Semiconductor process chamber and semiconductor process device

Abstract

A semiconductor process chamber and a semiconductor process device. The semiconductor process chamber comprises: a chamber body, the chamber body being provided with a gas extraction port; at least one first flow equalizing plate, which is arranged on the side of the chamber body close to the gas extraction port and shields the gas extraction port, wherein a plurality of flow equalizing holes are formed in each first flow equalizing plate; and a connecting assembly, which is connected to the chamber body and the first flow equalizing plate, and the connecting assembly is configured to enable the distance between the at least one first flow equalizing plate and the gas extraction port to be adjustable. The distance between the quartz boats close to the side of the gas extraction port and the adjustable first flow equalizing plate can be kept unchanged as much as possible, so that the film thickness uniformity of the silicon wafers in the quartz boats close to the side of the gas extraction port is improved. Moreover, the film thickness uniformity of the silicon wafers in the quartz boats close to the side of the gas extraction port can also be improved by changing the number of first flow equalizing plates arranged, the spacing between the first flow equalizing plates, and the distance between the first flow equalizing plate and the gas extraction port.

Description

Semiconductor process chambers and semiconductor process equipment Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of semiconductor technology, and in particular to a semiconductor process chamber and semiconductor process equipment. Background Art

[0002] With the development of the photovoltaic industry, battery performance requirements are increasing, and new solar cell preparation methods are constantly emerging and becoming more mature. For example, a horizontal semiconductor furnace is used to deposit thin films on solar cells (silicon wafers).

[0003] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a conventional horizontal semiconductor process chamber. The chamber comprises a chamber body 10a, a carrier 20a, and a flow plate 30a. The chamber body 10a is provided with an inlet 11a and an exhaust port 12a. The flow plate 30a is positioned near the exhaust port 12a in the chamber body 10a. During processing, silicon wafers are placed in quartz boats 40a and loaded into the chamber body 10a via the carrier 20a. In Figure 1, ten quartz boats 40a are loaded onto the carrier 20a. Process gas enters through the inlet 11a and is simultaneously exhausted through the exhaust port 12a. The process gas is deposited at high temperatures onto the surface of the silicon wafer, forming a thin film. The flow plate 30a improves gas uniformity in the area of ​​the chamber body 10a near the exhaust port 12a, thereby improving the uniformity of the thin film deposited on the silicon wafer.

[0004] As production capacity continues to increase (i.e., the number of quartz boats 40a carried in one process increases) and the diameter of the chamber body 10a continues to increase, the airflow distribution in the area near the exhaust port 12a in the chamber body 10a is uneven, which will cause uneven thickness of the film deposited on the silicon wafer on the quartz boat 40a near the exhaust port 12a.

[0005] Summary of the Invention

[0006] In response to the above technical problems, the present application provides a semiconductor process chamber and semiconductor process equipment, which can improve the problem that the area near the exhaust port of the existing semiconductor process chamber is prone to uneven airflow distribution, resulting in poor uniformity in the thickness of the thin film deposited on the silicon wafer in the quartz boat near the exhaust port.

[0007] To solve the above technical problems, in a first aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a semiconductor process chamber, comprising:

[0008] A chamber body, wherein the chamber body is provided with an air extraction port;

[0009] At least one first flow equalizer plate is provided on one side of the chamber body close to the air extraction port and blocks the air extraction port, and each of the first flow equalizer plates is provided with a plurality of flow equalizer holes;

[0010] A connecting assembly connects the chamber body and the first flow distributor, and the connecting assembly is configured to make the distance between at least one of the first flow distributors and the air extraction port adjustable.

[0011] In some embodiments, the connecting assembly includes at least two parallel sleeve rod assemblies, one end of each sleeve rod assembly is connected to the chamber body;

[0012] The first flow equalizer plate is provided with first through holes corresponding to the sleeve rod assemblies one by one. The first flow equalizer plate is connected to the corresponding sleeve rod assembly through each of the first through holes, and the connection position on the sleeve rod assembly is adjustable.

[0013] In some embodiments, the rod assembly comprises:

[0014] an inner shaft, one end of which is connected to the chamber body;

[0015] A plurality of sleeves are sequentially sleeved on the inner shaft along the axial direction of the inner shaft, the first flow equalizer plates are sleeved on the inner shaft through the corresponding first through holes, and any first flow equalizer plate is clamped and fixed by two adjacent sleeves.

