limited filling capability and is prone to producing pores on the surface or inside the generated aluminum film.
[0003] Application content
[0004] This application provides a thin film deposition apparatus for filling the pores inside and the grooves on the surface of an aluminum film by remelting it in a high-temperature environment.
[0005] According to one aspect of this application, a thin film deposition apparatus is provided, the thin film deposition apparatus comprising:
[0006] A transfer platform, at least one first deposition chamber, and at least one heating chamber;
[0007] At least one first deposition chamber is connected to at least one first connection portion of the transfer base in a one-to-one correspondence. The transfer base is used to receive the wafer to be processed and to transfer the wafer to be processed into or out of the first deposition chamber, or to transfer the wafer to be processed into or out of the heating chamber. The first deposition chamber is used to perform aluminum deposition processing on the wafer to be processed transferred in by the transfer base.
[0008] At least one heating chamber is connected to at least one second connection portion of the transfer base in a one-to-one correspondence. The heating chamber is used to heat the wafer to be processed after aluminum deposition, which is transferred from the transfer base.
[0009] Furthermore, the heating temperature of the heating chamber is within a first preset temperature range;
[0010] The heating time of the heating chamber is within the first preset time range.
[0011] Furthermore, the first preset temperature is greater than or equal to 480°C and less than or equal to 660°C;
[0012] The first preset time is greater than or equal to 10 minutes and less than or equal to 15 minutes.
[0013] Furthermore, thin film deposition equipment also includes:
[0014] Second deposition chamber;
[0015] The second deposition chamber is connected to the third connection part of the transfer station. The transfer station is used to transfer the wafer to be processed into or out of the second deposition chamber. The second deposition chamber is used to perform titanium deposition or titanium nitride deposition on the wafer to be processed transferred by the transfer station.
[0016] Furthermore, thin film deposition equipment also includes:
[0017] Pretreatment chamber;
[0018] The preprocessing chamber is connected to the fourth connection part of the transfer base. The transfer base is used to transfer the wafer to be processed into or out of the preprocessing chamber. The preprocessing chamber is used to remove the oxide layer from the wafer to be processed transferred by the transfer base.
[0019] Furthermore, thin film deposition equipment also includes:
[0020] Moisture removal chamber;
[0021] The moisture removal chamber is set on the transfer platform, which is used to transfer the wafer to be processed into or out of the moisture removal chamber. The moisture removal chamber is used to remove moisture from the wafer to be processed transferred from the transfer platform.
[0022] Furthermore, the heating temperature of the water vapor removal chamber is within a second preset temperature range;
[0023] The heating time of the water vapor removal chamber is within the second preset time range.
[0024] Furthermore, the second preset temperature is greater than or equal to 200°C and less than or equal to 400°C;
[0025] The second preset time is greater than or equal to 50 seconds and less than or equal to 90 seconds.
[0026] Furthermore, thin film deposition equipment also includes:
[0027] Cooling chamber;
[0028] The cooling chamber is set on the transfer platform, which is used to transfer the wafer to be processed into or out of the cooling chamber. The cooling chamber is used to cool the wafer to be processed after it has been heated by the transfer platform.
[0029] Furthermore, the thin film deposition equipment includes:
[0030] Three primary deposition chambers and one heating chamber;
[0031] The three first deposition chambers are connected one-to-one with the three first connection parts of the transport base;
[0032] The heating chamber is connected to the second connection part of the transmission base.
[0033] The thin film deposition apparatus provided in this application, by adding a heating chamber to the thin film deposition apparatus, allows the wafer to be processed for aluminum deposition to be transferred from the first deposition chamber to the heating chamber via a transfer stage. The heating chamber heats the wafer, causing the aluminum film to remelt in a high-temperature environment, thus filling the pores inside the aluminum film and the grooves on its surface. Furthermore, it allows for the direct addition of a heating chamber to the existing transfer stage without requiring a redesigned stage, saving production costs.
[0034] It should be understood that the description in this section is not intended to identify key or essential features of the embodiments of this application, nor is it intended to limit the scope of this application. Other features of this application will become readily apparent from the following description. Attached Figure Description
[0035] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application, the accompanying drawings used in the description of the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the accompanying drawings described below are only some embodiments of this application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.
[0036] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a thin film deposition apparatus according to an embodiment of this application;
[0037] Figure 2 This is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of an aluminum deposited thin film provided according to an embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation
[0038] To enable those skilled in the art to better understand the present application, the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present application, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments in the present application, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative effort should fall within the scope of protection of the present application.
