Semiconductor process apparatus
Patent Information
- Application Number
- PCT/CN2026/078869
- Authority / Receiving Office
- WO · WO
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Priority Date
- 2025-02-28
- Filing Date
- 2026-02-12
- Publication Date
- 2026-09-03
Smart Images
Figure CN2026078869_03092026_PF_FP_ABST
Abstract
Description
Semiconductor process equipment Technical Field
[0001] This application belongs to the field of semiconductor processing technology, specifically relating to a semiconductor process equipment. Background Technology
[0002] Electroplating is a key process in wafer fabrication, forming a metal layer on the wafer surface to enable electrical connections. Currently, semiconductor process equipment such as electroplating chambers are commonly used for wafer electroplating. During the electroplating process, an anode chamber and a cathode chamber are typically formed within the chamber, separated by an ion-exchange membrane. Metal cations in the anode chamber can pass through the ion-exchange membrane and enter the cathode chamber, where they are deposited on the wafer surface to form a metal layer.
[0003] In the electroplating process, the wafer is located in the cathode chamber, which is filled with electroplating solution through multiple inlets on its sidewalls, allowing metal cations to form a metal coating on the wafer. However, during the injection of electroplating solution through these inlets, the impact of the solution flowing from the edge to the center of the cathode chamber significantly affects the uniformity of the metal cation distribution within the chamber, resulting in a relatively poor uniformity of the electroplated metal layer formed on the wafer. Summary of the Invention
[0004] The purpose of this application is to provide a semiconductor process apparatus to solve the problem that, during the electroplating process in current semiconductor process apparatuses, the impact of the electroplating solution during the injection of electroplating solution through multiple inlet holes on the side wall of the cathode chamber has a significant adverse effect on the uniformity of the distribution of metal cations in the cathode chamber, resulting in relatively poor uniformity of the electroplated metal layer formed on the wafer.
[0005] This application discloses a semiconductor process apparatus, which includes a process chamber, a support, an ion exchange membrane, and a flow equalization device, wherein...
[0006] The support is installed in the process chamber. The bottom wall of the support has multiple through holes. The ion membrane is attached to the bottom wall of the support. The process chamber is divided into a first chamber and a second chamber by the ion membrane. The side wall of the support has multiple liquid inlet holes. The multiple liquid inlet holes are distributed at intervals along the circumference of the support. Each liquid inlet hole communicates with the second chamber.
[0007] The flow equalization device is disposed in the second chamber. The flow equalization device includes a plurality of drainage tubes distributed circumferentially along the support, and each drainage tube points to the center of the support. The plurality of drainage tubes are fixedly connected to the support, and one end of each of the plurality of drainage tubes is connected to a plurality of liquid inlet holes in a one-to-one correspondence.
[0008] Each of the drainage tubes is provided with a plurality of drainage holes that are regularly distributed along the extension direction of the drainage tube, and the plurality of drainage holes on each of the drainage tubes are oriented in the same way, so as to make the ions in the second chamber uniformly distributed.
[0009] This application discloses a semiconductor process apparatus that can perform electroplating on wafers. In the semiconductor process apparatus, a support is mounted in a process chamber, and the bottom wall of the support has multiple through-holes. An ion exchange membrane is attached to the bottom wall of the support, dividing the process chamber into a first chamber and a second chamber. This allows ions in the first chamber to simultaneously pass through the through-holes and the ion exchange membrane into the second chamber, where they undergo an electrochemical reaction with the wafer, which serves as the cathode in the second chamber, forming an electroplated metal layer on the wafer's surface.
[0010] To ensure the normal progress of the electrochemical reaction, the sidewall of the support is provided with multiple liquid inlet holes spaced apart along the circumference of the support. At the same time, multiple drainage pipes of the flow equalization device in the second chamber are fixedly connected to the support, and one end of each drainage pipe is connected to one of the multiple liquid inlet holes. Each drainage pipe is provided with multiple drainage holes, so that the electroplating solution in the liquid inlet hole can be transported to the second chamber through the multiple drainage holes on the multiple drainage pipes. In this case, the amount of electroplating solution output from each drainage hole can be greatly reduced, thereby reducing the disturbance effect of the drainage process on the flow field of the electroplating solution in the second chamber.
[0011] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the multiple drainage holes on each drainage tube are regularly distributed along the extension direction of the drainage tube. This ensures that the flow field disturbance effect of the electroplating solution discharged through each drainage tube on the surrounding drainage tube is basically the same. At the same time, the multiple drainage tubes are distributed circumferentially along the support, each drainage tube points to the center of the support, and the drainage holes on each drainage tube are oriented in the same direction. This ensures that the disturbance effect of different drainage tubes on the flow field in the second chamber is also basically the same. As a result, the input process of the electroplating solution will not adversely affect the flow field uniformity in the second chamber, ensuring that the ion distribution uniformity in the second chamber is relatively high, thereby making the uniformity of the electroplated metal layer formed on the wafer relatively high. Attached Figure Description
[0012] The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a further understanding of this application and form part of this application, illustrate exemplary embodiments and are used to explain this application, but do not constitute an undue limitation of this application. In the drawings:
[0013] Figure 1 is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of the semiconductor process equipment disclosed in an embodiment of this application;
[0014] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of the assembly of some structures in the semiconductor process equipment disclosed in the embodiments of this application;
[0015] Figure 3 is a partial enlarged view of the structure shown in Figure 2;
[0016] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of the flow equalization device in the semiconductor process equipment disclosed in the embodiments of this application;
[0017] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the stirring element in the semiconductor process equipment disclosed in the embodiments of this application.
[0018] Reference numerals: 1-Process chamber, 101-Injection hole, 102-Injection channel, 2-Coated metal, 3-Support, 301-Bridging hole, 302-Inlet hole, 303-Through hole, 4-Ion membrane, 5-Resistor plate, 6-Clamping assembly, 7-Wafer, 8-First chamber, 9-Second chamber, 10-Flow equalizer, 1001-Drain pipe, 1002-Support ring, 1003-Base, 1004-Drain hole, 11-Stirring component, 1101-Bridging ring, 1102-Blade, 1103-Rotating seat, 1104-Cutting notch, 12-Bearing, 13-Support shaft. Detailed Implementation
[0019] The technical solutions of the embodiments of this application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some, not all, of the embodiments of this application. 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.
