Process inflow system having abnormality monitoring, and monitoring method and process device

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to the technical field of semiconductor processing. Provided are a process inflow system having abnormality monitoring, and a monitoring method and a process device. The system comprises first and second pipe units, a control unit and a monitoring unit, wherein each of a first pipe and a second pipe is provided with a pipe valve, a mass flow controller and a flow monitor. The process inflow system executes inflow in a preset process flow. The monitoring unit determines an inflow abnormality in a nucleation process step and a bulk deposition step on the basis of the analysis for timing distributions and fluctuation amplitudes of flow signals of the mass flow controller and the flow monitor. Therefore, the timely monitoring for abnormal conditions is realized, thereby improving the process reliability and product yield.

Description

Process inflow system, monitoring methods and process equipment with anomaly monitoring Cross-referencing

[0001] This application claims priority to Chinese application No. 202510481846.X, filed on April 17, 2025. The contents of the aforementioned application are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0002] This disclosure relates to the field of semiconductor processing technology, and in particular to process flow systems, monitoring methods and process equipment with anomaly monitoring. Background Technology

[0003] In semiconductor fabrication, pulse nucleation is required to deposit and fill small-sized, high aspect ratio vias (e.g., CD < 0.2 μm, aspect ratio > 7:1). Pulse nucleation significantly improves the via-filling capability of tungsten film deposition, and many advanced chip manufacturing processes utilize pulse nucleation tungsten via filling.

[0004] The pulse nucleation process requires frequent valve switching. If any valve malfunctions, it can lead to process errors. Current semiconductor equipment lacks mechanisms to monitor equipment failures and the pulse flow of reaction fluids, often resulting in problems only being discovered after a large number of wafers have been scrapped. The liquefaction of tungsten-containing gas can also cause abnormal process results.

[0005] Therefore, finding a solution to monitor whether the pulse nucleation process is abnormal has become a technical problem that the industry urgently needs to solve. Summary of the Invention

[0006] In view of the shortcomings of the prior art described above, the purpose of this disclosure is to provide a process inflow system, monitoring method and process equipment with anomaly monitoring, to solve the problems in the related art.

[0007] The first aspect of this disclosure provides a process feed system with anomaly monitoring, comprising:

[0008] The first pipeline unit includes a first pipeline for supplying a first reducing fluid to the reaction chamber; the first pipeline is sequentially provided with a first mass flow controller, a first pipeline valve and a first flow monitor from the input end to the output end.

[0009] The second pipeline unit includes a deposition reaction fluid for supplying a deposition reaction fluid to the reaction chamber to react with the first reducing fluid to form a thin film deposition; the second pipeline is sequentially provided with a second mass flow controller, a second pipeline valve and a second flow monitor from the input end to the output end.

[0010] A control unit is used to control the inflow in a preset process flow, the preset process flow including a deposition process, the deposition process including a nucleation process step executed cyclically, in each nucleation process step, the first pipeline unit and the second pipeline unit alternately execute a pulsed inflow action of the first reducing fluid and the deposition reaction fluid into the reaction chamber;

[0011] The monitoring unit, communicatively connected to the first mass flow controller, the first flow monitor, the second mass flow controller, and the second flow monitor, is used to perform the following monitoring methods: Based on the obtained flow signals, the following monitoring methods are performed:

[0012] In the cyclically executed nucleation process, the first flow characteristic curve waveform and the second flow characteristic curve waveform, which are consistent with the flow change characteristics of the pulsed inflow action, are identified from the flow signals of the actual flow sensed by the first mass flow controller and the second mass flow controller, respectively; and the presence of an inflow anomaly is determined based on the time distribution of the first flow characteristic curve waveform and the second flow characteristic curve waveform.

[0013] In the cyclically executed nucleation process step, the first flow pulse corresponding to the pulsed inflow action of the first reducing fluid and the second flow pulse corresponding to the pulsed inflow action of the first reducing fluid are identified from the flow signals of the inflow into the reaction chamber monitored by the first flow monitor and the second flow monitor. The presence of an inflow abnormality is determined based on the temporal distribution of the first flow pulse and the second flow pulse.

[0014] In the deposition process, the presence of an inflow anomaly is determined based on the stability of the fluctuation amplitude of the flow signal obtained from at least one of the mass flow controller and flow monitor in the pipeline where the inflow fluid is located.

[0015] In an embodiment of the first aspect, the first pipeline unit includes a first output trunk line connected to the output end of the first pipeline and a third pipeline; the second pipeline unit includes a second output trunk line connected to the output end of the second pipeline and a fourth pipeline; the first output trunk line and the second output trunk line are connected to the inlet of the reaction chamber; the input end of the first pipeline and the input end of the second pipeline are respectively supplied with a first reducing fluid and a deposition reaction fluid for the reaction; the first pipeline is provided with a first mass flow controller, a first pipeline valve and a first flow monitor in sequence from the input end to the output end; the second pipeline is provided with a second mass flow controller, a second pipeline valve and a second flow monitor in sequence from the input end to the output end; the input end of the third pipeline is connected between the first mass flow controller and the first pipeline valve and is provided with a third pipeline valve; the input end of the fourth pipeline is connected between the second mass flow controller and the second pipeline valve and is provided with a fourth pipeline valve.

[0016] In an embodiment of the first aspect, the pulsed inflow action of the first reducing fluid includes: controlling the third pipeline valve to open and the first pipeline valve to close so that the first pipeline is in a pre-flow state; controlling the third pipeline valve and the first pipeline valve to close so that the first pipeline is in a pressurized state; keeping the first output main line open and controlling the first pipeline valve to open to perform pulsed output of the first reducing fluid; sequentially controlling the closing of the first pipeline valve and the opening of the third pipeline for purging and preparation for the next pulsed output; the pulsed inflow action of the deposition reaction fluid includes: controlling the fourth pipeline valve to open and the second pipeline valve to close so that the second pipeline is in a pre-flow state; controlling the fourth pipeline valve and the second pipeline valve to close so that the second pipeline is in a pressurized state; keeping the second output main line open and controlling the second pipeline valve to open to perform pulsed output of the deposition reaction fluid; sequentially controlling the closing of the second pipeline valve and the opening of the fourth pipeline for purging and preparation for the next pulsed output.

[0017] In an embodiment of the first aspect, during the pulsed flow inlet action, the first pipeline and the second pipeline sequentially switch between a pre-flow state, a pressurization state, a pulse output state, and a pre-flow state, and the flow rate change characteristics are determined based on the state switching.

[0018] In an embodiment of the first aspect, identifying the first flow characteristic curve waveform and the second flow characteristic curve waveform that correspond to the flow change characteristics of the pulsed inflow action includes: identifying at least one of the first flow characteristic curve waveform and the second flow characteristic curve waveform that correspond to the flow change trend characteristics and flow fluctuation amplitude characteristics of the pulsed inflow action; determining whether an inflow anomaly exists based on the temporal distribution of the first flow characteristic curve waveform and the second flow characteristic curve waveform includes: determining whether a first event that does not occur alternately between the first flow characteristic curve waveform and the second flow characteristic curve waveform occurs, or whether the statistical information of the occurrence of the first event meets preset conditions; wherein, the statistical information includes one or more of the following: number of occurrences, frequency, duration of duration, and growth trend; if so, it is determined that an inflow anomaly exists.

[0019] In an embodiment of the first aspect, determining whether an inflow anomaly exists based on the temporal distribution of the first flow pulse and the second flow pulse includes: determining whether a second event occurs between the first flow pulse and the second flow pulse without alternation, or whether the statistical information of the occurrence of the second event meets preset conditions; wherein the statistical information includes one or more of the following: number of occurrences, frequency, duration of duration, and growth trend; if so, it is determined that an inflow anomaly exists.

[0020] In an embodiment of the first aspect, determining whether there is an inflow anomaly of the corresponding fluid based on the stability of the fluctuation amplitude of the flow signal obtained from at least one of the mass flow controller and flow monitor in the pipeline where the inflow fluid is located includes: determining whether the fluctuation amplitude of the flow signal within a preset time period exceeds a preset fluctuation range for a third event, or whether the statistical information of the third event meets preset conditions; if so, then determining that there is an inflow anomaly of the corresponding fluid.

