Process gas nozzle and semiconductor process chamber

Abstract

A process gas nozzle (20) and a semiconductor process chamber. The process gas nozzle (20) comprises a nozzle body (21), a first protrusion (22) and an annular portion (23), wherein the nozzle body (21) is provided with a first end (213) and a second end (214); the annular portion (23) is arranged around the second end (214); the first protrusion (22) is arranged on the nozzle body (21) and is located on the side of the annular portion (23) facing the first end (213); and the surface of the first protrusion (22) facing away from the annular portion (23), and the nozzle body (21) form a reverse flow guide groove (04). The reverse flow guide groove (04) can adjust the flow direction of some of a cleaning gas, thereby solving the problem in the related art of a poor cleaning effect when cleaning an inner wall of the semiconductor process chamber.

Description

Process gas nozzles and semiconductor process chambers Technical Field

[0001] This application belongs to the field of semiconductor technology, specifically relating to a process gas nozzle and a semiconductor process chamber. Background Technology

[0002] During thin film deposition in semiconductor process equipment (such as high-density plasma chemical vapor deposition, HDPCVD), process gases are delivered into the semiconductor process chamber through process gas nozzles and participate in the reaction to form deposits. These deposits are deposited not only on the wafer but also on the inner walls of the semiconductor process chamber. When the deposits are thick enough on the inner walls of the semiconductor process chamber, they are more prone to detachment, thus causing particulate contamination problems within the semiconductor process chamber.

[0003] Therefore, it is necessary to clean the semiconductor process chambers regularly to remove deposits accumulated on their inner walls. However, existing technologies have limitations in effectively cleaning these deposits. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This application discloses a process gas nozzle and a semiconductor process chamber to solve the problem of poor cleaning effect when cleaning the inner wall of the semiconductor process chamber in related technologies.

[0005] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, this application provides the following technical solution:

[0006] In a first aspect, embodiments of this application disclose a process gas nozzle. The disclosed process gas nozzle includes a nozzle body, a first protrusion, and an annular portion. The nozzle body has a first end and a second end. The annular portion is disposed around the second end. The first protrusion is disposed on the nozzle body and is located on the side of the annular portion facing the first end. The surface of the first protrusion facing away from the annular portion forms a reverse flow guide groove with the nozzle body.

[0007] Secondly, this application discloses a semiconductor process chamber. The disclosed semiconductor process chamber includes a chamber shell and the process gas nozzle mentioned above. The chamber shell is provided with a process space and a mounting hole communicating with the process space. The first end of the nozzle body is disposed in the mounting hole and forms an annular air intake channel with the hole wall of the mounting hole.

[0008] The technical solution adopted in this application can achieve the following technical effects:

[0009] The process gas nozzle disclosed in this application further improves upon the structure by adding a first protrusion to the nozzle body, positioning the first protrusion on the side of the annular portion facing the first end. Simultaneously, the surface of the first protrusion facing away from the annular portion forms a reverse flow channel with the nozzle body. This reverse flow channel adjusts the flow direction of some of the cleaning gas, causing some of the cleaning gas to flow in the opposite direction and impact the inner wall of the chamber shell where the air inlet channel is located, thereby cleaning the deposits on this inner wall. This structure avoids the problem of poor cleaning effect caused by the cleaning gas flowing in from the air inlet channel having difficulty flowing to the inner wall of the chamber shell. Attached Figure Description

[0010] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the process gas nozzle disclosed in an embodiment of this application;

[0011] Figure 2 is a top view of Figure 1;

[0012] Figure 3 is a bottom view of Figure 1;

[0013] Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view of the process gas nozzle disclosed in the embodiment of this application. The internal flow channel of the nozzle body is not shown in Figure 4.

[0014] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of the semiconductor process chamber disclosed in the embodiments of this application when process gas is ejected. The solid arrows in Figure 5 indicate the flow direction of some of the process gas.

