Process chamber temperature control method, power adjustment apparatus, and semiconductor process device

Abstract

The present disclosure provides a process chamber temperature control method, a power adjustment apparatus, and a semiconductor process device. Each lamp tube is provided with a first coefficient and a second coefficient set, and the second coefficient set comprises a plurality of second coefficients. The process chamber temperature control method comprises: on the basis of a set power value and a current power value, determining a power output value required by a heating element, and for each lamp tube, determining a corresponding second target coefficient on the basis of a current temperature value and the second coefficient set; and on the basis of the power output value, the first coefficient corresponding to each lamp tube and the second target coefficient corresponding to each lamp tube, generating a control signal corresponding to each lamp tube, so as to drive, on the basis of the control signal, the lamp tube to operate. In such a control method, on the basis of a power output value, a first coefficient corresponding to each lamp tube and a second target coefficient corresponding to each lamp tube, a control signal corresponding to each lamp tube is generated, so as to drive, on the basis of the control signal, the lamp tube to operate, thereby achieving independent and dynamic adjustment of each lamp tube, improving the uniformity of temperature field distribution, and thus improving the stability of a rapid thermal annealing process.

Description

Process chamber temperature control methods, power regulation devices and semiconductor process equipment Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of semiconductor technology, and in particular to a method for controlling the temperature of a process chamber, a power regulation device, and semiconductor process equipment. Background Technology

[0002] In chip manufacturing, after ion implantation, the silicon crystal structure near the surface is severely damaged by high-energy ion bombardment. High-temperature annealing is required to remove this damage, restore the single-crystal structure, and reactivate the dopant ions. Therefore, RTA (Rapid Thermal Annealing) after ion implantation is one of the most commonly used techniques in RTP (Rapid Thermal Processing). During the heating and annealing process, dopant atoms diffuse rapidly under the drive of thermal energy. When device dimensions shrink to deep submicron levels, the space for dopant atoms to diffuse is very small. Therefore, precisely controlling thermal accumulation to achieve diffusion of low-dopant atoms is of great significance.

[0003] Most existing RTA chambers heat the wafer using tungsten halogen lamps, and the power of these lamps is controlled by feedback based on the wafer temperature to ensure temperature uniformity during rapid annealing. Current power control schemes for these lamps typically use multiple SCRs (Silicon Controlled Rectifiers) to control multiple lamps, with each SCR connected to multiple lamps in series. However, this control scheme can only adjust power distribution by partitioning the circuit according to the number of SCRs and the corresponding lamp positions. Since the thermal radiation between the lamps affects each other, too few partitions result in poor temperature uniformity, while too many partitions increase the number of SCRs required, increasing space requirements and cost, ultimately failing to meet practical needs. Furthermore, the series connection means that the power of multiple tungsten halogen lamps at the load end of the same SCR power regulator can only be adjusted simultaneously, not individually. At the same time, the multiple tungsten halogen lamps divide the output voltage of the SCR power regulator. If the resistance of the tungsten halogen lamps is different, the voltage across the tungsten halogen lamps will be different, resulting in different output power of the series-connected tungsten halogen lamps. This leads to uneven temperature distribution that cannot be adjusted, reducing the stability of the rapid annealing process. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In view of this, the purpose of this application is to provide a process chamber temperature control method, a power regulation device, and semiconductor process equipment to alleviate at least some of the above-mentioned technical problems.

[0005] In a first aspect, embodiments of this application provide a method for controlling the temperature of a process chamber. The process chamber includes a heating element for heating a wafer. The heating element comprises multiple parallel lamps, each lamp having a first coefficient and a second coefficient set. The first coefficient characterizes the relationship between the lamp's position and its power, and the second coefficient set includes multiple second coefficients characterizing the relationship between the lamp's power and the wafer temperature. The method includes: acquiring a power setpoint for the heating element and a current detection value for the process chamber; wherein the current detection value includes a current temperature value and a current power value, the current temperature value characterizing the wafer's temperature at the current moment, the current power value characterizing the actual power value of the heating element at the current moment, and the power setpoint characterizing the target power value of the heating element; determining the required power output value for the heating element based on the power setpoint and the current power value, and for each lamp, determining a corresponding second target coefficient based on the current temperature value and the second coefficient set; generating a control signal for each lamp based on the power output value, the first coefficient for each lamp, and the second target coefficient for each lamp, to drive the lamp to operate according to the control signal.

[0006] In some embodiments, the step of generating a control signal for each lamp tube based on the power output value, a first coefficient corresponding to each lamp tube, and a second target coefficient corresponding to each lamp tube includes: for each lamp tube, calculating the current lamp tube power value based on the power output value and the first coefficient corresponding to the lamp tube; taking the maximum value among the current lamp tube power values ​​of multiple lamp tubes as the current lamp tube reference power value, and taking the lamp tube corresponding to the current lamp tube reference power value as the target lamp tube; for the target lamp tube, generating a control signal corresponding to the target lamp tube based on a preset proportional coefficient and the second target coefficient; for the other lamp tubes among the multiple lamp tubes besides the target lamp tube, generating a control signal for each lamp tube based on the ratio of the current lamp tube power value to the current lamp tube reference power value, the preset proportional coefficient, and the second target coefficient.

[0007] In some embodiments, the method further includes: using a pulse width modulation method to control the heating power of each lamp in the heating element; wherein the control signal is used to characterize the duty cycle of the pulse width modulation signal corresponding to the lamp.

[0008] In some embodiments, the first coefficient corresponding to each lamp tube is obtained by the following method: obtaining the position information of the lamp tube in the process chamber; wherein, the position information includes: the sub-region to which the lamp tube belongs, and the heating zone to which the sub-region belongs; wherein, the heating zone includes: an upper heating zone and a lower heating zone, and each heating zone includes multiple sub-regions; and calculating the first coefficient corresponding to the lamp tube based on the position information of the lamp tube and the number of lamp tubes in the sub-region to which the lamp tube belongs.

[0009] In some embodiments, the step of calculating the first coefficient corresponding to the lamp based on the lamp's position information and the number of lamps in the sub-region to which the lamp belongs includes: determining the corresponding position parameters based on the lamp's position information; wherein the position parameters include: the heating zone coefficient corresponding to the heating zone and the partition coefficient corresponding to the sub-region, wherein the sum of the heating zone coefficient corresponding to the upper heating zone and the heating zone coefficient corresponding to the lower heating zone is 1, and the sum of the partition coefficients corresponding to all sub-regions belonging to the same heating zone is 1; and calculating the first coefficient corresponding to the lamp based on the heating zone coefficient, the partition coefficient, and the number of lamps in the sub-region to which the lamp belongs.

[0010] In some embodiments, the second set of coefficients configured for each lamp tube is obtained by the following method: under test conditions, multiple lamp tubes are controlled to heat the test wafer; wherein the test conditions are that the sub-regions of the position information of the multiple lamp tubes are evenly distributed, and multiple temperature measuring points are set on the test wafer; the detection temperature of the test wafer is controlled to reach multiple temperature thresholds, and at each temperature threshold, the power of the lamp tube is adjusted by adjusting the second coefficient of each lamp tube until the difference between the maximum detection value and the minimum detection value corresponding to the multiple temperature measuring points of the test wafer does not exceed a preset difference, thereby obtaining the second coefficients corresponding to the multiple lamp tubes at the respective temperature thresholds; a second set of coefficients is generated based on the multiple temperature thresholds and the second coefficients corresponding to the multiple lamp tubes at each temperature threshold.