[0020] The terms "first," "second," etc., used in the specification and claims of this application are used to distinguish similar objects and not to describe a specific order or sequence. It should be understood that such use of data can be interchanged where appropriate so that embodiments of this application can be implemented in orders other than those illustrated or described herein, and the objects distinguished by "first," "second," etc., are generally of the same class and the number of objects is not limited; for example, a first object can be one or more. Furthermore, in the specification and claims, "and / or" indicates at least one of the connected objects, and the character " / " generally indicates that the preceding and following objects are in an "or" relationship.
[0021] As shown in Figures 1-5, this application discloses a semiconductor process apparatus that can form an electroplated metal layer on a wafer 7 by electroplating. Specifically, as shown in Figure 1, the semiconductor process apparatus disclosed in this application includes a process chamber 1, a support 3, and an ion exchange membrane 4. Of course, the semiconductor process chamber 1 may also include other mechanisms such as a clamping assembly 6 for holding the wafer 7; for the sake of brevity, these will not be described here.
[0022] The support 3 is installed in the process chamber 1. The bottom wall of the support 3 has multiple through holes 303, each penetrating the bottom wall of the support 3, allowing the upper and lower sides of the bottom wall of the support 3 to communicate with each other. Simultaneously, an ion exchange membrane 4 is attached to the bottom wall of the support 3, enabling the process chamber 1 to be divided into a first chamber 8 and a second chamber 9 by the ion exchange membrane 4. Specifically, the process chamber 1 itself has an inner cavity. The support 3, by being installed in the inner cavity of the process chamber 1, can separate the aforementioned inner cavity of the process chamber 1. When the ion exchange membrane 4 is attached to the bottom wall of the support 3, the ion exchange membrane 4 divides the inner cavity of the process chamber 1 into the first chamber 8 and the second chamber 9, restricting ion exchange to occur only between the first chamber 8 and the second chamber 9.
[0023] As described above, the semiconductor process chamber 1 disclosed in this application is used for electroplating. Therefore, in this application embodiment, the first chamber 8 can specifically serve as an anode chamber, and the first chamber 8 can also contain a plating metal 2. The plating metal 2 can be flexibly selected according to parameters such as the material of the desired metal plating layer. For example, the plating metal 2 can be a copper block. Correspondingly, the second chamber 9 can serve as a cathode chamber. During the electroplating process, the wafer 7 can be immersed in the electroplating solution of the second chamber 9, and as the cathode, the electroplating process is performed in the second chamber 9, allowing metal cations to form a metal plating layer on the surface of the wafer 7.
[0024] Of course, to ensure the electroplating process can proceed normally, corresponding electroplating solutions can be provided in both the first chamber 8 and the second chamber 9. This ensures that the plating metal 2 can lose electrons in the first chamber 8 and form metal cations. Correspondingly, the metal cations can gain electrons in the second chamber 9 and be converted back into elemental metal to form a metal plating layer on the surface of the wafer 7 located in the second chamber 9. As described above, the ion exchange membrane 4 is attached to the bottom wall of the support 3, thereby ensuring that only metal cations in the substance in the first chamber 8 can simultaneously pass through the through-hole 303 and the ion exchange membrane 4 and enter the second chamber 9.
[0025] As described above, during the electroplating process, both the first chamber 8 and the second chamber 9 need to be equipped with corresponding electroplating solutions. For the first chamber 8, perforations can be provided in the sidewall or bottom wall of the process chamber 1 to allow the electroplating solution to enter the first chamber 8. For the second chamber 9, as shown in Figure 1, in the semiconductor process equipment disclosed in this application embodiment, the sidewall of the support 3 is provided with multiple liquid inlet holes 302, and these holes are spaced apart circumferentially along the support 3. By ensuring that each liquid inlet hole 302 communicates with the second chamber 9, the corresponding electroplating solution can be transported into the second chamber 9 through the multiple liquid inlet holes 302.
[0026] Furthermore, multiple inlet holes 302 can be evenly distributed along the circumference of the support 3, which can improve the uniformity of electroplating solution distribution in the second chamber 9. To reduce the processing difficulty of the inlet holes 302, in a specific embodiment of this application, the inlet holes 302 can extend substantially radially along the support 3, and a bridging hole 301 can be provided below the inlet holes 302. At the same time, an injection channel 102 can be formed on the side wall of the process chamber 1, extending to the bottom of the process chamber 1 and forming an injection hole 101 communicating with the outside of the process chamber 1. When it is necessary to inject electroplating solution into the second chamber 9, a delivery pipeline can be used to communicate with the injection hole 101, so that the electroplating solution can be sequentially delivered into the second chamber 9 through the injection hole 101, the injection channel 102, the bridging hole 301, and the inlet hole 302.
[0027] As described above, the metal cations in the first chamber 8 can pass through the through holes 303 and ion membrane 4 of the support 3 and enter the second chamber 9. Furthermore, if the electroplating solution is directly supplied into the second chamber 9 using the multiple liquid inlet holes 302 provided on the side wall of the support 3, the electroplating solution has a certain initial velocity when it flows out of the liquid inlet holes 302, which allows the electroplating solution to flow from the edge of the support 3 to the center area of the support 3. In this process, the uniformity of the distribution of metal cations in the second chamber 9 will be destroyed, resulting in relatively poor uniformity of the electroplated metal layer formed on the wafer 7.
