Thin film deposition apparatus, and automatic leveling method for heating tray

Abstract

Provided in the present invention is an automatic leveling method for a heating tray. The method comprises: on the basis of distance information fed back by a sensor, determining whether a heating tray is parallel to a spray head; and when the heating tray is not parallel to the spray head, calculating the current pose of the heating tray, and controlling a plurality of connecting rods to move, such that the heating tray is parallel to the spray head. The parallelism between a heating tray and a spray head can be quickly adjusted, and compared with manual leveling, the method is more convenient and faster, and the precision is higher, thereby ensuring the uniformity of thin film deposition; moreover, during a technological process, by means of adjusting the parallelism between the heating tray and the spray head, the thickness of a film on a substrate can be adjusted, thereby improving the uniformity of thin film deposition.

Description

Thin film deposition device and automatic leveling method for heating tray Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of semiconductor manufacturing equipment, and in particular to a thin film deposition device and an automatic leveling method for a heating tray. Background Art

[0002] In thin film deposition equipment, the uniformity of the thin film is related to many factors, such as the temperature uniformity of the heating tray, the parallelism between the shower head and the heating tray, the uniformity of the process gas, and so on. Due to the tolerance and installation errors of each shower head, it is difficult to ensure the parallelism between the shower head and the heating tray, so the position of the heating tray needs to be adjusted. Usually, the heating tray is parallel to the support plate and rigidly connected. A horizontal screw is provided at the bottom of the support plate. The horizontal screw is manually adjusted to make the heating tray parallel to the shower head. However, manual adjustment is time-consuming and labor-intensive, and relies on the operator's feel, resulting in uneven and inefficient manual adjustment results. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The object of the present invention is to provide a thin film deposition device and an automatic leveling method for a heating tray, so as to solve the problem in the prior art that it is difficult to accurately and quickly adjust the parallelism between the heating tray and the shower head.

[0004] To achieve the above and other related purposes, the present invention provides a thin film deposition device, comprising:

[0005] a heating tray for placing at least three sensors, wherein the at least three sensors are evenly distributed around the center of the heating tray;

[0006] A spray head is arranged above the heating tray and is located on a horizontal plane;

[0007] A leveling mechanism is connected to the heating tray and is used to automatically adjust the position of the heating tray according to the distance information fed back by the sensor so that the heating tray is parallel to the sprinkler head.

[0008] Preferably, the leveling mechanism includes a fixed plate, a support plate and at least three connecting rods, and the at least three connecting rods are evenly distributed around the center of the heating tray, and the two ends of each connecting rod are hinged to the fixed plate and the support plate respectively, the fixed plate is fixedly connected to the bottom of the processing chamber, and the support plate is parallel and rigidly connected to the heating tray.

[0009] Preferably, the number of sensors and connecting rods are three and they correspond one to one, the hinge point of each connecting rod and the support plate has a projection point on the heating tray, the heating tray has a center point, and each sensor is arranged on the line connecting the projection point of the corresponding connecting rod and the center point.

[0010] Preferably, the distance information is the gap value between the heating tray and the shower head.

[0011] The present invention also provides an automatic leveling method for a heating tray, comprising the following steps:

[0012] Step S1: judging whether the heating tray and the shower head are parallel based on the distance information fed back by the sensor;

[0013] Step S2: When the heating tray is not parallel to the shower head, the current posture of the heating tray is calculated, and the posture of the heating tray is adjusted so that the heating tray is parallel to the shower head.

[0014] Preferably, the step of calculating the current posture of the heating tray in step S2 includes:

[0015] Presetting the initial position of the heating tray and the initial coordinates of the sensor;

[0016] Obtaining the height information of the sensor according to the distance information fed back by the sensor;

[0017] Calculating the deviation angle and tilt angle of the heating tray relative to the initial position according to the height information, and then calculating the current coordinates of the sensor;

[0018] A coordinate transformation matrix is ​​calculated according to the current coordinates and initial coordinates of the sensor. The coordinate transformation matrix is ​​the transformation matrix between the current posture and initial posture of the heating tray. The current posture of the heating tray is obtained according to the transformation matrix.

[0019] Preferably, in step S2, the step of adjusting the posture of the heating tray so that the heating tray is parallel to the shower head includes:

[0020] The current extension and contraction amounts of the multiple connecting rods in the leveling mechanism are calculated according to the inverse algorithm of the parallel robot, the adjustment amount for each connecting rod to move to the target position is calculated, and the connecting rod is controlled to move according to the adjustment amount.