[0011] In some embodiments, before obtaining the power setting value of the heating element and the current detection value of the process chamber, the method further includes: obtaining a first current value and a second current value of the total circuit at the input end of the heating element, and calculating the current difference between the first current value and the second current value; wherein the first current value and the second current value are detected at different positions in the total circuit at the input end; if the current difference is not greater than a preset threshold, then obtaining the power setting value of the heating element and the current detection value of the process chamber.

[0012] In some embodiments, the method further includes: if the current difference is greater than a preset threshold, generating an early warning message and controlling the heating element to stop working.

[0013] Secondly, embodiments of this application also provide a power adjustment device, which includes: a control module and an output module connected to the control module. The output module is used to connect to multiple lamps. The control module includes at least one processor and at least one memory. The memory stores a computer program. When the computer program is executed by the processor, it uses the process chamber temperature control method of the first aspect to generate a control signal for each lamp. The output module is used to drive the corresponding lamp to work according to the control signal.

[0014] In some embodiments, the output module includes: a rectifier unit and a plurality of output units; wherein each output unit is connected to a preset number of lamps; the rectifier unit is used to rectify an AC signal into a DC signal to power the plurality of output units; the output units are used to output a pulse width modulation signal according to the control signal and the DC signal to drive the corresponding lamps to work.

[0015] Thirdly, embodiments of this application also provide a semiconductor process apparatus, including a process chamber and the power adjustment device described in the second aspect above; wherein, the process chamber includes a heating element, the heating element including multiple parallel lamps; the power adjustment device is connected to the heating element.

[0016] Fourthly, embodiments of this application also provide a computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program, which, when executed by a processor, performs the steps of the method described in the first aspect.

[0017] The embodiments of this application bring the following beneficial effects:

[0018] This application provides a method for controlling the temperature of a process chamber, a power adjustment device, and semiconductor process equipment. Multiple lamps in the process chamber are each equipped with a first coefficient and a second coefficient set. The second coefficient set includes multiple second coefficients. During temperature control, the required power output value of the heating element is first determined based on the power setpoint and the current power value. For each lamp, a corresponding second target coefficient is determined based on the current temperature value and the second coefficient set. A control signal is generated for each lamp based on the power output value, the first coefficient for each lamp, and the second target coefficient for each lamp, driving the lamp to operate according to the control signal. This control method, by generating a control signal for each lamp based on the power output value, the first coefficient, and the second target coefficient, enables independent dynamic adjustment of each lamp, improves the adjustability of the temperature field uniformity in the process chamber, ensures the uniformity of the temperature field distribution during the process, and thus improves the stability of the rapid annealing process.

[0019] Other features and advantages of this application will be set forth in the following description and will be apparent in part from the description or may be learned by practicing the application. The objectives and other advantages of this application are realized and obtained through the structures particularly pointed out in the description and the accompanying drawings.

[0020] To make the above-mentioned objectives, features and advantages of this application more apparent and understandable, preferred embodiments are described below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Attached Figure Description

[0021] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the specific embodiments of this application or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the specific embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are some embodiments of this application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained from these drawings without creative effort.

[0022] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the existing RTA chamber structure;

[0023] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of the arrangement of tungsten filament halogen lamps in an existing RTA chamber;

[0024] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of the connection between the existing SCR power regulator and the tungsten filament halogen lamp.

[0025] Figure 4 is a flowchart of a process chamber temperature control method provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0026] Figure 5 is a structural schematic diagram of a halogen heating lamp tube provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0027] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of the numbering and distribution of multiple lamp tubes provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0028] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of the distribution of temperature measuring points on a TC wafer according to an embodiment of this application;

[0029] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram showing the relationship between the second coefficient of a lamp tube and the temperature of a wafer according to an embodiment of this application;

[0030] Figure 9 is a schematic diagram of a power regulation device provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0031] Figure 10 is a schematic diagram of the working principle of a power regulation device provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0032] Figure 11 is a power distribution diagram of a power regulation device provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0033] Figure 12 is a diagram illustrating the effect of limiting inrush current using a two-segment ramp according to an embodiment of this application.

[0034] Figure 13 is a schematic diagram of a multi-output allocation provided in an embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0035] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of this application clearer, the technical solutions of this application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of this application, not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of this application, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0036] The structure of the existing RTA chamber is shown in Figure 1, including a chamber body 11, a quartz cover plate 12, a heating element 13, and quartz pins 14 disposed inside the chamber body 11; wherein, the heating element 13 can be a tungsten filament halogen lamp tube, and the specific number of quartz pins 14 and tungsten filament halogen lamp tubes can be set according to the actual situation.

[0037] In practical applications, tungsten filament halogen lamps utilize IR (Infrared Ray) radiation to generate dense heat, as shown in Figure 2. Based on the position of the tungsten filament halogen lamp relative to the wafer 15, the tungsten filament halogen lamp can be divided into a bottom tungsten filament halogen lamp 131 and a top tungsten filament halogen lamp 132. The bottom tungsten filament halogen lamp 131 is located below the wafer 15, and the top tungsten filament halogen lamp 132 is located above the wafer 15. The bottom tungsten filament halogen lamp 131 and the top tungsten filament halogen lamp 132 are placed vertically to heat the wafer 15 together.

[0038] In addition, in order to ensure that infrared radiation can heat the wafer 15 uniformly, as shown in Figure 1, the existing RTA chamber is also equipped with a detection device 16 for detecting the temperature of the wafer 15. Here, the detection device 16 can be an infrared pyrometer. In practical applications, after the temperature of the wafer 15 is detected by the infrared pyrometer, the power, voltage and current of multiple tungsten filament halogen lamps can be controlled by the power feedback control of the tungsten filament halogen lamps.

[0039] Most existing power control schemes for tungsten filament halogen lamps utilize SCR power regulators, with thyristors as their key component. The SCR power regulator controls the thyristor module in the main circuit via input control signals, thereby altering the voltage flow in the main circuit to regulate voltage or power. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 3, the load on the tungsten filament halogen lamps is typically determined by temperature field partitioning. The lamps are connected in series as a single load to the output of the SCR power regulator; for example, lamps 1 through 4 are connected in series as a single load to the output of the corresponding SCR power regulator. This allows a small number of SCR power regulators to control multiple tungsten filament halogen lamps.

[0040] However, this control scheme can only adjust the power distribution by dividing the area according to the number of SCR regulators and the corresponding position of the tungsten halogen lamps. For example, if 16 tungsten halogen lamps use 4 SCR regulators, the area can only be divided into 4 zones for control. At this time, since the heat radiation between the tungsten halogen lamps will affect each other, too few zones will result in poor temperature field uniformity, and too many zones will result in an increase in the number of SCR regulators used. If each tungsten halogen lamp uses one SCR regulator, the number of SCR regulators will be too large, the space occupied will be larger, and the cost will also increase, which cannot meet the actual use requirements.