[0028] Therefore, the semiconductor process equipment disclosed in this application also includes a flow equalization element 10, which is disposed in the second chamber 9. The flow equalization element 10 includes a plurality of guide tubes 1001 for conveying the electroplating solution input through the liquid inlet 302. Furthermore, during the arrangement of the plurality of guide tubes 1001, the plurality of guide tubes 1001 are distributed circumferentially along the support 3, and each guide tube 1001 points towards the center of the support 3. That is, in the semiconductor process equipment disclosed in this application, the plurality of guide tubes 1001 of the flow equalization element 10 are arranged radially outward from the center of the support 3. In other words, each guide tube 1001 extends radially from the center of the support 3 to the edge, which facilitates uniform distribution of the electroplating solution and thus promotes uniform ion distribution. In one specific embodiment, when the support 3 is a circular structure, the axis of any drainage tube 1001 is coplanar with the central axis of the support 3, and the axis of any drainage tube 1001 is parallel to a certain radial direction of the support 3. Of course, the specific radial direction parallel to the axis of different drainage tubes 1001 is also different.
[0029] Meanwhile, each drainage tube 1001 is fixedly connected to the support 3. Specifically, one end of each drainage tube 1001 can be fixedly connected to the side wall of the support 3 by welding or other means. Alternatively, each inlet hole 302 can be provided with an internal thread, and the drainage tube 1001 can be fixedly connected to the support 3 by forming an external thread on the drainage tube 1001. The other end of each drainage tube 1001 away from the side wall of the support 3 can be sealed off, and the aforementioned ends of multiple drainage tubes 1001 can be connected as one unit by welding or other means to be supported together in the central area of the bottom wall of the support 3, thereby forming a relatively stable assembly relationship between the flow equalizer 10 and the support 3.
[0030] To further improve the installation stability of the flow equalizer 10, in another embodiment of this application, as shown in FIG1, a support shaft 13 can be provided at the center of the bottom wall of the bracket 3. As shown in FIG4, the flow equalizer 10 also includes a base 1003, which has a central hole. Multiple drainage pipes 1001 are located on the outer periphery of the base 1003 and are radially distributed. At the same time, the end of each drainage pipe 1001 away from the side wall of the bracket 3 is fixedly connected to the base 1003. Based on the aforementioned structure, during the assembly of the flow equalizer 10, the base 1003 is supported on the bottom of the bracket 3, and the central hole on the base 1003 allows the entire flow equalizer 10 to be fitted outside the support shaft 13. Then, by welding or other methods, the end of the drainage pipe 1001 away from the base 1003 is fixed to the side wall of the bracket 3. This can make the assembly stability between the multiple drainage pipes 1001 and the bracket 3 relatively higher.
[0031] Considering that the radial dimension of each drainage tube 1001 is relatively small and the axial dimension of each drainage tube 1001 is relatively large, in order to further improve the reliability of each drainage tube 1001, in some embodiments, as shown in FIG4, the flow equalization component 10 further includes a support ring 1002. The support ring 1002 is arranged around the base 1003, and the radius of the support ring 1002 is smaller than the dimension of the drainage tube 1001 in its own axial direction. Therefore, during the assembly of the support ring 1002, in the extension direction of each drainage tube 1001, the support ring 1002 is located at the middle position between the two opposite ends of each drainage tube 1001 or close to the middle position, so that the support ring 1002 can provide support for the middle part of the drainage tube 1001. That is, in the embodiments of this application, the middle part of each drainage tube 1001 can be supported by the support ring 1002. Of course, by designing the dimensions of the support ring 1002 in the axial direction of the bracket 3, the edge of the support ring 1002 away from the drainage tube 1001 (i.e., the lower end face of the support ring 1002) can be directly supported on the bottom of the bracket 3, thereby ensuring that the support ring 1002 can directly provide support for multiple drainage tubes 1001, so that the support effect of the drainage tubes 1001 is relatively good.
[0032] Alternatively, to reduce the obstruction effect on the flow of electroplating solution within the second chamber 9 of the support ring 1002, the lower end face of the support ring 1002 can be spaced apart from the bottom wall of the bracket 3. In this case, each drainage tube 1001 can be fixed to the support ring 1002. For example, multiple drainage tubes 1001 can be fixed to the support ring 1002 by welding. This makes the overall integration and shock resistance of the flow equalization component 10 stronger, thereby ensuring better uniformity of drainage from the drainage tubes 1001. Of course, if the lower end face of the support ring 1002 is directly supported on the bottom of the bracket 3, each drainage tube 1001 can also be fixedly connected to the support ring 1002.
[0033] To further prevent the drainage tube 1001 from swaying, in some embodiments, the support ring 1002 is provided with multiple limiting notches, and in the axial direction of the bracket 3, multiple drainage tubes 1001 are correspondingly embedded in the multiple limiting notches, thereby achieving the purpose of further restricting the positional change of the drainage tube 1001 by using the limiting notches. That is, in the circumferential direction of the bracket 3, the support ring 1002 is limited and engaged with multiple drainage tubes 1001 through the limiting notches, which can further prevent the drainage tube 1001 from swaying and vibrating along the circumference of the bracket 3 during the drainage process.
[0034] As described above, in this embodiment, the drain tube 1001 is used to transport the electroplating solution. Specifically, one end of each of the multiple drain tubes 1001 can be connected to a plurality of inlet holes 302 in a one-to-one correspondence, so that the electroplating solution transported to the semiconductor process equipment through the inlet holes 302 can be respectively transported into the multiple drain tubes 1001. At the same time, each drain tube 1001 is also provided with a plurality of drain holes 1004, so that the electroplating solution entering each drain tube 1001 through the inlet holes 302 can be transported into the second chamber 9 through the plurality of drain holes 1004 provided on the drain tube 1001.
[0035] In this embodiment, the multiple drainage holes 1004 on each drainage tube 1001 are regularly distributed along the extension direction of the drainage tube 1001. Specifically, based on parameters such as the actual distribution of ions in the second chamber 9, the distribution of the multiple drainage holes 1004 on each drainage tube 1001 can be designed accordingly. Simultaneously, the orientation of the multiple drainage holes 1004 on each drainage tube 1001 is made the same to ensure a uniform distribution of ions in the second chamber 9. It should be noted that in this embodiment, the purpose of regularly distributing the multiple drainage holes 1004 on each drainage tube 1001 and ensuring that the orientation of the multiple drainage holes 1004 on each drainage tube 1001 is the same is to improve the uniformity of ion distribution in the second chamber 9. However, this does not mean that using the above technical features will necessarily result in an absolutely uniform distribution of ions in the second chamber 9.
