Gas supply unit and substrate processing apparatus including the gas supply unit

Abstract

To provide a gas supply unit.SOLUTION: An exemplary gas supply unit includes: an upper plate provided with a plurality of injection holes; and a divider plate constructed and arranged against the upper plate to guide a flow of a gas from the injection holes; wherein one of the plurality of injection holes is a center injection hole and the other than said one of the plurality of injection holes are arranged concentrically around the center injection hole as outer injection holes; and wherein the divider plate is provided with a center through hole fluidly communicating with the center injection hole and is provided with a plurality of protrusions extending towards the upper plate thereby creating a plurality of zones, each of the zones fluidly communicating with one of the outer injection holes.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates generally to a gas supply unit and a substrate processing apparatus including the gas supply unit, and more particularly to a gas supply unit that can control film deposition on specific portions of a substrate, and a substrate processing apparatus including the gas supply unit. [Background technology]

[0002] In the manufacturing process of semiconductor devices, as circuit line widths decrease, more precise process control is required. In film deposition processing, which is one of the important semiconductor processes, various attempts have been made to achieve high film uniformity.

[0003] One of the main factors for uniform film deposition is the gas supply unit. A shower plate is used as a common gas supply unit. The shower plate has the advantage of uniformly supplying gas coaxially onto the substrate. However, the film thickness at the edge of the substrate and the film thickness at the center of the substrate may not be uniform due to, for example, gas flows in the exhaust port and gate valve.

[0004] All descriptions, including descriptions of problems and solutions described in this section, are included in this disclosure solely for the purpose of providing a context for the disclosure and should not be construed as an admission that any or all of the descriptions were known or constitute prior art at the time the invention was made. Summary of the Invention [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] This Summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form that are described in more detail below in the Detailed Description of Exemplary Embodiments of this Disclosure. This Summary is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used to limit the scope of the claimed subject matter.

[0006] An exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure provides a gas supply unit, the gas supply unit comprising: an upper plate having a plurality of inlet holes; and a partition plate constructed and arranged relative to the upper plate to guide gas flow from the inlet holes, one of the plurality of inlet holes being a central inlet hole and the others being outer inlet holes concentrically arranged around the central inlet hole, the partition plate having a central through-hole in fluid communication with the central inlet hole and a plurality of protrusions extending toward the upper plate to form a plurality of zones, each of which is in fluid communication with one of the outer inlet holes.

[0007] In various embodiments, at least one of the plurality of zones may be provided in a substantially trapezoidal shape.

[0008] In various embodiments, the number of zones may be four, with one zone being larger in size than the other three zones.

[0009] In various embodiments, the protrusions may be arranged radially outward from the center.

[0010] In various embodiments, the gas supply unit further comprises a shower plate with a plurality of holes for directing gas flow outside the gas supply unit, the shower plate being attached to the lower surface of the top plate.

[0011] In various embodiments, the gas supply unit may further include an insulator connected to the upper surface of the upper plate, the insulator including a central hole in fluid communication with the central inlet hole and including a plurality of outer holes, each of which is in fluid communication with the outer inlet hole.

[0012] In various embodiments, the gas supply unit may further comprise a gas flow channel disposed between the lower surface of the divider plate and the upper surface of the shower plate and configured to be in fluid communication with the central through-hole and periphery of the zone.

[0013] In various embodiments, the gas supply unit may include multiple gas splitters, each in fluid communication with the central aperture and the outer aperture.

[0014] In various embodiments, the gas supply unit may further include a common gas pipe configured to branch into branch gas pipes, each of which is connected to a gas splitter.

[0015] In various embodiments, the gas supply unit may further comprise a liquid gas pipe and a dry gas pipe configured to connect to a common gas pipe upstream.

[0016] In various embodiments, the gas supply unit may further comprise a controller configured to control the flow rate of the gas splitter.

[0017] In various embodiments, a substrate processing apparatus is provided, the substrate processing apparatus comprising: a reaction chamber; a susceptor located within the reaction chamber and constructed and arranged to support a substrate, the apparatus comprising a gas supply unit, and a shower plate constructed and arranged to face the susceptor.

[0018] In various embodiments, the substrate processing apparatus may further include a substrate transport pipe disposed in a sidewall of the reaction chamber, with the largest zone of the plurality of zones being disposed proximate the substrate transport pipe.

[0019] In various embodiments, the substrate processing apparatus may further comprise a vacuum hole disposed in a sidewall of the reaction chamber, the largest zone of the plurality of zones being disposed proximate the vacuum hole.

[0020] A more complete understanding of the exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure can be obtained by reference to the detailed description and claims when considered in conjunction with the following illustrative drawings. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0021] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic diagram of a PECVD (plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition) apparatus for depositing films that can be used in one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a gas supply unit including a partition plate. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a gas supply unit including a splitter and a gas pipe. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0022] It will be appreciated that elements in the figures are illustrated for simplicity and clarity and have not necessarily been drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions of some of the elements in the figures may be exaggerated relative to other elements to help understand the illustrated embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0023] Although certain specific embodiments and examples are disclosed below, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the present disclosure extends beyond the specifically disclosed embodiments and / or applications of the present disclosure, as well as obvious modifications and equivalents thereof, and therefore it is not intended that the scope of the present disclosure should be limited by the specific embodiments described herein.