[0041] Furthermore, connecting multiple tungsten halogen lamps in series to a single SCR power regulator results in the power of multiple tungsten halogen lamps at the load end of the same SCR power regulator being adjustable only simultaneously, not individually. At the same time, the series connection causes the output voltage of the SCR power regulator to be divided by the multiple tungsten halogen lamps. If the resistance of the tungsten halogen lamps is different, the voltage across the tungsten halogen lamps will be different, resulting in different output power of the tungsten halogen lamps. This leads to uneven temperature distribution that cannot be adjusted, reducing the stability of the rapid annealing process.

[0042] Based on this, embodiments of this application provide a process chamber temperature control method, a power adjustment device, and a semiconductor process equipment. In this method, multiple lamps in the process chamber are each configured with a first coefficient and a second coefficient set, the second coefficient set including multiple second coefficients. During temperature control, a control signal is generated for each lamp based on the power output value, the first coefficient, and the second target coefficient. This control signal drives the lamp to operate, enabling independent dynamic adjustment of each lamp. This improves the adjustability of the temperature field uniformity in the process chamber, ensures the uniformity of the temperature field distribution during the process, and thus enhances the stability of the rapid annealing process.

[0043] To facilitate understanding of this embodiment, the embodiments of this application will be described in detail below.

[0044] Example 1

[0045] This application provides a method for controlling the temperature of a process chamber. The process chamber includes heating elements for heating a wafer. Each heating element comprises multiple parallel lamps, each equipped with a first coefficient and a second coefficient set. The first coefficient characterizes the relationship between the lamp's position and its power, while the second coefficient set includes multiple second coefficients characterizing the relationship between the lamp's power and the wafer temperature. During control, the first coefficient allows for coarse adjustment of the lamp power. Since the second coefficient is related to the wafer temperature, it changes as the wafer temperature changes. Therefore, multiple second coefficients allow for fine adjustment of the lamp power. Thus, in temperature control, the first coefficient for each lamp and the second coefficient for each lamp at different temperature ranges enable independent dynamic adjustment of each lamp, improving the adjustability of the temperature field uniformity in the process chamber, ensuring uniform temperature distribution during the process, and thereby enhancing the stability of the rapid annealing process.

[0046] Specifically, as shown in Figure 4, the above-mentioned process chamber temperature control method includes the following steps:

[0047] Step S402: Obtain the power setting value of the heating element and the current detection value of the process chamber.

[0048] The current detection values ​​include the current temperature and the current power. The current temperature value represents the temperature of the wafer at the current moment and can be obtained in real time or periodically using an infrared pyrometer. The current power value represents the actual power value of the heating element at the current moment, i.e., the total power value of multiple lamps, which can be calculated based on the total current and total voltage of the circuit containing the multiple lamps. The power setting value represents the target power value of the heating element. This power setting value can be preset in the process recipe and can be set according to the actual situation.

[0049] Step S404: Determine the required power output value of the heating element based on the power setting value and the current power value, and for each lamp tube, determine the corresponding second target coefficient based on the current temperature value and the second coefficient set.

[0050] After obtaining the power setpoint and the current power value, the power output value required by the heating element is determined based on the power setpoint and the current power value. For example, the power output value required by the heating element can be determined by PID (Proportional Integral Derivative) control. Here, the power output value is the total power input to multiple lamps. The specific PID control process can be referred to the prior art. The embodiments of this application will not be described in detail here.

[0051] Furthermore, during the process, to ensure process quality, the power of the lamps needs to be adjusted according to the wafer temperature to guarantee the uniformity of the temperature field within the process chamber. Specifically, for each lamp, a second target coefficient is determined based on the current temperature and the lamp's second coefficient set. This not only ensures that the second target coefficient of each lamp is related to the current wafer temperature, but also determines different second target coefficients for each lamp at the same current temperature based on the second coefficient sets of different lamps. This allows for independent and dynamic adjustment of multiple lamps according to the wafer temperature, greatly improving the adjustability of the temperature field uniformity within the process chamber and thus ensuring a uniform temperature distribution during the process.

[0052] Step S406: Generate a control signal for each lamp tube based on the power output value, the first coefficient corresponding to each lamp tube, and the second target coefficient corresponding to each lamp tube, so as to drive the lamp tube to work according to the control signal.

[0053] Specifically, since the position of each lamp is different, after determining the power output value, for each lamp, a control signal is generated based on the power output value, the first coefficient corresponding to the lamp, and the second target coefficient. The lamp is then driven to work based on the control signal. Therefore, based on the same power output value, the control signal corresponding to each lamp is different because the first coefficient and the second target coefficient are different. This enables independent dynamic adjustment of each lamp, improves the uniformity of the temperature field distribution, and thus improves the stability of the rapid annealing process.

[0054] In one embodiment, the step of generating a control signal for each lamp tube based on the power output value, a first coefficient corresponding to each lamp tube, and a second target coefficient corresponding to each lamp tube includes: for each lamp tube, calculating the current lamp tube power value based on the power output value and the first coefficient corresponding to the lamp tube; taking the maximum value among the current lamp tube power values ​​of multiple lamp tubes as the current lamp tube reference power value, and taking the lamp tube corresponding to the current lamp tube reference power value as the target lamp tube; for the target lamp tube, generating a control signal corresponding to the target lamp tube based on a preset proportional coefficient and the second target coefficient; for the other lamp tubes among the multiple lamp tubes besides the target lamp tube, generating a control signal for each lamp tube based on the ratio of the current lamp tube power value to the current lamp tube reference power value, the preset proportional coefficient, and the second target coefficient.

[0055] Specifically, since the position of each lamp is different, for each lamp, the current lamp power value is first calculated based on the power output value and the corresponding first coefficient. That is, the current lamp power value is determined according to the position of each lamp to improve the adjustability of the temperature field uniformity in the process chamber. Then, for the multiple current lamp power values ​​corresponding to multiple lamps, the maximum value among the multiple current lamp power values ​​is taken as the current lamp reference power value, and the lamp corresponding to the current lamp reference power value is taken as the target lamp.

[0056] After identifying the target lamp among the multiple lamps, a control signal is generated for the target lamp based on a preset proportional coefficient and a corresponding second target coefficient. The preset proportional coefficient is preferably 100%, but can be adjusted adaptively in some scenarios. For the other lamps besides the target lamp, a control signal is generated for each lamp based on the ratio of its current power value to its current reference power value, the preset proportional coefficient, and the second target coefficient. Since the second target coefficient and the current power value of each lamp may be different, the control signals for each lamp are also different, thus achieving independent dynamic adjustment of each lamp. This improves the adjustability of the temperature field uniformity in the process chamber and ensures the uniformity of the temperature field distribution during the process.

[0057] Furthermore, the method also includes: using pulse width modulation (PWM) to control the heating power of each lamp tube in the heating element; wherein, the control signal is used to characterize the duty cycle of the PWM signal corresponding to the lamp tube.

[0058] Specifically, each lamp can be controlled using a PWM signal. The control signal corresponding to each lamp can control the duty cycle of the PWM signal. Since the control signals for each lamp are different, the duty cycle of the PWM signal controlled by the control signal for each lamp is also different. When the lamp is driven to work according to the control signal, the duty cycle of the PWM signal of each lamp can be controlled by the pulse width modulation method, thereby realizing the heating power control of each lamp. This achieves independent dynamic fine adjustment of the lamp power, improves the adjustability of the temperature field uniformity in the process chamber, ensures the uniformity of the temperature field distribution during the process, and thus improves the stability of the rapid annealing process.