[0015] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of the semiconductor process chamber disclosed in the embodiments of this application when cleaning gas is introduced; the dashed arrows in Figure 6 indicate the flow direction of some of the cleaning gas;

[0016] Figure 7 is a cross-sectional view of a partial structure of the semiconductor process chamber disclosed in an embodiment of this application in one state;

[0017] Figure 8 is a top view of Figure 7;

[0018] Figure 9 is a cross-sectional view of a portion of the semiconductor process chamber structure disclosed in an embodiment of this application in another state;

[0019] Figure 10 is a top view of Figure 9;

[0020] Figure 11 is a partial structural schematic diagram of the chamber shell disclosed in the embodiment of this application, wherein the outer circle of Figure 11 only indicates the edge of the chamber shell;

[0021] Figure 12 is a schematic diagram of a partial structure of the semiconductor process chamber disclosed in an embodiment of this application;

[0022] Figure 13 is a cross-sectional view of Figure 12;

[0023] Figure 14 is a top view of a partial structure of the semiconductor process chamber disclosed in an embodiment of this application;

[0024] Figure 15 is a cross-sectional view of a partial structure of a semiconductor process chamber disclosed in an embodiment of this application;

[0025] Figure 16 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the semiconductor process chamber disclosed in the embodiments of this application.

[0026] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached drawings: 10-Cavity outer shell, 11-Top cover, 111-Inner wall of top cover, 12-Main body of outer shell, 20-Process gas nozzle, 21-Nozzle body, 211-First outlet, 212-Second outlet, 213-First end, 214-Second end, 22-First protrusion, 221-Guide surface, 222-Surface of the first protrusion, 23-Annular part, 231-First annular surface, 232-Second annular surface, 233-Through hole, 30-Guide plate, 31-Hinge shaft, 40-Drive mechanism, 43-Gear, 42-Rack, 41-Drive component, 01-Process space, 02-Mounting hole, 021-Second protrusion, 022-Receiving groove, 03-Inlet channel, 04-Reverse guide groove, 05-Guide groove, 06-Wafer carrier. Detailed Implementation

[0027] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this application clearer, the technical solutions of this application will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with specific embodiments and corresponding drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of this application, and not all of them. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of this application without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0028] The technical solutions disclosed in the various embodiments of this application are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0029] In the semiconductor process chambers involved in the related technology, process gas nozzles inject process gas into the process space of the semiconductor process chamber, where a coating process is performed. After the coating process is completed, the process space of the semiconductor process chamber needs to be cleaned. The semiconductor process chamber is equipped with an air inlet channel to introduce cleaning gas into the process space during cleaning. During the design of the semiconductor process chamber, the inventors discovered that after the cleaning gas is introduced into the process space from the air inlet channel at a certain speed, due to the high vacuum of the molecular pump at the bottom of the semiconductor process chamber, the cleaning gas mainly moves towards the bottom of the semiconductor process chamber after entering the chamber. This results in insufficient cleaning gas at the top cover and center of the chamber, making it difficult to clean the deposits in these areas, ultimately leading to poor cleaning effect of the semiconductor process chamber.

[0030] Please refer to Figures 1 to 16. This application discloses a process gas nozzle 20. The disclosed process gas nozzle 20 is used in a semiconductor process chamber to inject process gas into the process space 01 of the semiconductor process chamber during the process, thereby realizing the coating process. The process gas nozzle 20 disclosed in this application includes a nozzle body 21, a first protrusion 22, and an annular portion 23.

[0031] The nozzle body 21 is the main part of the process gas nozzle 20, and has a first end 213 and a second end 214. The first end 213 has an inlet, and the second end 214 has an outlet. The outlet is connected to the inlet. In the specific process, the inlet is connected to the process gas pipeline, and the process gas supplied by the pipeline enters the nozzle body 21 through the inlet and is ultimately ejected through the outlet. It should be noted that the first end 213 and the second end 214 of the nozzle body 21 are opposite ends of the nozzle body 21. The process gas mentioned in this article is a coating gas, and the cleaning gas is a gas used to clean deposits.

[0032] In one embodiment, the air inlet can be located on the end face of the first end 213. In order to achieve a more uniform injection of process gas, there can be multiple air outlets, which can be distributed along the circumferential direction of the nozzle body 21 on the peripheral wall of the second end 214.

[0033] The annular portion 23 is arranged around the second end 214 to guide the process gas injected from each outlet hole distributed on the peripheral wall of the second end 214 in the radial direction of the process gas nozzle 20, so that at least part of the process gas can move in the radial direction of the process gas nozzle 20 away from the center of the nozzle body 21, thereby enabling the process gas to diffuse as widely as possible in the semiconductor process chamber.

