A semiconductor processing apparatus

Abstract

The utility model provides a kind of semiconductor processing equipment, comprising: semiconductor processing chamber, impedance converter, radio frequency voltage current sensor;Wherein, the impedance converter is between the output terminal of the radio frequency voltage current sensor and the semiconductor processing chamber, and the impedance converter reduces the standing wave ratio of the working point of the radio frequency voltage current sensor to less than or equal to a preset value.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to semiconductor processing equipment, and more particularly to the field of thin film deposition. Background Technology

[0002] With the rapid development of semiconductor manufacturing processes, the demands for thin film performance and production efficiency in thin film deposition equipment are increasing. Currently, the industry's solution to these demands is the development of multi-station thin film deposition machines. To meet the RF power supply requirements of multi-station thin film deposition machines, RF power needs to be distributed among the stations via a power distribution module. The accuracy of power distribution directly depends on the feedback accuracy of the RF voltage and current sensors (VI sensors) directly connected below the electrodes of the thin film deposition equipment; therefore, the accuracy of the RF voltage and current sensors (VI sensors) is particularly important.

[0003] Because the RF voltage and current sensor (VISensor) is directly connected below the electrodes of the thin film deposition equipment, the RF voltage and current sensor (VI Sensor) will operate at a node with a high standing wave ratio (SWR) for measurement (e.g., SWR > 10). A node with a high standing wave ratio will have a high reflected wave. The superposition of the incident wave and the highly reflected wave will cause the measurement waveform to be distorted, resulting in poor power measurement accuracy.

[0004] Therefore, there is an urgent need for a semiconductor processing device to improve the accuracy of radio frequency voltage and current sensors. Utility Model Content

[0005] To improve the accuracy of radio frequency voltage and current sensors, this invention provides a semiconductor processing device.

[0006] In one embodiment, the semiconductor processing device includes: a semiconductor processing chamber, an impedance converter, and a radio frequency voltage and current sensor; wherein the impedance converter is located between the output terminal of the radio frequency voltage and current sensor and the semiconductor processing chamber, and the impedance converter reduces the standing wave ratio (SWR) of the operating point of the radio frequency voltage and current sensor to less than or equal to a preset value.

[0007] In one embodiment, the preset value is 6.

[0008] In one embodiment, the semiconductor processing apparatus further includes:

[0009] A power divider is coupled to the input terminal of the radio frequency voltage and current sensor;

[0010] A power matching device, coupled to the power divider.

[0011] In one embodiment, the semiconductor processing apparatus further includes:

[0012] An RF generator that generates RF signals is coupled to the power matching unit.

[0013] In one embodiment, the impedance converter includes:

[0014] Plasma etching shunt;

[0015] Radio frequency band;

[0016] The output terminal of the radio frequency voltage and current sensor is coupled to the plasma etching shunt, the plasma etching shunt is coupled to the radio frequency band, and the radio frequency band is coupled to an electrode of the semiconductor processing chamber.

[0017] In one embodiment, the impedance converter further includes:

[0018] An LC parallel circuit is coupled between the output of the RF voltage and current sensor and the plasma etching shunt.

[0019] In one embodiment, the plasma etching shunt consists of at least one inductor and multiple capacitors connected in series.

[0020] In one embodiment, the radio frequency band includes multiple sets of parallel L-type RC circuits.

[0021] The beneficial technical effects of this utility model are as follows:

[0022] By adding an impedance converter to the output of the radio frequency voltage and current sensor, this invention can reduce the standing wave ratio (SWR) of the operating point of the radio frequency voltage and current sensor to less than or equal to a preset value, thereby improving the accuracy of the radio frequency voltage and current sensor. Attached Figure Description

[0023] The above-described utility model and the following detailed embodiments will be better understood when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. It should be noted that the drawings are merely examples of the claimed utility model. In the drawings, the same reference numerals represent the same or similar elements.