[0016] In some embodiments, the inner shaft comprises:

[0017] A connecting sleeve, one end of which is connected to the chamber body and the other end of which is provided with a threaded hole extending along the axial direction of the connecting sleeve;

[0018] A screw, one end of which is connected to the threaded hole, the multiple sleeves are freely sleeved on the screw, and the first flow equalizer is sleeved on the screw through the first through hole;

[0019] The sleeve rod assembly also includes:

[0020] The first nut is connected to the other end of the screw rod and is used to fix the first flow distribution plate between the first nut and the end surface of the connecting sleeve when locking.

[0021] In some embodiments, the sleeve rod assembly further comprises:

[0022] The second nut is connected to the screw rod and is arranged close to the end face of the threaded hole. It is used to adjust the sleeve positions of the multiple sleeves on the screw rod and clamp and fix the multiple sleeves together with the first nut.

[0023] In some embodiments, the semiconductor process chamber further comprises:

[0024] At least one second flow equalizer is connected to the connecting assembly, and the at least one first flow equalizer is located on a side of the second flow equalizer away from the exhaust port, and the second flow equalizer is used to reduce the speed at which the gas in the chamber body is extracted.

[0025] In some embodiments, the semiconductor process chamber further comprises:

[0026] at least one second flow-distributing plate, disposed near the gas extraction port and connected to the connecting sleeve, for reducing the speed at which the gas in the chamber body is extracted;

[0027] There are more than two first flow equalizers, and all of the first flow equalizers are located on a side of the second flow equalizer away from the air extraction port.

[0028] In some embodiments, the second flow equalizer plate is provided with flow equalizer holes, and the sum of the areas of all the flow equalizer holes on the second flow equalizer plate is smaller than the sum of the areas of all the flow equalizer holes on the first flow equalizer plate; or

[0029] The second flow equalizing plate is not provided with flow equalizing holes.

[0030] In some embodiments, the number of flow equalizing holes provided on the second flow equalizing plate is less than the number of flow equalizing holes provided on the first flow equalizing plate, and the area of ​​each flow equalizing hole provided on the second flow equalizing plate is equal to the area of ​​each flow equalizing hole provided on the first flow equalizing plate; or

[0031] The number of flow equalizing holes provided on the second flow equalizing plate is equal to the number of flow equalizing holes provided on the first flow equalizing plate, and the area of ​​each flow equalizing hole provided on the second flow equalizing plate is smaller than the area of ​​each flow equalizing hole provided on the first flow equalizing plate; or

[0032] The number of flow equalizing holes provided on the second flow equalizing plate is smaller than the number of flow equalizing holes provided on the first flow equalizing plate, and the area of ​​each flow equalizing hole provided on the second flow equalizing plate is smaller than the area of ​​each flow equalizing hole provided on the first flow equalizing plate.

[0033] In some embodiments, the position of the second flow distributor on the connecting sleeve is adjustable.

[0034] In some embodiments, the connecting sleeve is provided with an external thread;

[0035] The second flow equalizer plate is provided with second through holes corresponding to the connecting sleeves one by one, and the second flow equalizer plate is sleeved on the connecting sleeve through the second through holes;

[0036] The sleeve rod assembly also includes:

[0037] Two third nuts are connected to the connecting sleeve and are located on both sides of the second flow distributor, and are used to lock the second flow distributor after the second flow distributor is adjusted to a target position.

[0038] In a second aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a semiconductor process equipment, which includes the semiconductor process chamber described in the above embodiments.

[0039] As described above, in the technical solutions of the semiconductor process chamber and semiconductor process equipment provided by the present application, when a process is being carried out, gas is pumped through the gas outlet, and the first flow plate can homogenize the gas on the side of the chamber body near the gas outlet. Because the distance of at least one first flow plate relative to the gas outlet is adjustable by means of a connecting assembly connecting the chamber body and the first flow plate, for example, when a large number of quartz boats are carried on the carrier, the position of the adjustable first flow plate can be adjusted accordingly, for example, toward the gas outlet, so as to keep the distance between the quartz boat near the gas outlet and the adjustable first flow plate as constant as possible. In other words, even if the number of quartz boats increases, the distance between the quartz boats and the flow plate can be kept constant by adjusting the position of the adjustable first flow plate accordingly, thereby reducing sudden changes in the deposition environment and further improving the uniformity of the film thickness on the silicon wafer on the quartz boat near the gas outlet. In addition, different numbers of first flow equalizers can be set according to actual conditions, and the film thickness uniformity can be optimized by changing the number of first flow equalizers, the spacing between the first flow equalizers, and the distance between the first flow equalizers and the exhaust port. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0040] The accompanying drawings herein are incorporated into and constitute a part of the specification, illustrate embodiments consistent with the present application, and together with the specification, are used to explain the principles of the present application. In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application, the following is a brief introduction to the drawings required for describing the embodiments. Obviously, for those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without inventive work.