[0021] Preferably, the deviation angle is the angle between the line connecting the highest point and the lowest point of the heating tray and the xz plane, and the tilt angle is the angle between the line connecting the highest point and the lowest point and the xy plane; wherein the coordinate system O-xyz is established according to the initial posture of the heating tray.

[0022] Preferably, the target position of the connecting rod is the position of the connecting rod corresponding to when the heating tray is in an initial position.

[0023] Preferably, the distance information in step S1 is the gap value between the heating tray and the shower head.

[0024] As described above, the present invention provides a thin film deposition device and an automatic leveling method for a heating tray, which has the following beneficial effects: it can quickly adjust the parallelism between the heating tray and the shower head, which is more convenient, quicker, and more accurate than manual leveling, thereby ensuring the uniformity of thin film deposition; moreover, during the process, by adjusting the parallelism between the heating tray and the shower head, the film thickness on the substrate can be adjusted, thereby improving the uniformity of thin film deposition.

[0025] Summary of the Figures

[0026] The features and performance of the present application are further described by the following examples and drawings.

[0027] FIG1 is a schematic diagram of a thin film deposition apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0028] FIG2 is a schematic diagram showing the positions of three sensors on a heating tray according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0029] FIG3 is a schematic diagram showing three sensors on an initial plane according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0030] FIG4 is a schematic diagram showing the projections of three sensors on a vertical plane passing through a straight line L according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0031] Preferred embodiment of this application

[0032] The following describes the embodiments of the present invention through specific examples. Those skilled in the art will readily understand the other advantages and benefits of the present invention from the disclosure herein. The present invention may also be implemented or applied through various other specific embodiments, and the details in this specification may be modified or altered based on different viewpoints and applications without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

[0033] It should be noted that the illustrations provided in this embodiment are merely schematic illustrations of the basic concept of the present invention. Although the illustrations only show components relevant to the present invention and are not drawn according to the number, shape, and size of components in actual implementation, the form, quantity, and proportion of each component in actual implementation may be varied arbitrarily, and the component layout may be more complex. Furthermore, parts with the same reference numerals in multiple figures represent identical or equivalent parts or components.

[0034] The present invention proposes a thin film deposition device, as shown in Figure 1, comprising: a shower head 1, a heating tray 2 and a leveling mechanism 3. The shower head 1 is arranged above the heating tray 2, and the shower head 1 is always located on a horizontal plane. The leveling mechanism 3 is used to adjust the position of the heating tray 2 so that the heating tray 2 is parallel to the shower head 1. The leveling mechanism 3 includes at least three connecting rods 31, a fixed plate 32 and a support plate 33. The multiple connecting rods 31 are evenly distributed around the center of the heating tray. One end of the connecting rod 31 is spherically hinged to the fixed plate 32, and the other end is connected to the support plate 33. The support plate 33 and the heating tray 2 are parallel to each other and rigidly connected. The fixed plate 32 is fixedly arranged at the bottom of the processing chamber 4. The leveling mechanism 3 adopts a three-degree-of-freedom parallel robot mechanism with one moving and two rotating movements. At least three sensors evenly distributed around the center of the heating tray 2 are placed on the heating tray 2 to obtain distance information to determine whether the heating tray 2 and the shower head 1 are parallel.

[0035] In this embodiment, the connecting rod 31 is an electric cylinder. When the electric cylinder is controlled to extend and retract, the support plate 33 drives the heating tray 2 to move, so that the position and posture of the heating tray 2 change. The three electric cylinders are evenly arranged to better ensure the stability of the equipment. The material of the support plate 33 is a high-hardness material, such as stainless steel. Improving the rigidity of the support plate 33 can avoid large deformation of the support plate 33 after vacuuming the processing chamber 4, thereby ensuring the stability of the entire structure during the process. The number of sensors in this embodiment is also three. As shown in Figure 2, the three sensors A, B, and C are respectively arranged on the line connecting the connection points D, E, and F of the three connecting rods 31 and the heating tray 2 and the center of the heating tray 2. Among them, the connection points of the three connecting rods 31 and the heating tray are the projection points of the hinge points of the connecting rods 31 and the support plate 33 on the heating tray 2.