[0024] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a semiconductor processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown;

[0025] Figure 2 This shows the operating point VSWR of a radio frequency voltage and current sensor according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0026] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of an impedance converter according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown. Detailed Implementation

[0027] The detailed features and advantages of this utility model are described below in specific embodiments. The content is sufficient for any person skilled in the art to understand the technical content of this utility model and implement it accordingly. Furthermore, based on the specification, claims, and drawings disclosed herein, those skilled in the art can easily understand the related objectives and advantages of this utility model. Although the description of this utility model is presented in conjunction with preferred embodiments, this does not mean that the features of this utility model are limited to this embodiment. On the contrary, the purpose of describing the utility model in conjunction with the embodiments is to cover other options or modifications that may be derived from the claims of this utility model. To provide a deep understanding of this utility model, many specific details will be included in the following description. This utility model may also be implemented without using these details. In addition, to avoid confusion or obscuring the focus of this utility model, some specific details will be omitted in the description.

[0028] In the description of this utility model, it should be noted that, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," and "joining" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; and they can refer to the internal connection of two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this utility model based on the specific circumstances.

[0029] Furthermore, the terms "upper," "lower," "left," "right," "top," "bottom," "horizontal," and "vertical" used in the following description should be understood as the orientations shown in the relevant paragraphs and accompanying drawings. These relative terms are for illustrative purposes only and do not imply that the described device must be manufactured or operated in a specific orientation; therefore, they should not be construed as limiting the scope of this invention.

[0030] It is understood that while terms such as "first," "second," and "third" may be used herein to describe various components, channels, assemblies, regions, layers, and / or parts, these components, channels, assemblies, regions, layers, and / or parts should not be limited by these terms, and these terms are only used to distinguish different components, channels, assemblies, regions, layers, and / or parts. Furthermore, the terms "first," "second," and "third" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0031] As indicated in this application and claims, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, the words "a," "an," "an," and / or "the" are not specifically singular and may include plural forms. Generally speaking, the terms "comprising" and "including" only indicate the inclusion of explicitly identified steps and elements, which do not constitute an exclusive list, and the method or apparatus may also include other steps or elements.

[0032] In some embodiments, numbers describing the quantity of components and attributes are used. It should be understood that such numbers used in the description of embodiments are modified in some examples with the terms "approximately," "approximately," or "generally." Unless otherwise stated, "approximately," "approximately," or "generally" indicates that the numbers are allowed to vary by ±20%. Accordingly, in some embodiments, the numerical parameters used in the specification and claims are approximate values, which may be changed depending on the characteristics required by individual embodiments. In some embodiments, numerical parameters should take into account specified significant digits and employ a general method of digit reservation. Although the numerical ranges and parameters used to confirm their breadth of scope in some embodiments of this application are approximate values, in specific embodiments, such values ​​are set as precisely as feasible.

[0033] Furthermore, this application uses specific terms to describe embodiments of the application. For example, "an embodiment," "one embodiment," and / or "some embodiments" refer to a particular feature, structure, or characteristic related to at least one embodiment of the application. Therefore, it should be emphasized and noted that "an embodiment," "one embodiment," or "an alternative embodiment" mentioned twice or more in different locations in this specification do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment. In addition, certain features, structures, or characteristics in one or more embodiments of the application can be appropriately combined.

[0034] With the rapid development of semiconductor manufacturing processes, the demands for thin film performance and production efficiency in thin film deposition equipment are increasing. Currently, the industry's solution to these demands is the development of multi-station thin film deposition machines. To meet the RF power supply requirements of multi-station thin film deposition machines, RF power needs to be distributed among the stations via a power distribution module. The accuracy of power distribution directly depends on the feedback accuracy of the RF voltage and current sensors (VI sensors) directly connected below the electrodes of the thin film deposition equipment; therefore, the accuracy of the RF voltage and current sensors (VI sensors) is particularly important.

