A gas box structure with uniform air distribution function

Abstract

The utility model relates to a kind of gas box structure with uniform air distribution function, including gas box assembly and air distribution component, gas box assembly includes gas box side plate and the gas box cover plate being installed in the top outside of gas box side plate;Air distribution component includes air inlet splitter, isolation gas splitter, source splitter, source runner plate and diffusion plate, the number of air inlet splitter is two and respectively located in the left and right sides of gas box side plate, two air inlet splitters are respectively installed in the top left and right sides of isolation gas splitter, source splitter, source runner plate and diffusion plate are sequentially installed in the bottom of isolation gas splitter.The utility model is through the three-level distribution and active adjustment mechanism of shunt regulating valve, fractal runner, runner regulating valve, can compensate the inherent distribution difference of airflow in different areas of substrate targeted, to significantly eliminate edge effect, realize super-uniform coating on large area.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of atomic layer deposition technology, and in particular to a gas box structure with uniform gas distribution function. Background Technology

[0002] In conventional atomic layer deposition (ALD), precursors are sequentially exposed to the substrate via short pulses, while maintaining physical separation through intermediate purging steps. Spatial ALD (SALD) is a variant of ALD in which precursors are continuously supplied at different locations and kept separate by inert gas regions. Film growth is achieved by exposing the substrate to locations containing different precursors.

[0003] Deficiencies of existing technology: Poor phase stability of precursors: Taking the commonly used tin source precursor TDMASn (tetramethylaminotin) as an example, it can only maintain gaseous stability within a narrow temperature window of 80~150℃. The traditional gas-box structure has inaccurate temperature control, which can easily lead to condensation (phase change) or thermal decomposition of the precursor inside the gas box, seriously affecting the film quality and process repeatability.

[0004] Uniformity of the film layer is difficult to guarantee: As the substrate size increases, the gas is prone to uneven distribution in the flow channel of a traditional gas box, resulting in inconsistent film thickness between the substrate edge and the center, i.e., a significant "edge effect". This is mainly due to the natural attenuation of pressure and velocity during the diffusion process of the airflow, as well as the lack of effective active adjustment methods.

[0005] Existing gas box structures are mostly simple single-layer or multi-layer ventilation designs. Although they can achieve basic gas distribution, they generally lack the ability to precisely control the temperature of specific precursors and the function of fine and adjustable airflow distribution when dealing with large-area substrates. They are difficult to meet the demanding requirements of high-performance, large-area SALD processes.

[0006] In view of the above-mentioned shortcomings, the designer actively researched and innovated in order to create an air box structure with uniform air distribution function, so as to make it more valuable for industrial use. Utility Model Content

[0007] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, the purpose of this utility model is to provide an air box structure with uniform air distribution function.

[0008] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention adopts the following technical solution: A gas box structure with uniform gas distribution function includes a gas box assembly and a gas distribution assembly. The gas box assembly includes a gas box side plate and a gas box cover plate installed on the top outer side of the gas box side plate. The gas distribution assembly includes an inlet gas splitter, an isolation gas splitter, a source gas splitter, a source flow channel plate, and a dispersion plate. There are two inlet gas splitters, which are located on the left and right sides of the gas box side plate, respectively. The two inlet gas splitters are installed on the top left and right sides of the isolation gas splitter, respectively. The source gas splitter, the source flow channel plate, and the dispersion plate are installed in sequence at the bottom of the isolation gas splitter. The intake splitter has a first precursor inlet channel, a second precursor inlet channel, and two isolation gas inlet channels arranged sequentially from the outside to the inside. After entering through two isolation gas inlet channels, the isolation gas forms three isolation gas flow channels in the front, middle and rear of the isolation gas distribution plate through three diversion regulating valves; After entering through the precursor channel, the precursor flows through two diversion regulating valves to the front and rear of the source diversion plate, and then through multiple flow channel regulating valves to the rear of the source flow channel plate and gradually extends to the middle. After entering through the second entry channel, the second entry channel flows through a diversion regulating valve to the middle of the source diversion plate, then through multiple flow channel regulating valves to the source flow channel plate and gradually extends to the front and rear.