[0036] The present invention also proposes an automatic leveling method for a heating tray, which uses the thin film deposition device described above. Therefore, the above description can be used to explain the automatic leveling method. Specifically, the automatic leveling method includes the following steps:

[0037] Step S1: Determine whether the heating tray and the sprinkler head are parallel based on the distance information fed back by the sensor.

[0038] In this embodiment, three air gap sensors are used to measure the gap between the heating tray and the spray head, and the differences between the three gap values ​​and the preset target values, or the differences between the three gap values, are calculated. When the maximum number of the three differences is greater than or equal to the preset threshold, it is determined that the heating tray and the spray head are not parallel; otherwise, it is determined that the heating tray and the spray head are parallel.

[0039] In some embodiments, three position sensors can also be used to calculate the differences between the positions of the three sensors and the preset target positions, or the differences between the positions of the three sensors. When the maximum number of the three differences is less than the preset threshold, it is determined that the heating tray and the spray head are not parallel. Otherwise, it is determined that the heating tray and the spray head are parallel.

[0040] Step S2: When the heating tray is not parallel to the shower head, the deviation angle and tilt angle of the heating tray are calculated to obtain the coordinates of the sensor, and then the current position of the heating tray is calculated. The position of the heating tray is adjusted so that the heating tray and the shower head are parallel.

[0041] Specifically, step S2 includes the following steps:

[0042] Step S21, obtaining height information of three sensors;

[0043] Step S22, calculating the deviation angle and tilt angle of the heating tray relative to the initial position, and then calculating the current coordinates of the three sensors;

[0044] Step S23, calculating the transformation matrix between the current posture and the initial posture of the heating tray, and then obtaining the rotation angle of the heating tray around the coordinate axis;

[0045] Step S24 , calculating the current extension and contraction amounts of the three connecting rods in the leveling mechanism according to the inverse algorithm of the parallel robot, calculating the adjustment amount for each connecting rod to move to the target position, and controlling the movement of the connecting rods.

[0046] Figure 3 shows a schematic diagram of the three sensors on the initial plane, where A0, B0, and C0 represent the three sensors on the initial plane. Figure 4 shows the projections of the three sensors on a vertical plane passing through line L, where A1, B1, and C1 represent the three sensors at their current positions. In this embodiment, since the three sensors are evenly distributed on the heating tray along a circle, the three sensors form an equilateral triangle. An initial plane is set, where the heating tray is in its initial position. The center of the equilateral triangle formed by the three sensors on the initial plane is taken as the origin O, one of the midlines is the y-axis, and the vertically upward direction is the z-axis. A spatial rectangular coordinate system O-xyz is established according to the right-hand rule.

[0047] In step S21 , since the shower head is located in a horizontal plane and is parallel to the xy plane, the z coordinates of the three sensors can be calculated based on the gap values ​​between the heating tray and the shower head measured by the sensors.

[0048] 3 and 4 , in step S22 , when the heating tray tilts, due to its circular shape, a highest point and a lowest point are generated. The line connecting the highest point and the lowest point is set as a straight line L. Based on the z coordinates of the three sensors, the angle α between the straight line L and the xz plane and the angle β between the straight line L and the xy plane are calculated. Based on these two angles, the current coordinates of the three sensors in the coordinate system O-xyz are calculated.

[0049] The specific calculation process is as follows: δh2=z2-z1 δh3=z3-z1 l1=R cos(90-α)=R sinα l2=Rcos(α+30) l3=Rcos(α-30) L2=l1-l2 L3=l1+l3

[0050] Among them, z1, z2 and z3 are the z coordinates of the three sensors respectively, and R is the distance between the three sensors and the center of the heating tray. According to the above formula, α and β can be obtained, and then the current coordinates of the three sensors can be calculated.

[0051] In step S23 , a coordinate transformation matrix is ​​calculated based on the current positions and initial positions of the three sensors, that is, the transformation matrix of the current posture and initial posture of the heating tray, and then the current posture of the heating tray is calculated.

[0052] In step S24, the current extension and contraction of the three connecting rods is calculated based on the current position of the heating tray and the parallel robot's kinematic inverse algorithm. This calculation then determines the adjustment required for each connecting rod to reach its target position. Specifically, the heating tray's initial position is assumed to be horizontal, and each connecting rod has an initial position. After calculating the current extension and contraction of the three connecting rods, the adjustment required for each connecting rod to reach its initial position is calculated, and this is then used to control the connecting rod's movement.