[0039] It should be noted that the terms "first," "second," etc., in the specification, claims, and accompanying drawings of this application are used to distinguish similar objects and are not necessarily used to describe a specific order or sequence. It should be understood that such data can be interchanged where appropriate so that the embodiments of this application described herein can be implemented in orders other than those illustrated or described herein. Furthermore, the terms "comprising" and "having," and any variations thereof, are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion; for example, a process, method, system, product, or apparatus that comprises a series of steps or units is not necessarily limited to those steps or units explicitly listed, but may include other steps or units not explicitly listed or inherent to such processes, methods, products, or apparatus.
[0040] This application provides a thin film deposition apparatus. Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a thin film deposition apparatus according to an embodiment of this application, with reference to... Figure 1 Thin film deposition equipment includes:
[0041] The system comprises a transfer platform 1, at least one first deposition chamber 2, and at least one heating chamber 3;
[0042] At least one first deposition chamber 2 is connected to at least one first connection portion of deposition base 1 in a one-to-one correspondence. The transfer base 1 is used to receive the wafer to be processed and to transfer the wafer to be processed into or out of the first deposition chamber 2, or to transfer the wafer to be processed into or out of the heating chamber 3. The first deposition chamber 2 is used to perform aluminum deposition processing on the wafer to be processed transferred from the transfer base 1.
[0043] At least one heating chamber 3 is connected to at least one second connection portion of the deposition stage 1 in a one-to-one correspondence. The heating chamber 3 is used to heat the wafer to be processed after aluminum deposition, which is transmitted from the transfer stage 1.
[0044] In this context, "at least one" can be understood as one or more. For example, the thin film deposition apparatus includes one or more first deposition chambers 2 and one or more heating chambers 3. Since the operating time of the first deposition chambers 2 and the operating time of the heating chambers 3 are different, the number of first deposition chambers 2 and the number of heating chambers 3 can be set according to actual needs; this embodiment does not impose any limitations on this. Furthermore, the multiple first deposition chambers 2 are configured one-to-one with the multiple first connection portions of the deposition substrate 1, and the heating chambers 3 are configured one-to-one with the second connection portions of the deposition substrate 1.
[0045] Specifically, when aluminum deposition is required on the wafer to be processed, the wafer is transported from the transport platform 1 to the first deposition chamber 2. The first deposition chamber 2 performs aluminum sputtering on the incoming wafer by controlling the ion beam to bombard the aluminum target, causing the incident ions to collide with the atoms on the surface of the aluminum target, thereby sputtering the atoms from the surface of the aluminum target. The sputtered atoms have a certain kinetic energy and fly in a certain direction, heading towards the wafer 4 and depositing on the surface of the wafer 4, thus forming the desired aluminum thin film. After the aluminum sputtering process on the wafer to be processed, grooves will appear on the surface of the formed aluminum thin film and / or holes will appear inside the aluminum thin film. For example, Figure 2 This is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of an aluminum deposited thin film according to an embodiment of this application, with reference to... Figure 2 After aluminum sputtering of the wafer to be processed, grooves 01 appear on the surface of the formed aluminum film, and holes 02 appear inside the aluminum film. This can easily lead to other substances flowing into the aluminum layer during subsequent processing, causing poor contact between adjacent film layers and the aluminum film, resulting in the failure of the aluminum film's conductivity. This embodiment addresses this issue by providing a heating chamber 3. The wafer to be processed for aluminum deposition can be transferred from the first deposition chamber 2 to the heating chamber 3 via a transfer platform 1. The heating chamber 3 heats the wafer, causing the aluminum film to remelt in a high-temperature environment, thus filling the holes inside the aluminum film and the grooves on its surface.
[0046] The thin film deposition apparatus provided in this application, by adding a heating chamber 3 to the thin film deposition apparatus, allows the wafer to be processed for aluminum deposition to be transferred from the first deposition chamber 2 to the heating chamber 3 via the transfer platform 1. The heating chamber 3 heats the wafer, causing the aluminum film to remelt in a high-temperature environment, thus filling the pores inside the aluminum film and the grooves on its surface. Furthermore, it allows for the direct addition of the heating chamber 3 to the existing transfer platform 1, eliminating the need for redesigning and adding a new platform, thereby saving production costs.
[0047] Furthermore, the heating temperature of the heating chamber is within a first preset temperature range;
[0048] The heating time of the heating chamber is within the first preset time range.
[0049] Specifically, by setting the heating temperature within the heating chamber to a first preset temperature range, the heating time can be maintained within the first preset time range while ensuring the remelting of the aluminum film. In other words, while reducing heating power and costs, the heating time is minimized as much as possible to ensure the processing efficiency of the wafer.
[0050] Furthermore, the first preset temperature is greater than or equal to 480°C and less than or equal to 660°C;
[0051] The first preset time is greater than or equal to 10 minutes and less than or equal to 15 minutes.