[0041] FIG1 is a schematic structural diagram of an existing horizontal semiconductor process chamber;

[0042] FIG2 is a schematic structural diagram of a horizontal semiconductor process chamber provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0043] FIG3 is an enlarged structural diagram of the horizontal semiconductor process chamber in FIG2 near the exhaust port;

[0044] FIG4 is a schematic structural diagram of a flow equalizer provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0045] FIG5 is a schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of a connection assembly in a connected state provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0046] FIG6 is a schematic diagram of a partial structure of a connection assembly in a connected state provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0047] FIG7 is an enlarged structural diagram of part A in FIG6;

[0048] FIG8 is a schematic structural diagram of an existing flow equalizer plate.

[0049] The purpose of this application, its features, and advantages will be further described in conjunction with the embodiments and with reference to the accompanying drawings. The accompanying drawings illustrate specific embodiments of this application, which will be described in more detail below. These drawings and the accompanying text are not intended to limit the scope of the present application in any way, but rather to illustrate the concepts of this application to those skilled in the art by reference to specific embodiments. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0050] Exemplary embodiments will be described in detail herein, with examples illustrated in the accompanying drawings. In the following description, when referring to the drawings, identical numerals in different figures represent identical or similar elements, unless otherwise indicated. The embodiments described in the following exemplary embodiments are not intended to represent all embodiments consistent with the present application. Rather, they are merely examples of apparatus and methods consistent with certain aspects of the present application, as detailed in the appended claims.

[0051] It should be noted that, in this document, the terms "include", "comprises" or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, so that a process, method, article or device comprising a series of elements includes not only those elements, but also other elements not explicitly listed, or also includes elements inherent to such process, method, article or device. In the absence of further restrictions, an element defined by the sentence "comprising a ..." does not exclude the presence of other identical elements in the process, method, article or device comprising the element. In addition, components, features, and elements with the same name in different embodiments of the present application may have the same meaning or different meanings, and their specific meanings need to be determined by their explanation in the specific embodiment or further combined with the context of the specific embodiment.

[0052] It should be further understood that the terms "comprising" and "including" indicate the presence of the described features, steps, operations, elements, components, items, kinds, and / or groups, but do not exclude the presence, occurrence, or addition of one or more other features, steps, operations, elements, components, items, kinds, and / or groups. The terms "or", "and / or", "including at least one of the following", etc. used in this application may be interpreted as inclusive, or mean any one or any combination. For example, "including at least one of the following: A, B, C" means "any one of the following: A; B; C; A and B; A and C; B and C; A and B and C", and for another example, "A, B or C" or "A, B and / or C" means "any one of the following: A; B; C; A and B; A and C; B and C; A and B and C". Exceptions to this definition will only occur when the combination of elements, functions, steps or operations is inherently mutually exclusive in some way.

[0053] It should be understood that although the terms first, second, third, etc. may be used herein to describe various information, such information should not be limited to these terms. These terms are merely used to distinguish information of the same type from one another. For example, first information could also be referred to as second information, and similarly, second information could also be referred to as first information without departing from the scope of this document. Depending on the context, as used herein, the singular forms "a," "an," and "the" are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context indicates otherwise.

[0054] It should be understood that the terms "top", "bottom", "up", "down", "vertical", "horizontal", etc., indicating orientations or positional relationships, are based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as a limitation on the present application.

[0055] For ease of description, the following embodiments are all described using the orthogonal space formed by the horizontal plane and the vertical direction as an example. This premise should not be understood as a limitation to the present application.

[0056] As described above, existing horizontal semiconductor process chambers are prone to uneven airflow distribution near the exhaust port 12a, resulting in poor uniformity in the thickness of thin films deposited on silicon wafers within the quartz boat 40a near the exhaust port 12a. Experimental testing has shown that the thickness difference between the center and edge regions of the silicon wafers within the two quartz boats 40a near the exhaust port 12a in Figure 1 can reach up to 12.3%. Color can represent film thickness. Field observation of the silicon wafers within the two quartz boats 40a near the exhaust port 12a after process testing revealed significant color differences within the same wafer, as well as between different wafers within the same quartz boat 40a. This indicates that uniformity within and between wafers within the two quartz boats 40a near the exhaust port 12a is relatively poor.