[0024] The figures shown herein are not meant to be actual drawings of any particular materials, apparatus, structures or devices, but merely representations used to describe embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0025] In this disclosure, "gas" may include materials that are gases, vaporized solids, and / or vaporized liquids at ambient temperature and pressure, and may consist of a single gas or a mixture of gases, depending on the circumstances. Gases other than process gases, i.e., gases introduced without passing through a gas supply unit such as a showerhead, may be used, for example, to seal the reaction space and may include seal gases such as noble gases or other inert gases. The term inert gas refers to gases that do not participate to a significant extent in the chemical reaction and / or that excite precursors when plasma power is applied. The terms precursor and reactant may be used interchangeably.

[0026] As used herein, the term "substrate" may refer to any underlying material or materials that may be used or upon which a device, circuit, or film may be formed.

[0027] As used herein, the terms "film" and "thin film" can refer to any continuous or discontinuous structure and material deposited by the methods disclosed herein. "Films" and "thin films" can include, for example, 2D materials, nanorods, nanotubes, or nanoparticles, or planar partial or complete molecular layers, or partial or complete atomic layers, or clusters of atoms and / or molecules. "Films" and "thin films" can include materials or layers that have pinholes, yet are at least partially continuous.

[0028] The process cycle can be carried out using any suitable apparatus, including, for example, the apparatus shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a PECVD apparatus. In this diagram, a pair of conductive plate electrodes 30, 110 are provided parallel to each other inside a reaction chamber 100. Plasma can be excited between the electrodes by applying HRF power (e.g., 13.56 MHz or 27 MHz) to one side 30 and electrically grounding the other side 110. The susceptor 110 (lower electrode) can be equipped with a temperature regulator, so that the temperature of a substrate placed thereon can be maintained constant at a predetermined temperature. The upper electrode 30 can also function as a shower plate, and reactant gases and precursor gases can be introduced into the reaction chamber 100 through the shower plate 30. In addition, an exhaust pipe 140 is provided inside the reaction chamber 110, through which gases inside the reaction chamber 100 can be exhausted.

[0029] Additionally, a transport chamber 150 disposed below the reaction chamber 100 may be included to provide a transport zone. A gate valve 130 and a wafer transport pipe 135 may be included through which wafers are transported into or out of the transport chamber 150. In some embodiments, a remote plasma device may be used to excite the gases.

[0030] In some embodiments, a multi-chamber module (two or four chambers or compartments for processing wafers located close to each other) may be used, and reactant gases may be supplied through shared pipes while precursor gases may be supplied through non-shared pipes.

[0031] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the apparatus includes one or more controllers programmed or otherwise configured to carry out the deposition and reactor cleaning processes described elsewhere herein. As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, the controllers are in communication with the various power sources, heating systems, pumps, robots, and gas flow controllers or valves of the reactor.

[0032] 1 and 2, there is illustrated a gas supply unit 1. The gas supply unit 1 includes a top plate 3 with a central injection hole 5 and outer injection holes 6, 7, 8, 9. The outer injection holes 6, 7, 8, 9 are arranged concentrically around the central injection hole 5.

[0033] The gas supply unit 1 further includes a partition plate 10 configured and arranged relative to the top plate 3. The partition plate 10 has a central through-hole 15 in fluid communication with the central inlet hole 5, and zones 16, 17, 18, 19, each of which is in fluid communication with the outer inlet holes 6, 7, 8, 9.

[0034] The gas supply unit 1 further includes protrusions 25, 26, 27, and 28 extending from the partition plate 10 toward the top plate 3. The protrusions 25, 26, 27, and 28 are configured to form zones 16, 17, 18, and 19, which may be arranged radially outward from the center. All of the zones 16, 17, 18, and 19 may have substantially the same trapezoidal shape, or some zones may be larger than others. The first zone 16 may be located near the wafer transport pipe 135. The second zone 18 may be located near the vacuum hole 140.

[0035] The gas supply unit 1 may further include a shower plate 30 having a plurality of holes for directing the gas flow toward the substrate. The shower plate 30 may be attached to the lower surface of the upper plate 3.

[0036] The gas supply unit 1 may further include an insulator 40 connected to the upper surface of the top plate 3. The insulator 40 may include a central hole 45 in fluid communication with the central inlet hole 5, and outer holes 46, 47, 48, 49 in fluid communication with the outer inlet holes 6, 7, 8, 9.

[0037] The gas supply unit 1 further comprises a gas flow channel 60 disposed between the lower surface of the partition plate 10 and the upper surface of the shower plate 30 and configured to be in fluid communication with the central through-hole 15 and the periphery of the zones 16, 17, 18, 19.

[0038] 3, the gas supply unit 1 may further include five gas splitters 70 in fluid communication with the central hole 45 and the outer holes 47, respectively. The gas supply unit 1 may further include a common gas pipe 80 that branches into branch gas pipes 81, 82, 83, 84, and 85. Each of the branch gas pipes 81, 82, 83, 84, and 85 is connected to the gas splitter 70. The gas supply unit 1 may further include a liquid gas pipe 100 and a dry gas pipe 90 configured to connect upstream of the common gas pipe 80.