[0059] In one embodiment, the first coefficient corresponding to each lamp tube is obtained by the following method: obtaining the position information of the lamp tube in the process chamber; wherein, the position information includes: the sub-region to which the lamp tube belongs, and the heating zone to which the sub-region belongs; wherein, the heating zone includes: an upper heating zone and a lower heating zone, and each heating zone includes multiple sub-regions; the first coefficient corresponding to the lamp tube is calculated based on the position information of the lamp tube and the number of lamp tubes in the sub-region to which the lamp tube belongs.

[0060] Specifically, the corresponding position parameters are determined based on the position information of the lamp tube; the position parameters include: the heating zone coefficient corresponding to the heating zone and the partition coefficient corresponding to the sub-region, wherein the sum of the heating zone coefficient corresponding to the upper heating zone and the heating zone coefficient corresponding to the lower heating zone is 1, and the sum of the partition coefficients corresponding to all sub-regions belonging to the same heating zone is 1; the first coefficient corresponding to the lamp tube is calculated based on the heating zone coefficient, the partition coefficient and the number of lamp tubes in the sub-region to which the lamp tube belongs.

[0061] In one calculation method, the first coefficient corresponding to the lamp is calculated based on the heating zone coefficient, the zoning coefficient, and the number of lamps in the sub-region to which the lamp belongs. Specifically, the first coefficient is calculated as follows: First coefficient = (heating zone coefficient * zoning coefficient) / number of lamps in the sub-region to which the lamp belongs.

[0062] For ease of understanding, this example uses a heating element consisting of 16 halogen lamps. In practical applications, the halogen lamps are elongated twin lamps, as shown in Figure 5. Each halogen lamp includes a quartz tube 51, an electrode 52, and a filament 53. Each lamp contains two sets of filaments. Therefore, this lamp structure can achieve higher and denser heating efficiency within the same space during the process, meeting the process temperature requirements.

[0063] To ensure the uniformity of the temperature field in the process chamber, the power of 32 filaments in the 16 lamps needs to be distributed. At the same time, the ratio of each filament may be the same or different at different wafer temperatures. Therefore, to ensure the uniformity of the temperature field, it is necessary to coarsely adjust the temperature field according to multiple zones and finely adjust the lamps according to the second coefficient.

[0064] During the coarse adjustment process, the 16 lamps are first numbered and divided into zones according to the temperature field distribution of the process chamber, as shown in Figure 6. The 16 lamps are named L1 to L16. Based on the temperature field distribution of the process chamber, the heating zone is divided into an upper heating zone (located above the wafer) and a lower heating zone (located below the wafer). At this time, the upper heating zone includes 8 lamps, namely L9 to L16, and the lower heating zone includes 8 lamps, L1 to L8. In addition, the heating zone is further divided into sub-regions based on the position of the lamps within the heating zone. Here, the same heating zone is divided into 3 sub-regions. For example, the upper heating zone is divided into: the outer sub-region of the upper heating zone, the middle sub-region of the upper heating zone, and the inner sub-region of the upper heating zone. Similarly, the lower heating zone is divided into: the outer sub-region of the lower heating zone, the middle sub-region of the lower heating zone, and the inner sub-region of the lower heating zone. Thus, the position information of the wafer can be determined based on the heating zone in which the wafer is located and the sub-region it occupies within the heating zone.

[0065] The upper heating zone and the lower heating zone each have four lamps installed in their respective outer and inner sub-regions. The upper heating zone, the lower heating zone, the middle sub-region, and the lower heating zone each have two lamps installed in their respective inner and outer sub-regions. As shown in Figure 6, L1, L2, L7, and L8 are located in the lower outer region (i.e., the outer sub-region of the lower heating zone), L3 and L6 are located in the lower middle region (i.e., the middle sub-region of the lower heating zone), and L4 and L5 are located in the lower inner region (i.e., the inner sub-region of the lower heating zone). Similarly, L9, L10, L15, and L16 are located in the upper outer region (i.e., the outer sub-region of the upper heating zone), L11 and L14 are located in the upper middle region (i.e., the middle sub-region of the upper heating zone), and L12 and L13 are located in the upper inner region (i.e., the inner sub-region of the upper heating zone).

[0066] In addition, the position information of the lamp tube is also set with corresponding position parameters, which are used to represent the proportion of each zone. Among them, the position parameters include the heating zone coefficient corresponding to the heating zone and the zone coefficient corresponding to the sub-region. The heating zone coefficient includes the upper heating zone coefficient R(upper) corresponding to the upper heating zone and the lower heating zone coefficient R(lower) corresponding to the lower heating zone. R(upper) and R(lower) represent the proportion of the upper heating zone and the lower heating zone, respectively.

[0067] Similarly, the zoning coefficients include coefficient R(upper outer) representing the proportion of the outer sub-region of the upper heating zone, coefficient R(upper middle) representing the proportion of the middle sub-region of the upper heating zone, coefficient R(upper inner) representing the proportion of the inner sub-region of the upper heating zone, coefficient R(lower outer) representing the proportion of the outer sub-region of the lower heating zone, coefficient R(lower middle) representing the proportion of the middle sub-region of the lower heating zone, and coefficient R(lower inner) representing the proportion of the inner sub-region of the lower heating zone.

[0068] In practical applications, to ensure closed-loop control of power output, when the power setpoint and the current power value are consistent, the power can be allocated to each lamp according to the allocation algorithm. Specifically, in the allocation algorithm, for the position parameter, the sum of the heating zone coefficients corresponding to the upper heating zone and the lower heating zone must be 1, i.e., R(upper) + R(lower) = 100%, to ensure that the upper and lower heating zones allocate power output values ​​proportionally. Furthermore, the sum of the partition coefficients corresponding to all sub-regions within the same heating zone must be 1, i.e., R(upper outer) + R(upper middle) + R(upper inner) = 100%, to ensure that the upper 8 lamps L9 to L16 receive the power allocated to the upper heating zone proportionally; similarly, R(lower outer) + R(lower middle) + R(lower inner) = 100%, to ensure that the lower 8 lamps L1 to L8 receive the power allocated to the lower heating zone proportionally.

[0069] Therefore, based on the heating zone coefficient, the zoning coefficient, and the number of lamps in the sub-region to which the lamp belongs, the first coefficient corresponding to the lamp can be calculated. For example, for L1, L2, L7, and L8 in the outer sub-region of the lower heating zone, the corresponding first coefficient is R(lower)*R(lower outer) / 4; for L3 and L6 in the middle sub-region of the lower heating zone, the corresponding first coefficient is R(lower)*R(lower middle) / 2; and for L4 and L5 in the inner sub-region of the lower heating zone, the corresponding first coefficient is R(lower)*R(lower inner) / 2. Similarly, for L9, L10, L15, and L16 in the outer sub-region of the upper heating zone, the corresponding first coefficient is R(upper)*R(upper outer) / 4; for L11 and L14 in the middle sub-region of the upper heating zone, the corresponding first coefficient is R(upper)*R(upper middle) / 2; and for L12 and L13 in the inner sub-region of the upper heating zone, the corresponding first coefficient is R(upper)*R(upper inner) / 2. Thus, the power of each lamp tube can be coarsely adjusted according to its position information through the first coefficient.