[0057] After research and analysis, the inventors of this application discovered that as the number of quartz boats 40a increases, the distance between the quartz boats 40a and the flow plate 30a also changes accordingly, which can affect the uniformity of the thin film on the silicon wafer near the exhaust port 12a. Based on this, this application provides a semiconductor process chamber and semiconductor process equipment. The semiconductor process chamber is not limited to a horizontal semiconductor process chamber. For example, it can also be a vertical semiconductor process chamber. The following description only uses a horizontal semiconductor process chamber.

[0058] Please refer to Figures 2-4. Figure 2 is a structural schematic diagram of a horizontal semiconductor process chamber provided in an embodiment of the present application. Figure 3 is an enlarged structural schematic diagram of the horizontal semiconductor process chamber in Figure 2 near the exhaust port. Figure 4 is a structural schematic diagram of a flow plate provided in an embodiment of the present application. The horizontal semiconductor process chamber may include a chamber body 10, at least one first flow plate 20 and a connecting component 30.

[0059] The chamber body 10 is provided with an exhaust port 12. In addition, the chamber body 10 is also provided with an air inlet 11 for introducing process gas into the chamber body 10. The location of the air inlet 11 is not particularly limited in the embodiment of the present application. Preferably, the air inlet 11 and the air exhaust port 12 are arranged relative to each other on the chamber body 10 to form a more uniform airflow. As an example, the air inlet 11 can be arranged on the front furnace door of the chamber body 10, and the air exhaust port 12 can be arranged on the rear furnace door of the chamber body 10. In addition, a carrier 50 can be provided. The carrier 50 can carry the quartz boat 60 from the front furnace door into the chamber body 10 and is connected to the chamber body 10 on the side of the air inlet 11 so as to be able to carry the quartz boat 10 when the process is carried out. The carrier 50 can be a silicon carbide paddle.

[0060] One, two or more first flow equalizers 20 can be provided. The first flow equalizer 20 is provided on one side of the chamber body 10 close to the exhaust port 12, and blocks the exhaust port 12. Each first flow equalizer 20 is provided with a plurality of flow equalizer holes 21. The connecting component 30 connects the chamber body 10 and the first flow equalizer 20. For example, the first flow equalizer 20 can be connected to the rear furnace door through the connecting component 30. In addition, the connecting component 30 is configured so that the distance of at least one first flow equalizer 20 relative to the exhaust port 12 is adjustable. For example, when two first flow equalizers 20 are provided, the distance of any one of the first flow equalizers 20 relative to the exhaust port 12 can be adjustable, and the other can be fixed; or the two first flow equalizers 20 can be set to be adjustable at the same time. When three first flow equalizers 20 are provided, the distance between any one of the first flow equalizers 20 and the exhaust port 12 can be adjustable, while the other two are fixed. Alternatively, the distance between any two of the first flow equalizers 20 and the exhaust port 12 can be adjustable, while the other is fixed. Alternatively, all three first flow equalizers 20 can be adjustable. Preferably, the first flow equalizer 20 closest to the quartz boat 60 is adjustable.

[0061] When the process is being carried out, process gas can be introduced from the gas inlet 11 and exhausted through the exhaust port 12 . The first flow homogenizing plate 20 can homogenize the gas on the side of the chamber body 10 close to the exhaust port 12 . Since the distance of at least one first flow plate 20 relative to the exhaust port 12 on the connecting component 30 is adjustable by means of the connecting component 30 connecting the chamber body 10 and the first flow plate 20, when the number of quartz boats 60 carried on the carrier 50 is large, the position of the adjustable first flow plate 20 can be adjusted accordingly, for example, adjusted in the direction close to the exhaust port 12, so as to keep the distance between the quartz boat 60 close to the exhaust port 12 and the adjustable first flow plate 20 unchanged as much as possible. That is to say, even if the number of quartz boats 40a increases, the distance between the quartz boat 40a and the flow plate 30a can be kept unchanged by adjusting the position of the adjustable first flow plate 20 accordingly, thereby reducing the sudden change of the deposition environment and further improving the uniformity of the film thickness on the silicon wafer of the quartz boat 60 close to the exhaust port 12. It should be noted that the adjustment principle of the first flow plate 20 is not limited to the above-described adjustment method. A partially adjustable first flow plate 20 can also be adjusted toward the direction closer to the exhaust port 12, or a partially adjustable first flow plate 20 can be adjusted toward the direction closer to the quartz boat 60 (i.e., away from the exhaust port 12). The specific adjustment can be based on the number of quartz boats 60 and the process effect of gas uniformity. In addition, different numbers of first flow plates 20 can be set according to actual conditions. By changing the number of first flow plates 20, the spacing between the first flow plates 20, and the distance between the first flow plates 20 and the exhaust port 12, the uniformity of the film thickness can be optimized.

