MANUFACTURING SYSTEM FOR INTEGRATED CIRCUITS WITH ADJUSTABLE GAS INJECTOR, SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE AND METHOD FOR SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING

Abstract

Semiconductor manufacturing apparatus (100), comprising: a processing chamber (102); a substrate stage (106) which is arranged in the processing chamber (102) and is configured to secure and rotate a semiconductor wafer (108); a gas injector (116) configured to inject a chemical into the processing chamber (102); a window (214) attached to the gas injector (116); and an O-ring (212) which is arranged between the gas injector (116) and the window (214) and is in direct contact with the gas injector (116) and the window (214); and a gas injector cover (216) arranged on the window (214), the window (214) being arranged between the O-ring (212) and the gas injector cover (216) and directly contacting both the O-ring (212) and the gas injector cover (216); and an adjustable fastening device (220), wherein the adjustable fastening device (220) comprises a base plate (302) arranged on the gas injector cover (216) and a plurality of fasteners (304) for fastening the gas injector cover (216) to the gas injector (116); and wherein each of the fasteners (304) comprises a bolt (306), a first nut (310) and a second nut (312), both of which are mounted on the bolt (306), the first nut (310) being arranged above the base plate (302) and the second nut (312) being arranged between the base plate (302) and the gas injector cover (216); and wherein the first nut (310) can be actuated to adjust a distance between the gas injector cover (216) and the gas injector (116); and the second nut (312) can be actuated to adjust a fastening force between the gas injector cover (216) and the gas injector (116).

Description

BACKGROUND

[0001] The semiconductor integrated circuit (IC) industry has experienced exponential growth. Technical advances in IC materials and design have produced generations of ICs, with each generation featuring smaller and more complex circuits than the previous generation. As ICs have evolved, functional density (i.e., the number of interconnected devices per chip area) has generally increased, while geometry size (i.e., the smallest component (or line) that can be created using a manufacturing process) has decreased. This downsizing process generally provides benefits by increasing production efficiency and reducing associated costs. Such downsizing has also increased the complexity of IC processing and manufacturing, and for these advances to be realized, similar developments in IC processing and manufacturing are required.In one example, a plasma processing system is used to perform a plasma etching process. During a plasma etching process, the plasma generates volatile etch products from the chemical reactions between the elements of the etched material and the reactive species generated by the plasma, which modify the surface of the target. The plasma processing system includes a processing chamber maintained in a vacuum state and a chemical delivery module for providing a chemical for etching. However, the chemical delivery module in existing IC manufacturing systems can experience leakage problems, further degrading etching performance. Accordingly, it would be desirable to have an IC manufacturing system and method of using the same without the disadvantages described above.

[0002] US patent application US 2013 / 0 098 554 A1 discloses an improved gas injection assembly for mounting in a central bore of a dielectric window of an inductively coupled plasma chamber, comprising a window with a central bore and a cylindrical recess configured to receive an annular insert with a bayonet opening. US patent application US 2015 / 0 140 786 A1 discloses an apparatus for processing a substrate that prevents a substrate shape from being damaged, the apparatus comprising a process chamber; a substrate carrier for supporting at least one of the substrates, the substrate carrier being provided in the floor of the process chamber.US patent application US 2013 / 0 008 607 A1 discloses an antenna, a dielectric window, a plasma processing apparatus, and a plasma processing method capable of improving the uniformity of a substrate surface processing amount across the surface of the substrate. US patent US 5 869 802 A discloses a plasma generation apparatus for improving plasma uniformity on the workpiece by using smaller magnets, reducing stray magnetic fields outside the resonance zone, and facilitating the transition of microwaves from a rectangular transmission mode to a circular transmission mode outside the chamber.

[0003] US 2007 / 0 286 688 A1 discloses a ground retaining wall comprising wall panels made of sheet steel to form a flat exterior wall surface on a front side and having side flanges on vertically extending edges to connect the panels together. The wall includes reinforcing bolts and staples attached to a back side of the panels and extending between a top cap and a base pan of the panels. Each staple is located along a side flange of a panel at a seam where two panels are joined together. The wall also includes support brace assemblies, each attached to one of the seams on the panels. The brace assembly includes a base plate attached to a bottom brace and a brace bar. The brace bar extends diagonally between the base plate and the wall panel.The wall may include a concrete base covering the base trays of the wall panels and the base plates of the brace assembly.