[0021] In an embodiment of the first aspect, the first mass flow controller maintains gas discharge until the pulse output is completed during the pulsed inflow action of the first reducing fluid, and stops gas discharge after the pulse output of the first reducing fluid is completed, until the pulse output of the deposition reaction fluid is completed and gas discharge is resumed; the second mass flow controller is configured to have the opposite gas discharge state to that of the first mass flow controller.

[0022] In an embodiment of the first aspect, the first pipeline unit further includes: at least one first auxiliary pipeline, the output end of which is connected to the first output main line via a converging connection with the output end of the first pipeline; the second pipeline unit further includes: at least one second auxiliary pipeline, the output end of which is connected to the second output main line via a converging connection with the output end of the second pipeline; each of the first auxiliary pipeline and the second auxiliary pipeline is respectively provided with a first auxiliary pipeline valve and a second auxiliary pipeline valve; the input ends of at least one first auxiliary pipeline and at least one second auxiliary pipeline are used to input other fluids; wherein, other fluids that will undergo an undesirable reaction with the deposition reaction fluid and do not react with the first reducing fluid are transported through the first auxiliary pipeline, and other fluids that will undergo an undesirable reaction with the first reducing fluid and do not react with the deposition reaction fluid are transported through the second auxiliary pipeline.

[0023] In an embodiment of the first aspect, the first pipeline unit further includes: a first auxiliary pipeline for supplying a second reducing fluid to the reaction chamber; the first auxiliary pipeline is sequentially provided with a third mass flow controller and a first auxiliary pipeline valve from the input end to the output end; the monitoring unit is also communicatively connected to the third mass flow controller for determining, in the main deposition step after the nucleation process step, whether there is an abnormality in the inflow of the second reducing fluid based on the fluctuation amplitude of the flow signal sensed by the third mass flow controller.

[0024] A second aspect of this disclosure provides a process inflow monitoring method, applied to the process inflow system described in any one of the first aspects. The process inflow monitoring method includes: acquiring flow signals of actual flow sensed by a first mass flow controller and a second mass flow controller, and acquiring flow signals of inflow into the reaction chamber monitored by a first flow monitor and a second flow monitor; and performing the following monitoring method based on the acquired flow signals: In a cyclically executed nucleation process step, identifying a first flow characteristic curve waveform and a second flow characteristic curve waveform from the flow signals of the actual flow sensed by the first mass flow controller and the second mass flow controller, respectively, that correspond to the flow change characteristics of a pulsed inflow action. The waveform of the first flow characteristic curve is measured; the presence of an inflow anomaly is determined based on the temporal distribution of the waveforms of the first and second flow characteristic curves; in the cyclically executed nucleation process step, the first flow pulse corresponding to the pulsed inflow action of the first reducing fluid and the second flow pulse corresponding to the pulsed inflow action of the first reducing fluid are identified from the flow signals of the inflow into the reaction chamber monitored by the first and second flow monitors, and the presence of an inflow anomaly is determined based on the temporal distribution of the first and second flow pulses; in the deposition process, the presence of an inflow anomaly of the corresponding fluid is determined based on the stability of the fluctuation amplitude of the flow signal obtained by at least one of the mass flow controllers and flow monitors in the pipeline where the inflowing fluid is located.

[0025] A third aspect of this disclosure provides a semiconductor process apparatus, comprising: a reaction chamber; and a process feed system with anomaly monitoring as described in any one aspect of the first aspect.

[0026] As described above, this disclosure relates to the field of semiconductor processing technology, providing a process infeed system, monitoring method, and process equipment with anomaly monitoring. The system includes first and second pipeline units, a control unit, and a monitoring unit. The first and second pipelines are respectively equipped with pipeline valves, mass flow controllers, and flow monitors. The process infeed system executes the infeed in a preset process flow. The monitoring unit determines infeed anomalies in the nucleation process step and the main deposition step based on the temporal distribution and fluctuation amplitude analysis of the flow signals from the mass flow controller and flow monitor. This enables timely monitoring of anomalies, improving process reliability and product yield. Attached Figure Description

[0027] Figure 1 shows a schematic diagram of the piping system of the process inlet system in one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0028] Figure 2 shows a schematic diagram of the piping system in the process inlet system according to another embodiment of this disclosure.

[0029] Figure 3 shows a schematic diagram of the structure of a semiconductor process apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0030] Figure 4 shows a flowchart of the preset process flow applied to the process inflow system in one embodiment of this disclosure.

[0031] Figure 5 shows a schematic diagram of the electrical connection structure of the control system in one embodiment of this disclosure.

[0032] Figure 6 shows a schematic flowchart of a process flow control method in one embodiment of this disclosure.

[0033] Figure 7 shows a timing diagram of the control unit performing the nucleation process steps in one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0034] Figure 8 shows a timing diagram of the control unit performing the nucleation process steps in another embodiment of this disclosure.

[0035] Figure 9 shows a graph of the flow signal sensed by the second mass flow controller in one embodiment of this disclosure.

[0036] Figure 10 shows a schematic diagram of the principle of judging inflow anomalies based on flow pulses in the flow signals monitored by the first and second flow monitors in one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0037] Figure 11 shows a schematic flowchart of a process flow monitoring method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0038] Figure 12 shows a schematic diagram of the process flow monitoring device in one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0039] Figure 13 shows a schematic diagram of the structure of a computer device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0040] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures

[0041] 101. Piping system; 102. Control unit; 103. Reaction chamber; 104. Discharge pipe; 105. Platform; 106. Inlet section; 107. Spray head; 108. Exhaust valve; 1021. Monitoring unit; 110. First piping unit; 120. Second piping unit; 111. First piping; 112. First output main line; 113. Third piping; 114. First auxiliary piping; 121. Second piping; 122. Second output main line; 123. Fourth piping; 124. Second auxiliary piping; 1111. First piping valve; 1112. First mass flow controller; 1113. First control valve; 1114. First flow monitor; 1121. First main line valve; 1131 1141. Third pipeline valve; 1142. First auxiliary pipeline valve; 1143. Third mass flow controller; 1144. Third control valve; 1211. Second pipeline valve; 1212. Second mass flow controller; 1213. Second control valve; 1214. Second flow monitor; 1221. Second main pipeline valve; 1231. Fourth pipeline valve; 1241. Second auxiliary pipeline valve; 1242. Fourth mass flow controller; 1243. Fourth control valve; 1200. Process inlet monitoring device; 1201. Flow signal analysis module; 1202. Anomaly monitoring module; 1300. Computer device; 1301. Bus; 1302. Processor; 1303. Memory; 1304. Communicator. Detailed Implementation

[0042] The following specific examples illustrate the implementation of this disclosure. Those skilled in the art can easily understand other advantages and effects of this disclosure from the information disclosed herein. This disclosure can also be implemented or applied through other different specific embodiments, and various details in this disclosure can be modified or changed according to different viewpoints and application modules without departing from the spirit of this disclosure. It should be noted that, unless otherwise specified, the embodiments and features in the embodiments of this disclosure can be combined with each other.

[0043] The embodiments of this disclosure will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, so that those skilled in the art to which this disclosure pertains can readily implement it. This disclosure may be embodied in many different forms and is not limited to the embodiments described herein.

[0044] In this disclosure, references to terms such as "one embodiment," "some embodiments," "example," "specific example," or "some examples," etc., indicate that a specific feature, structure, material, or characteristic represented in connection with that embodiment or example is included in at least one embodiment or example of this disclosure. Furthermore, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics represented may be combined in any suitable manner in any one or at least one embodiment or example. Moreover, without contradiction, those skilled in the art can combine and integrate the different embodiments or examples represented in this disclosure, as well as the features of those different embodiments or examples.

[0045] Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used for illustrative purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Thus, a feature defined with "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of those features.

[0046] For the purpose of clarity, devices unrelated to the description are omitted, and the same or similar components throughout the specification are given the same reference numerals.