[0039] A carbon precursor as a liquid gas for forming a carbon layer can be introduced into the reaction chamber. Exemplary precursors include compounds represented by the formula CxHyNz, where x is a natural number greater than or equal to 2, y is a natural number, and z is zero or a natural number. For example, x can range from about 2 to about 15, y can range from about 4 to about 30, and z can range from about 0 to about 10. The precursor can include chain or cyclic molecules having two or more carbon atoms and one or more hydrogen atoms, such as molecules represented by the formula above. In certain examples, the precursor can be or include a compound having one or more cyclic (e.g., aromatic) structures and / or at least one double bond, and in some cases, two or more or three or more double bonds. As a specific example, the carbon precursor can be or include 1,3,5,trimethylbenzene or 2,4,6,trimethylpyridine.

[0040] The one or more inert gases used as dry gases may include, for example, one or more of argon, helium, and nitrogen, in any combination. The inert gas may be used to purge reactants and / or by-products from the reaction chamber to ignite or facilitate ignition of the plasma within the reaction chamber, and / or may be used as a carrier gas to assist in the delivery of precursors to the reaction chamber. The power used to ignite and maintain the plasma may range from about 50 W to about 8,000 W. The frequency of the power may range from about 2.0 MHz to about 27.12 MHz.

[0041] The gas supply unit may further include a controller 200 configured to control the flow rate of the gas splitter 70. By adjusting the flow rate, the amount of gas in each of the zones 16, 17, 18, and 19 may be controlled. Thus, the uniformity or characteristics of the film formed in a particular peripheral portion may be selectively controlled. For example, the uniformity of the film deposited in the zones 16 and 18 may be selectively controlled.

[0042] The exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure described above do not limit the scope of the present invention, as these embodiments are merely examples of embodiments of the present invention. Any equivalent embodiments are intended to be within the scope of the present invention. Indeed, various modifications of the present disclosure in addition to those shown and described herein may become apparent to those skilled in the art from the description, including alternative useful combinations of the described elements. Such modifications and embodiments are also intended to be included within the scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. a top plate having a plurality of injection holes; a partition plate constructed and arranged relative to the top plate to guide gas flow from the injection holes, one of the plurality of injection holes is a central injection hole, and the other of the plurality of injection holes are outer injection holes that are concentrically arranged around the central injection hole; the divider plate has a central through hole in fluid communication with the central injection hole and a plurality of protrusions extending toward the top plate to form a plurality of zones, each zone being in fluid communication with one of the outer injection holes; each of the plurality of protrusions extends in a radial direction from the central injection hole to the outer edge of the partition plate in a plan view, and is located at a different position from the outer injection holes in the circumferential direction around the central injection hole; A gas supply unit, wherein the dimensions of the plurality of zones in the circumferential direction continuously increase outward in the radial direction.

2. The gas supply unit of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the plurality of zones is provided in a substantially trapezoidal shape.

3. 2. The gas supply unit of claim 1, wherein the number of the plurality of zones is four, and the size of one zone is larger than the sizes of the other three zones.

4. The gas supply unit according to claim 1 , wherein the protrusions are arranged radially outward from the center.

5. 10. The gas supply unit of claim 1, further comprising a shower plate with a plurality of holes for directing gas flow outside the gas supply unit, the shower plate being attached to a lower surface of the upper plate.

6. 2. The gas supply unit of claim 1, further comprising an insulator connected to a top surface of the top plate, the insulator comprising a central hole in fluid communication with the central inlet hole and a plurality of outer holes in fluid communication with each of the plurality of outer inlet holes.

7. 6. The gas supply unit of claim 5, further comprising a gas flow channel disposed between a lower surface of the partition plate and an upper surface of the shower plate, the gas flow channel being configured to be in fluid communication with the central through-hole and a periphery of the zone.

8. The gas supply unit of claim 6 , further comprising a plurality of gas splitters each in fluid communication with the central aperture and the plurality of outer apertures.

9. The gas supply unit according to claim 8 , further comprising a common gas pipe configured to branch into a plurality of branch gas pipes each connected to one of the plurality of gas splitters.

10. The gas supply unit of claim 9 , further comprising a liquid gas pipe and a dry gas pipe configured to connect upstream of the common gas pipe.

11. The gas supply unit of claim 10 , further comprising a controller configured to control a flow rate of the gas splitter.

12. a reaction chamber; a susceptor located within the reaction chamber, the susceptor constructed and arranged to support a substrate, The substrate processing apparatus comprises the gas supply unit according to claim 1 , wherein a shower plate is constructed and arranged to face the susceptor.

13. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 12 , further comprising a substrate transport pipe disposed in a sidewall of the reaction chamber, the largest zone of the plurality of zones being disposed adjacent to the substrate transport pipe.

14. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 12 , further comprising a vacuum hole disposed in a sidewall of the reaction chamber, the largest zone of the plurality of zones being disposed proximate the vacuum hole.

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