[0004] US 2005 / 0 011 446 A1 discloses an access assembly for a process chamber, comprising a wall segment constructed and arranged to provide access to the process chamber, a mounting assembly constructed and arranged to connect the wall segment to the process chamber, and a sealing plate mounted on the process chamber. The sealing plate is constructed and arranged to isolate the wall segment from a volume within the process chamber.

[0005] The invention is defined in the claims. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0006] Aspects of the present disclosure are best understood from the following detailed description when read with the accompanying drawings. It is emphasized that, in accordance with standard industry practice, various elements are not drawn to scale. Indeed, the dimensions of the various features may be exaggerated or reduced as desired for clarity of description. Fig. 1 shows a schematic view of a plasma module for manufacturing integrated circuits constructed in accordance with some embodiments. Fig. 2 shows a schematic view of the plasma module with a gas injector with an adjustable mounting mechanism constructed in accordance with some embodiments. Fig. 3A shows a schematic view of the adjustable fastening device constructed in accordance with some embodiments. Fig. Figure 3B shows a top view of a portion of the adjustable fastening device constructed in accordance with some embodiments. Fig. 4 shows a top view of an injector head of the gas injector constructed in accordance with some embodiments. Fig. 5 shows a schematic view of an integrated circuit (IC) manufacturing system including the plasma module constructed in accordance with some embodiments. Fig. 6 is a flowchart of a method of using the plasma module according to some embodiments. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0007] It should be understood that the following disclosure provides many different embodiments or examples for implementing various features of the invention. Specific examples of components and arrangements are described below to simplify the present disclosure. These are, of course, only examples and are not intended to be limiting. In addition, the present disclosure may repeat reference numerals and / or letters in the various examples. This repetition is for the purpose of simplicity and clarity and does not, in itself, impose any relationship between the various described embodiments and / or configurations.Furthermore, in the following description, forming a first element over or on a second element may include embodiments in which the first and second elements are formed in direct contact, and may also include embodiments in which additional elements may be formed between the first element and the second element such that the first and second elements do not need to be in direct contact.

[0008] Fig. 1 shows a schematic view of a plasma module 100 for manufacturing integrated circuits (ICs) constructed in accordance with some embodiments. With reference to Fig. 1 and other figures, the plasma module 100 and the method using it are collectively described below.

[0009] The plasma module 100 includes a processing chamber 102 with an enclosed space 104 for semiconductor processing. In the present embodiment, the semiconductor processing is plasma etching, such as plasma etching on metal or polysilicon. The processing chamber 102 includes various walls that are integrated with each other so that the enclosed space 104 is isolated from the environment and can be maintained in a suitable condition, such as a vacuum or low pressure.

[0010] The plasma module 100 also includes a substrate stage 106 provided in the processing chamber 102 for mounting a semiconductor substrate 108, such as a silicon wafer. The substrate stage 106 is equipped with a rotation mechanism 110, such as a motor. The substrate stage 106 can be rotated about a rotation axis 112 by the rotation mechanism 110, so that the semiconductor substrate 108 mounted on the substrate stage 106 also rotates during IC manufacturing.

[0011] The plasma module 100 includes one or more chemical delivery units 114 integrated into the processing chamber 102 and configured to deliver a chemical to the processing chamber 102. In various examples, the chemical is an etching gas or a carrier gas such as nitrogen, argon, or another suitable gas. The chemical delivery unit 114 includes an adjustable gas injector 116 attached to the processing chamber and configured to inject the chemical into the processing chamber 102. The chemical delivery unit 114 is further connected to a chemical delivery source 118 for delivering the chemical to the gas injector 116. The chemical delivery unit 114 will be described in detail later.

[0012] The plasma module 100 may further include components, modules, and parts integrated together to be functional for IC manufacturing, such as plasma etching. For example, the plasma module 100 includes a pumping module 120 integrated with the processing chamber 102 and serving to maintain the space 104 within the processing chamber 102 in a vacuum state or at a low pressure. In various examples, the pumping module 120 may include one or more pumps and may utilize multiple pumping technologies, such as a positive displacement pump, a momentum transfer pump, a side channel pump, or a sorption pump. Different pumps may be configured in series according to the associated operating ranges.

[0013] The plasma module 100 includes a plasma generation module 122 for generating plasma in the space 104 in the processing chamber 102. The plasma generation module 122 introduces energy into the processing chamber to ignite plasma using any suitable technique, such as capacitively coupled plasma or inductively coupled plasma.