[0047] Throughout this specification, when it is said that a device is "connected" to another device, this includes not only "direct connection" but also "indirect connection" by placing other components in between. Furthermore, when it is said that a device "comprises" a certain constituent element, unless otherwise stated otherwise, this does not exclude other constituent elements, but rather implies that other constituent elements may be included.

[0048] Although the terms first, second, etc., are used in some examples herein to refer to various elements, these elements should not be limited by these terms. These terms are used only to distinguish one element from another. For example, first interface and second interface, etc., are used. Furthermore, as used herein, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context indicates otherwise. It should be further understood that the terms “comprising” or “including” indicate the presence of the stated feature, step, operation, element, module, item, or kind, but do not exclude the presence, occurrence, or addition of one or more other features, steps, operations, elements, modules, items, or kinds. Thus, “A, B, or C” means “any one of: A; B; C.” Exceptions to this definition occur only when the combination of elements, functions, steps, or operations is inherently mutually exclusive in some way.

[0049] The technical terms used herein are for reference only to specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the scope of this disclosure. The singular form used herein includes the plural form unless the statement explicitly indicates otherwise. The word "comprising" as used in this specification means to specify a particular characteristic, region, integer, step, operation, element, and / or component, and does not exclude the presence or addition of other characteristics, regions, integers, steps, operations, elements, and / or components.

[0050] Although not explicitly defined, all terms, including technical and scientific terms used herein, shall have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure pertains. Terms defined in commonly used dictionaries shall be further interpreted as having a meaning consistent with the relevant technical literature and the message of the present disclosure, and shall not be over-interpreted as having an ideal or overly formulaic meaning unless otherwise defined.

[0051] Pulsed nucleation layer (PNL) is a pretreatment technique used before tungsten deposition, primarily applied in the tungsten plug process in semiconductor manufacturing. PNL technology forms a uniform tungsten nucleation layer by alternately introducing fluids such as tungsten hexafluoride (WF6) and silane (SiH4) into the contact hole. This method effectively avoids "gap" defects within the hole, improving the quality and reliability of tungsten deposition.

[0052] However, due to the need to alternately control the pulsed inflow of the two reactive fluids, frequent valve switching is required during pulsed nucleation. Any malfunction in any valve can lead to abnormal process results. Furthermore, liquefaction of the reactive fluids can also cause abnormal process results. Currently, due to the lack of monitoring mechanisms, problems are often only discovered after a large number of wafers have been scrapped. Therefore, how to achieve accurate monitoring of pulsed inflow anomalies has become a pressing technical problem for the industry.

[0053] In view of this, the present disclosure provides a process inflow system, monitoring method and process equipment with anomaly monitoring, which detects anomalies by providing flow monitoring in the pipeline system and analyzing the flow signal, thereby solving the problems in the related technology.

[0054] Figure 1 shows a schematic diagram of the piping system of the process inlet system in one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0055] Figure 1 shows that the piping system 101 includes a first piping unit 110 and a second piping unit 120.

[0056] The first pipeline unit 110 includes a first pipeline 111 and a first output trunk 112 connected to the output end of the first pipeline 111. The input end of the first pipeline 111 receives a first reducing fluid. The output end of the first pipeline 111 is connected to one end of the first output trunk 112. The other end of the first output trunk 112 is connected to the inlet of the reaction chamber 103 of the process equipment. As an example, the process equipment can be a semiconductor process equipment, such as a plasma processing device, whose reaction chamber 103 can be used to ionize the input reaction fluid into plasma for semiconductor surface reaction processing, such as deposition or etching. From the input end to the output end, the first pipeline 111 is sequentially equipped with a first mass flow controller 1112, a first pipeline valve 1111, and a first flow monitor 1114. The first mass flow controller 1112 controls the flow rate of the first reducing fluid in the first pipeline 111, and the first pipeline valve 1111 is used to switch the first pipeline 111 on or off from the first output trunk 112. Optionally, the first pipeline 111 may also be equipped with a first control valve 1113 located upstream of the first mass flow controller 1112. The opening degree of the first control valve 1113 determines the flow rate of the first reducing fluid supplied from the fluid source of the first reducing fluid to the first mass flow controller 1112. Optionally, the first pipeline unit 110 includes a third pipeline 113. The input end of the third pipeline 113 is connected between the first mass flow controller 1112 and the first pipeline valve 1111, and the other end can be connected to the discharge pipeline 104 (such as connecting to a vacuum pump). The third pipeline 113 is equipped with a third pipeline valve 1131 for controlling the conduction, disconnection, and opening degree of the third pipeline 113.

[0057] The second piping unit 120 includes a second pipe 121 and a second output trunk 122 connected to the output end of the second pipe 121. The input end of the second pipe 121 receives the deposition reaction fluid, and the first reducing fluid and the deposition reaction fluid are alternately and pulse-wise introduced into the reaction chamber 103 for reaction within the reaction chamber 103. The output end of the second pipe 121 is connected to one end of the second output trunk 122. The other end of the second output trunk 122 is connected to the inlet of the reaction chamber 103 of the process equipment. From the input end to the output end, the second pipe 121 is sequentially equipped with a second mass flow controller 1212, a second pipe valve 1211, and a second flow monitor 1214. The second mass flow controller 1212 controls the flow rate of the deposition reaction fluid in the second pipe 121, and the second pipe valve 1211 is used to connect or disconnect the second pipe 121 from the second output trunk 122. Optionally, the second pipeline 121 may also be equipped with a second control valve 1213 located upstream of the second mass flow controller 1212. The opening degree of the second control valve 1213 determines the flow rate of the deposition reaction fluid supplied from the fluid source to the second mass flow controller 1212. Optionally, the second pipeline unit 120 includes a fourth pipeline 123. The input end of the fourth pipeline 123 is connected between the second mass flow controller 1212 and the second pipeline valve 1211, and the other end can be connected to a discharge pipeline 104, etc. The fourth pipeline 123 is provided with a fourth pipeline valve 1231 for controlling the conduction, disconnection, and opening degree of the fourth pipeline 123. In some embodiments, the output ends of the third pipeline 113 and the fourth pipeline 123 can be connected to the same discharge pipeline 104, for example, both can be connected to the discharge pipeline 104 of the reaction chamber 103 for discharging the reaction products.

[0058] In some embodiments, a first main valve 1121 for switching on and off may be provided in the first output main 112, and a second main valve 1221 for switching on and off may be provided in the second output main 122. As an example, the first main valve 1121 and the second main valve 1221 may be in an open state during the process steps, and the on / off state of their respective pipelines may be controlled by valves in the connected pipelines.

[0059] In some embodiments, the third pipeline 113 is used to set different states of the first pipeline 111, such as a pressurized state to prepare for the pulse output of the first reducing fluid, and a pre-flow state with a preset pressure before the pressurized state and after the pulse output. Specifically, when the first control valve 1113 in the first pipeline 111 is open to continuously supply the first reducing fluid, the third pipeline valve 1131 is opened to open the third pipeline 113, while the first pipeline valve 1111 is closed. This will cause the first reducing fluid continuously supplied in the first pipeline 111 to be output to the output end. After maintaining this for a certain period of time, the pressure in the first pipeline 111 will tend to stabilize and reach a stable preset pressure. Then, when the third pipeline valve 1131 is closed, the first reducing fluid in the first pipeline 111 increases but cannot be discharged, remaining in a "stressed" pressurized state. Subsequently, the first pipeline valve 1111 is opened and then closed within one pulse duration, while the first main line remains open (e.g., the first main line valve 1121 is open), forming a pulse output of the first reducing fluid into the reaction chamber 103. After the pulse output is completed, the first pipeline valve 1111 closes first, and the third pipeline valve 1131 opens subsequently (if the third pipeline valve 1131 opens first, it will cause backflow due to the reaction chamber 103 being connected to the exhaust pipeline via the third pipeline 113), restoring the preflow state. Optionally, the first pipeline 111 can be purged with purge fluid at this time. It should be noted that since the pressure in the discharge pipeline 104 may be lower than that in the reaction chamber 103, the first pipeline valve and the third pipeline valve 1131 will be interlocked in opposite open and closed states to avoid the adverse result of backflow of fluid from the reaction chamber 103 through the open first pipeline 111 to the open third pipeline 113 and the discharge pipeline 104.