[0036] In this application, the regular distribution refers to the arrangement of the drain holes 1004 on the guide tube 1001 according to a specific rule, and this arrangement is orderly and consistent, aiming to ensure a uniform distribution of ions in the second chamber 9. Specifically, based on the embodiments of this application, the regular distribution can take various forms: for example, the drain holes 1004 are arranged at fixed intervals along the extension direction of the guide tube 1001 to ensure uniform flow output. Alternatively, the spacing or diameter of the drain holes 1004 may gradually change along the extension direction of the guide tube 1001 according to the actual ion concentration field in the second chamber 9. For example, the density of the drain holes 1004 may gradually increase in the radial direction from the sidewall of the support 3 towards the center to compensate for the flow field difference between the edge and the center. Furthermore, multiple guide tubes 1001 are uniformly arranged circumferentially along the support 3, and the distribution pattern of the drain holes 1004 on each guide tube 1001 is consistent, forming a rotationally symmetrical structure to ensure no flow dead zones in the second chamber 9.
[0037] The technical effects produced by the aforementioned technical features are all aimed at improving the uniformity of the flow field distribution of the electroplating solution in the second chamber 9. Correspondingly, if the electroplating uniformity is not affected by other parameters, or in other words, the parameters affecting the electroplating uniformity only include the uniformity of the flow field of the electroplating solution in the second chamber 9, then in a specific embodiment of this application, the flow rate and cross-sectional shape of the plurality of drain holes 1004 on each drain pipe 1001 can be made to be the same, and the plurality of drain holes 1004 on each drain pipe 1001 can be uniformly and spaced out from the first end of the drain pipe 1001 along the extension direction of the drain pipe 1001 to the second end. In this case, the flow of the electroplating solution around each drain pipe 1001 can be made to be substantially the same. Meanwhile, by ensuring that the orientation of the multiple drain holes 1004 on each drain tube 1001 is the same, the flow of the electroplating solution around different drain tubes 1001 can also be basically the same, thereby ensuring that the flow of the electroplating solution at any position in the entire second chamber 9 is basically the same, and that the metal cations in the second chamber 9 can also be uniformly distributed, ensuring that the uniformity of the electroplated metal layer formed at any position on the wafer 7 is relatively high.
[0038] Specifically, the cross-sectional shape of the drain hole 1004 can be rectangular or triangular. In one specific embodiment of this application, the cross-sectional shape of each drain hole 1004 can be circular. This facilitates the processing of the drain hole 1004 and minimizes the disturbance caused by the electroplating solution discharged from the drain hole 1004 to the electroplating solution pool in the second chamber 9. Specifically, the cross-sectional shape of the drain hole 1004 is the shape obtained by cutting the drain hole 1004 with a plane perpendicular to its axial direction. It should be noted that when the drainage pipe 1001 has a circular structure, the cross-sectional shape of the drain hole 1004 will also be affected, but the drain hole 1004 is essentially still circular. Furthermore, the number of drainage pipes 1001, the number of drain holes 1004 on each drainage pipe 1001, and the flow rate of each drain hole 1004 can all be flexibly determined based on the actual situation such as the volume of the second chamber 9, and are not limited herein.
[0039] This application discloses a semiconductor process apparatus that can perform electroplating on a wafer 7. In the semiconductor process apparatus, a support 3 is installed in a process chamber 1, and the bottom wall of the support 3 is provided with multiple through holes 303. An ion exchange membrane 4 can be attached to the bottom wall of the support 3, so that the process chamber 1 is divided into a first chamber 8 and a second chamber 9 by the ion exchange membrane 4. This allows ions in the first chamber 8 to pass through the through holes 303 and the ion exchange membrane 4 simultaneously into the second chamber 9, and then undergo an electrochemical reaction with the wafer 7, which serves as the cathode in the second chamber 9, forming an electroplated metal layer on the surface of the wafer 7.
[0040] To ensure the normal progress of the electrochemical reaction, the side wall of the support 3 is provided with multiple liquid inlet holes 302 distributed circumferentially along the support 3. At the same time, multiple drainage pipes 1001 of the flow equalizer 10 in the second chamber 9 are fixedly connected to the support 3, and one end of each drainage pipe 1001 is connected to the multiple liquid inlet holes 302 in a one-to-one correspondence. Each drainage pipe 1001 is provided with multiple drainage holes 1004, so that the electroplating solution in the liquid inlet hole 302 can be transported to the second chamber 9 through the multiple drainage holes 1004 on the multiple drainage pipes 1001. In this case, the amount of electroplating solution output from each drainage hole 1004 can be greatly reduced, thereby reducing the disturbance effect of the drainage process on the flow field of the electroplating solution in the second chamber 9.
[0041] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the plurality of drain holes 1004 provided on each drain pipe 1001 are regularly distributed along the extension direction of the drain pipe 1001. This makes the flow field disturbance effect generated by the electroplating solution discharged through each drain pipe 1001 on the drain pipe 1001 basically the same. At the same time, the plurality of drain pipes 1001 are distributed along the circumference of the support 3, each drain pipe 1001 points to the center of the support 3, and the drain holes 1004 provided on each drain pipe 1001 are oriented in the same direction. This makes the disturbance effect generated by different drain pipes 1001 on the flow field in the second chamber 9 basically the same. Thus, the input process of the electroplating solution will not adversely affect the flow field uniformity in the second chamber 9, ensuring that the ion distribution uniformity in the second chamber 9 is relatively high, thereby making the uniformity of the electroplated metal layer formed on the wafer 7 relatively high.