[0034] A first protrusion 22 is provided on the nozzle body 21. The first protrusion 22 is located on the side of the annular portion 23 facing the first end 213. The first protrusion 22 protrudes from the peripheral wall of the nozzle body 21, and the first protrusion 22 has a surface facing the annular portion 23 and a surface 222 facing away from the annular portion 23.

[0035] In this embodiment, the surface 222 of the annular portion 23 facing away from the first protrusion 22 forms a reverse flow channel 04 with the nozzle body 21. Specifically, the surface 222 of the annular portion 23 facing away from the first protrusion 22 and the peripheral wall of the nozzle body 21 form the reverse flow channel 04, and a portion of the surface 222 of the annular portion 23 facing away from the first protrusion 22 and the peripheral wall of the nozzle body 21 are used to form the inner wall of the reverse flow channel 04. The reverse flow channel 04 is used to reverse the flow of cleaning gas delivered to the semiconductor process chamber.

[0036] During the cleaning process, the cleaning gas is transported to the process space 01 of the semiconductor process chamber through the annular air inlet channel 03. During this process, part of the cleaning gas enters the reverse flow channel 04. The flow of the reverse flow channel 04 causes the cleaning gas to flow in a specific direction, and then flows to the center and edge areas of the inner wall of the top cover of the semiconductor process chamber, thereby cleaning this area, as shown in Figure 7.

[0037] As can be seen from the above working process, the process gas nozzle 20 disclosed in this application further improves the structure by adding a first protrusion 22 to the nozzle body 21, and making the first protrusion 22 located on the side of the annular portion 23 facing the first end 213. At the same time, the surface 222 of the first protrusion 22 facing away from the annular portion 23 forms a reverse flow guide groove 04 with the nozzle body 21. The reverse flow guide groove 04 can adjust the flow direction of part of the cleaning gas, so that part of the cleaning gas flows in the opposite direction and rushes towards the inner wall of the top cover of the semiconductor process chamber, thereby cleaning the deposits on this part of the inner wall. This structure can avoid the problem that the cleaning gas flowing in from the air inlet channel 03 is difficult to flow to the inner wall of the top cover of the semiconductor process chamber, resulting in poor cleaning effect.

[0038] In this embodiment, the number of first protrusions 22 can be one or more, and this embodiment is not limited thereto. Simply adding the aforementioned first protrusions 22 can form a reverse flow channel 04, thereby enhancing the cleaning effect.

[0039] Since the air intake channel 03 has an annular structure, in order to more effectively and evenly clean the area on the inner wall of the semiconductor process chamber where the air intake channel 03 is located, in one embodiment, there can be multiple first protrusions 22. These multiple first protrusions 22 can be distributed at intervals along the circumference of the nozzle body 21. In this structure, the multiple first protrusions 22 can form multiple reverse flow channels 04 with different areas of the peripheral wall of the nozzle body 21. These multiple reverse flow channels 04 can act at multiple points along the circumference of the air intake channel 03, thereby adjusting the flow direction of the cleaning gas entering through the annular air intake channel 03 more comprehensively, allowing the adjusted cleaning gas to perform cleaning more thoroughly.

[0040] Furthermore, in order to achieve more uniform reverse adjustment, multiple first protrusions 22 can be evenly distributed around the nozzle body 21. The width of each first protrusion 22 along the circumference of the nozzle body 21 is equal, and the angle occupied by each first protrusion 22 in the circumference of the nozzle body 21 can be 5°-25°. In this case, the space occupied by each first protrusion 22 in the circumference of the nozzle body 21 is consistent, so that the amount of cleaning gas adjusted by each first protrusion 22 is consistent, thereby making the reverse adjustment of the cleaning gas more consistent.

[0041] In another embodiment, the first protrusion 22 can be an annular protrusion, and is arranged circumferentially around the nozzle body 21. This structure allows the first protrusion 22 to form an annular reverse flow channel 04 with the nozzle body 21. The annular reverse flow channel 04 allows for more comprehensive adjustment of the cleaning gas flow direction, achieving a better cleaning effect.