[0014] Fig. 2 shows a schematic view of the plasma module 100 in part, constructed according to some embodiments. The chemical delivery unit 114 is shown in more detail. In particular, the chemical delivery unit 114 includes an adjustable mounting mechanism. The chemical delivery unit 114 includes a bracket 202 for attaching and securing the gas injector 116 to a top cover 204 of the processing chamber 102. The gas injector 116 includes a cylindrical body 206 for providing a passage for the chemical to a gas injector head 208 disposed at one end of the cylindrical body 206. The chemical is delivered from the chemical delivery source 118 into the gas injector 116 through an inlet 210 that connects the chemical delivery source 118 to the gas injector 116.

[0015] The gas injector 116 further includes an O-ring 212 disposed on the gas injector 116, for example, on a circular groove of the gas injector 116; a transparent window 214 disposed on the O-ring 212; and a gas injector cover 216 disposed on the transparent window 214. When the above three components are held together, they provide a sealing effect, thus eliminating leakage. In addition, the transparent window 214 serves an additional function, such as monitoring the IC fabrication in the processing chamber or, more specifically, monitoring the plasma signal in the plasma module 100. The transparent window 214 is made of a material that is transparent to the detection signal or to visible light. In the present embodiment, the transparent window 214 is made of liquid silicone rubber.The transparent window 214 is designed with a suitable shape, such as a round disc.

[0016] The gas injector cover 216 is designed to cover the cylindrical body 206 and can be made of a suitable material with sufficient mechanical strength and meet other requirements. For example, the gas injector cover 216 is made of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE). In the present embodiment, the upper surface of the gas injector cover 216 is an inclined plane by design.

[0017] The chemical delivery unit 114 further includes an adjustable fastening device (AFD) 220 for holding the gas injector cover 216, the transparent window 214, and the O-ring 212 together at an adjustable height for improved sealing. In some embodiments, the gas injector 116 includes an extension portion 222. The adjustable fastening device 220 holds the gas injector cover 216, the transparent window 214, the O-ring 212, and the gas injector together via the extension portion 222.

[0018] Fig. 3A shows a schematic view of the adjustable fastening device 220 constructed according to some embodiments. The adjustable fastening device 220 will be described in further detail. The AFD 220 includes a base plate 302 disposed on the gas injector cover 216. The base plate 302 is designed to have a suitable geometry to enable the fastening action between the gas injector cover 216 and the base plate 302 and a suitable material for mechanical strength and other functions, for example, PTFE. With the AFD 220, the gas injector 116 is adjustable in height, distance, fastening force, and sealing effect.

[0019] In the present embodiment, the base plate 302 includes an upper portion 302A and a lower portion 302B of different sizes. As shown in Fig. 3A, the upper portion 302A has a dimension D1 and the lower portion 302B has a dimension D2 that is less than D1.

[0020] The AFD 220 includes multiple sets of bolts and nuts, each set referred to as a fastener 304. In the present embodiment, the number of fasteners is three. Each fastener 304 includes a bolt 306 having a bolt head 308 configured with a structure, such as a recess or socket, to provide a means for rotating or retaining the bolt. Each fastener 304 further includes a first nut 310 and a second nut 312 fitted onto the corresponding bolt 306. Each bolt has a thread on the outside and each nut has a threaded opening on the inside. The nuts and bolt are configured for threaded friction fastening. The first nut 310 is disposed above the base plate (specifically, between the bolt head 308 and the base plate 302); and the second nut 312 is disposed between the base plate 302 and the gas injector cover 216.The first nut 310 serves to control the height of the gas injector cover 216 or to control the distance between the base plate 302 and the gas injector cover 216; and the second nut 312 serves to secure the gas injector cover 216 to the gas injector 116, such as to the extended portion 222 of the gas injector 116 disposed between the base plate 302 and the gas injector 116.

[0021] Furthermore, the base plate 302, the gas injector cover 216, and the gas injector 116 (or in the present case, the extension portion 222 of the gas injector) each have a plurality of threaded holes that are equidistantly distributed in such a way that the plurality of bolts 306 can pass through the corresponding threaded holes and be tightened to hold these components together. For example, Fig. 3B is a plan view of the base plate 302 with three threaded holes 316. The three threaded holes 316 are distributed equidistantly on the base plate 302, for example, on a circle 318. In the present examples, the upper portion 302A and the lower portion 302B have round shapes. The threaded holes 316 are formed on the edge region of the upper portion 302A outside the lower portion 302B.

[0022] The threaded holes in the gas injector cover 216 and the extension portion 222 are similarly configured. The threaded holes match the thread structure of the bolts. When the fasteners 304 are arranged as described above, each of the first nuts 310 is adjusted to control the height of the gas injector 216 or the distance between the gas injector cover 216 and the extension portion 222 of the gas injector 116 at the appropriate location; and the second nut 312 is fastened to hold the gas injector cover 216 and the gas injector 116 together.