[0070] It should be noted that since the position information of the lamp tube in the process chamber is fixed, during the process, after the position parameters are determined according to the allocation algorithm in the process formula, the first coefficient corresponding to each lamp tube can be determined according to the heating zone coefficient, zoning coefficient and the number of lamp tubes in the same sub-region. In the subsequent power adjustment process, the lamp tube power is coarsely adjusted according to the first coefficient.

[0071] In one embodiment, the second set of coefficients configured for each lamp is obtained by the following method: under test conditions, multiple lamps are controlled to heat the test wafer; wherein the test conditions are that the sub-regions of the position information of the multiple lamps are evenly distributed, and multiple temperature measuring points are set on the test wafer; the detection temperature of the test wafer is controlled to reach multiple temperature thresholds, and at each temperature threshold, the power of the lamp is adjusted by adjusting the second coefficient of each lamp until the difference between the maximum and minimum detection values ​​corresponding to the multiple temperature measuring points of the test wafer does not exceed a preset difference, thereby obtaining the second coefficients corresponding to the multiple lamps at the respective temperature thresholds; a second set of coefficients is generated based on the multiple temperature thresholds and the second coefficients corresponding to the multiple lamps at each temperature threshold.

[0072] To ensure temperature uniformity, the accuracy of lamp power adjustment needs to be improved. This means that in addition to the coarse adjustment of lamp power, fine adjustment is also required. In practical applications, since the filaments in each lamp are close together and their radiation areas are similar, this embodiment achieves fine adjustment by setting a second coefficient C for each lamp. Specifically, the two filaments of each lamp use the same second coefficient C, which ranges from 0 to 1. The second coefficients for lamps L1 to L16 are set to C1 to C16. It should be noted that since the second coefficient C is related to the wafer temperature, each lamp has multiple second coefficients C. These multiple second coefficients C and their corresponding wafer temperatures form the second coefficient set for that lamp.

[0073] The second set of coefficients for the lamp tubes can be determined through testing experiments. Specifically, under the test conditions, the initial value of C1-C16 is 1 by default. With the lamp tubes evenly distributed across the zones (R(top) = 50%), R(bottom) = 50%, R(top outside) = 50%, R(top middle) = R(top inside) = 20%, R(bottom outside) = 50%, R(bottom middle) = R(bottom inside) = 25%), a test wafer is placed in the process chamber. To distinguish it from the wafers used in the process, the test wafer is referred to as the TC wafer, as shown in Figure 7. The TC wafer has multiple temperature measurement points, specifically nine (1-9 in the figure). During the heating process of the TC wafer, the detection temperature is controlled to reach multiple temperature thresholds. The temperature thresholds are determined... The value is 100℃ + n*10℃, such as multiple temperature thresholds being 100℃, 110℃, 120℃, etc. At each temperature threshold, the power of each lamp is adjusted by adjusting the second coefficient of each lamp until the difference between the maximum and minimum detection values ​​corresponding to multiple temperature measurement points on the TC wafer does not exceed a preset difference. Here, the preset difference is preferably 3℃. That is, at each temperature threshold, C1-C16 is adjusted so that the difference between the maximum and minimum detection values ​​corresponding to the 9 temperature measurement points is less than 3℃, thereby obtaining the second coefficients corresponding to the multiple lamps at each temperature threshold. A set of second coefficients is generated based on the multiple temperature thresholds and the second coefficients corresponding to the multiple lamps at each temperature threshold.

[0074] For example, the set of second coefficients is shown in Figure 8. When the wafer temperature is 100℃, the second coefficients corresponding to L1 to L16 are 0C1 to 0C16, respectively. When the wafer temperature is 110℃, the second coefficients corresponding to L1 to L16 are 1C1 to 1C16, and so on. When the wafer temperature is 100℃ + n*10℃, the second coefficients corresponding to L1 to L16 are nC1 to nC16, until the wafer temperature reaches the process temperature. For example, when the process temperature is set to 1200℃, the second coefficients corresponding to L1 to L16 are 12C1 to 12C16, respectively. The specific process temperature can be set according to the actual situation.

[0075] Therefore, during the process, once the temperature value of the wafer is obtained, if the temperature value satisfies 100℃+n*10℃, the second target coefficient corresponding to the lamp can be determined based on the temperature value and the second coefficient set of each lamp. The lamp power can then be finely adjusted using the second target coefficient, thereby not only achieving independent dynamic adjustment of each lamp but also improving the uniformity of the temperature field distribution.

[0076] It should be noted that, in addition to setting a second coefficient every 10℃, a second coefficient can also be set every 5℃. The specific temperature interval for setting the second coefficient can be set according to the actual situation. Furthermore, for the current temperature value n, if n is an integer, the corresponding second target coefficient set is directly looked up based on n; if n is a non-integer, such as when the current temperature is 118℃, n = 1.8, the second target coefficient is looked up in the second coefficient set based on the integer part of n. That is, the second target coefficients corresponding to L1 to L16 are 1C1 to 1C16 respectively.

[0077] In one implementation, the current power value can be determined based on the total input voltage and total input current of the total circuit where the multiple lamps are located at the current moment, and the power output value P required by the heating element can be determined based on the power setting value and the current power value. The current lamp power value of the lamp can be determined based on the power output value P and the first coefficient of each lamp.

[0078] For example, with R(top) = 50%, R(bottom) = 50%, R(top outside) = 40%, R(top middle) = 40%, R(top inside) = 20%, R(bottom outside) = 40%, R(bottom middle) = 40%, R(bottom inside) = 20%, and the power output value P = 20KW, then for L1, L2, L7, and L8 in the outer sub-region of the lower heating zone, the corresponding current lamp power value is P(bottom outside) = P * R(bottom) * R(bottom outside) / 4 = 1KW; for L3 and L6 in the middle sub-region of the lower heating zone, the corresponding current lamp power value is P(bottom middle) = P * R(bottom) * R(bottom middle) / 2 = 2KW, and for the inner sub-region of the lower heating zone... For L4 and L5, the current lamp power value is P(lower inner) = P*R(lower)*R(lower inner) / 2 = 1KW; similarly, for L9, L10, L15 and L16 in the outer sub-region of the upper heating zone, the current lamp power value is P(upper outer) = P*R(upper)*R(upper outer) / 4 = 1KW; for L11 and L14 in the middle sub-region of the upper heating zone, the current lamp power value is P(upper middle) = P*R(upper)*R(upper middle) / 2 = 2KW; and for L12 and L13 in the inner sub-region of the upper heating zone, the current lamp power value is P(upper inner) = P*R(upper)*R(upper inner) / 2 = 1KW.

[0079] Therefore, after calculating the current lamp power values ​​of multiple lamps, namely P(lower outer), P(lower middle), P(lower inner), P(upper outer), P(upper middle), and P(upper inner), the maximum value Pmax can be determined from these six values. This maximum value Pmax is then used as the reference power value for the current lamp, where Pmax = P(upper middle) = P(lower middle). The lamps corresponding to the maximum value Pmax are designated as target lamps, which include L11, L14, L3, and L6. Then, for the target lamps, a preset proportional coefficient of 100% is used. Control signals for the target lamps are generated based on this preset proportional coefficient and the corresponding second target coefficient.