[0042] In this application embodiment, the shape of the first protrusion 22 can be varied, and this application embodiment does not limit the specific shape of the first protrusion 22. In an embodiment where there are multiple first protrusions 22 and they are spaced apart circumferentially along the nozzle body 21, the space between two adjacent first protrusions 22 can be used for cleaning gas to pass through. In order to better guide the cleaning gas, in one embodiment, the first protrusion 22 can be a strip-shaped protrusion. The first protrusion 22 can be connected to the annular portion 23, and two adjacent first protrusions 22 and the nozzle body 21 can form a guide groove 05 with open ends. The guide groove 05 can guide the passing cleaning gas. Since the first protrusion 22 is a strip-shaped structure, the guide groove 05 is also a long strip-shaped structure, thereby better guiding the cleaning gas. As mentioned above, the annular portion 23 is used to guide the cleaning gas in the radial direction away from the center of the nozzle body 21, so that the cleaning gas diffuses over a large area as much as possible. In this embodiment, the first protrusion 22 can be connected to the annular portion 23, so that one port of the guide groove 05 can be better connected to the guide surface of the annular portion 23, which is beneficial for the cleaning gas discharged from the guide groove 05 to be guided by the annular portion 23 in a timely manner.

[0043] During the cleaning process, some of the cleaning gas entering the semiconductor process chamber from the annular inlet channel 03 is diverted in the opposite direction by the reverse flow guide groove 04, flowing towards the inner wall of the top cover of the semiconductor process chamber. Another portion enters the guide groove 05 and is guided by it to the annular portion 23, where it continues to be guided, achieving wide-area diffusion. Because the cleaning process requires a large amount of cleaning gas, the width between the inner and outer edges of the annular inlet channel 03 is greater than the dimension of the reverse flow guide groove 04 in the same direction (which can be considered the width of the reverse flow guide groove 04). In this case, a portion of the cleaning gas entering the process space of the semiconductor process chamber from the inlet channel 03 flows directly to the annular portion 23 and, guided by the annular portion 23, flows directly to other areas, as shown in Figure 6.

[0044] In other embodiments, the surface of the first protrusion 22 facing away from the nozzle body 21 can be a guide surface 221. The guide direction of the guide surface 221 can be consistent with the guide direction of the guide groove 05, so that the cleaning gas that directly enters the guide surface 221 can be guided by the guide surface 221 to the annular portion 23.

[0045] To reduce direct impact on the annular portion 23 in the through direction of the intake channel 03, the portion of the nozzle body 21 with the first protrusion 22 can be a conical section. The annular portion 23 is arranged around the first end of the conical section, and the second end of the conical section can be located at the first end 213. It should be noted that the first end of the conical section is the large end of the conical section, and the second end of the conical section is the small end of the conical section. In this case, a portion of the conical surface of the conical section extends obliquely from or near the first end 213 to the annular portion 23. This structure allows the guide groove 05 to have a certain inclination, thereby reducing the impact on the annular portion 23.

[0046] In embodiments where the first protrusion 22 has the aforementioned guide surface 221, the cleaning gas guided by the guide surface 221 can also flow obliquely into the annular portion 23, thus reducing the impact on the annular portion 23. In one embodiment, the guide surface 221 can form an angle β with the first direction, wherein the angle β can be greater than or equal to 10° and less than or equal to 80°. In other embodiments, the angle β formed by the guide surface 221 and the first direction can be other angles, which are not limited in this application. It should be noted that the first direction (indicated by arrow Y in FIG. 4) is perpendicular to the air intake direction of the first end 213 (indicated by arrow Z in FIG. 4). The air intake direction of the first end 213 is parallel to the central axis of the nozzle body 21, and the central axis of the nozzle body 21 is perpendicular to the radial direction of the nozzle body 21 mentioned above. The first direction extends radially towards the center of the annular portion 23.