[0053] In step S24, the target position of the connecting rod can be set based on the unevenness of thin film deposition on the substrate, and the parallelism between the heating tray and the showerhead can be adjusted to improve the uniformity of thin film deposition. Specifically, during the process, if the film is thicker in a certain area on the substrate, the target position of the connecting rod is reset, and the tilt angle of the heating tray is changed. This movement of the connecting rod reduces the gap between the heating tray and the showerhead in that area, thereby improving the uniformity of the film thickness.

[0054] After step S2 is completed, step S1 is repeated to adjust the position of the heating tray in real time so that the heating tray and the shower head always remain parallel.

[0055] The above embodiments are merely illustrative of the principles and effects of the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention. Anyone skilled in the art may modify or alter the above embodiments without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Therefore, all equivalent modifications or alterations made by one of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the spirit and technical principles disclosed herein are intended to be covered by the claims of the present invention.

Claims

1. A thin film deposition device, characterized in that: include: a heating tray for placing at least three sensors, wherein the at least three sensors are evenly distributed around the center of the heating tray; A spray head is arranged above the heating tray and is located on a horizontal plane; A leveling mechanism is connected to the heating tray and is used to automatically adjust the position of the heating tray according to the distance information fed back by the sensor so that the heating tray is parallel to the sprinkler head.

2. The thin film deposition device according to claim 1, wherein: The leveling mechanism includes a fixed plate, a support plate and at least three connecting rods, wherein the at least three connecting rods are evenly distributed around the center of the heating tray, and the two ends of each connecting rod are hinged to the fixed plate and the support plate respectively. The fixed plate is fixedly connected to the bottom of the processing chamber, and the support plate is parallel and rigidly connected to the heating tray.

3. The thin film deposition device according to claim 2, wherein: The number of the sensors and connecting rods is three and they correspond one to one. The hinge point of each connecting rod and the support plate has a projection point on the heating tray. The heating tray has a center point. Each sensor is arranged on the line connecting the projection point of the corresponding connecting rod and the center point.

4. The thin film deposition device according to claim 1, wherein: The distance information is the gap value between the heating tray and the sprinkler head.

5. A method for automatically leveling a heating tray, using the thin film deposition device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that: The following steps are involved: Step S1: judging whether the heating tray and the shower head are parallel based on the distance information fed back by the sensor; Step S2: When the heating tray is not parallel to the shower head, the current posture of the heating tray is calculated, and the posture of the heating tray is adjusted so that the heating tray is parallel to the shower head.

6. The automatic leveling method of the heating tray according to claim 5, characterized in that: The step of calculating the current posture of the heating tray in step S2 includes: Presetting the initial position of the heating tray and the initial coordinates of the sensor; Obtaining the height information of the sensor according to the distance information fed back by the sensor; Calculating the deviation angle and tilt angle of the heating tray relative to the initial position according to the height information, and then calculating the current coordinates of the sensor; A coordinate transformation matrix is ​​calculated according to the current coordinates and initial coordinates of the sensor. The coordinate transformation matrix is ​​the transformation matrix between the current posture and initial posture of the heating tray. The current posture of the heating tray is obtained according to the transformation matrix.

7. The automatic leveling method for a heating tray according to claim 5, characterized in that: The step of adjusting the posture of the heating tray in step S2 so that the heating tray is parallel to the shower head includes: The current extension and contraction amounts of the multiple connecting rods in the leveling mechanism are calculated according to the inverse algorithm of the parallel robot, the adjustment amount for each connecting rod to move to the target position is calculated, and the connecting rod is controlled to move according to the adjustment amount.

8. The automatic leveling method of a heating tray according to claim 6, characterized in that: The deviation angle is the angle between the line connecting the highest point and the lowest point of the heating tray and the xz plane, and the tilt angle is the angle between the line connecting the highest point and the lowest point and the xy plane; wherein the coordinate system O-xyz is established according to the initial posture of the heating tray.

9. The automatic leveling method of a heating tray according to claim 7, characterized in that: The target position of the connecting rod is the position of the connecting rod corresponding to when the heating tray is in an initial position.

10. The automatic leveling method of a heating tray according to claim 5, characterized in that: The distance information in step S1 is the gap value between the heating tray and the shower head.

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