[0023] In the existing structure, if the fasteners are designed without this adjustment mechanism, the uneven fastening forces between different fasteners and the distortion caused thereby cannot be effectively adjusted and eliminated, thereby causing the uneven contacts and forces between the transparent window 214 and the O-ring 212. This further leads to leakage through the interface between the transparent window 214 and the O-ring 212. In the disclosed AFD 220, each fastener 304 can be independently and individually adjusted with appropriate height and distance at the appropriate location to achieve the optimized sealing effect between the O-ring 212 and the transparent window 214, thereby eliminating the leakage.

[0024] Fig. Figure 4 shows a top view of the gas injector head 208 according to some embodiments. The gas injector head 208 includes a plurality of openings for injecting the chemical gas therethrough. In the present embodiment, the gas injector head 208 includes a central opening 402 and a plurality of edge openings 404 distributed equidistantly around the edge. For example, the gas injector head 208 includes eight edge openings 404. The edge openings 404 have a smaller radius than the central opening 402.

[0025] Fig. 5 is a block diagram of an integrated circuit (IC) manufacturing system 500 according to some embodiments. The IC manufacturing system 500 includes one or more plasma modules 100 integrated into a cluster tool. In particular, the plasma module 100 includes one or more chemical delivery units 114, each having an AFD 220 for securing the gas injector cover 216 and providing improved sealing at the interface between the transparent window 214 and the O-ring 212. In an exemplary embodiment, the IC manufacturing system 500 includes two plasma modules 100 suitably configured and integrated.

[0026] The IC manufacturing system 500 includes one or more loading ports 502 through which wafers are loaded and unloaded into the IC manufacturing system 500. In the present embodiments, the wafers are loaded and unloaded in batches using wafer containers such as front-opening unitary pods (FOUPs).

[0027] The IC manufacturing system 500 may include a loader (or front-end unit) 504 for holding, manipulating, and transferring wafers. For example, the loader 504 includes one or more substrate stages 506 for holding and / or aligning one or more wafers. In further examples, the loader 504 includes one or more robots 508 for handling wafers, such as transferring wafers to the plasma modules 100 or to loadlock chambers (or loadlock units) 510. The robot 508 is positioned between the load port 502 and the loadlock chambers to facilitate orderly wafer transfer therebetween. For example, each wafer is transferred by the robot 508 from the load port 502 or from the substrate stage 506 to one of the loadlock chambers or is transferred by the robot 508 back to the load port 502.In some embodiments, the IC manufacturing system 500 may further include other components, such as one or more loadlock chambers 510 configured and adapted for various functions such as pre-alignment and pre-conditioning. Pre-conditioning may include degassing, pre-heating, or other functions. For example, multiple loadlock chambers 510 may be configured and adapted for various pre-conditioning functions. In some examples, a wafer is aligned, degassed, and / or pre-heated in one of the loadlock chambers 510 to prepare the wafer for plasma processing. The IC manufacturing system 500 may be configured differently. For example, the center loadlock chamber 510 may be used as a path for transferring the one or more wafers.In further examples, the IC manufacturing system 500 may further include a vacuum module integrated to provide vacuum conditions for corresponding areas, such as the plasma modules 100. The load ports 502, the loader 504, and the loadlock chambers 510 are collectively referred to as the loadlock module 512.

[0028] The IC manufacturing system 500 may further include a transfer module 514 for wafer transfer between the plasma modules 100 and the loadlock chambers 510. In some embodiments, the transfer module 514 further includes one or more wafer transfer robots 516. The transfer module 514 has openings (doors) 518, each of which is connected to the plasma modules 100.

[0029] Fig. 6 is a flowchart of a method 600 that, according to some embodiments, produces one or more semiconductor wafers 108 (particularly by plasma etching a material layer of the semiconductor wafer). The method 600 is implemented in the IC manufacturing system 500 of Fig. 5. The method 600 is implemented with reference to the Fig. 5, Fig. 6 and other figures are described.

[0030] The method 600 includes an operation 602 for attaching the gas injector 116 to the AFD 220. As mentioned above, the AFD 220 includes multiple sets of fasteners 304, each further including a bolt 306 and two nuts 310 and 312 fitted onto the associated bolt 306. The first nut 310 is disposed above the base plate (specifically, between the bolt head 308 and the base plate 302); and the second nut 312 is disposed between the base plate 302 and the gas injector cover 216. The operation 602 may include multiple steps. For example, the operation 602 includes a step 604 of arranging the base plate 302 on the gas injector cover 216 in a suitable configuration such that the threaded holes of the two parts are aligned.