[0060] Since the pressurization state starts from the preset pressure, the initial pressure remains stable at the beginning of pressurization. Therefore, the pressure reached during pressurization is controlled solely by the pressurization time and the flow rate of the first reducing fluid. Because the pressurization time and the flow rate of the first reducing fluid are controllable, the pressure reached during pressurization is also controllable. This allows for a stable and consistent pulse output of the first reducing fluid in each execution. Conversely, without the third pipeline 113, it is difficult to ensure the stability of the pressure at the start and at the end of each pressurization, resulting in significant differences in the pulse output between different executions, affecting process quality. Furthermore, without the third pipeline 113, there is no pre-flow state before directly entering the pressurization state. The first mass flow controller 1112 (MFC) can determine the output flow rate based on the pressure difference between the input and output terminals. If the MFC remains in a pressurization state for an extended period before pulse output, the pressure difference across the MFC will disappear, resulting in no first reducing fluid gas output from the MFC output terminal. This leads to unstable output or insufficient output during pulse output due to the lack of gas output from the MFC. Therefore, by setting up the third pipeline 113, the stability of the pulse output of the first reducing fluid can be effectively guaranteed.

[0061] Understandably, when the flow rate is stable under pressurization controlled by the first mass flow controller 1112, the flow rate of the pulse output is determined by the duration of the "holding" pulse. As an example, the pulse duration can be between a few tenths of a second and several seconds, such as between 0.1s and 2s. Selecting an appropriate pulse duration can achieve the desired pulse output.

[0062] In some embodiments, the fourth pipeline 123 is used to set different states of the second pipeline 121, such as a pressurized state to prepare for the pulse output of the deposition reaction fluid, and a pre-flow state with a preset pressure before the pressurized state and after the pulse output. Specifically, when the second control valve 1213 in the second pipeline 121 is open to continuously supply the deposition reaction fluid, the fourth pipeline valve 1231 is opened to open the fourth pipeline 123, while the second pipeline valve 1211 is closed. This will output the continuously supplied deposition reaction fluid in the second pipeline 121 to the output end. After maintaining this for a certain period of time, the pressure in the second pipeline 121 will tend to stabilize and reach a stable preset pressure. Then, when the fourth pipeline valve 1231 is closed, the deposition reaction fluid in the second pipeline 121 increases but cannot be discharged, remaining in a "stressed" pressurized state. Subsequently, the second pipeline valve 1211 is opened and then closed within one pulse duration, while the second main line remains open (e.g., the second main line valve 1221 is open), forming a pulse output of the deposition reaction fluid into the reaction chamber 103. After the pulse output is completed, the second pipeline valve 1211 closes first, and the fourth pipeline valve 1231 opens subsequently (if the fourth pipeline valve 1231 opens first, it will cause backflow into the reaction chamber 103 via the fourth pipeline 123, connecting to the exhaust pipeline), restoring the preflow state. Optionally, the second pipeline 121 can be purged with purge fluid at this time. It should be noted that since the pressure in the discharge pipeline 104 may be lower than that in the reaction chamber 103, the second pipeline valve and the fourth pipeline valve 1231 will be interlocked in opposite open and closed states to avoid the adverse result of backflow of fluid from the reaction chamber 103 through the open second pipeline 121 to the open fourth pipeline 123 and the discharge pipeline 104.

[0063] Since the pressurization state starts from the preset pressure, the initial pressure remains stable at the beginning of pressurization. Therefore, the pressure reached during pressurization is controlled solely by the pressurization time and the flow rate of the deposition reaction fluid. Because the pressurization time and the flow rate of the deposition reaction fluid are controllable, the pressure reached during pressurization is also controllable. This allows for stable and consistent pulse output of the deposition reaction fluid in each execution. Conversely, without the fourth pipeline 123, it is difficult to ensure the stability of the pressure at the start of pressurization and the pressure reached during pressurization, resulting in significant differences in pulse output between different executions, affecting process quality. Furthermore, without the fourth pipeline 123, there is no pre-flow state before directly entering the pressurization state. The second mass flow controller 1212 (MFC) can determine the output flow rate based on the pressure difference between the input and output terminals. If the MFC is in a pressurization state for a long time before pulse output, the pressure difference across the MFC will disappear, resulting in no deposition reaction fluid gas output from the MFC output terminal. This leads to unstable output or insufficient output during pulse output due to the lack of gas output from the MFC. Therefore, by setting up the fourth pipeline 123, the stability of the pulse output of the deposition reaction fluid can be effectively guaranteed.

[0064] Understandably, when the flow rate is stable during pressurization controlled by the second mass flow controller 1212, the flow rate of the pulse output is determined by the duration of the "holding" pulse. As an example, the pulse duration can be between a few tenths of a second and several seconds, such as between 0.1s and 2s. Selecting an appropriate pulse duration can achieve the desired pulse output.

[0065] In the specific process flow, in addition to the first reducing fluid and the deposition reaction fluid, other fluids may be added. These other fluids can be of various types. Referring to Figure 2, the first piping unit 110 also includes at least one first auxiliary pipe 114, whose output end is connected to the first output main line 112 via the output end of the first pipe 111. The second piping unit 120 includes at least one second auxiliary pipe 124, whose output end is connected to the second output main line 122 via the output end of the second pipe 121. Each of the first auxiliary pipe 114 and the second auxiliary pipe 124 is equipped with a first auxiliary pipe valve 1141 and a second auxiliary pipe valve 1241, respectively. Each auxiliary pipe is used to transport one other fluid.

[0066] The "fluid" can be exemplified as a gas. Taking pulsed nucleation tungsten as an example, the deposition reaction fluid includes a tungsten fluoride fluid as a precursor, such as tungsten hexafluoride (WF6). The first reducing fluid includes a gas for reducing tungsten, such as silane (SiH4), or silane can be replaced by other hydrogen-containing reducing agents, such as diborane (B2H6). The reaction between them is WF6 + SiH4 → W + SiF 4 + HF, thereby reducing and forming a tungsten nucleation layer. In some embodiments, other fluid types that can be added can be referenced in Figure 3. In this embodiment, other fluids are exemplary and may include a second reducing fluid for reducing tungsten, such as hydrogen (H2), transported in a first sub-pipe 114, WF6 + H2 → W + HF, which can be used to form bulk tungsten deposits after the tungsten nucleation layer. Additionally, in some embodiments, other fluids may also include a carrier fluid for the first reducing fluid, transported in another first sub-pipe 114, and a carrier fluid for the deposition reaction fluid (i.e., tungsten hexafluoride), transported in a second sub-pipe 124. Taking a gas as an example, the carrier fluid may be an inert gas, such as argon (Ar). In some embodiments, the other fluids may also include a cleaning fluid, such as NF3 gas, transported in another second sub-pipe 124, which can be used to react with tungsten to remove excess tungsten.

[0067] Furthermore, to avoid undesirable reactions between other fluids in the same sub-pipeline unit, fluids that react undesirably with the deposition reaction fluid but do not react with the first reducing fluid can be transported through the first sub-pipeline 114, and fluids that react undesirably with the first reducing fluid but do not react with the deposition reaction fluid can be transported through the second sub-pipeline 124. For example, if the first reducing fluid is SiH4, the deposition reaction fluid is WF6, and other fluids include H2 and NF3, if WF6 and H2 are in parallel pipelines, an undesirable in-line reaction may occur between WF6 and H2 when both pipelines are open. Similarly, if SiH4 and NF3 are in parallel pipelines, an undesirable in-line reaction may occur between SiH4 and NF3 when both pipelines are open. Therefore, when the first reducing fluid is transported through the first pipeline 111, H2, which does not react with it (containing the same H element), can be transported in the first sub-pipeline 114. Furthermore, when the deposition reaction fluid is transported through the second conduit 121, NF3 that does not react with it (containing the same F element) can be transported in a second auxiliary conduit 124.