[0035] Because the RF voltage and current sensor (VISensor) is directly connected below the electrodes of the thin film deposition equipment, the RF voltage and current sensor (VI Sensor) will operate at a node with a high standing wave ratio (SWR) for measurement (e.g., SWR > 10). A node with a high standing wave ratio will have a high reflected wave. The superposition of the incident wave and the highly reflected wave will cause the measurement waveform to be distorted, resulting in poor power measurement accuracy.

[0036] Therefore, it is urgent to reduce the standing wave ratio (SWR) of the measurement points of radio frequency voltage and current sensors (VISensors) to improve their accuracy.

[0037] In view of this, the present invention provides a semiconductor processing device, comprising: a semiconductor processing chamber, an impedance converter, and a radio frequency voltage and current sensor; wherein the impedance converter is located between the output terminal of the radio frequency voltage and current sensor and the semiconductor processing chamber, and the standing wave ratio (SWR) of the operating point of the radio frequency voltage and current sensor is less than or equal to a preset value.

[0038] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a semiconductor processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown. The semiconductor processing apparatus includes a semiconductor processing chamber 101, a radio frequency voltage and current sensor (VISensor) 102, a power divider 104, a power matching unit 105, a radio frequency generator 106, and an impedance converter 103.

[0039] The semiconductor processing chamber 101 has a spray plate and a substrate support.

[0040] Process gases are sprayed out from the spray plate.

[0041] A wafer can be placed on a substrate support, which may include a heating plate.

[0042] Radio frequency generator 106 generates radio frequency signals.

[0043] The power matching unit 105 is connected between the RF generator 106 and the power divider 104 to achieve impedance matching and improve the transmission efficiency of RF power.

[0044] The power divider 104 distributes power to each semiconductor processing unit.

[0045] The RF voltage and current sensor (VI Sensor) 102 is used to monitor relevant parameters of the RF signal, such as power, voltage, and current. The RF signal output from the power divider is first detected by the RF voltage and current sensor before being input into the processing chamber to ensure that the RF signal entering the chamber meets the process requirements.

[0046] The output of the radio frequency voltage and current sensor 102 is not directly connected to the semiconductor processing chamber, but is coupled to the impedance converter 103.

[0047] Impedance converter 103 is located between the output terminal of RF voltage and current sensor 102 and semiconductor processing chamber 101 (e.g., below an electrode of semiconductor processing chamber 101) to reduce the standing wave ratio of the operating point of RF voltage and current sensor 102 to less than or equal to a preset value, thereby improving the accuracy of RF voltage and current sensor 102.

[0048] In one embodiment, the preset value is 6.

[0049] In one embodiment, the impedance converter 103 may include a plasma etched shunt (PED splitter) 108 and an RF strip 107, wherein the RF voltage and current sensor 102 is coupled to the PED splitter 108, the PED splitter 108 is coupled to the RF strip 107, and the RF strip 107 is coupled to the semiconductor processing chamber 101.

[0050] Plasma etching shunts can convert the input impedance to an impedance that matches the output port load, thereby reducing signal reflections and improving power transmission efficiency.

[0051] The characteristic impedance of an RF stripline is related to the thickness and width of the strip, the dielectric constant of the dielectric material, and the distance between the two conductive planes. By properly designing these parameters, RF striplines can have different characteristic impedances, thereby achieving impedance transformation and converting the source impedance into the impedance required by the load, thus achieving impedance matching.

[0052] Preferably, an LC parallel circuit is provided between the plasma etching splitter 108 and the radio frequency voltage and current sensor 102.

[0053] Figure 2 The diagram illustrates the operating point VSWR of a radio frequency voltage and current sensor according to an embodiment of the present invention. The present invention adds an impedance converter to the output of the radio frequency voltage and current sensor, thereby optimizing the VSWR to less than or equal to 6.

[0054] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of an impedance converter according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown. Figure 3 As shown, the impedance converter includes an LC parallel circuit 109, a plasma etching shunt 108, and an RF band 107.