[0047] As described above, the second end 214 of the nozzle body 21 is provided with an outlet. In one embodiment, the region of the nozzle body 21 that forms the bottom wall of the guide groove 05 may have a first outlet 211. In other embodiments, the region of the nozzle body 21 located on the side of the annular portion 23 facing the first end 213 may have a first outlet 211. The first outlet 211 may be located in or outside the guide groove 05, and this application embodiment does not impose any limitations. During the coating process, process gas can be ejected from the first outlet 211, as shown in FIG5. Of course, in embodiments where the nozzle body 21 includes the aforementioned conical section, the first outlet 211 may be formed on the conical surface of the conical section. In this case, the process gas ejected from the first outlet 211 will have a component moving towards the inner wall of the semiconductor process chamber top cover, making it easier to form a deposition layer on the inner wall of the semiconductor process chamber top cover, thereby protecting the corresponding inner wall. The deposition layer is first deposited on the inner wall, thereby protecting the inner wall. After the coating process is completed, the deposited layer is finally removed by cleaning gas.

[0048] In this embodiment, the angle α between the surface 222 of the first protrusion 22 facing away from the annular portion 23 and the second direction can be greater than or equal to 0° and less than or equal to 80°, as shown in FIG4. In this case, the surface 222 of the first protrusion 22 facing away from the annular portion 23 can be inclined radially relative to the inlet direction of the cleaning gas (indicated by arrow Z in FIG4), thereby allowing more of the cleaning gas blocked by the reverse guide groove 04 to be guided to the inner wall of the top cover of the semiconductor process chamber. Of course, the angle α between the surface 222 of the first protrusion 22 facing away from the annular portion 23 and the second direction can also be other values, and this embodiment does not impose any limitations. The second direction is indicated by arrow X in FIG3, and the second direction extends radially away from the center of the annular portion 23.

[0049] As described above, the annular portion 23 has a guiding function. Specifically, the radial direction of the annular portion 23 can be parallel to the horizontal direction. The annular portion 23 has a first annular surface 231, which faces the air intake channel 03. The cleaning gas guided by the guide groove 05, the cleaning gas guided by the guide surface 221, or the cleaning gas directly injected onto the annular portion 23 can all be guided radially along the annular portion 23 under the guidance of the first annular surface 231.

[0050] In a further embodiment, the annular portion 23 may have a second annular surface 232, which is opposite to the first annular surface 231. The second end 214 of the nozzle body 21 may protrude from the second annular surface 232, and a second vent hole 212 is provided at the junction of the nozzle body 21 and the inner edge of the second annular surface 232. There are multiple second vent holes 212, which may be distributed circumferentially along the nozzle body 21. The process gas entering the first end 213 can also be ejected from the second vent hole 212, thereby further being ejected into the process space 01 of the semiconductor process chamber on the side facing the second annular surface 232, thereby improving the distribution efficiency of the process gas in the process space 01 of the semiconductor process chamber, as shown in FIG5.

[0051] In other embodiments, the annular portion 23 may have a through hole 233 that extends through the annular portion 23 axially, such that the two openings of the through hole 233 are located on the first annular surface 231 and the second annular surface 232, respectively. This structure allows some of the cleaning gas ejected from the air intake channel 03 and guided by the annular portion 23 to flow onto the first annular surface 231 to diffuse upwards toward the second annular surface 232 through the through hole 233. This structure allows the cleaning gas ejected from the air intake channel 03 to diffuse radially beyond the first annular surface 231, and also to diffuse axially through the annular portion 23, thereby cleaning the electrostatic chuck (ESC) and surrounding components inside the chamber. These components are located at the center of the chamber and, during the deposition process, are used to support the wafer, provide bias radio frequency, electrostatic adsorption voltage, and perform wafer lifting and lowering functions.

[0052] There may be one or more through holes 233, and the specific number of through holes 233 is not limited in the embodiments of this application. In order to further facilitate the diffusion of process gas, in one embodiment, there may be multiple through holes 233. Multiple through holes 233 may also be evenly distributed in the circumferential direction of the annular portion 23.

[0053] In this embodiment, the first protrusion 22, the annular portion 23, and the nozzle body 21 can be connected by an assembly structure, or they can be an integral structure manufactured using an integral manufacturing process. This embodiment is not limited in its scope.

[0054] Since there is high-frequency radio frequency in the semiconductor process chamber, in order to avoid arcing in the process space 01 which could damage the process gas nozzle 20 and generate particles, the process gas nozzle 20 disclosed in this application uses chamfered smooth transitions at each corner. The chamfer radius can be between 0.1mm and 5mm, or it can be 0.1mm or 5mm.