[0009] As a further improvement of this utility model, an active heating plate is installed at the bottom of the side plate of the air box, and a diversion heating plate is integrated in the air intake diversion plate.

[0010] As a further improvement of this utility model, six flow control valves are installed on the outer side of the intake manifold along the front-rear direction.

[0011] As a further improvement of this utility model, a slit plate is detachably installed on the flow control valve.

[0012] As a further improvement of this utility model, a number of flow channel regulating valves connected to the flow channel of the source flow channel plate are installed on the source flow channel plate.

[0013] As a further improvement of this utility model, a scale indicating the opening degree is provided at the bottom of the flow channel regulating valve.

[0014] As a further improvement of this utility model, three isolation gas channels are set inside the isolation gas diversion plate, which are independent of each other and symmetrically distributed.

[0015] As a further improvement of this utility model, independent fractal flow channels for precursor one and precursor two are respectively provided inside the source diversion plate. The fractal flow channels adopt a tree-like branch structure, and their ends are connected to the inlet of the diversion regulating valve.

[0016] As a further improvement of this utility model, the intake split plate, the isolation gas split plate, the source split plate, the source flow channel plate and the dispersion plate are all made of heat-conducting metal plates, and the contact surfaces between them are all connected in an airtight manner through sealing rings.

[0017] By means of the above solution, this utility model has at least the following advantages: This novel distributed heating system ensures precise temperature control of sensitive precursors such as TDMASn, effectively preventing phase transitions and thermal decomposition, and guaranteeing process stability and film quality from the source.

[0018] This invention utilizes a three-stage distribution and active adjustment mechanism consisting of a diversion regulating valve, a fractal flow channel, and a flow channel regulating valve to specifically compensate for the inherent distribution differences of airflow in different areas of the substrate, thereby significantly eliminating edge effects and achieving ultra-uniform coating over a large area.

[0019] The modular, stacked design of this invention facilitates processing, assembly, and maintenance. Furthermore, by replacing slits with different orifice diameters or adjusting the valve opening, this gas box can be flexibly applied to various precursors and SALD equipment of different specifications.

[0020] The above description is only an overview of the technical solution of this utility model. In order to better understand the technical means of this utility model and to implement it in accordance with the contents of the specification, the following are the preferred embodiments of this utility model and are described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Attached Figure Description

[0021] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of this utility model, the drawings used in the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. It should be understood that the following drawings only show some embodiments of this utility model and should not be regarded as a limitation on the scope. For those skilled in the art, other related drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0022] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an air box with uniform air distribution function according to the present invention; Figure 2 yes Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the working principle of the gas splitter plate in the middle isolation zone; Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the flow separation between precursor one and precursor two of this utility model; Figure 4 yes Figure 1 Sectional view in; Figure 5 yes Figure 4 Schematic diagram of a flow divider control valve; Figure 6 yes Figure 4Schematic diagram of the central flow channel regulating valve; Figure 7 yes Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the working principle of the central source splitter plate; Figure 8 yes Figure 1 A schematic diagram illustrating the working principle of the central flow channel plate.

[0023] The meanings of the labels in the figures are as follows.

[0024] 1. Gas box cover plate; 2. Gas box side plate; 3. Source heating plate; 4. Inlet gas diverter plate; 5. Isolation gas diverter plate; 6. Source diverter plate; 7. Source flow channel plate; 8. Dispersion plate; 9. Diverter regulating valve; 10. Flow channel regulating valve; 11. Isolation gas flow channel; 12. Slit plate; 13. Dial. Detailed Implementation

[0025] The specific embodiments of this utility model will be described in further detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and examples. The following examples are used to illustrate this utility model, but are not intended to limit its scope.

[0026] To enable those skilled in the art to better understand the present invention, the technical solutions of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings of the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of the present invention, and not all of them. The components of the embodiments of the present invention described and shown in the accompanying drawings can generally be arranged and designed in various different configurations. Therefore, the following detailed description of the embodiments of the present invention provided in the accompanying drawings is not intended to limit the scope of the claimed invention, but merely to illustrate selected embodiments of the present invention. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of the present invention without inventive effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0027] The first embodiment of this utility model: like Figures 1-8 As shown, an air box structure with uniform air distribution function in this embodiment includes an air box assembly and an air distribution assembly. The air box assembly includes an air box side plate 2 and an air box cover plate 1 installed on the top outer side of the air box side plate 2.