[0031] The process 602 also includes a step 606 for configuring the fasteners 304 with the base plate 302 and the gas injector cover 216. In the present embodiment, the AFD 220 includes three sets of fasteners 304. On each fastener 304, the first nut 310 and the second nut 312 are threaded onto the corresponding bolt 306. In particular, the first nut 310 is disposed over the base plate (specifically, between the bolt head 308 and the base plate 302); and the second nut 312 is disposed between the base plate 302 and the gas injector cover 216.

[0032] The process 602 includes a step 608 for adjusting the height of the gas injector cover 216 (or for controlling the distance between the base plate 302 and the gas injector cover 216) by adjusting the first nut 310; and a step 610 for fastening the gas injector cover 216 to the gas injector 220 by adjusting the second nut 312, which adjusts a fastening force between the gas injector cover and the gas injector and further adjusts the contact force between the O-ring 212 and the transparent window 214.

[0033] Steps 608 and 610 are repeated with additional fasteners 304 and may be repeated many cycles with all fasteners until the gas injector cover 216 is secured to the gas injector 116 such that the O-ring 214 and the transparent window 214 contact each other evenly with improved sealing action, thereby eliminating leakage through the interface between the O-ring 214 and the transparent window 214.

[0034] After completing operation 602 and other initial conditioning, the IC manufacturing system 500 is ready for and may proceed with IC manufacturing. For example, the method 600 may include an operation 614 of loading one or more wafers into the IC manufacturing system 500 via the loading ports 502. For example, wafers in one or more batches, such as in FOUPs, are loaded into the IC manufacturing system 500 through the loading ports 502 in one or more steps, such as loading, degassing, preheating, aligning, or a subset thereof.

[0035] The method 600 includes an operation 614 for transferring one or more wafers by the robot 516 through the opening 518 to one of the plasma modules 100. For example, the robot 516 sequentially transfers one or more wafers to each of the plasma modules 100. In further examples, the transfer module 514 may include two or more robots 516 to simultaneously transfer wafers to respective plasma modules 100. Specifically, in the present embodiment, a wafer 108 is transferred to the substrate stage 106 of the corresponding plasma module 100 in a configuration with the front surface of the wafer facing up.

[0036] The method 600 proceeds to an operation 616 of performing a plasma process on the wafer(s) 108 in one of the plasma modules 100. The operation 616 and subsequent operations are described with one plasma module and one wafer. However, as described above, the multiple wafers may be processed in one of multiple plasma modules 100, and the multiple plasma modules 100 may operate in parallel. In the present embodiment, a plasma process is a plasma etching process applied to the front surface of the wafer 108 during operation 516. For example, one or more chemicals supplied to the processing chamber 102 may be partially converted into a plasma to provide an etching effect for the semiconductor wafer 108.In some embodiments, operation 616 may include injecting the chemical into the processing chamber 102 through the gas injector 116; generating plasma with the chemical; and directing the chemical toward the semiconductor wafer 108 for etching.

[0037] In one example, the front surface of wafer 108 includes a metal layer, and the plasma etching process is applied to selectively etch the metal. For the sake of clarity, the metal is copper; the etchant (etching gas) may include CH4 and Ar; CH4 and N2; H2 and Ar; or H2 and N2. Accordingly, each plasma module 100 may include more than one chemical delivery unit 114 to deliver the respective gases.

[0038] In one example, the front surface of wafer 108 includes a polysilicon layer, and the plasma etching process is applied to selectively etch the polysilicon. To further the example, the etchant includes HBr, Cl2, SF6, O2, Ar, He, or a combination thereof. Accordingly, each plasma module 100 may include more than one chemical delivery unit 114 to supply the respective gases.

[0039] In yet another example, the front surface of wafer 108 includes a silicon oxide layer, and the plasma etching process is used to selectively etch the silicon oxide. The etchant may include CF4, C3F8, C4F8, CHF3, CH2F2, or a combination thereof. The plasma process may alternatively be plasma-enhanced deposition or plasma treatment.

[0040] After completing the deposition process on the wafer 108 in the plasma modules 100 by operation 616, the method 600 proceeds to an operation 618 for transferring the wafer 108 by the robot 516 to the loadlock chamber(s) 510. This operation is similar to operation 614, but in reverse. For example, the multiple wafers are transferred from the plasma modules 100 sequentially or in parallel by multiple robots 516 to the loadlock chambers 510.