[0055] Based on the process gas nozzle 20 disclosed in the embodiments of this application, this application discloses a semiconductor process chamber. The disclosed semiconductor process chamber includes the process gas nozzle 20 disclosed in the above embodiments.

[0056] The semiconductor process chamber disclosed in this application embodiment may further include a chamber shell 10, the chamber shell 10 having a process space 01 and a mounting hole 02 communicating with the process space 01. The first end 213 of the nozzle body 21 is disposed in the mounting hole 02 and forms an annular air intake channel 03 with the hole wall of the mounting hole 02.

[0057] Specifically, the chamber housing 10 may include a top cover 11 and a housing body 12. The top cover 11 is mounted on the housing body 12 and together with the housing body 12, forms a process space 01. A mounting hole 02 may be formed on the top cover 11. In this case, the inner wall 111 of the top cover 11 is the inner wall of the air intake channel 03 of the semiconductor process chamber.

[0058] The semiconductor process chamber disclosed in this application embodiment may further include a wafer carrier 06, which is disposed in the process space 01 and faces the process gas nozzle 20 disposed on the top cover 11. In this application embodiment, the process gas nozzle 20 may serve as a top process gas nozzle disposed on the top cover 11 of the semiconductor process chamber.

[0059] Referring to Figures 7 to 10, in a further embodiment, the semiconductor process chamber disclosed in this application may further include multiple guide plates 30. The multiple guide plates 30 may be circumferentially spaced on the inner wall of the mounting hole 02. The first ends of the multiple guide plates 30 are rotatably disposed in the mounting hole 02, and the second ends of the guide plates 30 may rotate relative to the first ends, thereby changing the guiding direction of the guide plates 30 for the cleaning gas, as shown in Figures 9 and 10. The multiple guide plates 30 may be opposite to the reverse guide channel 04.

[0060] In the specific working process, the guiding direction of the guide plate 30 can be adjusted by rotating it, thereby changing the angle of the cleaning gas entering the reverse guide channel 04. This can change the angle of the reverse flow of the cleaning gas after being guided in the reverse direction by the reverse guide channel 04, and finally adjust the specific position of the cleaning gas projected onto the inner wall 111 of the top cover of the chamber shell 10, thereby performing targeted cleaning, which is more conducive to improving cleaning efficiency.

[0061] The first end of the guide plate 30 can be rotatably connected to the mounting hole 02 in various ways. For example, the first end of the guide plate 30 can be rotatably connected to the mounting hole 02 via a deformable component. Alternatively, the first end of the guide plate 30 can be rotatably connected to the mounting hole 02 via a hinge. This embodiment does not limit the specific rotatable connection structure of the first end of the guide plate 30. It should be noted that, in this document, the first end of the guide plate 30 is the end of the guide plate 30 away from the process space 01 of the chamber housing 10 and close to the inlet of the air intake channel 03. The second end of the guide plate 30 is the end of the guide plate 30 close to the process space 01 of the chamber housing 10 and close to the outlet of the air intake channel 03. The outlet of the air intake channel 03 communicates with the process space 01 of the chamber housing 10.

[0062] To facilitate the rotational connection of the guide plate 30, in one embodiment, the inner wall of the mounting hole 02 may be provided with multiple second protrusions 021, and a receiving groove 022 may be formed between two adjacent second protrusions 021. The first end of the guide plate 30 may be located in the receiving groove 022 and rotatably connected to two adjacent second protrusions 021 via a hinge shaft. Since the guide plate 30 can rotate, when it is not necessary for the guide plate 30 to be tilted relative to the axial direction of the air intake channel 03, the guide plate 30 may be accommodated in the receiving groove 022, and the guiding direction of the guide plate 30 may be parallel to the axial direction of the air intake channel 03. In this case, the guide plate 30 does not change the direction of the cleaning gas passing through the air intake channel 03, as shown in Figures 7 and 8.

[0063] In a further embodiment, as shown in FIG11, the second protrusion 021 can be a strip-shaped protrusion. When the flow direction of the guide plate 30 is parallel to the axial direction of the air intake channel 03, the guide plate 30 can be completely accommodated in the receiving groove 022. The surface of the guide plate 30 facing the central axis of the mounting hole 02 (i.e. the flow guiding surface of the guide plate 30) can be spliced ​​with the surface of the second protrusion 021 facing the central axis of the mounting hole 02 to form a cylindrical surface, as shown in FIG7, so that multiple second protrusions 021 can be neatly gathered together.