[0080] Furthermore, for all lamps except the target lamp, control signals for each lamp are generated based on the ratio of its current power value to its current reference power value, a preset proportional coefficient, and a second target coefficient. For example, for L1, L2, L7, and L8 in the outer sub-regions of the lower heating zone, the corresponding second target coefficients are C1 = 0.5, C2 = 0.6, C7 = 0.7, and C8 = 0.8, respectively. In this case, the control signal for lamp L1 is (1 / 2) × 100% × 0.5 = 25%, meaning a PWM signal with a 25% duty cycle can be obtained from the control signal for lamp L1. Similarly, the control signal for lamp L2 is (1 / 2) × 100% × 0.6. =30%, meaning that a PWM signal with a duty cycle of 30% can be obtained from the control signal corresponding to lamp L2; the control signal corresponding to lamp L7 is (1 / 2)×100%×0.7=35%, meaning that a PWM signal with a duty cycle of 35% can be obtained from the control signal corresponding to lamp L7; the control signal corresponding to lamp L8 is (1 / 2)×100%×0.8=40%, meaning that a PWM signal with a duty cycle of 40% can be obtained from the control signal corresponding to lamp L8. Therefore, for each lamp, the duty cycle of the PWM signal of that lamp is controlled by the control signal, thereby realizing the dynamic independent adjustment of each lamp, improving the uniformity of the temperature field distribution, and thus improving the stability of the rapid annealing process.

[0081] In one embodiment, before acquiring the power setting value of the heating element and the current detection value of the process chamber, the method further includes: acquiring a first current value and a second current value of the total circuit at the input end of the heating element, and calculating the current difference between the first current value and the second current value; wherein the first current value and the second current value are detected at different positions in the total circuit at the input end; if the current difference is not greater than a preset threshold, acquiring the power setting value of the heating element and the current detection value of the process chamber; if the current difference is greater than the preset threshold, generating a warning message and controlling the heating element to stop working.

[0082] Specifically, to ensure process quality, during the process, the first current value I1 and the second current value I2 of the total circuit at the input terminal of the heating element are also detected. Here, I1 and I2 can also be referred to as two detected values ​​of the total input current, and the detection positions of the first current value I1 and the second current value I2 are different. If the difference between I1 and I2 is not greater than a preset threshold, the power setting value and the current detection value of the process chamber are obtained to control the temperature field uniformity of the process chamber. If the difference between I1 and I2 is greater than the preset threshold, it indicates that there is an abnormality in the power regulation circuit of the lamp. An early warning message needs to be generated to prompt the operator to check the abnormality and control the heating element to stop working. This prevents the lamp from continuing to heat under abnormal conditions, which could lead to excessive temperature in the process chamber and damage the wafer processing quality.

[0083] Example 2

[0084] This application embodiment also provides a power adjustment device, which includes a control module and an output module connected to the control module. The output module is used to connect to multiple lamps. The control module includes at least one processor and at least one memory. The memory stores a computer program. When the processor executes the computer program, it uses the aforementioned process chamber temperature control method to generate a control signal for each lamp. The output module is used to drive the corresponding lamp to operate according to the control signal. Therefore, this power adjustment device can achieve independent dynamic adjustment of multiple lamps, improve the adjustability of the temperature field uniformity in the process chamber, ensure the uniformity of the temperature field distribution during the process, and thus improve the stability of the rapid annealing process.

[0085] In one embodiment, the output module includes a rectifier unit and multiple output units; wherein each output unit is connected to a preset number of lamps; the rectifier unit is used to rectify AC signals into DC signals to power the multiple output units; the output units are used to output pulse width modulation signals according to the control signal and the DC signal to drive the corresponding lamps to work.

[0086] For ease of explanation, this example uses 8 output units and 16 lamps. As shown in Figure 9, the specific structure of the power regulation device is as follows:

[0087] (1) Power supply line 91; preferably a three-phase power frequency (50Hz) input power supply line of 380V;

[0088] (2) Rectifier unit 92; preferably a bridge rectifier, used to rectify AC signals into DC signals, such as rectifying the input 380V AC power into 513V DC power to power the 8 output units 95.

[0089] (3) Conductive copper strip 93; used to connect the rectified DC signal to 8 output units 95;

[0090] (4) Control module 94; used to communicate with the main controller of semiconductor process equipment, and after obtaining the power setting value, perform PID control to generate 16 control signals with controllable PWM signal duty cycle;

[0091] (5) Output unit 95; used to generate a PWM signal with a corresponding duty cycle according to the control signal of each channel based on the voltage at the input terminal, so as to obtain the corresponding equivalent voltage. In practical applications, considering that the output of the existing SCR power regulator is achieved by phase shifting, this method of power regulation will affect the power quality of the plant's power supply when the load is large. Moreover, the switching frequency of thyristors is smaller than that of IGBTs (Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistors). For scenarios requiring rapid temperature rise response, thyristor-type power regulators cannot respond quickly, resulting in poor temperature control and thus affecting the quality of the rapid annealing process.

[0092] Therefore, in this embodiment, each output unit 95 integrates four IGBT output ports, and the eight output units can control a total of 32 outputs. Each output port is connected to each filament of the lamp tube, thus realizing 32 output circuits. Furthermore, since the eight output units are connected in parallel, the lamp tubes connected to each output unit are also connected in parallel. Thus, through the parallel connection of 16 lamp tubes, and with each lamp tube's control signal having a different duty cycle for its corresponding PWM signal, independent dynamic adjustment of the lamp tubes is achieved.

[0093] (6) Output port 96; used to connect to the filament of the lamp tube, that is, the two output ports are connected to the two filaments of the same lamp tube. Since the two filaments are controlled in the same way, although it is 32 outputs, it can actually be understood as 16 loads, that is, 16 lamp tubes.

[0094] (7) Control signal receiving interface 97; that is, used to receive control signals sent by control module 94 to the corresponding output module;

[0095] (8) Communication interface 98; set on the control module 94, preferably using an RJ45 network cable interface, supporting Ethernet control automation technology EtherCat coordination. There are two communication interfaces 98, namely EthereCat input network port and EthereCat output network port, to ensure that the control module 94 responds quickly to the power adjustment signals sent by the main controller of the semiconductor process equipment.

[0096] (9) Control signal output interface 99; It is set on the control module 94 and corresponds to the number of output units 95. There are a total of 8 control signal output interfaces. Each control signal output interface 99 can output 4 control signals and connect to the control signal receiving interface 97 of each output unit 95.

[0097] (10) Water-cooled plate 910; used to remove the heat generated by 32 IGBTs during normal operation by means of water cooling, thus ensuring the service life of IGBTs;

[0098] (11) Cooling water outlet pipe interface 911 of water-cooled plate 910;

[0099] (12) Cooling water inlet pipe interface 912 of water-cooled plate 910;

[0100] (13) Outer shell 913;

[0101] (14) First Hall sensor 914 and second Hall sensor 915; preferably a ring-shaped Hall sensor.