[0042] As described above, the support 3 includes a side wall and a bottom wall. In some embodiments, the bottom wall is a flat plate structure. In order to increase the installation area of the ion exchange membrane 4, in another embodiment of this application, the bottom wall can be a conical structure, and the bottom wall is convex towards the side where the first chamber 8 is located. This can increase the area for ion exchange between the first chamber 8 and the second chamber 9, and allow the volume of the second chamber 9 to be appropriately increased, thereby improving the electroplating efficiency and electroplating effect.
[0043] Based on this, in this embodiment, the flow equalization element 10 can also be made into a conical structure. That is, in this embodiment, the extension direction of each drainage pipe 1001 is not perpendicular to the axial direction (i.e., the vertical direction) of the support 3. Instead, the extension direction of each drainage pipe 1001 can generally extend along the bottom wall of the support 3. Specifically, in the axial direction of the support 3, the distance between the end of the drainage pipe 1001 away from the side wall of the support 3 and the bottom of the process chamber 1 is smaller than the end of the drainage pipe 1001 near the side wall of the support 3. In other words, in this embodiment, the extension direction of each drainage pipe 1001 is parallel to the extension direction of the area corresponding to the drainage pipe 1001 in the bottom wall of the support 3.
[0044] In the electroplating process of semiconductor process equipment, the plating metal 2 serves as the anode and the wafer 7 serves as the cathode. Therefore, the wafer 7 needs to be powered. In the embodiments of this application, the clamping component 6 used to clamp the wafer 7 can be used to power the wafer 7, thereby reducing the number of devices set in the semiconductor process equipment and reducing the control difficulty.
[0045] When the clamping assembly 6 is used to power the wafer 7, in order to ensure that the clamping stability and power supply stability of the wafer 7 are relatively high, the electrodes can be placed on the inner side of the clamping arm in the clamping assembly 6 to clamp the wafer 7, so that the clamping assembly 6 is electrically connected to the outer edge of the wafer 7. This makes the current density in the edge region of the wafer 7 higher than the current density in the middle region of the wafer 7. That is, the current density decreases in the direction from the edge of the wafer 7 to the center of the wafer 7. In this case, if other parameters affecting the electroplating uniformity are not considered, the electroplating efficiency in the center region of the wafer 7 is lower than the electroplating efficiency in the edge region of the wafer 7.
[0046] Based on the above, in this embodiment, in the first straight line direction from the side wall of the support 3 to the center of the support 3, the drainage characteristics of the drainage holes 1004 on each drainage pipe 1001 are configured to increase the flow rate of the electroplating solution discharged from the drainage holes (1004), so that the ion concentration of the electroplating solution in the second chamber 9 gradually increases. This utilizes the change in ion concentration to balance the influence of current density on electroplating uniformity, thereby making the electroplating efficiency in the central region of the wafer 7 essentially equivalent to that in the edge region of the wafer 7, achieving the goal of improving the electroplating uniformity of the wafer 7. The aforementioned drainage characteristics refer to the design and configuration of the geometric structural parameters, spatial distribution parameters, and their combined effects of the drainage holes 1004 to achieve a flow gradient in the radial direction. Drainage characteristics include, but are not limited to, structural parameters of the drainage holes themselves, such as drainage cross-sectional area, hole shape, and hole orientation, and distribution parameters of the drainage holes, such as distribution density and distribution pattern. By purposefully designing and adjusting the parameters of the drain hole 1004, the ion concentration of the electroplating solution in the second chamber 9 gradually increases in the first linear direction.
[0047] To achieve a gradual increase in ion concentration in the radial direction, the aforementioned drainage characteristics can be specifically configured. Specifically, this can be achieved by adjusting structural parameters such as the distribution density and / or cross-sectional area of the drainage holes 1004 on each drainage tube 1001. In one specific embodiment, the cross-sectional area of each drainage hole 1004 can be kept equal, while the distance between adjacent drainage holes 1004 is gradually reduced (i.e., the distribution density is increased) in the direction from the sidewall of the support 3 towards its center, thereby increasing the total amount of electroplating solution discharged per unit area. In another specific embodiment, the distance between adjacent drainage holes 1004 can be kept equal, while the cross-sectional area of each drainage hole 1004 is gradually increased in the direction from the sidewall of the support 3 towards its center, thereby increasing the electroplating solution discharge flow rate. As a specific implementation, the drainage hole 1004 can be a circular hole, and by gradually increasing its diameter in the aforementioned direction, the cross-sectional area of the drainage hole can be gradually increased.
[0048] It is understood that the above adjustments to the drainage cross-sectional area and distribution density are exemplary methods for configuring drainage characteristics to achieve a flow gradient effect. The purpose of regulating the discharge flow distribution can also be achieved by changing the shape, orientation, or other geometric parameters of the drainage hole 1004, or by comprehensively adjusting multiple parameters.
[0049] In another embodiment of this application, the semiconductor process equipment may further include a resistor plate 5, which is configured to be stacked with the wafer 7 and located between the wafer 7 and the current equalization device 10. Under the action of the resistor plate 5, the resistance between the anode (i.e., the plating metal 2) and the cathode (i.e., the wafer 7) in the electrochemical reaction can be increased to balance the current density in the edge region and the middle region of the wafer 7, which can also improve the plating uniformity of the wafer 7 to a certain extent. Of course, in this case, there is still a certain difference in the current density between the edge region and the middle region of the wafer 7. Therefore, the above embodiment can still be used to further utilize the ion distribution density to balance the plating uniformity of the edge region and the middle region of the wafer 7.
[0050] As described above, the drainage holes 1004 on the multiple drainage tubes 1001 are all oriented in the same direction. Specifically, the axial direction of the drainage holes 1004 on each drainage tube 1001 can be parallel to the axial direction of the support 3. In this case, each drainage hole 1004 can be oriented towards the bottom wall of the support 3, or each drainage hole 1004 can be oriented away from the bottom wall of the support 3. That is, each drainage hole 1004 is oriented towards the wafer 7 above the support 3.