[0064] Please refer to Figures 12 to 15. The semiconductor process chamber disclosed in this application embodiment may further include a drive mechanism 40. The drive mechanism 40 is connected to the guide plate 30 and is used to drive the guide plate 30 to rotate, thereby changing the rotation angle of the guide plate 30.

[0065] There can be various types of drive mechanism 40. This application embodiment does not limit the specific type of drive mechanism 40. For example, drive mechanism 40 may include drive motor, which is connected to guide plate 30 to drive guide plate 30 to rotate. Specifically, the power output shaft of drive motor rotates with guide plate 30, and the rotation of the power output shaft of drive motor will drive guide plate 30 to rotate.

[0066] In other embodiments, the drive mechanism 40 may include a drive element 41, a rack 42, and a gear 43. The guide plate 30 can be rotatably connected to the chamber shell 10 via a hinge shaft 31. The gear 43 is mounted on the hinge shaft 31, and the rack 42 meshes with the gear 43. The drive element 41 is connected to the rack 42 and drives the rack 42 to move. The movement of the rack 42 will drive the gear 43 to rotate, and the rotation of the gear 43 will eventually drive the corresponding guide plate 30 to rotate via the hinge shaft 31. Specifically, a corresponding drive mechanism 40 can be configured for each guide plate 30. In this embodiment, the gear 43 and the hinge shaft 31 can be an integral gear shaft or a separate structure connected by assembly. The drive element 41 can be a linear motor, a hydraulic telescopic component, a pneumatic telescopic component, etc. The embodiments of this application do not limit the specific type of the drive element 41.

[0067] The semiconductor process chamber disclosed in this application embodiment may also include a controller. The controller is at least connected to the drive mechanism 40 mentioned above. The controller is used to control the drive mechanism 40 to tilt the guide plate 30 relative to the through direction of the air inlet channel 03 when cleaning gas is introduced into the air inlet channel 03, so as to adjust the flow direction of the cleaning gas, as shown in Figures 9 and 10.

[0068] In a further embodiment, the controller is also used to control the semiconductor process chamber to be heated (e.g., baked), and to repeatedly control the drive mechanism 40 to change the tilt angle of the guide plate 30 for the cleaning process. It should be noted that the controller has various control strategies. For example, the controller can repeatedly change the tilt angle of the guide plate 30, thereby changing the direction of the cleaning gas entering the reverse flow channel 04, i.e., the incident direction of the cleaning gas. Then, under the reverse flow action of the reverse flow channel 04, the tilt angle of the cleaning gas flowing out of the reverse flow channel 04 is also different, thus radiating to different areas of the inner wall of the chamber shell 10. This allows for cleaning of different areas of the inner wall of the chamber shell 10 where the air intake channel 03 is located, facilitating more comprehensive cleaning and improving the cleaning effect.

[0069] This application does not limit the control strategy of the controller. In one embodiment, the controller disclosed in this application is configured to perform the following control steps:

[0070] Step 1: Control the semiconductor process chamber to perform the baking process;

[0071] Step 2: Control the drive mechanism 40 to drive the guide plate 30 to switch to an angle, and control the air intake channel 03 to introduce cleaning gas into the process space 01 until the first stage of cleaning operation is completed.

[0072] Step 3: After completing the first stage of cleaning, control the semiconductor process chamber to perform the baking process again.

[0073] Step 4: Control the drive mechanism 40 to drive the guide plate 30 to switch to another angle, and control the air intake channel 03 to introduce cleaning gas into the process space 01 until the second stage of cleaning operation is completed.

[0074] The above embodiments of this application focus on describing the differences between the various embodiments. As long as the different optimization features of the various embodiments are not contradictory, they can be combined to form a better embodiment. For the sake of brevity, they will not be described in detail here.

[0075] The embodiments of this application have been described above with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, this application is not limited to the specific embodiments described above. The specific embodiments described above are merely illustrative and not restrictive. Those skilled in the art can make many other forms under the guidance of this application without departing from the spirit and scope of the claims, and all of these forms are within the protection scope of this application.