[0055] The plasma etching shunt 108 consists of at least one inductor and multiple capacitors connected in series.

[0056] The radio frequency band 107 may include multiple sets of parallel L-type RC circuits.

[0057] The LC parallel circuit 109 includes inductors and resistors connected in parallel.

[0058] Those skilled in the art should understand that the specific circuit structure of the impedance converter of this utility model is not limited to... Figure 3 The structure shown can also have other implementations without departing from the spirit of this utility model, as long as it can reduce the VSWR reading at the operating point of the radio frequency voltage and current sensor to 6 or less.

[0059] Those skilled in the art will understand that the various illustrative components, modules, blocks, units, circuits, systems, and steps described in conjunction with the embodiments disclosed herein can be implemented in hardware, software (including firmware, resident software, microcode, etc.), or a combination of both. To clearly illustrate this interchangeability between hardware and software, the various illustrative components, modules, blocks, units, circuits, systems, and steps described above are generalized in their functional form. Whether such functionality is implemented in hardware or software depends on the specific application and the design constraints imposed on the overall system. Those skilled in the art may implement the described functionality in different ways for each specific application, but such implementation decisions should not be construed as departing from the scope of this invention.

[0060] The terminology and expressions used above are for descriptive purposes only, and this utility model should not be limited to these terms and expressions. The use of these terms and expressions does not mean excluding any illustrative and descriptive equivalent features (or parts thereof), and it should be recognized that various possible modifications should also be included within the scope of the claims. Other modifications, variations, and substitutions may also exist. Accordingly, the claims should be considered to cover all such equivalents.

[0061] Similarly, it should be noted that, in order to simplify the description of the present application and thus aid in the understanding of one or more embodiments of the utility model, the foregoing description of the embodiments of the present application sometimes combines multiple features into a single embodiment, drawing, or description thereof. However, this disclosure method does not imply that the subject matter of the present application requires more features than those mentioned in the claims.

[0062] Similarly, it should be noted that although the present invention has been described with reference to the specific embodiments described above, those skilled in the art should recognize that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the present invention, and various equivalent changes or substitutions can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention. Therefore, any changes or modifications to the above embodiments within the scope of the essential spirit of the present invention will fall within the scope of the claims of this application.

Claims

1. A semiconductor processing apparatus, characterized in that, include: Semiconductor processing chambers, impedance converters, and radio frequency voltage and current sensors; The impedance converter is located between the output terminal of the radio frequency voltage and current sensor and the semiconductor processing chamber. The impedance converter reduces the standing wave ratio (SWR) of the operating point of the radio frequency voltage and current sensor to less than or equal to a preset value.

2. The semiconductor processing apparatus as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The preset value is 6.

3. The semiconductor processing apparatus as described in claim 1, characterized in that, Also includes: A power divider is coupled to the input terminal of the radio frequency voltage and current sensor; A power matching device, coupled to the power divider.

4. The semiconductor processing apparatus as described in claim 3, characterized in that, Also includes: An RF generator that generates RF signals is coupled to the power matching unit.

5. The semiconductor processing apparatus as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The impedance converter includes: Plasma etching shunt; Radio frequency band; The output terminal of the radio frequency voltage and current sensor is coupled to the plasma etching shunt, the plasma etching shunt is coupled to the radio frequency band, and the radio frequency band is coupled to an electrode of the semiconductor processing chamber.

6. The semiconductor processing apparatus as described in claim 5, characterized in that, The impedance converter also includes: An LC parallel circuit is coupled between the output of the RF voltage and current sensor and the plasma etching shunt.

7. The semiconductor processing apparatus as described in claim 5, characterized in that, The plasma etching shunt consists of at least one inductor and multiple capacitors connected in series.

8. The semiconductor processing apparatus as described in claim 5, characterized in that, The radio frequency band includes multiple sets of parallel L-type RC circuits.

Images