[0052] Specifically, although aluminum has a melting point of 660℃, due to the thinness of the aluminum film, setting the heating temperature of the heating chamber to be greater than or equal to 480℃ and less than or equal to 660℃ is sufficient to remelt the aluminum film. At the same time, the heating time can be maintained within the first preset time range, that is, the heating time can be maintained within 10min-15min. This achieves the goal of minimizing the heating time while keeping the heating cost low, thus ensuring the processing efficiency of the wafer to be processed.
[0053] Further reference Figure 1 Thin film deposition equipment also includes:
[0054] Second sedimentation chamber 4;
[0055] The second deposition chamber 4 is connected to the third connection part of the transfer base 1. The transfer base 1 is used to transfer the wafer to be processed into or out of the second deposition chamber 4. The second deposition chamber 4 is used to perform titanium deposition or titanium nitride deposition on the wafer to be processed transferred from the transfer base 1.
[0056] Specifically, when titanium deposition or titanium nitride deposition is required on the wafer to be processed, the wafer to be processed is transported from the transport platform 1 to the second deposition chamber 4. The second deposition chamber 4 performs titanium sputtering or titanium nitride sputtering on the incoming wafer to be processed. By controlling the ion beam to bombard the titanium target or titanium nitride target, the incident ions collide with the atoms on the surface of the titanium target or titanium nitride target, thereby sputtering the atoms on the surface of the titanium target or titanium nitride target. The sputtered atoms have a certain kinetic energy and fly in a certain direction, heading towards the wafer 4 and depositing on the surface of the wafer 4, thereby forming the required titanium target or titanium nitride target.
[0057] Further reference Figure 1 Thin film deposition equipment also includes:
[0058] Pretreatment chamber 5;
[0059] The preprocessing chamber 5 is connected to the fourth connection part of the transfer base 1. The transfer base 1 is used to transfer the wafer to be processed into or out of the preprocessing chamber 5. The preprocessing chamber 5 is used to remove the oxide layer from the wafer to be processed transferred from the transfer base 1.
[0060] Specifically, before epitaxial thin film deposition on the wafer to be processed, a native oxide layer exists on the surface of the wafer, which needs to be pre-cleaned. This is done by etching away the native oxide layer on the surface of the wafer using argon gas bombardment. The specific method is described as follows: First, argon gas is used to form plasma in the pre-processing chamber 5, and then the surface of the wafer to be processed is bombarded to remove the native oxide layer.
[0061] Furthermore, thin film deposition equipment also includes:
[0062] Moisture removal chamber;
[0063] A moisture removal chamber is set on the transfer base, and the moisture removal chamber is used to remove moisture from the wafer to be processed that is transferred from the transfer base 1.
[0064] Specifically, before epitaxial thin film deposition, the wafer is first transferred to a moisture removal chamber via a transfer platform 1. This chamber removes moisture from the wafer surface through high-temperature baking, and also prevents byproducts from accumulating on the chamber's inner wall and heater, thus maintaining a stable particle count. As a crucial piece of equipment for thin film deposition, its performance directly affects the purity of the wafer, ensuring the stability of subsequent processing steps and the quality of the finished product.
[0065] Furthermore, the heating temperature of the water vapor removal chamber is within a second preset temperature range;
[0066] The heating time of the water vapor removal chamber is within the second preset time range.
[0067] Specifically, by setting the heating temperature within the moisture removal chamber to a second preset temperature range, the heating time can be maintained within a shorter second preset time range while ensuring the removal of moisture from the surface of the wafer to be processed. In other words, while reducing heating power and costs, the heating time is minimized as much as possible to ensure efficient moisture removal from the wafer.
[0068] Furthermore, the second preset temperature is greater than or equal to 200°C and less than or equal to 400°C;
[0069] The second preset time is greater than or equal to 50 seconds and less than or equal to 90 seconds.
[0070] Specifically, setting the heating temperature within the moisture removal chamber to be greater than or equal to 200°C and less than or equal to 400°C allows for maintaining a short heating time of 50-90 seconds while ensuring the removal of moisture from the surface of the wafer to be processed. In other words, this minimizes the heating time while reducing heating power and costs, ensuring efficient moisture removal from the wafer. Preferably, the heating temperature within the moisture removal chamber is 250°C, and the heating time is 1 minute.
[0071] Furthermore, thin film deposition equipment also includes:
[0072] Cooling chamber;
[0073] The cooling chamber is located on the transfer platform and is used to cool the heated wafers that are transferred from the transfer platform.