[0062] In one embodiment, please refer to Figures 2 to 6. Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of a connection assembly provided in an embodiment of the present application in a connected state, and Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of the partial structure of a connection assembly provided in an embodiment of the present application in a connected state. The connection assembly 30 may include at least two parallel rod assemblies 31, one end of which is connected to the chamber body 10. The first flow equalizer plate 20 is provided with first through holes 22 corresponding to the rod assemblies 31. For example, when the connection assembly 30 includes three rod assemblies 31 as shown in Figure 5, the first flow equalizer plate 20 may be provided with three first through holes 22 as shown in Figure 4. The first flow equalizer plate 20 is connected to the corresponding rod assembly 31 through each first through hole 22, and the connection position on the rod assembly 31 is adjustable, for example, the first flow equalizer plate 20 slides toward or away from the exhaust port 12.

[0063] In this embodiment, the first flow equalizer plate 20 is connected to the chamber body 10 through at least two parallel sleeve rod assemblies 31, and the connection position of the first flow equalizer plate 20 on the sleeve rod assembly 31 is adjustable, so that the gas uniformity effect can be adjusted according to actual process requirements to optimize the uniformity of the film thickness on the silicon wafer near the exhaust port 12.

[0064] As an example, please refer to Figures 6 and 7. Figure 7 is an enlarged schematic diagram of section A in Figure 6. The sleeve assembly 31 may include an inner shaft 311 and multiple sleeves 312. One end of the inner shaft 311 is connected to the chamber body 10, for example, by providing a threaded structure and being fixed to the rear furnace door of the chamber body 10 via bolts. Multiple sleeves 312 are sequentially sleeved onto the inner shaft 311 along its axial direction. The first flow equalizer plate 20 is sleeved onto the inner shaft 311 through the corresponding first through-hole 22, and any first flow equalizer plate 20 is clamped and fixed by two adjacent sleeves 312. The specific fixing method is not particularly limited in this embodiment. For example, the inner shaft 311 can be a screw or a plain shaft, with external threads only near its two ends. Two nuts are provided to tighten all sleeves 312 from the outside of the first and last sleeves 312, thereby clamping the first flow equalizer plate 20 between the sleeves 312 on the left and right sides.

[0065] As shown in FIG6 , the four sleeves 312 closest to the right side arranged in sequence from the right side to the left side are located at the first position A1, the second position A2, the third position A3, and the fourth position A4. For example, in the case where one of the first flow equalizer plates 20 is sandwiched between the two sleeves 312 located at the second position A2 and the third position A3 shown in FIG6 , when the first flow equalizer plate 20 needs to be adjusted to the left according to the process, the three sleeves 312 and the first flow equalizer plate 20 located at the first position A1, the second position A2, and the third position A3 can be removed. When reassembling these removed components, the first flow equalizer plate 20 is assembled between the two sleeves 312 located at the third position A3 and the fourth position A4.

[0066] The sleeve rod assembly 31 and the first flow equalizer plate 20 of this embodiment have a simple structural design and low cost, and are very convenient for adjusting the position of the first flow equalizer plate 20 .

[0067] In a specific embodiment of the inner shaft 311, please continue to refer to Figure 7. The inner shaft 311 may include a connecting sleeve 3111 and a screw 3112. One end of the connecting sleeve 3111 is connected to the chamber body 10, and the other end is provided with a threaded hole 3113 extending along the axial direction of the connecting sleeve 3111. One end of the screw 3112 is connected to the threaded hole 3113, that is, the external thread of the screw 3112 is threadedly connected to the threaded hole 3113. All sleeves 312 are freely sleeved on the screw 3112. The first flow distribution plate 20 is sleeved on the screw 3112 through the first through hole 22 and is clamped and fixed by two adjacent sleeves 312. The sleeve rod assembly 31 may also include a first nut 313. Please continue to refer to Figures 5 and 6. The first nut 313 is connected to the other end of the screw rod 3112 and is used to fix the first flow plate 20 between the first nut 313 and the end face of the connecting sleeve 3111 when locking, and is clamped and fixed by two adjacent sleeves 312.