[0068] In some embodiments, each first auxiliary pipeline 114 may be sequentially equipped with a third mass flow controller 1142 and a first auxiliary pipeline valve 1141 from the input end to the output end. Optionally, a third control valve 1143 may also be provided upstream of the third mass flow controller 1142. Each second auxiliary pipeline 124 may be sequentially equipped with a fourth mass flow controller 1242 and a second auxiliary pipeline valve 1241 from the input end to the output end. Optionally, a fourth control valve 1243 may also be provided upstream of the fourth mass flow controller 1242. During the process steps, the first auxiliary pipeline 114 and the second auxiliary pipeline 124 may be opened or closed according to process requirements.

[0069] Referring also to Figure 5, the process feed system further includes a control unit 102 and a monitoring unit 1021. The control unit 102 is communicatively connected to each controllable pipeline component (such as valves, mass flow controllers, etc.) in the pipeline system 101. The monitoring unit 1021 is communicatively connected to the first mass flow controller 1112, the second mass flow controller 1212, the first flow monitor 1114, and the second flow monitor 1214. The control unit is used to control the flow into the reaction chamber 103 in a preset process flow, which includes a deposition process. The deposition process includes a cyclically executed nucleation process step and a subsequent main deposition step. In the nucleation process step, the first pipeline unit and the second pipeline unit alternately perform pulsed flow actions of the first reducing fluid and the deposition reaction fluid into the reaction chamber. In the main deposition step, the second pipeline unit introduces the deposition reaction fluid into the reaction chamber for reaction with the second reducing fluid. For example, WF6 reacts with H2 to deposit most of the tungsten.

[0070] The monitoring unit 1021 is used to analyze whether there is an inflow anomaly based on the flow signals of the actual flow sensed by the first mass flow controller 1112 and the second mass flow controller 1212, and the flow signals of the inflow into the reaction chamber monitored by the first flow monitor 1114 and the second flow monitor 1214. Optionally, the control unit 102 can be coupled to the monitoring unit 1021. "Coupling" means that the control unit 102 and the monitoring unit 1021 can be different entities connected by communication, or they can be two integrated functional units. In some embodiments, the control unit 102 and the monitoring unit 1021 can be implemented based on one or more controllers connected by communication.

[0071] Figure 3 shows a schematic diagram of the structure of a semiconductor process apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0072] The semiconductor process equipment includes a reaction chamber 103 and the process flow system of any of the previous embodiments.

[0073] Specifically, a stage 105 for loading wafers, such as a hot stage or electrostatic chuck, can be provided at the bottom of the reaction chamber 103. An inlet 106 is formed at the top (or other location) of the reaction chamber 103 for inlet flow. Optionally, a spray head 107 facing the stage can be connected to the inlet for spraying the inlet flow. An exhaust port can be formed at the bottom of the reaction chamber 103 outside the stage, and the pipe is connected to an exhaust pipe 104. The exhaust pipe 104 can be connected to a vacuum pump for extracting the reaction products. An exhaust valve 108 can also be provided in the pipe from the exhaust port of the reaction chamber 103 to the exhaust pipe 104. It should be noted that, for structural simplification, some components are omitted, such as plasma ionization components for ionizing the fluid within the plasma reaction chamber 103, such as an induction coil for applying radio frequency voltage.

[0074] The first pipe 111 and the second pipe 121 in the first pipe unit 110 of the piping system 101 can be connected to the inlet 106 of the reaction chamber 103. In some embodiments, the inlet can be one or more inlets. In other embodiments, the inlet 106 can include a mixer for initially mixing the incoming first reducing fluid and the deposition reaction fluid before feeding them into the reaction chamber 103 to accelerate the reaction. The piping system 101 can be controlled to alternately pulse-feed the first reducing fluid and the deposition reaction fluid into the reaction chamber 103 to achieve a preset process flow, such as pulsed tungsten nucleation.

[0075] Figure 4 shows a flowchart of a preset process flow applied to the process inlet system in one embodiment of this disclosure. As an example, the preset process flow in this embodiment may be the filling of contact holes with tungsten.

[0076] The process in Figure 4 includes:

[0077] Step S401: Deposit a barrier or adhesive layer.

[0078] In some optional examples, in step S802, a Ti- or TiN-containing adhesive or barrier layer can be grown on the pretreated surface by PVD or CVD methods to prevent tungsten peeling and also to prevent WF6 from eroding the underlying silicon.

[0079] Step S402: Tungsten deposition.

[0080] Specifically, the process can begin with heating and soaking with SiH4 (Soak), which decomposes to form Si and H2. Then, tungsten nucleation (Nuc, a cyclically executed nucleation process step) is performed, with SiH4 and WF6 alternately pulsed in each step to form a tungsten nucleation layer. Further, in the bulk deposition, bulk tungsten deposits are formed through the reaction of H2 and WF6. As an example, the deposition method used in step S402 can be low-pressure chemical vapor deposition (LP-CVD).

[0081] Optionally, excess tungsten can be removed in subsequent steps using physical or chemical processes. Alternatively, the wafer surface can be pretreated before the deposition process.

[0082] In addition, let me briefly introduce the process principle of CVD thin film deposition in reaction chamber 103. First, the reaction fluid enters reaction chamber 103 through spray head 107, passing through the pre-gas layer. Then, the film precursor reacts, and fluid molecules diffuse and are adsorbed onto the wafer surface substrate. The adsorbed precursor diffuses into the substrate of the film growth region. A chemical reaction occurs on the surface at high temperature, leading to thin film deposition and the generation of by-products. The reaction by-products remain on the wafer surface. The by-products in the fluid state are desorbed, detached from the wafer surface, and diffuse into the boundary layer. The by-products are then vacuum-extracted from reaction chamber 103.

[0083] Figure 5 shows a schematic diagram of the electrical connection structure of the control system in one embodiment of this disclosure.

[0084] In Figure 5, the control unit 102 is communicatively connected to and controls the first control valve 1113, the first pipeline valve 1111, the first mass flow controller 1112, the third pipeline valve 1131, the third control valve 1143, the third mass flow controller 1142, the first auxiliary pipeline valve 1141, and the first main pipeline valve 1121; and is communicatively connected to and controls the second control valve 1213, the second pipeline valve 1211, the second mass flow controller 1212, the fourth pipeline valve 1231, the fourth control valve 1243, the fourth mass flow controller 1242, the second auxiliary pipeline valve 1241, and the second main pipeline valve 1221.

[0085] The control unit 102 can control the aforementioned piping components to change states according to a required timing sequence for cyclically executing nucleation process steps. In the nucleation process steps, the first piping unit 110 and the second piping unit 120 alternately perform pulsed flow actions of the first reducing fluid or the deposition reaction fluid into the reaction chamber 103. The nucleation process steps can be implemented as pulsed nucleation steps, for example, pulsed nucleation of tungsten.

[0086] The principle of the control unit 102 controlling the above-mentioned flow inlet action will be explained below.

[0087] The first flow-in operation of the first pipeline unit 110 includes: controlling the third pipeline valve 1131 to open and the first pipeline valve 1111 to close so that the first pipeline 111 is in a pre-flow state; controlling the third pipeline valve 1131 and the first pipeline valve 1111 to close so that the first pipeline 111 is in a pressurized state; keeping the first output main line 112 open, controlling the first pipeline valve 1111 to open to execute the pulse output of the first reducing fluid; and sequentially controlling the first pipeline valve 1111 to close and the third pipeline 113 to open for purging and to prepare for the next pulse output. Wherein, if the first control valve 1113 is provided, the first control valve 1113 is kept in the open state; if the first control valve 1113 is not provided, the first pipeline 111 is kept connected to the fluid source.

[0088] The second inlet operation of the second pipeline unit 120 includes: controlling the fourth pipeline valve 1231 to open and the second pipeline valve 1211 to close, so that the second pipeline 121 is in a pre-flow state; controlling the fourth pipeline valve 1231 and the second pipeline valve 1211 to close, so that the second pipeline 121 is in a pressurized state; keeping the second output trunk 122 open, and controlling the second pipeline valve 1211 to open to perform pulse output of the deposition reaction fluid; sequentially controlling the closing of the second pipeline valve 1211 and the opening of the fourth pipeline 123 to purge and prepare for the next pulse output. Wherein, if the second control valve 1213 is provided, the second control valve 1213 is kept open; if the second control valve 1213 is not provided, the second pipeline 121 is kept connected to the fluid source.