Claims

1. A process gas nozzle, characterized in that, The nozzle body includes a nozzle body, a first protrusion, and an annular portion. The nozzle body has a first end and a second end. The annular portion is disposed around the second end. The first protrusion is disposed on the nozzle body and is located on the side of the annular portion facing the first end. The surface of the first protrusion facing away from the annular portion forms a reverse flow channel with the nozzle body.

2. The process gas nozzle according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first protrusion is multiple and is disposed at intervals along the circumference of the nozzle body; or, the first protrusion is an annular protrusion and is disposed around the nozzle body along the circumference of the nozzle body.

3. The process gas nozzle according to claim 2, characterized in that, The first protrusion is a strip-shaped protrusion, which is connected to the annular portion. Two adjacent first protrusions and the nozzle body form a guide groove with open ends.

4. The process gas nozzle according to claim 3, characterized in that, The surface of the first protrusion facing away from the nozzle body is a flow guide surface, and the flow guide direction of the flow guide surface is consistent with the flow guide direction of the flow guide groove.

5. The process gas nozzle according to claim 4, characterized in that, The angle β between the guide surface and the first direction is greater than or equal to 10° and less than or equal to 80°, and the first direction extends radially toward the center of the annular portion.

6. The process gas nozzle according to claim 3, characterized in that, The nozzle body has a first air outlet in the area that forms the bottom wall of the guide groove. The first air outlet is located at one end of the guide groove facing the annular portion.

7. The process gas nozzle according to claim 2, characterized in that, Multiple first protrusions are evenly distributed circumferentially on the nozzle body, and the width of each first protrusion along the circumferential direction is equal.

8. The process gas nozzle according to claim 1, characterized in that, The angle α between the surface of the first protrusion facing away from the annular portion and the second direction is greater than or equal to 0° and less than or equal to 80°, and the second direction extends radially away from the center of the annular portion.

9. The process gas nozzle according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that, The process gas nozzle has an integral structure.

10. A semiconductor process chamber, characterized in that, The device includes a chamber housing and a process gas nozzle according to any one of claims 1 to 9. The chamber housing is provided with a process space and a mounting hole communicating with the process space. The first end of the nozzle body is disposed in the mounting hole and forms an annular air intake channel with the hole wall of the mounting hole.

11. The semiconductor process chamber according to claim 10, characterized in that, The semiconductor process chamber also includes a plurality of flow guide plates, which are circumferentially spaced on the wall of the mounting hole. The first end of the plurality of flow guide plates is rotatably disposed in the mounting hole, and the second end of the flow guide plate is rotatable relative to the first end of the flow guide plate.

12. The semiconductor process chamber according to claim 11, characterized in that, The inner wall of the mounting hole is provided with a plurality of second protrusions, and a receiving groove is formed between two adjacent second protrusions. The first end of the second protrusion is located in the receiving groove and is rotatably connected to at least one of the two adjacent second protrusions.

13. The semiconductor process chamber according to claim 12, characterized in that, The second protrusion is a strip-shaped protrusion. When the flow direction of the guide plate is parallel to the axial direction of the air intake channel, the guide plate is accommodated in the receiving groove. The surface of the guide plate facing the central axis of the mounting hole and the surface of the second protrusion facing the central axis of the mounting hole are spliced ​​to form a cylindrical surface.

14. The semiconductor process chamber according to claim 11, characterized in that, The semiconductor process chamber further includes a drive mechanism, which includes a drive element, a rack, and a gear. The guide plate is rotatably connected to the chamber shell via a hinge shaft. The gear is connected to the hinge shaft, the rack meshes with the gear, and the drive element is connected to the rack and used to move the rack.

15. The semiconductor process chamber according to claim 14, characterized in that, The semiconductor process chamber also includes a controller connected to the drive mechanism. The controller is used to control the drive mechanism to drive the guide plate to rotate so as to tilt relative to the through direction of the air intake channel.

16. The semiconductor process chamber according to claim 15, characterized in that, The controller is also used to control the heating of the semiconductor process chamber and to control the drive mechanism to change the tilt angle of the guide plate multiple times for the cleaning process.

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