[0074] Specifically, after the wafer to be processed is heated in the heating chamber, it is first transferred to the cooling chamber via a transfer platform. Argon gas is then introduced into the cooling chamber for a first preset time to cool the heated wafer and prevent it from being directly placed into the carrier, which could damage the carrier.
[0075] Further reference Figure 1 Thin film deposition equipment includes:
[0076] The system comprises a transfer platform 1, three first deposition chambers 2, and a heating chamber 3;
[0077] The three first deposition chambers 2 are connected one-to-one with the three first connecting parts of the transfer base 1;
[0078] The heating chamber 3 is connected to the second connecting part of the transmission base 1.
[0079] Specifically, since the working time of the first deposition chamber 2 is much longer than that of the heating chamber 3, setting the number of first deposition chambers 2 to be greater than the number of heating chambers 3 can ensure that all chambers connected to the transfer base 1 are in working condition, thereby improving the working efficiency of the thin film deposition equipment. For example, if the thin film deposition equipment is equipped with two first deposition chambers and two heating chambers 3, since the working time of the first deposition chamber 2 is much longer than that of the heating chamber 3, it is easy for some heating chambers 3 to be idle for most of the time, thus reducing the working efficiency of the thin film deposition equipment.
[0080] It should be understood that the various forms of processes shown above can be used to rearrange, add, or delete steps. For example, the steps described in this application can be executed in parallel, sequentially, or in different orders, as long as the desired result of the technical solution of this application can be achieved, and this is not limited herein.
[0081] The specific embodiments described above do not constitute a limitation on the scope of protection of this application. Those skilled in the art should understand that various modifications, combinations, sub-combinations, and substitutions can be made according to design requirements and other factors. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, and improvements made within the spirit and principles of this application should be included within the scope of protection of this application.
Claims
1. A thin film deposition apparatus, characterized in that, include: A transfer platform, at least one first deposition chamber, and at least one heating chamber; At least one of the first deposition chambers is connected to at least one of the first connecting portions of the transfer base in a one-to-one correspondence. The transfer base is used to receive the wafer to be processed and to transfer the wafer to be processed into or out of the first deposition chamber, or to transfer the wafer to be processed into or out of the heating chamber. The first deposition chamber is used to perform aluminum deposition on the wafer to be processed transferred in by the transfer base. At least one of the heating chambers is connected to at least one second connection portion of the transfer base in a one-to-one correspondence, and the heating chamber is used to heat the wafer to be processed after aluminum deposition, which is transmitted from the transfer base.
2. The thin film deposition apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, The heating temperature of the heating chamber is within a first preset temperature range; The heating time of the heating chamber is within a first preset time range.
3. The thin film deposition apparatus according to claim 2, characterized in that, The first preset temperature is greater than or equal to 480°C and less than or equal to 660°C; The first preset time is greater than or equal to 10 minutes and less than or equal to 15 minutes.
4. The thin film deposition apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, Also includes: Second deposition chamber; The second deposition chamber is connected to the third connection portion of the transfer platform. The transfer platform is used to transfer the wafer to be processed into or out of the second deposition chamber. The second deposition chamber is used to perform titanium deposition or titanium nitride deposition on the wafer to be processed transferred by the transfer platform.
5. The thin film deposition apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, Also includes: Pretreatment chamber; The preprocessing chamber is connected to the fourth connection portion of the transfer base. The transfer base is used to transfer the wafer to be processed into or out of the preprocessing chamber. The preprocessing chamber is used to perform oxide layer removal processing on the wafer to be processed transferred by the transfer base.
6. The thin film deposition apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, Also includes: Moisture removal chamber; The moisture removal chamber is disposed on the transfer base, and the transfer base is used to transfer the wafer to be processed into or out of the moisture removal chamber. The moisture removal chamber is used to perform moisture removal processing on the wafer to be processed transferred by the transfer base.
7. The thin film deposition apparatus according to claim 6, characterized in that, The heating temperature of the water vapor removal chamber is within the second preset temperature range; The heating time of the water vapor removal chamber is within a second preset time range.
8. The thin film deposition apparatus according to claim 7, characterized in that, The second preset temperature is greater than or equal to 200°C and less than or equal to 400°C; The second preset time is greater than or equal to 50s and less than or equal to 90s.
9. The thin film deposition apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, Also includes: Cooling chamber; The cooling chamber is disposed on the transfer platform, which is used to transfer the wafer to be processed into or out of the cooling chamber. The cooling chamber is used to cool the wafer to be processed after it has been heated and transferred in by the transfer platform.
10. The thin film deposition apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, include: Three primary deposition chambers and one heating chamber; The three first deposition chambers are connected one-to-one with the three first connection parts of the transfer base; The heating chamber is connected to the second connecting part of the transmission base.