[0089] Because the nucleation process steps are executed cyclically, and the two inflow actions in each nucleation process step are executed alternately, the cyclical alternation of the first and second inflow actions is completed. That is, the execution process is "nucleation process step (first inflow action → second inflow action) → nucleation process step (first inflow action → second inflow action)...". It can be understood that the number of cycles can be determined according to actual needs.

[0090] Optionally, after completing one cycle, the flow rate in each pipeline can be emptied and reset to zero, in preparation for the next cycle.

[0091] Figure 6 shows a flowchart of a process inflow control method according to an embodiment of this disclosure. The process inflow control method is applied to the process inflow system in this embodiment and can be implemented by a computer program executed by the control unit 102 in the process inflow system.

[0092] In Figure 6, the process flow control method includes: a nucleation process step executed cyclically, the nucleation process step including:

[0093] Step S601: Execute a pulsed inflow action of the first reducing fluid, including: controlling the third pipeline valve 1131 to open and the first pipeline valve 1111 to close so that the first pipeline 111 is in a pre-flow state; controlling the third pipeline valve 1131 and the first pipeline valve 1111 to close so that the first pipeline 111 is in a pressurized state; keeping the first output main line 112 open, and controlling the first pipeline valve 1111 to open to execute the pulsed output of the first reducing fluid; sequentially controlling the first pipeline valve 1111 to close and the third pipeline 113 to open for purging and to prepare for the next pulsed output. Wherein, if the second control valve 1213 is provided, the second control valve 1213 is kept in the open state; if the second control valve 1213 is not provided, the second pipeline 121 is kept connected to the fluid source.

[0094] Step S602: Perform a pulsed inflow action of the deposition reaction fluid, including: controlling the fourth pipeline valve 1231 to open and the second pipeline valve 1211 to close so that the second pipeline 121 is in a pre-flow state; controlling the fourth pipeline valve 1231 and the second pipeline valve 1211 to close so that the second pipeline 121 is in a pressurized state; keeping the second output trunk line 122 open, and controlling the second pipeline valve 1211 to open to perform pulsed output of the deposition reaction fluid; sequentially controlling the second pipeline valve 1211 to close and the fourth pipeline 123 to open for purging and to prepare for the next pulse output. Wherein, if the second control valve 1213 is provided, the second control valve 1213 is kept open; if the second control valve 1213 is not provided, the second pipeline 121 is kept connected to the fluid source.

[0095] The process may include a flow clearing phase after step S602, followed by a cycle of S601 and S602.

[0096] Figure 7 shows a timing diagram of the control unit 102 executing nucleation process steps in one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0097] This timing diagram exemplifies the execution process of a nucleation process step that is executed cyclically.

[0098] The nucleation process comprises multiple stages in chronological order: initial pre-flow stage → SiH4 charging stage → SiH4 pulse stage → SiH4 purging stage → WF6 charging stage → WF6 pulse stage → WF6 purging stage, executed cyclically. After one cycle, the pipeline flow can be reset to zero to prepare for the initial pre-flow stage of the next cycle.

[0099] In the nucleation process steps of this embodiment, the first main valve 1121 and the second main valve 1221 can remain open. Furthermore, each of the first auxiliary pipeline valves 1141 is open, and each mass flow controller can maintain a stable set flow rate before the pipeline flow rate is zeroed. It should be noted that the set flow rate is the desired flow rate set for the MFC. The actual output flow rate of the mass flow controller is obtained from the sensor's sensing signal feedback. Therefore, the set flow rate for SiH4 is X sccm, the set flow rate for H2 is A sccm, the set flow rate for the Ar carrier gas of SiH4 is B sccm, the set flow rate for WH6 is Y sccm, and the set flow rate for the Ar carrier gas of WH6 is C sccm.

[0100] During the initial pre-flow stage, the first pipeline valve 1111 is closed and the third pipeline valve 1131 is open; the second pipeline valve 1211 is closed and the fourth pipeline valve 1231 is open, so that the first pipeline 111 and the second pipeline 121 reach the pre-flow state.

[0101] During the SiH4 inflation stage, the first pipeline valve 1111 is closed, the third pipeline valve 1131 is closed, the second pipeline valve 1211 is closed, and the fourth pipeline valve 1231 is opened, thus putting the first pipeline 111 into a pressurized state.

[0102] During the SiH4 pulse phase, the first pipeline valve 1111 is open to maintain the pulse duration, and the third pipeline valve 1131 is closed; the second pipeline valve 1211 is closed, and the fourth pipeline valve 1231 is open; so that the first pipeline 111 pulses out the first reducing fluid to the reaction chamber 103;

[0103] During the SiH4 purging stage, the first pipeline valve 1111 is closed first, and the third pipeline valve 1131 is opened later; the second pipeline valve 1211 is closed, and the fourth pipeline valve 1231 is opened; the first pipeline 111 is purged.

[0104] During the WF6 inflation stage, the first pipeline valve 1111 is closed, the third pipeline valve 1131 is open; the second pipeline valve 1211 is closed, and the fourth pipeline valve 1231 is closed, thus putting the second pipeline 121 into a pressurized state.

[0105] During the WF6 pulse phase, the first pipeline valve 1111 is closed, and the third pipeline valve 1131 is open; the second pipeline valve 1211 is open to maintain the pulse duration, and the fourth pipeline valve 1231 is closed; this causes the second pipeline 121 to output the deposited reaction fluid to the reaction chamber 103 via pulse output;

[0106] During the WF6 purging stage, the first pipeline valve 1111 is closed and the third pipeline valve 1131 is opened; the second pipeline valve 1211 is closed and the fourth pipeline valve 1231 is opened; the second pipeline 121 is purged.

[0107] Afterwards, a flow clearing phase may be included after each cycle, during which the flow of each mass controller (including the first mass flow controller 1112, the second mass flow controller 1212, the third mass flow controller 1142, and the fourth mass flow controller 1242) is reduced to zero, that is, the SiH4 set flow rate is 0 sccm, the H2 set flow rate is 0 sccm, the Ar carrier gas set flow rate of SiH4 is 0 sccm, the WH6 set flow rate is 0 sccm, and the Ar carrier gas set flow rate of WH6 is 0 sccm; the first pipeline valve 1111 is closed, the third pipeline valve 1131 is open; the second pipeline valve 1211 is closed, and the fourth pipeline valve 1231 is open.

[0108] Figure 8 shows a timing diagram of the control unit 102 performing nucleation process steps in another embodiment of this disclosure.

[0109] Compared to the embodiment in Figure 7, the nucleation process in this embodiment controls the flow rates of the first mass flow controller 1112 and the second mass flow controller 1212. During the pulsed inflow of the first reducing fluid, the flow rate of the deposition reaction fluid can be kept zero in some stages; and during the pulsed inflow of the deposition reaction fluid, the flow rate of the first reducing fluid can be kept zero in some stages. Therefore, savings in the consumption of the first reducing fluid and the deposition reaction fluid can be achieved in each nucleation process step. The accumulated savings over multiple cycles of the nucleation process are substantial, effectively optimizing process costs.

[0110] Similar to the previous embodiment, the nucleation process includes multiple stages in chronological order: initial pre-flow stage → SiH4 charging stage → SiH4 pulse stage → SiH4 purging stage → WF6 charging stage → WF6 pulse stage → WF6 purging stage, which are executed cyclically. After one cycle, the pipeline flow can be reset to zero to prepare for the initial pre-flow stage of the next cycle.