[0051] To further improve the flow field uniformity of the electroplating solution pool in the second chamber 9, in another embodiment of this application, in any two adjacent drain pipes 1001, the plurality of drain holes 1004 on the first pipe are all located on the side of the first pipe facing the second pipe, and the plurality of drain holes 1004 on the second pipe are all located on the side of the second pipe away from the first pipe. That is, in this embodiment of the application, the axial direction of each drain hole 1004 is parallel to the tangent at the corresponding position on the circle where the drain hole 1004 is located. In other words, taking the axial direction of the support 3 as the up-down direction as an example, in this embodiment, the multiple drain holes 1004 on each drain pipe 1001 can be arranged on the left or right side of the drain pipe 1001. In this case, the electroplating solution discharged from the multiple drain holes 1004 on the multiple drain pipes 1001 can provide a driving force along the circumference of the support 3 for the electroplating solution pool in the second chamber 9, thereby enabling the electroplating solution in the second chamber 9 to rotate within the second chamber 9. This can further improve the uniformity of the flow field distribution in the second chamber 9. In addition, since the weight of metal cations is extremely small, the centrifugal force generated by the rotation of the electroplating solution in the second chamber 9 on the metal cations is also extremely weak and will not have much impact on the uniformity of the metal cation distribution.
[0052] In order to further improve the exchange efficiency between metal cations in the second chamber 9 and wafer 7, in a specific embodiment of this application, the clamping component 6 can also drive wafer 7 to rotate, and at the same time, the rotation direction of wafer 7 is opposite to the rotation direction of electroplating solution in the second chamber 9.
[0053] In detail, the clamping assembly 6 can be used to drive the wafer 7 to rotate in the aforementioned rotation direction. By designing the positions of the multiple drain holes 1004 on each drain pipe 1001, the initial movement direction of the electroplating solution discharged through each drain hole 1004 of any drain pipe 1001 can be the second linear direction, and the tangential direction of the rotation direction is opposite to the second linear direction. In this case, the electroplating solution discharged from the drain holes 1004 causes the rotation direction of the electroplating solution pool in the second chamber 9 to be opposite to the rotation direction of the wafer 7. That is, in this embodiment, the drain holes 1004 on each drain pipe 1001 face the rotation direction of the wafer 7.
[0054] To further improve the uniformity of the electroplating solution in the second chamber 9, the semiconductor process equipment disclosed in this application further includes a stirrer 11, which is disposed on the side of the flow equalizer 10 away from the bottom wall of the support 3, i.e., the stirrer 11 is located above the flow equalizer 10. The stirrer 11 includes a rotating base 1103 and multiple blades 1102. The rotating base 1103 is rotatably mounted at the center of the support 3, allowing the entire stirrer 11 to rotate relative to the flow equalizer 10 (and the support 3) to further improve the uniformity of the electroplating solution in the second chamber 9 through further stirring.
[0055] More specifically, multiple blades 1102 are distributed circumferentially along the support 3, and one end of each blade 1102 is fixedly connected to the rotating base 1103, so that the multiple blades 1102 can be formed into a single structure through the rotating base 1103. In addition, in order to reduce the difficulty of driving the entire stirring component 11, the multiple blades 1102 can be evenly and spaced apart in the circumferential direction of the support 3, so that each blade 1102 can be driven by the electroplating solution in the corresponding area.
[0056] Meanwhile, by designing parameters such as the liquid level of the electroplating solution in the second chamber 9 and the axial installation position of the agitator 11 on the support 3, the electroplating solution in the second chamber 9 is designed so that, at least after reaching the highest liquid level, the lower edge of each blade 1102 near the flow equalizer 10 can be immersed in the electroplating solution in the second chamber 9. Thus, when the electroplating solution is delivered to the second chamber 9 through multiple drain pipes 1001, the electroplating solution output from each drain hole 1004 can provide driving force for the blades 1102, eliminating the need for a separate drive mechanism and achieving unpowered rotation. Correspondingly, after the multiple blades 1102 (i.e., the entire agitator 11) rotate relative to the flow equalizer 10, each blade 1102 continues to provide resistance to the rotational flow of the electroplating solution in the second chamber 9, thereby providing a stirring effect and further improving the uniformity of the electroplating solution in the second chamber 9.
[0057] In detail, the extension direction of each blade 1102 can point towards the center of the support 3, or it can be slightly deflected relative to the center of the support 3. In a specific embodiment of this application, the extension direction of each blade 1102 can point towards the center of the support 3. That is, when the support 3 has a circular structure, the extension direction of the blade 1102 can also be the radial direction of the support 3, so that multiple blades 1102 are radially distributed from the center of the support 3. In addition, in the above embodiment, in order to increase the area of the ion membrane 4, the bottom wall of the support 3 can be made into a conical structure. This can also prevent the bubbles in the first chamber 8 from remaining at the bottom of the ion membrane 4 and having an adverse effect on the ion concentration field. In this case, the blades 1102 can be similar to the drainage tube 1001, both extending along the direction of the bottom wall of the support 3. That is, the extension direction of the blades 1102 is not perpendicular to the axial direction of the support 3, and the extension direction of each blade 1102 is parallel to the extension direction of the area corresponding to the blade 1102 in the bottom wall of the support 3.
[0058] Specifically, one end of each blade 1102 can be connected to the rotating seat 1103 by welding, and the number of blades 1102 can be determined according to actual needs. When the driving force of the fluid is sufficient, the number of blades 1102 can be relatively large. Furthermore, in order to improve the overall structural stability of the agitator 11, in a specific embodiment of this application, the agitator 11 may also include a bridging ring 1101, which is arranged around the outside of the rotating seat 1103 and the multiple blades 1102. By fixing the section of each blade 1102 away from the rotating seat 1103 to the bridging ring 1101, the anti-shaking ability of each blade 1102 in the electroplating solution is relatively stronger, thereby further improving the agitation effect of the agitator 11.