[0041] The method 600 may further include an operation 620 for unloading the wafers from the IC manufacturing system 500 through the loading port 502. The method 600 may include other operations before, during, or after the operations described above. For example, after operation 620, the wafers may be transferred to other manufacturing tools for subsequent processing, such as lithography patterning processes.

[0042] The IC manufacturing system 500 and method 600 may include further embodiments or alternatives. For example, although method 600 describes a method for performing a plasma etch on a wafer, the IC manufacturing system and method using it may be used to form various thin films, such as by etching a gate dielectric layer, a gate electrode layer, a cap layer, a barrier layer, an etch stop layer, a dielectric layer for an interlayer dielectric, or a conductive layer for metal lines.

[0043] The present disclosure provides an IC manufacturing system and a method using the same. By using the disclosed IC manufacturing system, the plasma process, such as plasma etching quality and efficiency, is improved. The IC manufacturing system includes one or more plasma modules 100, each further including one or more chemical delivery units 114 with an AFD 220. The AFD 220 includes multiple sets of fasteners 304, each further including a bolt 306 and two nuts 310 and 312 fitted onto the respective bolt 306. The first nut 310 is disposed above the base plate (specifically, between the bolt head 308 and the base plate 302); and the second nut 312 is disposed between the base plate 302 and the gas injector cover 216.The first nut 310 is adjusted to control the clearance, and the second nut 312 is adjusted to provide a fastening force to secure the gas injector cover 216 to the gas injector 116 such that the O-ring 214 and the transparent window 214 contact each other evenly with an improved sealing effect, thereby eliminating leakage through the interface between the O-ring 214 and the transparent window 214.

[0044] The embodiments of the present disclosure provide advantages over the prior art, although it is understood that other embodiments may provide other advantages, not all advantages are necessarily described herein, and no particular advantage is required for all embodiments. In some embodiments, various advantages may be present. By using the disclosed IC manufacturing system and method, IC manufacturing, such as plasma etching, is enhanced with improved sealing and manufacturing efficiency. Other advantages may include lower manufacturing costs and higher manufacturing throughput.

[0045] Thus, the present disclosure provides a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus. The semiconductor apparatus includes a processing chamber; a substrate stage provided in the processing chamber and configured to mount and rotate a semiconductor wafer; a gas injector configured to inject a chemical into the processing chamber; a window attached to the gas injector; and an adjustable fixture connected to the gas injector and the window.

[0046] The present disclosure provides a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus. The semiconductor apparatus includes a processing chamber; a substrate stage disposed within the processing chamber and operable to mount and rotate a semiconductor wafer; a gas injector attached to the processing chamber and configured to inject a chemical into the processing chamber; an O-ring disposed on the gas injector; a window attached to the gas injector and in direct contact with the O-ring; a gas injector cover disposed over the window; and an adjustable mounting device integrated with the gas injector and configured to mount the window and the gas injector cover to the gas injector at an adjustable height.

[0047] The present disclosure provides a method of semiconductor manufacturing. The method includes providing a semiconductor device. The semiconductor device further includes a processing chamber; a substrate stage disposed within the processing chamber and operable to mount and rotate a semiconductor wafer; a gas injector attached to the processing chamber and configured to inject a chemical into the processing chamber; an O-ring disposed on the gas injector; a window attached to the gas injector and in direct contact with the O-ring; a gas injector cover disposed on the window; and an adjustable mounting device integrated with the gas injector and configured to mount the window and the gas injector cover to the gas injector at an adjustable height.The adjustable fastening device comprises a base plate disposed on the gas injector cover; and a plurality of fasteners for fastening the gas injector cover to the gas injector, each of the fasteners comprising a bolt, a first nut, and a second nut, both of which are placed on the bolt, the first nut being disposed above the base plate and the second nut being disposed between the base plate and the gas injector cover. The method further comprises performing an etching process on the semiconductor wafer by the semiconductor device.