[0111] The principle of flow control for the first mass flow controller and the second mass flow controller 1212 to save the consumption of the first reducing fluid and the deposition reaction fluid is explained in detail. To save the consumption of the first reducing fluid, the first mass flow controller 1112 maintains airflow until the pulse output is completed during the pulsed inflow of the first reducing fluid, and stops airflow after the pulse output of the first reducing fluid is completed, until the pulse output of the deposition reaction fluid is completed, at which point airflow resumes. To save the consumption of the deposition reaction fluid, the second mass flow controller 1212 is configured to have the opposite airflow state to the first mass flow controller. That is, the second mass flow controller 1212 maintains airflow until the pulse output is completed during the pulsed inflow of the deposition reaction fluid, and stops airflow after the pulse output of the deposition reaction fluid is completed, until the pulse output of the first reducing fluid is completed, at which point airflow resumes. Figure 8 exemplarily shows the set flow rates of the first reducing fluid (SiH4 in the example) and the deposition reaction fluid (WF6 in the example) at different stages.

[0112] In the nucleation process steps of this embodiment, the first main valve 1121 and the second main valve 1221 can remain open. Furthermore, each of the first auxiliary pipeline valves 1141 is open, and all mass flow controllers except the first mass flow controller 1112 and the second mass flow controller 1212 can maintain a stable set flow rate before the pipeline flow rate is zeroed. It should be noted that the set flow rate is only the expected flow rate set by the MFC, and does not represent the actual flow rate. The actual flow rate of the mass flow controller is obtained based on the sensing signal of its sensor, i.e., "feedback". Therefore, the set flow rate of H2 is maintained at A sccm, the set flow rate of Ar carrier gas for SiH4 is B sccm, and the set flow rate of Ar carrier gas for WH6 is C sccm.

[0113] During the initial pre-flow stage, the first pipeline valve 1111 is closed, and the third pipeline valve 1131 is open; the second pipeline valve 1211 is closed, and the fourth pipeline valve 1231 is open, bringing the first pipeline 111 and the second pipeline 121 to the pre-flow state. In this stage, the SiH4 flow rate is set to X sccm, and the WF6 flow rate is set to 0 sccm.

[0114] During the SiH4 inflation stage, the first pipeline valve 1111 is closed, the third pipeline valve 1131 is closed, the second pipeline valve 1211 is closed, and the fourth pipeline valve 1231 is open, thus putting the first pipeline 111 into a pressurized state. During this stage, the SiH4 set flow rate is maintained at X sccm, and the WF6 set flow rate is maintained at 0 sccm.

[0115] During the SiH4 pulse phase, the first pipeline valve 1111 is open to maintain the pulse duration, while the third pipeline valve 1131 is closed; the second pipeline valve 1211 is closed, and the fourth pipeline valve 1231 is open; this causes the first pipeline 111 to output the first reducing fluid to the reaction chamber 103 via pulse; during this phase, the SiH4 set flow rate is maintained at X sccm, and the WF6 set flow rate is maintained at 0 sccm.

[0116] During the SiH4 purging stage, the first pipeline valve 1111 is closed first, followed by the opening of the third pipeline valve 1131; the second pipeline valve 1211 is closed, and the fourth pipeline valve 1231 is opened; the first pipeline 111 is then purged. During this stage, the SiH4 set flow rate is set to 0 sccm, and the WF6 set flow rate is set to Y sccm, in preparation for subsequent WF6 inflation.

[0117] During the WF6 inflation stage, the first pipeline valve 1111 is closed and the third pipeline valve 1131 is open; the second pipeline valve 1211 is closed and the fourth pipeline valve 1231 is closed, thus putting the second pipeline 121 into a pressurized state; during this stage, the SiH4 set flow rate is maintained at 0 sccm and the WF6 set flow rate is maintained at Y sccm.

[0118] During the WF6 pulse phase, the first pipeline valve 1111 is closed and the third pipeline valve 1131 is open; the second pipeline valve 1211 is open to maintain the pulse duration, and the fourth pipeline valve 1231 is closed; this causes the second pipeline 121 to pulse-output the deposition reaction fluid to the reaction chamber 103; during this phase, the SiH4 set flow rate is maintained at 0 sccm, and the WF6 set flow rate is maintained at Y sccm.

[0119] During the WF6 purging phase, the first pipeline valve 1111 is closed, and the third pipeline valve 1131 is open; the second pipeline valve 1211 is closed, and the fourth pipeline valve 1231 is open; the second pipeline 121 is purged. During this phase, the SiH4 set flow rate is maintained at 0 sccm, and the WF6 set flow rate is maintained at 0 sccm.

[0120] Afterwards, a flow clearing phase may be included after each cycle, during which the flow of each quality controller (including the first quality flow controller 1112, the second quality flow controller 1212, the third quality flow controller 1142, and the fourth quality flow controller 1242) is reduced to zero; the first pipeline valve 1111 is closed and the third pipeline valve 1131 is opened; the second pipeline valve 1211 is closed and the fourth pipeline valve 1231 is opened.

[0121] As can be seen from the embodiment in Figure 8, in a round of nucleation process steps, SiH4 and WF6 can avoid generating flow consumption in multiple stages, thereby effectively reducing the consumption of SiH4 and WF6 and saving costs.

[0122] Returning to Figure 5, the monitoring unit 1021 is coupled to the control unit 102. The monitoring unit 1021 is communicatively connected to the first mass flow controller 1112 and the second mass flow controller 1212, acquiring the flow signals sensed by the first mass flow controller 1112 and the second mass flow controller 1212 (i.e., the actual flow measured by the sensors). According to the previously described "nucleation process step," there are alternating pulsed inflow actions of two fluids. Since a peak is reached in the flow sensed by the mass flow controller during pulse output, corresponding to the cyclically executed "nucleation process step," the two sensed flow signals on the flow-time two-dimensional coordinate system exhibit a cyclically alternating peak distribution. Figure 9 exemplarily shows a curve of the flow signal sensed by the second mass flow controller. The periodically occurring (due to the cyclical execution of pulsed inflow) second flow characteristic curve waveform corresponding to the "pulsed inflow action" can be clearly seen, identified by D. On the one hand, because it corresponds to pulse output, the fluctuation amplitude of the flow characteristic curve waveform will be significantly larger than other parts, which can be judged by the magnitude of the peak-valley value. On the other hand, since the "pulse-type inflow action" includes specific processes such as pre-flow, pressurization, pulse output, and purging, the output flow rate of the mass flow sensor will decrease during pressurization and increase during pulse output. Therefore, the flow characteristic curve waveform will show a flow rate change trend corresponding to each "pulse-type inflow action", where the flow rate first decreases to a trough, then increases to a peak value, and then decreases again.

[0123] Therefore, in order to identify the first flow characteristic curve waveform corresponding to the pulsed inflow action of the first reducing fluid in the flow signal sensed by the first mass flow controller, and the second flow characteristic curve waveform corresponding to the pulsed inflow action of the deposition reaction fluid in the flow signal sensed by the second mass flow controller, identification can be based on flow change characteristics. The flow change characteristics include a flow fluctuation amplitude characteristic set based on the large fluctuation amplitude, and a flow change trend characteristic corresponding to the characteristic of "first decreasing to a trough, then increasing to a peak, and then decreasing". As an example, the flow fluctuation amplitude characteristic can be constructed by whether the peak-to-trough value is greater than a preset threshold over a period of time. Optionally, due to the differences between the first reducing fluid and the deposition reaction fluid, different first and second preset thresholds can be set for them, such as setting a peak-to-trough value > 0.1 sccm for SiH4 and a peak-to-trough value > 1 sccm for WF6, etc., depending on the actual process. It should be noted that the values ​​of the first and second preset thresholds can be varied according to the actual situation of the semiconductor process equipment, and are not limited to the examples above.

[0124] On the one hand, in the cyclically executed nucleation process steps, the monitoring unit 1021 can implement the first monitoring method. After identifying the waveforms of the first and second flow characteristic curves, the presence of an inflow anomaly can be determined based on the temporal distribution of the first and second flow characteristic curve waveforms. Since each nucleation process step includes alternating pulsed outputs of the first reducing fluid and the deposition reaction fluid, and the nucleation process steps are executed cyclically, the first and second flow characteristic curve waveforms can be presented as alternating in the flow-time coordinate system. If there is a first event that does not alternate (which can be judged by individual flow pulses or by comparing whether the number of first and second flow pulses are equal in multiple cycles), or if the statistical information of the occurrence of the first event meets preset conditions, an inflow anomaly is determined to exist. The statistical information includes one or more of the following: number of occurrences, frequency, duration, and growth trend.