[0102] In practical applications, the negative terminal of the DC voltage rectified by the rectifier unit 92 passes through the induction coils of the two Hall sensors. That is, the first Hall sensor 914 and the second Hall sensor 915 are installed on the path of the negative output cable of the rectifier unit 92 to detect the total circuit current. The current detected by the first Hall sensor 914 is set as the first current value I1, and the current detected by the second Hall sensor 915 is set as the second current value I2. Therefore, the detection positions of the first current value I1 and the second current value I2 are not the same. The first current value I1 and the second current value I2 are fed back to the control module 94. The control module 94 calculates the difference between I1 and I2. If the difference is greater than a preset threshold, it indicates that the internal circuit of the power regulation device is abnormal. The control module 94 controls the power regulation device to stop output and generates a warning message. The warning message is sent to the main controller of the semiconductor process equipment through the communication interface 98 so that the operator can check the abnormality and determine the cause of the abnormal fault. Furthermore, if the difference is not greater than a preset threshold, the control module 94 generates the current power value based on the voltage and current values ​​at this time. The current value can be I1 or I2, which can be set according to the actual situation.

[0103] Furthermore, the working principle of the aforementioned power adjustment device, as shown in Figure 10, is as follows: Before the process begins, the main controller of the semiconductor process equipment sends the power ratio to the control module of the power adjustment device. Here, the power ratio includes, but is not limited to, the first coefficient, the second coefficient set, and the power setting value for each lamp. After obtaining the power ratio, the control module first determines the power output value based on the power setting value and the current power value. For each lamp, it determines the corresponding second target coefficient based on the current temperature value and the second coefficient set. Based on the power output value and the first coefficient corresponding to each lamp, it calculates the current lamp power value of the lamp and takes the maximum value among the current lamp power values ​​of multiple lamps as the current lamp reference power value. The lamp corresponding to the current lamp reference power value is taken as the target lamp. Finally, for the target lamp, a control signal corresponding to the target lamp is generated according to the preset proportional coefficient and the second target coefficient; for the other lamps among the multiple lamps besides the target lamp, a control signal for each lamp is generated according to the ratio of the current lamp power value to the current lamp reference power value, the preset proportional coefficient, and the second target coefficient; and the corresponding lamp is driven to work according to the control signal.

[0104] Therefore, the aforementioned power regulation device not only enables independent regulation of multiple halogen lamp loads while saving space and cost, but also reduces the impact on power quality at the plant end. Furthermore, two Hall effect sensors can detect abnormal power output conditions, protecting the power supply and load from damage. The inclusion of multiple IGBTs in the output unit, compared to existing thyristors, provides the power regulation device with fast response and high regulation accuracy, significantly improving the temperature uniformity of the process chamber. It should be noted that the aforementioned power regulation device can achieve closed-loop control of the power, voltage, and current of multiple lamps, as well as open-loop control with a set duty cycle (0–100%).

[0105] For ease of understanding, we will take power control as an example. As shown in Figure 11, the control module obtains the setpoint (i.e., power setpoint) sent by the main controller and sends the setpoint to the PID controller in the control module according to two slope limits. The two slopes are set here to prevent the setpoint from being too large, which would lead to excessive starting current.

[0106] Specifically, as shown in Figure 12, the first ramp power limit allows the output to reach 20% of the maximum output voltage within 1 second, and the second ramp limit allows the output to go from 20% to 100% within 1 second. For example, if the current value is 0 and the target value is set to 80% opening, the actual input value sent to the PID controller gradually increases from 0 to 20% within the first second, and then from 20% to 80%. The control pulse period is 24K pulses within 1 second. During the first ramp from 0% to 20%, the value increases by 1% every 12,000 pulses. During the second ramp from 20% to 80%, the value increases by 1% every 3,000 pulses. It takes 0.75 seconds to go from 20% to 80%, meaning that after setting the opening to 80%, it will take 1.75 seconds to reach the 80% output.

[0107] Conversely, without the two-stage slope, if the output value is set directly from 0% to 100% at room temperature, the voltage output to the lamp tube increases instantaneously. Since the filament resistance inside the lamp tube is very small when cold, this results in a large instantaneous starting current, which can damage the circuit. Therefore, by setting two-stage slopes, the inrush current generated when the lamp tube starts heating and when the set value is adjusted drastically is avoided, thus ensuring the lifespan of multiple lamp tubes.

[0108] After the aforementioned control module sends the set value to the PID controller, the PID controller compares the set value with the power feedback value (i.e., the current power value) calculated by voltage and current to calculate the power output value (i.e., the PID output value). At this time, the control signal for each lamp is generated based on the power output value and the first coefficient and the second target coefficient of each lamp. As shown in Figure 11, the first coefficient of each lamp can be preset in the process formula and sent with the formula, and the second target coefficient can be determined from the second coefficient set based on the current wafer temperature detected by the pyrometer.

[0109] As shown in Figure 13, the control signal can control the duty cycle of the PWM signal used to drive the lamps to emit light. For example, lamp L1 corresponds to a PWM signal with a 10% duty cycle, lamp L2 corresponds to a PWM signal with a 50% duty cycle, lamp L16 corresponds to a PWM signal with a 52% duty cycle, and so on. Therefore, the controller sends the 32 output control signals to the corresponding output units, so that the output units output PWM signals of equivalent voltage according to the set duty cycle, thereby controlling the operation of the corresponding lamps by controlling the duty cycle. As shown in Figure 11, each output unit outputs 4 PWM signals according to the control signal and DC signal respectively. A total of 32 outputs are achieved through 8 output units. At the same time, since the control signal can control the duty cycle of the PWM signal of the corresponding lamp, independent dynamic adjustment of the lamps is realized.

[0110] In addition, during the operation of the lamps, the two Hall sensors also collect the total current of the circuit. The control module calculates the power feedback value based on the collected total current and the DC voltage after rectification by the rectifier, and sends the power feedback value to the PID controller, thereby forming a control system that controls the total power and the output of each channel is adjustable, that is, realizing closed-loop control of the power, voltage and current of multiple lamps.

[0111] Therefore, for the aforementioned power regulation device, the 32 IGBT outputs are integrated into one unit. The power supply of the IGBT output is controlled by a PWM signal, and the equivalent output voltage of the IGBT is controlled by controlling the duty cycle of the PWM signal. This achieves the distribution and regulation of power for 32 loads controlled by a single power supply. For example, it can realize independent dynamic adjustment of each lamp within a temperature range of 10℃, thereby improving the adjustability of the temperature field uniformity in the process chamber, ensuring the uniformity of the temperature field distribution during the process, and thus improving the stability of the rapid annealing process.

[0112] Furthermore, based on the aforementioned power adjustment device, this application embodiment also provides a semiconductor process apparatus, including a process chamber and the aforementioned power adjustment device; wherein, the process chamber includes a heating element, and the heating element includes multiple parallel lamps; the power adjustment device is connected to the heating element. The specific structure of the semiconductor process apparatus can be referred to the prior art, and will not be described in detail here.

[0113] The semiconductor process equipment provided in this application embodiment has the same technical features as the process chamber temperature control method provided in the above embodiment, so it can also solve the same technical problems and achieve the same technical effects.

[0114] This embodiment also provides a machine-readable storage medium storing machine-executable instructions. When the machine-executable instructions are called and executed by a processor, the machine-executable instructions cause the processor to implement the above-described process chamber temperature control method.

[0115] The computer program products for the process chamber temperature control method, power regulation device, and semiconductor process equipment provided in this application include a computer-readable storage medium storing program code. The instructions included in the program code can be used to execute the methods described in the preceding method embodiments. For specific implementation details, please refer to the method embodiments, which will not be repeated here.