[0059] Of course, in order to prevent contamination of the electroplating solution in the second chamber 9, both the flow equalizer 10 and the agitator 11 can be made of corrosion-resistant resin materials. For example, the flow equalizer 10 and the agitator 11 can be made of materials such as polyethylene terephthalate, polycarbonate, polyvinylidene fluoride or polypropylene.
[0060] Alternatively, a support shaft 13 can be provided at the bottom of the bracket 3, and the rotating seat 1103 can be sleeved outside the support shaft 13, so that the rotating seat 1103 can form a rotational engagement relationship with the bracket 3. In another embodiment of this application, the semiconductor process equipment can also include a bearing 12, and the rotating seat 1103 can be rotatably connected to the bracket 3 through the bearing 12. More specifically, the bearing 12 can be installed outside the support shaft 13, and the rotating seat 1103 can be sleeved outside the bearing 12. Under the action of the bearing 12, the rotational friction between the rotating seat 1103 and the support shaft 13 is reduced, thereby reducing the difficulty of rotating the stirring element 11. Similarly, the bearing 12 can also be made of a corrosion-resistant material that will not contaminate the electroplating solution. In a specific embodiment of this application, the bearing 12 can be made of resin or ceramic with self-lubricating ability to further reduce the difficulty of rotating the rotating seat 1103.
[0061] As described above, the lower edge of each blade 1102 can be immersed in the electroplating solution in the second chamber 9. Typically, the blade 1102 is a plate-shaped or sheet-shaped structure, and the plane of the liquid-facing surface of the blade 1102 facing the flow direction of the electroplating solution in the second chamber 9 is parallel to the axis of the support 3. In this case, the blocking effect of the blade 1102 on the electroplating solution is relatively strong.
[0062] Based on the above, in order to ensure that the blades 1102 can still provide a better blocking effect for the electroplating solution, so as to further improve the uniformity of the electroplating solution in the second chamber 9, while reducing the blocking effect of the blades 1102 on the electroplating solution to a certain extent, in some embodiments, the liquid-facing surface of each blade 1102 can be set to be inclined away from the bottom wall of the support 3. That is, in this embodiment, the plane on which the liquid-facing surface of each blade 1102 is located is neither parallel to nor perpendicular to the axial direction of the support 3, but is inclined relative to the axial direction of the support 3. At the same time, the liquid-facing surface is away from the bottom wall of the support 3, so that the liquid-facing surface can provide a blocking effect for the electroplating liquid flowing in the second chamber 9, while making the rotation of the blade 1102 relatively easier. In addition, the liquid-facing surface can also provide a guiding effect for the electroplating liquid flowing in the second chamber 9, making it easier for the electroplating liquid to be sent to the surface of the wafer 7 disposed above the flow equalizer 10 and the agitator 11, so as to further improve the exchange efficiency between ions and the wafer 7, thereby improving the electroplating efficiency.
[0063] Of course, the angle between the plane containing the liquid-facing surface and the straight line containing the axis of the support 3 can be selected according to the actual situation. In a specific embodiment of this application, the aforementioned angle can be 10-40°. In this case, each blade 1102 can achieve both uniform blocking effect and guiding liquid delivery effect on the electroplating solution.
[0064] As described above, at least the lower edge of each blade 1102 can be immersed below the surface of the electroplating solution in the second chamber 9, so that the blade 1102 can be driven by the electroplating solution. In some embodiments, the lower edge of each blade 1102 is a continuous straight line structure. In order to further improve the cutting effect of the blade 1102 on the electroplating solution in the second chamber 9, and to further improve the uniformity of the electroplating solution being stirred, in another embodiment of this application, each blade 1102 may also be provided with a cutting notch 1104, and the cutting notch 1104 extends from the lower edge of the blade 1102 to the upper edge of the blade 1102. In this case, the cutting density of the blade 1102 on the electroplating solution can be increased, thereby improving the effect of stirring and dispersing the electroplating solution.
[0065] It should be noted that, compared to the size of the blade 1102 in its own extension direction, the size of the cutting notch 1104 in the extension direction of the blade 1102 is relatively small. In addition, the size of the cutting notch 1104 in the direction from the lower edge to the upper edge of the blade 1102 is also smaller than the size of the blade 1102 in the corresponding direction. Therefore, even with the cutting notch 1104 on the blade 1102, it will not have a significant adverse effect on the rotation of the blade 1102 driven by the electroplating solution.
[0066] Of course, during the formation of the cutting notch 1104, the cutting notch 1104 can be made to avoid the corresponding position of the drain hole 1004 on the drainage pipe 1001 as much as possible, so as to prevent the setting of the cutting notch 1104 from reducing the driving efficiency of the blade 1102. That is, in the embodiment of this application, in the extension direction of the blade 1102, the cutting notch 1104 and the corresponding drain hole 1004 on the drainage pipe 1001 can be misaligned. The drainage pipe 1001 corresponding to the blade 1102 can be any drainage pipe 1001 that is rotated to be parallel to the extension direction of the blade 1102 and located below the blade 1102. In this case, the extension direction of the drainage pipe 1001 is coplanar with the extension direction of the blade 1102, and the two are arranged parallel or substantially parallel. Thus, by making the cutting notch 1104 and the drain hole 1004 misaligned, the setting of the cutting notch 1104 is prevented from hindering the normal driving of the blade 1102.
[0067] More specifically, the cutting notch 1104 can be a rectangular structure, or it can be a semi-circular structure; this is not limited to either. Furthermore, each blade 1102 can have multiple cutting notches 1104, which are spaced apart along the extension direction of the blade 1102. These multiple cutting notches 1104 are staggered with the multiple drainage holes 1004 on the corresponding drainage pipe 1001. Under the action of these multiple cutting notches 1104, the cutting density of the blade 1102 on the electroplating solution is relatively greater, thereby further enhancing the disturbance effect of the blade 1102 on the electroplating solution and making the ion uniformity in the electroplating solution relatively higher.