[0028] The gas distribution assembly includes an inlet gas splitter plate 4, an isolation gas splitter plate 5, a source gas splitter plate 6, a source flow channel plate 7, and a dispersion plate 8. There are two inlet gas splitter plates 4, located on the left and right sides of the gas box side plate 2, respectively. The two inlet gas splitter plates 4 are installed on the top left and right sides of the isolation gas splitter plate 5. The source gas splitter plate 6, source flow channel plate 7, and dispersion plate 8 are sequentially installed at the bottom of the isolation gas splitter plate 5. A source heating plate 3 is installed at the bottom of the gas box side plate 2, and a splitter heating plate is integrated within the inlet gas splitter plate 4. The inlet gas splitter plate 4, isolation gas splitter plate 5, source gas splitter plate 6, source flow channel plate 7, and dispersion plate 8 are all made of thermally conductive metal sheets, and their contact surfaces are all airtightly connected by sealing rings.

[0029] Symmetrical air intake and independent temperature control: Two independent air intake splitters are set on the left and right sides, and each is integrated with a splitter heating plate. Together with the source heating plate installed at the bottom of the air box, they form a uniform temperature field covering the entire internal space of the air box, ensuring that the precursor is always within its stable temperature window when flowing through the entire air box.

[0030] The intake splitter plate 4 has a first intake channel for the precursor, a second intake channel for the precursor, and two isolation gas intake channels arranged sequentially from the outside to the inside.

[0031] After entering through two isolation gas inlet channels, the isolation gas passes through three diversion regulating valves 9, forming three isolation gas flow channels 11 at the front, middle, and rear of the isolation gas diversion plate 5, respectively. These three isolation gas flow channels 11 are independently and symmetrically distributed within the isolation gas diversion plate 5. The isolation gas (such as nitrogen) forms a uniform gas curtain at the front, middle, and rear of the isolation gas diversion plate through these three independent and symmetrical flow channels, ensuring effective isolation along the direction of substrate movement.

[0032] After entering the channel, the precursor flows through two diversion regulating valves 9 to the front and rear of the source diversion plate 6, and then through multiple flow channel regulating valves 10 to the source flow channel plate 7, gradually extending to the middle.

[0033] After entering through the precursor two channel, the precursor two flows through a diversion regulating valve 9 to the middle of the source diversion plate 6, and then through multiple flow channel regulating valves 10 to the source flow channel plate 7, and gradually extends to the front and rear.

[0034] Six flow control valves 9 are installed on the outer side of the intake manifold 4 along the front-rear direction, and slit plates 12 are detachably installed on the flow control valves 9.

[0035] Several flow channel regulating valves 10 connected to the flow channel of the source flow channel plate 6 are installed on the source flow channel plate 7. A scale 13 indicating the opening size is provided at the bottom of the flow channel regulating valve 10.

[0036] Inside the source diversion plate 6, there are independent fractal flow channels for precursor one and precursor two, respectively. The fractal flow channels adopt a tree-like branch structure, and their ends are connected to the inlet of the diversion regulating valve 9.

[0037] The three-stage airflow distribution and active regulation in this embodiment: Primary distribution (split flow): The precursor and isolation gases enter through independent channels on the intake splitter plate and undergo initial flow distribution via a split regulating valve on its outer side. A removable slit on the split regulating valve provides the flexibility to change to different pipe diameters for coarse flow adjustment.

[0038] Two-stage distribution (regional): Gas enters the source distributor plate, where precursor one and precursor two flow in physically isolated, independent fractal channels (tree-like branching structure), achieving natural equilibrium. Subsequently, the airflow is finely regulated within the source distributor plate through multiple channel regulating valves. Specifically, by preferentially guiding precursor one to the front / rear section and precursor two to the middle section, and then further expanding it towards the middle / front / rear section through the channel regulating valves, artificial intervention and compensation for the airflow distribution are achieved, specifically to suppress edge effects. The dials at the bottom of the channel regulating valves ensure the accuracy and repeatability of the adjustments.