[0068] Preferably, referring to Figures 3, 5, and 7, the sleeve assembly 31 may further include a second nut 314, which is connected to the screw 3112 and disposed near the end face of the threaded hole 3113. The second nut 314 is used to adjust the sleeve positions of all sleeves 312 on the screw 3112 and, together with the first nut 313, clamp all sleeves 312 in place. That is, in this embodiment, in addition to being able to clamp the first flow distributor 20 between different sleeves 312 to achieve position adjustment, the second nut 314 can also be used to translate the positions of all sleeves 312 to achieve adjustment of the position of the first flow distributor 20, thereby achieving more precise position adjustment.

[0069] After research and analysis, the inventors of this application discovered that as production capacity continues to increase, the diameter of horizontal semiconductor process chambers continues to increase. This requires that process gases remain in the chamber for a longer period of time to allow the process gases to fully react and form a uniform film layer on the silicon wafer. Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a conventional flow plate. The flow plate 30a is provided with small flow-uniform holes 31a and large flow-uniform holes 32a. The large flow-uniform holes 32a result in a too short residence time for the process gas in the horizontal semiconductor process chamber.

[0070] Therefore, preferably, the present application eliminates the large flow-distributing holes 32a on the existing flow-distributing plate 30a, and the flow-distributing holes 21 on the first flow-distributing plate 20 are all small holes, for example, with a diameter of 0.5 mm to 5 mm. Furthermore, preferably, the flow-distributing holes 21 are evenly distributed throughout the first flow-distributing plate 20. Furthermore, by providing two or more first flow-distributing plates 20, the residence time of the process gas and the gas uniformity effect can be increased.

[0071] In one embodiment, the present application can also increase the residence time of the process gas by providing a second flow plate. Continuing to refer to Figures 2, 3, and 5-7, the horizontal semiconductor process chamber can also include at least one second flow plate 40. The second flow plate 40 is connected to the connection assembly 30, and at least one first flow plate 20 is located on a side of the second flow plate 40 away from the exhaust port 12. The second flow plate 40 is used to reduce the rate at which the gas within the chamber body 10 is extracted.

[0072] It is understood that one or more second flow equalizers 40 can be provided to gradually reduce the pumping speed. All first flow equalizers 20 are provided near one side of the quartz boat 60, and all second flow equalizers 40 are provided near one side of the pumping port 12. For example, in FIG3 , two first flow equalizers 20 are provided near the quartz boat 60 to improve the gas uniformity. The provision of one second flow equalizer 40 near the pumping port 12 is used to reduce the speed at which the gas in the chamber body 10 is pumped out.

[0073] In one embodiment, the exhaust area provided on the second flow equalizer plate 40 (i.e., the total area of ​​gas passing through the second flow equalizer plate 40) is smaller than the sum of the areas of all the flow holes 21 on the first flow equalizer plate 20. For example, flow holes can be provided on the second flow equalizer plate 40, but compared with the first flow equalizer plate 20, the sum of the areas of all the flow holes on the second flow equalizer plate 40 (i.e., the above-mentioned exhaust area) is smaller than the sum of the areas of all the flow holes 21 on the first flow equalizer plate 20. As some examples, the number of flow holes provided on the second flow equalizer plate 40 is smaller than the number of flow holes 21 provided on the first flow equalizer plate 20, and the area of ​​each flow hole provided on the second flow equalizer plate 40 is equal to the area of ​​each flow hole 21 provided on the first flow equalizer plate 20. The area of ​​the flow hole refers to the ventilation cross-sectional area of ​​the flow hole. For example, fewer flow holes with an aperture equal to that of the flow holes 21 can be provided on the second flow equalizer plate 40. Alternatively, the number of flow equalizing holes provided on the second flow equalizing plate 40 is equal to the number of flow equalizing holes provided on the first flow equalizing plate 20, and the area of ​​each flow equalizing hole provided on the second flow equalizing plate 40 is smaller than the area of ​​each flow equalizing hole 21 provided on the first flow equalizing plate 20. For example, the second flow equalizing plate 40 has the same number of flow equalizing holes as the flow equalizing holes 21, but the aperture is smaller than the aperture of the flow equalizing holes 21. Alternatively, the number of flow equalizing holes provided on the second flow equalizing plate 40 is smaller than the number of flow equalizing holes provided on the first flow equalizing plate 20, and the area of ​​each flow equalizing hole provided on the second flow equalizing plate 40 is smaller than the area of ​​each flow equalizing hole 21 provided on the first flow equalizing plate 20. For example, the second flow equalizing plate 40 has a smaller number of flow equalizing holes with an aperture smaller than the aperture of the flow equalizing holes 21.