[0068] It should be noted that, in this document, the terms "comprising," "including," or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not expressly listed, or elements inherent to such a process, method, article, or apparatus. Without further limitations, an element defined by the phrase "comprising one..." does not exclude the presence of other identical elements in the process, method, article, or apparatus that includes that element. Furthermore, it should be noted that the scope of the methods and apparatuses in the embodiments of this application is not limited to performing functions in the order shown or discussed, but may also include performing functions substantially simultaneously or in the reverse order, depending on the functions involved. For example, the described methods may be performed in a different order than described, and various steps may be added, omitted, or combined. Additionally, features described with reference to certain examples may be combined in other examples.
[0069] 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 semiconductor process apparatus, characterized in that, It includes a process chamber (1), a support (3), an ion exchange membrane (4), and a flow equalizer (10), wherein, The support (3) is installed in the process chamber (1). The bottom wall of the support (3) is provided with multiple through holes (303). The ion membrane (4) is attached to the bottom wall of the support (3). The process chamber is divided into a first chamber (8) and a second chamber (9) by the ion membrane (4). The side wall of the support (3) is provided with multiple liquid inlet holes (302). The multiple liquid inlet holes (302) are distributed at intervals along the circumference of the support (3). Each liquid inlet hole (302) is connected to the second chamber (9). The flow equalizer (10) is disposed in the second chamber (9), and the flow equalizer (10) includes a plurality of drainage tubes (1001) distributed circumferentially along the support (3). Each drainage tube (1001) points to the center of the support (3). The plurality of drainage tubes (1001) are fixedly connected to the support (3), and one end of each of the plurality of drainage tubes (1001) is connected to the plurality of liquid inlet holes (302) in a one-to-one correspondence. Each of the drainage tubes (1001) is provided with a plurality of drainage holes (1004) regularly distributed along the extension direction of the drainage tube (1001), and the plurality of drainage holes (1004) on each of the drainage tubes (1001) are oriented in the same way, so that the ions in the second chamber (9) are evenly distributed.
2. The semiconductor process equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, Includes a clamping assembly (6) for clamping a wafer (7), and the clamping assembly (6) is electrically connected to the outer edge of the wafer (7); In a first straight line direction from the side wall of the support (3) to the center of the support (3), the drainage characteristics of the drain hole (1004) on each of the drain tubes (1001) are configured such that the flow rate of the electroplating solution discharged from the drain hole (1004) increases.
3. The semiconductor process equipment according to claim 2, characterized in that, The spacing between any two adjacent drain holes (1004) on each of the drainage tubes (1001) is equal, and in the first straight direction, the drain cross-sectional area of the plurality of drain holes (1004) on each of the drainage tubes (1001) gradually increases.
4. The semiconductor process equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, In any two adjacent drainage tubes (1001), the plurality of drainage holes (1004) on the first tube are located on the side of the first tube facing the second tube, and the plurality of drainage holes (1004) on the second tube are located on the side of the second tube away from the first tube.
5. The semiconductor process equipment according to claim 4, characterized in that, Includes a clamping assembly (6) for clamping a wafer (7) and for driving the wafer (7) to rotate in a rotational direction. The initial movement direction of the electroplating solution discharged through each of the drain holes (1004) of any of the drain pipes (1001) is a second linear direction, and the tangential direction of the rotational direction is opposite to the second linear direction.
6. The semiconductor process equipment according to claim 4, characterized in that, It also includes a stirring component (11), which is disposed on the side of the flow equalizer (10) away from the bottom wall of the support (3). The stirring component (11) includes a rotating seat (1103) and multiple blades (1102). The rotating seat (1103) is rotatably mounted at the center of the support (3). The multiple blades (1102) are distributed along the circumference of the support (3). One end of each of the multiple blades (1102) is fixedly connected to the rotating seat (1103). Each blade (1102) near the lower edge of the flow equalizer (10) can be immersed in the electroplating solution in the second chamber (9).
7. The semiconductor process equipment according to claim 6, characterized in that, The liquid-facing surface of each blade (1102) is configured to be inclined away from the bottom wall of the support (3).
8. The semiconductor process equipment according to claim 6, characterized in that, Each of the blades (1102) is provided with a cutting notch (1104), which extends from the lower edge of the blade (1102) to the upper edge of the blade (1102), and in the extending direction of the blade (1102), the cutting notch (1104) is misaligned with the drain hole (1004) on the corresponding drainage pipe (1001).
9. The semiconductor process equipment according to claim 6, characterized in that, It also includes a bridging ring (1101), which is arranged around the outside of the rotating seat (1103) and the plurality of blades (1102), and the end of each blade (1102) facing away from the rotating seat (1103) is fixedly connected to the bridging ring (1101).
10. The semiconductor process equipment according to claim 6, characterized in that, It also includes a bearing (12), and the rotating seat (1103) is rotatably connected to the flow equalizer (10) through the bearing (12).
11. The semiconductor process equipment according to claim 6, characterized in that, The bottom wall of the support (3) is a conical structure and protrudes towards the side where the first chamber (8) is located. The extension direction of each drainage tube (1001) is parallel to the extension direction of the area corresponding to the drainage tube (1001) in the bottom wall of the support (3). The extension direction of each blade (1102) is parallel to the extension direction of the area corresponding to the blade (1102) in the bottom wall of the support (3).
12. The semiconductor process equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, The flow equalization component (10) further includes a base (1003) and a support ring (1002). The end of each of the drainage pipes (1001) away from the side wall of the bracket (3) is fixedly connected to the base (1003). The base (1003) is supported on the bottom of the bracket (3). The support ring (1002) is arranged around the base (1003). The middle part of each of the drainage pipes (1001) is supported and fixed to the support ring (1002).
13. The semiconductor process equipment according to claim 12, characterized in that, The support ring (1002) is provided with multiple limiting notches, and in the axial direction of the bracket (3), multiple drainage tubes (1001) are embedded in the multiple limiting notches one by one, and in the circumferential direction of the bracket (3), the support ring (1002) is limited and matched with the multiple drainage tubes (1001) through the limiting notches.