Claims

[1] A semiconductor manufacturing apparatus (100) comprising: a processing chamber (102); a substrate stage (106) disposed in the processing chamber (102) and configured to mount and rotate a semiconductor wafer (108); a gas injector (116) configured to inject a chemical into the processing chamber (102); a window (214) attached to the gas injector (116); and an O-ring (212) disposed between the gas injector (116) and the window (214) and in direct contact with the gas injector (116) and the window (214); and a gas injector cover (216) disposed on the window (214), the window (214) being disposed between the O-ring (212) and the gas injector cover (216) and directly contacting both the O-ring (212) and the gas injector cover (216); and an adjustable fastening device (220), the adjustable fastening device (220) comprising a base plate (302) disposed on the gas injector cover (216) and a plurality of fasteners (304) for securing the gas injector cover (216) to the gas injector (116); and wherein each of the fasteners (304) comprises a bolt (306), a first nut (310) and a second nut (312), both of which are mounted on the bolt (306), the first nut (310) being disposed above the base plate (302) and the second nut (312) being disposed between the base plate (302) and the gas injector cover (216); and wherein the first nut (310) is operable to adjust a distance between the gas injector cover (216) and the gas injector (116); and the second nut (312) is operable to adjust a fastening force between the gas injector cover (216) and the gas injector (116). [2] The semiconductor device (100) of claim 1, wherein the window (214) is made of liquid silicone rubber or is transparent. [3] The semiconductor device (100) of claim 1 or 2, wherein the gas injector (116) comprises an extension portion (222); and wherein the adjustable fastening device (220) holds the gas injector cover (216), the window (214), the O-ring (212), and the gas injector (116) together via the extension portion (222). [4] The semiconductor device (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the gas injector cover (216) and the base plate (302) are made of polytetrafluoroethylene. [5] The semiconductor device (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the gas injector cover (216) has an inclined upper plane and the base plate (302) is configured to directly contact the inclined upper plane of the gas injector cover (216). [6] The semiconductor device (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the base plate (302) comprises an upper portion (302A) and a lower portion (302B) having circular shapes, and wherein a diameter of the upper portion (302A) is larger than a diameter of the lower portion (302B). [7] The semiconductor device (100) according to claim 6, wherein the plurality of fasteners (304) are arranged only on the edge region of the upper portion (302A) outside the lower portion (302B). [8] Semiconductor device (100) according to one of claims 2 to 7, wherein the gas injector cover (216) comprises a plurality of threaded holes (316) distributed equidistantly in a circle around a center of the gas injector cover (216); the base plate (302) comprises a plurality of threaded holes (316) distributed equidistantly in a circle around a center of the base plate (302); and the extension portion (222) comprises a plurality of threaded holes (316) distributed equidistantly in a circle around a center of the extension portion (222); the plurality of fasteners (304) are configured with respective bolts (306) that each pass through one of the corresponding threaded holes (316) and are tightened to hold the gas injector cover (216), the base plate (302), and the extension portion (222) together. [9] The semiconductor device (100) according to claim 8, wherein the plurality of threaded holes (316) of the gas injector cover (216) comprises three threaded holes (316); the plurality of threaded holes (316) of the base plate (302) comprises three threaded holes (316); the plurality of threaded holes (316) of the extension portion (222) comprises three threaded holes (316); and the plurality of fasteners comprises three fasteners. [10] Semiconductor device (100) according to one of the preceding claims, further comprising: a pump module (102) integrated into the processing chamber (102) and configured to control a pressure of the processing chamber (102); and a plasma generation module (122) integrated into the processing chamber (102) and configured to generate a plasma in the processing chamber (102). [11] The semiconductor device (100) of claim 10, wherein the semiconductor device (100) is configured to inject the chemical into the processing chamber (102) through the gas injector (116) and further convert it into a plasma to have an etching effect on the semiconductor wafer (108). [12] A semiconductor manufacturing apparatus (100) comprising: a processing chamber (102); a substrate stage (106) disposed in the processing chamber (102) and operable to mount and rotate a semiconductor wafer (108); a gas injector (116) attached to the processing chamber (102) and configured to inject a chemical into the processing chamber (102); an O-ring (212) disposed on the gas injector (116) and in direct contact with the gas injector (116); a window (214) attached to the gas injector (116) and in direct contact with the O-ring (212); a gas injector cover (216) disposed on the window (214); and an adjustable fastening device (220) integrated with the gas injector (116) and designed to fasten the window (214) and the gas injector cover (216) to the gas injector (116) at an adjustable height, wherein the adjustable fastening device (220) comprises a base plate (302) arranged on the gas injector cover (216) and a plurality of fasteners (304) for fastening the gas injector cover (216) to the gas injector (116) and wherein the base plate (302) comprises an upper portion (302A) and a lower