[0074] In another embodiment, the second flow equalizing plate 40 is not provided with flow equalizing holes. The above embodiments can reduce the speed at which the gas in the chamber body 10 is extracted.

[0075] It should be noted that the absence of flow holes in the second flow equalizer plate 40 does not completely block the flow of air. This is because there is a gap between the circumference of the second flow equalizer plate 40 and the inner wall of the chamber body 10. In addition, to improve gas uniformity, a gas supply pipe 70 can be provided. Please refer to Figure 2. The gas supply pipe 70 can extend from the rear furnace door into the chamber body 10 and extend to the middle of the chamber body 10 to supply air. In this case, the first flow equalizer plate 20 and the second flow equalizer plate 40 can both be provided with corresponding notches (23, 42) to avoid the gas supply pipe 70. The notches can also serve as airflow channels during exhaust.

[0076] As a preferred embodiment, two or more first flow equalizers 20 are provided, and a second flow equalizer 40 is provided near the gas extraction port 12 and connected to the connecting sleeve 3111 of the inner shaft 311. That is, all first flow equalizers 20 are provided near the side of the quartz boat 60 to improve the gas uniformity, and the second flow equalizer 40 is provided near the side of the gas extraction port 12 to increase the residence time of the process gas.

[0077] In one embodiment, the position of the second flow plate 40 on the connecting sleeve 3111 is adjustable. The distance between the second flow plate 40 and the quartz boat 60 will also affect the uniformity of the airflow. This embodiment can further improve the uniformity of the gas by adjusting the position of the second flow plate 40.

[0078] As an example of an adjustable position of the second flow equalizer 40, please continue to refer to Figures 5 and 7. The second flow equalizer 40 is provided with a second through hole 41 corresponding one-to-one with the connecting sleeve 3111. The second flow equalizer 40 is mounted on the connecting sleeve 3111 through the second through hole 41. The connecting sleeve 3111 can be provided with external threads. The sleeve rod assembly 31 can also include two third nuts 315. The third nuts 315 are both connected to the connecting sleeve 3111 and are located on both sides of the second flow equalizer 40. They are used to lock the second flow equalizer 40 after the second flow equalizer 40 is adjusted to the target position.

[0079] The embodiments of the present application further provide a semiconductor process equipment. Please continue to refer to FIG. 2 . The semiconductor process equipment may include the semiconductor process chamber described in the above embodiments.

[0080] In some embodiments, the semiconductor process equipment may further include an exhaust pipe 80 , which is connected to the exhaust port 12 .

[0081] In some embodiments, the semiconductor process equipment may be a horizontal semiconductor process furnace.

[0082] For other working principles and processes of the semiconductor process equipment of this embodiment, please refer to the description of the semiconductor process chamber in the aforementioned embodiment of the present invention, which will not be repeated here.

[0083] The above describes in detail a semiconductor process chamber and semiconductor process equipment provided by this application. This article uses specific examples to illustrate the principles and implementation methods of this application. It should be noted that in this application, the descriptions of each embodiment have their own emphasis. For portions not detailed or recorded in one embodiment, please refer to the relevant descriptions of other embodiments.

[0084] The above are only preferred embodiments of the present application and do not limit the patent scope of the present application. The various technical features of the technical solution of the present application can be arbitrarily combined. In order to make the description concise, all possible combinations of the various technical features in the above embodiments are not described. Any equivalent structure or equivalent process transformation made using the contents of the description and drawings of this application, or directly or indirectly applied in other related technical fields, as long as there is no contradiction in the combination of these technical features, are also included in the patent protection scope of the present application.

Claims

1. A semiconductor process chamber, characterized in that: include: A chamber body, wherein the chamber body is provided with an air extraction port; At least one first flow equalizer plate is arranged on one side of the chamber body close to the air extraction port and blocks the air extraction port, and each of the first flow equalizer plates is provided with a plurality of flow equalizer holes; A connecting component connects the chamber body and the first flow equalizer plate, and the connecting component is configured to make the distance of at least one of the first flow equalizer plates relative to the air suction port adjustable.