[0116] Those skilled in the art will clearly understand that, for the sake of convenience and brevity, the specific working process of the system and apparatus described above can be referred to the corresponding process in the foregoing method embodiments, and will not be repeated here.

[0117] Furthermore, in the description of the embodiments of this application, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," and "linking" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; and they can refer to the internal connection of two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this application based on the specific circumstances.

[0118] If the aforementioned functions are implemented as software functional units and sold or used as independent products, they can be stored in a processor-executable, non-volatile, computer-readable storage medium. Based on this understanding, the technical solution of this application, in essence, or the part that contributes to the prior art, or a portion of the technical solution, can be embodied in the form of a software product. This computer software product is stored in a storage medium and includes several instructions to cause a computer device (which may be a personal computer, server, or network device, etc.) to execute all or part of the steps of the methods described in the various embodiments of this application. The aforementioned storage medium includes various media capable of storing program code, such as USB flash drives, portable hard drives, read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), magnetic disks, or optical disks.

[0119] In the description of this application, it should be noted that the terms "center," "upper," "lower," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "inner," and "outer," etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are used only for the convenience of describing this application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this application. Furthermore, the terms "first," "second," and "third" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0120] Finally, it should be noted that the above-described embodiments are merely specific implementations of this application, used to illustrate the technical solutions of this application, and not to limit them. The protection scope of this application is not limited thereto. Although this application has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that any person skilled in the art can still modify or easily conceive of changes to the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments, or make equivalent substitutions for some of the technical features, within the technical scope disclosed in this application. Such modifications, changes, or substitutions do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application, and should all be covered within the protection scope of this application. Therefore, the protection scope of this application should be determined by the protection scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A method for controlling the temperature of a process chamber, wherein the process chamber includes a heating element for heating a wafer; wherein, The heating element comprises multiple lamps connected in parallel, each lamp being configured with a first coefficient and a second coefficient set. The first coefficient characterizes the correspondence between the lamp's position and power, and the second coefficient set comprises multiple second coefficients characterizing the correspondence between the lamp's power and the wafer temperature. The method is characterized by comprising: The power setting value of the heating element and the current detection value of the process chamber are obtained; wherein, the current detection value includes the current temperature value and the current power value, the current temperature value is used to characterize the temperature value of the wafer at the current moment, the current power value is used to characterize the actual power value corresponding to the heating element at the current moment, and the power setting value is used to characterize the target power value corresponding to the heating element; The required power output value of the heating element is determined based on the power setting value and the current power value, and for each lamp tube, the corresponding second target coefficient is determined based on the current temperature value and the second coefficient set. A control signal is generated for each lamp tube based on the power output value, the first coefficient corresponding to each lamp tube, and the second target coefficient corresponding to each lamp tube, so as to drive the lamp tube to work according to the control signal.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The step of generating a control signal for each lamp tube based on the power output value, the first coefficient corresponding to each lamp tube, and the second target coefficient corresponding to each lamp tube includes: For each of the lamp tubes, the current lamp tube power value is calculated based on the power output value and the first coefficient corresponding to the lamp tube. The maximum value among the current power values ​​of the multiple lamps is taken as the current lamp reference power value, and the lamp corresponding to the current lamp reference power value is taken as the target lamp. For the target lamp tube, a control signal corresponding to the target lamp tube is generated according to the preset proportional coefficient and the second target coefficient; For the other lamps among the multiple lamps besides the target lamp, a control signal for each lamp is generated based on the ratio of the current lamp power value to the current lamp reference power value, the preset proportional coefficient, and the second target coefficient.

3. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that, The method further includes: The heating power of each lamp tube in the heating element is controlled by a pulse width modulation method; wherein the control signal is used to characterize the duty cycle of the pulse width modulation signal corresponding to the lamp tube.

4. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first coefficient corresponding to each of the lamp tubes is obtained by the following method: Obtain the position information of the lamp tube within the process chamber; wherein the position information includes: the sub-region to which the lamp tube belongs, and the heating zone to which the sub-region belongs; wherein the heating zone includes: an upper heating zone and a lower heating zone, and each heating zone includes multiple sub-regions; The first coefficient corresponding to the lamp is calculated based on the lamp's position information and the number of lamps in the sub-region to which the lamp belongs.

5. The method according to claim 4, characterized in that, The step of calculating the first coefficient corresponding to the lamp based on the lamp's position information and the number of lamps in the sub-region to which the lamp belongs includes: The corresponding position parameters are determined based on the position information of the lamp tube; wherein, the position parameters include: the heating zone coefficient corresponding to the heating zone and the partition coefficient corresponding to the sub-region, wherein the sum of the heating zone coefficient corresponding to the upper heating zone and the heating zone coefficient corresponding to the lower heating zone is 1, and the sum of the partition coefficients corresponding to all the sub-regions belonging to the same heating zone is 1; The first coefficient corresponding to the lamp is calculated based on the heating zone coefficient, the zoning coefficient, and the number of lamps in the sub-region to which the lamp belongs.

6. The method according to claim 4, characterized in that, The second set of coefficients for each of the lamp tubes is obtained by the following method: Under test conditions, multiple lamps are controlled to heat the test wafer; wherein, the test conditions are that the sub-regions of the position information of the multiple lamps are evenly distributed, and multiple temperature measuring points are set on the test wafer; The detection temperature of the test wafer is controlled to reach multiple temperature thresholds, and at each temperature threshold, the power of each lamp is adjusted by adjusting the second coefficient of each lamp until the difference between the maximum and minimum detection values ​​corresponding to multiple temperature measurement points of the test wafer does not exceed a preset difference, thereby obtaining the second coefficients of the multiple lamps corresponding to the temperature thresholds respectively. The second coefficient set is generated based on the multiple temperature thresholds and the second coefficient corresponding to each of the multiple lamps at each temperature threshold.

7. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, Before the steps of obtaining the power setting value of the heating element and the current detection value of the process chamber, the method further includes: The first current value and the second current value of the input terminal total circuit of the heating element are obtained, and the current difference between the first current value and the second current value is calculated; wherein the first current value and the second current value are detected at different positions in the input terminal total circuit; If the current difference is not greater than a preset threshold, the power setting value of the heating element and the current detection value of the process chamber are obtained.

8. The method according to claim 7, characterized in that, The method further includes: If the current difference is greater than the preset threshold, an early warning message is generated, and the heating element is controlled to stop working.

9. A power regulation device, characterized in that, The device includes: a control module and an output module connected to the control module, the output module being used to connect to multiple lamp tubes; The control module includes at least one processor and at least one memory. The memory stores a computer program. When the computer program is executed by the processor, it uses the process chamber temperature control method according to any one of claims 1-8 to generate a control signal for each of the lamps. The output module is used to drive the corresponding lamp to work according to the control signal.

10. The apparatus according to claim 9, characterized in that, The output module includes a rectifier unit and multiple output units; wherein each output unit is connected to a preset number of lamps; The rectifier unit is used to rectify AC signals into DC signals to power the plurality of output units; The output unit is used to output a pulse width modulation signal according to the control signal and the DC signal to drive the corresponding lamp tube to work.

11. A semiconductor process apparatus, characterized in that, The device includes a process chamber and the power regulating device as described in any one of claims 9-10; wherein the process chamber includes a heating element, the heating element includes multiple lamps connected in parallel; and the power regulating device is connected to the heating element.

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