[0039] Three-stage distribution (dispersion): All gases are eventually slowed down and evenly pressurized in the dispersion plate, forming a uniform velocity profile before being ejected.

[0040] The core of this embodiment lies in its multi-layered plate design, integrating a precise temperature control system and a multi-level adjustable airflow distribution system. Specifically, it includes sequentially stacked inlet splitter plate, source splitter plate, source flow channel plate, and dispersion plate. A heating system (such as a heating rod or heating film) is integrated into key components such as the inlet splitter plate and source splitter plate, ensuring that the temperature inside the entire air box remains stable within the optimal temperature window required by the precursor (e.g., 80~150℃). The airflow distribution system achieves multi-level, precise distribution of the precursor airflow through fractal channels in the source splitter plate, adjustable-opening splitter regulating valves, and flow channel regulating valves in the source flow channel plate, ultimately achieving uniform spraying through the dispersion plate.

[0041] The second embodiment of this utility model: like Figures 1-8 As shown in the figure, this embodiment presents an air box structure with uniform air distribution function.

[0042] A brief description of the structural assembly in this embodiment: First, the source heating plate 3 is installed at the bottom of the frame formed by the bottom of the gas box side plate 2.

[0043] Then, the dispersion plate 8, source flow channel plate 7, source flow divider plate 6, and isolation gas flow divider plate 5 are stacked sequentially from bottom to top. Each plate is precisely positioned with locating pins, and a high-temperature alloy sealing ring is placed in the sealing groove of the contact surface. Finally, long bolts are used to pass through all the plates and lock them in place to ensure airtightness.

[0044] Install the two intake manifolds 4 on the top left and right sides of the isolation gas manifold 5 respectively.

[0045] Install slit plates 12 suitable for the current process flow range on all flow control valves 9.

[0046] Finally, cover the gas box with plate 1 to complete the overall assembly.

[0047] A brief description of the working process of this embodiment: Preheating stage: The start-up heating plate 3 and the split heating plate integrated in the intake split plate 4 heat the entire air box structure and stabilize it at the preset temperature (within the ideal temperature window of 80~150℃ of TDMASn).

[0048] Gas injection and initial distribution: Isolation gas (nitrogen): It enters from the four isolation gas inlet channels of the two air inlet split plates 4, and is distributed to the three independent isolation gas flow channels 11 inside the isolation gas split plate 5 through three of the six split regulating valves 9, forming three uniform nitrogen curtains.

[0049] Precursor 1 (TDMASn): Enters through the precursor 1 inlet channel of the left and right intake split plate 4, and after being initially distributed by two split regulating valves 9 on the left and right sides, it enters the front and rear shaped flow channel network in the source split plate 6, which is specially designed for the precursor 1.

[0050] Precursor II (H2O): Enters through the precursor II inlet channel of the left and right intake splitter plates 4, passes through a (central) splitter regulating valve 9, and is distributed to the central split flow channel network in the source splitter plate 6, which is specially designed for precursor II.

[0051] Fine-grained regulation of regional traffic flow: In the source flow channel plate 7, the airflow is finally distributed by operating multiple flow channel regulating valves 10 on it.

[0052] For the first precursor from the front / rear, by adjusting the flow channel regulating valve 10, a portion of the airflow is controlled to flow towards the central region, ensuring that the first precursor can uniformly cover the entire width of the substrate.

[0053] For the second precursor from the middle, by adjusting the flow channel regulating valve 10, a portion of the airflow is controlled to extend to the front and rear regions to compensate for possible airflow attenuation at the edges.

[0054] Operators can precisely set the opening degree of each flow channel regulating valve 10 according to the process formula obtained from the prior experiment and with reference to the dial 13.

[0055] Final dispersion and spraying: All precisely distributed and temperature-controlled airflows (two nitrogen curtains sandwiching one precursor and one precursor) finally enter the dispersion plate 8. Inside the dispersion plate, the airflow is further slowed down and pressure-equalized, and finally discharged from the bottom spray slits in a highly uniform laminar flow state, sequentially acting on the uniformly moving substrate surface below, completing the spatial atomic layer deposition of a high-quality, uniform tin oxide film.