2. The semiconductor process chamber according to claim 1, characterized in that: The connecting assembly comprises at least two sleeve rod assemblies arranged in parallel, one end of each sleeve rod assembly being connected to the chamber body; The first flow equalizer plate is provided with first through holes corresponding to the sleeve rod assemblies one by one. The first flow equalizer plate is connected to the corresponding sleeve rod assembly through each of the first through holes, and the connection position on the sleeve rod assembly is adjustable.

3. The semiconductor process chamber according to claim 2, characterized in that: The sleeve rod assembly comprises: An inner shaft, one end of which is connected to the chamber body; A plurality of sleeves are sequentially sleeved on the inner shaft along the axial direction of the inner shaft, the first flow equalizer plates are sleeved on the inner shaft through the corresponding first through holes, and any first flow equalizer plates are clamped and fixed by two adjacent sleeves.

4. The semiconductor process chamber according to claim 3, characterized in that: The inner shaft comprises: A connecting sleeve, one end of which is connected to the chamber body, and the other end of which is provided with a threaded hole extending along the axial direction of the connecting sleeve; A screw, one end of which is connected to the threaded hole, the plurality of sleeves are freely sleeved on the screw, and the first flow equalizer is sleeved on the screw through the first through hole; The sleeve rod assembly also includes: The first nut is connected to the other end of the screw rod and is used to fix the first flow distribution plate between the first nut and the end surface of the connecting sleeve when locking.

5. The semiconductor process chamber according to claim 4, characterized in that: The sleeve rod assembly also includes: The second nut is connected to the screw rod and is arranged close to the end surface of the threaded hole. It is used to adjust the sleeve positions of the multiple sleeves on the screw rod and clamp and fix the multiple sleeves together with the first nut.

6. The semiconductor process chamber according to claim 1, wherein: Also includes: At least one second flow equalizer is connected to the connecting assembly, and the at least one first flow equalizer is located on a side of the second flow equalizer away from the exhaust port, and the second flow equalizer is used to reduce the speed at which the gas in the chamber body is exhausted.

7. The semiconductor process chamber according to claim 4, characterized in that: Also includes: At least one second flow-distributing plate, disposed near the gas extraction port and connected to the connecting sleeve, for reducing the speed at which the gas in the chamber body is extracted; There are more than two first flow equalizer plates, and all of the first flow equalizer plates are located on a side of the second flow equalizer plate away from the air extraction port.

8. The semiconductor process chamber according to claim 6 or 7, characterized in that: The second flow equalizer plate is provided with flow equalizer holes, and the sum of the areas of all the flow equalizer holes on the second flow equalizer plate is smaller than the sum of the areas of all the flow equalizer holes on the first flow equalizer plate; or The second flow equalizing plate is not provided with flow equalizing holes.

9. The semiconductor process chamber according to claim 8, characterized in that: The number of flow holes provided on the second flow equalizer plate is less than the number of flow holes provided on the first flow equalizer plate, and the area of ​​each flow equalizer hole provided on the second flow equalizer plate is equal to the area of ​​each flow equalizer hole provided on the first flow equalizer plate; or The number of flow equalizing holes provided on the second flow equalizing plate is equal to the number of flow equalizing holes provided on the first flow equalizing plate, and the area of ​​each flow equalizing hole provided on the second flow equalizing plate is smaller than the area of ​​each flow equalizing hole provided on the first flow equalizing plate; or The number of flow holes provided on the second flow equalizer plate is smaller than the number of flow holes provided on the first flow equalizer plate, and the area of ​​each flow equalizer hole provided on the second flow equalizer plate is smaller than the area of ​​each flow equalizer hole provided on the first flow equalizer plate.

10. The semiconductor process chamber according to claim 7, wherein: The position of the second flow distributor on the connecting sleeve is adjustable.

11. The semiconductor process chamber according to claim 10, characterized in that: The connecting sleeve is provided with an external thread; The second flow equalizer plate is provided with second through holes corresponding to the connecting sleeve one by one, and the second flow equalizer plate is sleeved on the connecting sleeve through the second through holes; The sleeve rod assembly also includes: Two third nuts are connected to the connecting sleeve and are located on both sides of the second flow equalizer plate, and are used to lock the second flow equalizer plate after the second flow equalizer plate is adjusted to a target position.

12. A semiconductor process equipment, characterized in that: A semiconductor process chamber comprising any one of claims 1-11.

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