portion (302B) having circular shapes, and wherein a diameter of the upper portion (302A) is greater than a diameter of the lower portion (302B), and wherein the plurality of fasteners (304) are arranged only on the edge region of the upper portion (302A) outside the lower portion (302B), and wherein each of the fasteners (304) comprises a bolt (306), a first nut (310) and a second nut (312), both of which are placed on the bolt, wherein the first nut (310) is arranged directly above the base plate (302) and the second nut (312) is arranged between the base plate (302) and the gas injector cover (216), and wherein the first nut (310) is operable to adjust a distance between the gas injector cover (216) and the gas injector (116); and the second nut (312) is operable to adjust a fastening force between the gas injector cover (216) and the gas injector (116). [13] Semiconductor device (100) according to claim 12, wherein the gas injector (116) comprises an extension portion (222); and wherein the adjustable fastening device (220) fastens the gas injector cover (216) to the gas injector (116) via the extension section (222). [14] The semiconductor device (100) according to claim 12 or 13, wherein the gas injector cover (216) and the base plate (302) are made of polytetrafluoroethylene. [15] The semiconductor device (100) of any one of claims 12 to 14, wherein the adjustable fastening device (220) comprises three fasteners. [16] Semiconductor device (100) according to one of claims 12 to 15, wherein the gas injector cover (216) comprises a plurality of threaded holes (316) distributed equidistantly in a circle around a center of the gas injector cover (216); the base plate (302) comprises a plurality of threaded holes (316) distributed equidistantly in a circle around a center of the base plate (302); the extension portion (222) comprises a plurality of threaded holes (316) distributed equidistantly in a circle around a center of the extension portion (222); and the plurality of fasteners (304) are configured such that the bolts (306) each pass through one of the corresponding threaded holes (316) and are tightened to hold the gas injector cover (216), the base plate (302) and the extension portion (222) together. [17] A semiconductor device (100) according to any one of claims 12 to 16, further comprising: a pump module (102) integrated into the processing chamber (102) and configured to control a pressure of the processing chamber (102); and a plasma generation module (122) integrated into the processing chamber (102) and configured to generate a plasma in the processing chamber (102), wherein the chemical is injected into the processing chamber (102) by the gas injector (116) and is further converted into a plasma to have an etching effect on the semiconductor wafer (108). [18] A method (600) for semiconductor manufacturing, comprising: Providing a semiconductor device (100) comprising: a processing chamber (102); a substrate stage (106) disposed in the processing chamber (102) and operable to mount and rotate a semiconductor wafer (108); a gas injector (116) attached to the processing chamber (102) and configured to inject a chemical into the processing chamber (102); an O-ring (212) disposed on the gas injector (116) and in direct contact with the gas injector (116); a window (214) attached to the gas injector (116) and in direct contact with the O-ring; a gas injector cover (216) disposed on the window (214); and an adjustable fastening device (220) integrated with the gas injector (116) and configured to fasten the window (214) and the gas injector cover (216) to the gas injector (116) at an adjustable height, wherein the adjustable fastening device (220) comprises a base plate (302) arranged on the gas injector cover (216) and a plurality of fasteners (304) for fastening the gas injector cover (216) to the gas injector (116), wherein each of the fasteners (304) has a bolt (306), a first nut (312), and a second nut (314), both of which are placed on the bolt (306), wherein the first nut (312) is arranged above the base plate (302) and the second nut (314) is arranged between the base plate (302) and the gas injector cover (216) is arranged; Adjusting (602) the adjustable fastening device (220) to attach the window (214) to the gas injector (116) at an adjustable height, wherein adjusting (602) the adjustable fastening device (220) comprises: Adjusting (608) the first nut (310) to adjust a distance between the gas injector cover (216) and the gas injector (116); and Adjusting (610) the second nut (312) to adjust a fastening force between the gas injector cover (216) and the gas injector (116); and Performing (616) an etching process on the semiconductor wafer (108) by the semiconductor device (100). [19] Method (600) according to claim 18, wherein the gas injector (116) comprises an extension portion (222); wherein adjusting (602) the adjustable fastening device (220) for securing the window (214) to the gas injector (116) further comprises Adjusting (610) the second nut (312) to hold the gas injector (116) and the gas injector cover (216) together via the extension section (222). [20] The method (600) of claim 18 or 19, wherein the gas injector cover (216) comprises a plurality of threaded holes (316) equidistantly distributed in a circle around a center of the gas injector cover (216); the base plate (302) comprises a plurality of threaded holes (316) distributed equidistantly in a circle around a center of the base plate (302); the extension portion (222) comprises a plurality of threaded holes (316) distributed equidistantly in a circle around a center of the extension portion (222); and the plurality of fasteners (304) are configured such that the bolts (306) each pass through one of the corresponding threaded holes (316) and are tightened to hold the gas injector cover (216), the base plate (302) and the extension portion (222) together.

Images