[0056] In the description of this utility model, it should be understood that the terms "center," "longitudinal," "lateral," "upper," "lower," "front," "rear," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "top," "bottom," "inner," and "outer," etc., indicating orientation or positional relationships, are based on the orientation or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings and 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, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation of this utility model. Furthermore, the terms "first," "second," etc., are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implying the number of indicated technical features. Thus, features defined with "first," "second," etc., may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of that feature. In the description of this utility model, unless otherwise stated, "a plurality of" means two or more.

[0057] 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.

[0058] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present utility model and is not intended to limit the present utility model. It should be noted that for those skilled in the art, several improvements and modifications can be made without departing from the technical principles of the present utility model, and these improvements and modifications should also be considered within the protection scope of the present utility model.

Claims

1. A gas box structure with uniform gas distribution function, comprising a gas box assembly and a gas distribution assembly, wherein the gas box assembly comprises a gas box side plate (2) and a gas box cover plate (1) installed on the top outer side of the gas box side plate (2). Its features are: The gas distribution assembly includes an inlet split plate (4), an isolation gas split plate (5), a source split plate (6), a source flow channel plate (7), and a dispersion plate (8). There are two inlet split plates (4), which are located on the left and right sides of the gas box side plate (2). The two inlet split plates (4) are installed on the top left and right sides of the isolation gas split plate (5). The source split plate (6), the source flow channel plate (7), and the dispersion plate (8) are installed in sequence at the bottom of the isolation gas split plate (5). The intake manifold (4) is provided with a first precursor entry channel, a second precursor entry channel and two isolation gas entry channels in sequence from the outside to the inside; After entering through the two isolation gas inlet channels, the isolation gas forms three isolation gas flow channels (11) in the front, middle and rear of the isolation gas flow divider plate (5) through the three diversion regulating valves (9). After entering through the precursor channel, the precursor flows through two diversion regulating valves (9) to the front and rear parts of the source diversion plate (6), and then through multiple flow channel regulating valves (10) to the source flow channel plate (7) and gradually extends to the middle. After entering the channel through the precursor two, the precursor two flows through a diversion regulating valve (9) to the middle of the source diversion plate (6), and then through multiple flow channel regulating valves (10) to the source flow channel plate (7), and then gradually extends to the front and rear.

2. The air box structure with uniform air distribution function as described in claim 1, characterized in that, An active heating plate (3) is installed at the bottom of the air box side plate (2), and a diversion heating plate is integrated in the air intake diversion plate (4).

3. The air box structure with uniform air distribution function as described in claim 1, characterized in that, Six flow control valves (9) are installed on the outer side of the intake manifold (4) along the front-rear direction.

4. The air box structure with uniform air distribution function as described in claim 1, characterized in that, A slit plate (12) is detachably mounted on the flow control valve (9).

5. The air box structure with uniform air distribution function as described in claim 1, characterized in that, Several flow channel regulating valves (10) connected to the flow channel of the source flow channel plate (6) are installed on the source flow channel plate (7).

6. The air box structure with uniform air distribution function as described in claim 1, characterized in that, A dial (13) indicating the opening size is provided at the bottom of the flow channel regulating valve (10).

7. The air box structure with uniform air distribution function as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The three isolation gas channels (11) inside the isolation gas diversion plate (5) are independent and symmetrically distributed.

8. The air box structure with uniform air distribution function as described in claim 1, characterized in that, Inside the source diversion plate (6), there are independent fractal flow channels for precursor one and precursor two, respectively. The fractal flow channels adopt a tree-like branch structure, and their ends are connected to the inlet of the diversion regulating valve (9).

9. The air box structure with uniform air distribution function as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The intake split plate (4), the isolation gas split plate (5), the source split plate (6), the source flow channel plate (7) and the dispersion plate (8) are all made of heat-conducting metal plates, and the contact surfaces between them are all connected in an airtight manner through sealing rings.

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