[0125] If the inflow of the first reducing fluid is abnormal, there may be problems such as pipe blockage or valve failure in the relevant pipelines. If the inflow of the deposition reaction fluid is abnormal, there may be problems such as pipe blockage or valve failure in the relevant pipelines, or there may be liquefaction problems with the deposition reaction fluid.

[0126] On the other hand, during the cyclically executed nucleation process, the monitoring unit 1021 can implement a second monitoring method. The monitoring unit 1021 can also perform time-series analysis using the flow signals obtained from the first flow monitor 1114 and the second flow monitor 1214 to determine if there is an inflow anomaly. Specifically, during the cyclically executed nucleation process, the monitoring unit 1021 identifies the first flow pulse corresponding to the pulsed inflow action of the first reducing fluid and the second flow pulse corresponding to the pulsed inflow action of the first reducing fluid from the flow signals of the inflow into the reaction chamber monitored by the first flow monitor 1114 and the second flow monitor 1214, and determines whether there is an inflow anomaly based on the time-series distribution of the first and second flow pulses.

[0127] Similar to the alternating characteristic curve waveforms previously observed, since the first flow monitor 1114 is located downstream of the first pipeline valve 1111 and the second flow monitor 1214 is located downstream of the second pipeline valve 1211, the flow rate decrease corresponding to the "holding" state may not be reflected in the flow signal monitored by the flow monitors, but the flow pulse will be clearly reflected. Therefore, in the flow signals monitored by the first flow monitor 1114 and the second flow monitor 1214, the waveform corresponding to the pulsed inflow action will not be a flow characteristic curve waveform where the flow rate first decreases significantly and then rises to a peak value, but rather a simple pulse waveform. Figure 10 exemplarily shows, on the flow-time curve, the temporal distribution of the first flow pulse (see B in the figure) and the second flow pulse (see C in the figure) corresponding to the first reducing fluid alternates. Optionally, the amplitude of the flow pulse of the deposition reaction fluid can be greater than the amplitude of the flow pulse of the first reducing fluid. If the situation at point A in the diagram occurs, i.e., the first flow pulse and the second flow pulse do not alternate (for example, the flow amplitude of a certain pulse does not reach the predetermined amplitude. This can be determined by checking each flow pulse individually, or by comparing whether the number of the first flow pulse and the number of the second flow pulse are equal in multiple cycles), then the inflow is considered abnormal, possibly due to a fault such as a valve or MFC. For example, if the first flow pulse does not appear or its amplitude is lower than a preset threshold, then the inflow of the first reducing fluid is considered abnormal, possibly due to a hardware fault related to the inflow of the first reducing fluid, such as at least one fault in the first pipeline valve 1111, the first mass flow controller 1112, the first control valve 1113, or the first main valve 1121. If the second flow pulse does not appear or its amplitude is lower than a preset threshold, then the inflow of the deposition reaction fluid is considered abnormal, possibly due to a hardware fault related to the inflow of the deposition reaction fluid, such as at least one fault in the second pipeline valve 1211, the second mass flow controller 1212, the second control valve 1213, or the second main valve 1221.

[0128] Therefore, specifically, the monitoring unit 1021 is used to determine whether a second event occurs between the first flow pulse and the second flow pulse without alternation, or whether the statistical information of the occurrence of the second event meets preset conditions. The statistical information includes one or more of the following: number of occurrences, frequency, duration, and growth trend. If so, an inflow anomaly is determined to exist. Optionally, the preset conditions in this embodiment can be that at least one of the number of occurrences, frequency, and duration of the second event reaches a preset threshold for the number of occurrences, frequency, or duration. Specifically, it can be considered that when the number of occurrences, frequency, and duration of the second event reach a certain quantity or time, or show an increasing trend, the result of determining an inflow anomaly is relatively reliable, and it can be determined as an inflow anomaly, excluding interference caused by occasional fluctuations.

[0129] Understandably, both the first and second monitoring methods are used together to monitor the alternating inflow of the first reducing fluid and the deposition reaction fluid in the cyclically executed nucleation process. The combination of these two methods enhances the reliability of the monitoring. Specifically, since the feedback signal from the mass flow controller may be delayed compared to the actual output flow, the second monitoring method, which monitors the flow signal, can more reliably and accurately identify inflow anomalies. Furthermore, the two monitoring methods can be redundant; if one fails, the other can serve as a backup, increasing the reliability of the monitoring.

[0130] Furthermore, throughout the entire deposition process, the monitoring unit 1021 can implement a third monitoring method. In the main deposition step, the monitoring unit 1021 can determine whether there is an abnormality in the inflow of the corresponding fluid based on the stability of the fluctuation amplitude of the flow signal obtained from at least one of the mass flow controller and flow monitor in the pipeline containing the incoming fluid. The stability of the fluctuation amplitude can be determined based on whether the fluctuation amplitude exceeds a preset fluctuation range over a period of time. This third monitoring method can be applied to the entire deposition process, including both nucleation process steps and steps other than nucleation process steps, such as the main deposition step. For example, in the nucleation process step, corresponding to the first reducing fluid (such as SiH4), the flow signal obtained from at least one of the first mass flow controller and the first flow monitor can be acquired, and it can be determined whether the peak-to-valley value of the first reducing fluid flow rate exceeds a first preset fluctuation range within a certain period of time (e.g., several seconds, tens of seconds, etc.). The first preset fluctuation range can be determined by the type of the first reducing fluid and the process, for example, the peak-to-valley value is within ±0.1 sccm. If it exceeds ±0.1 sccm, it can be considered that the SiH4 inflow is abnormal, and there may be problems such as blockage or valve failure in the first pipeline. It should be noted that the third monitoring method can be performed based on the flow signal obtained from only one of the first mass flow controller and the first flow monitor. Preferably, the third monitoring method can be performed based on the flow signals obtained from the first mass flow controller and the first flow monitor respectively, so that the monitoring results can be compared with each other, making the results more reliable.

[0131] For example, in the nucleation process, corresponding to the deposition reaction fluid (such as WF6), the flow signal obtained by at least one of the second mass flow controller and the second flow monitor can be acquired, and it can be determined whether the peak-valley value of the first reducing fluid flow rate exceeds the second preset fluctuation range within a certain period of time (e.g., several seconds, tens of seconds, etc.). The second preset fluctuation range can be determined by the type of the second reducing fluid and the process, such as the peak-valley value being within ±0.1 sccm. If it exceeds ±0.1 sccm, it can be considered that the WF6 inlet flow is abnormal, and there may be one of the following problems: blockage in the second pipeline, valve failure, WF6 liquefaction (possibly due to excessively low temperature or excessively high gas supply pressure).

[0132] For example, in the main deposition step, the fluids involved in the reaction include a deposition reaction fluid and a second reduction fluid. In the main deposition step, the system can acquire flow signals from at least one of a second mass flow controller and a second flow monitor, and determine whether the peak-to-valley value of the first reduction fluid flow rate exceeds a second preset fluctuation range over a period of time (e.g., several seconds, tens of seconds, etc.), such as a peak-to-valley value within ±0.1 sccm. If it exceeds ±0.1 sccm, the WF6 inflow is considered abnormal, possibly due to one of the following problems: blockage in the second pipeline, valve malfunction, or WF6 liquefaction.

[0133] In an optional embodiment, as shown in FIG5, the monitoring unit 1021 is also communicatively connected to the third mass flow controller 1142, and is used to determine whether there is an abnormality in the inflow of the second reducing fluid during the main deposition step in which the second reducing fluid participates, based on the fluctuation amplitude of the flow signal sensed by the third mass flow controller 1142. For example, during the main deposition process involving the second reducing fluid, a fourth event can be determined based on whether the fluctuation amplitude of the flow signal sensed by the third mass flow controller 1142 exceeds a preset fluctuation range, or whether the statistical information of the fourth event meets preset conditions. If so, it is determined that there is an abnormality in the inflow of the second reducing fluid. For example, a blockage or valve malfunction may occur in the first auxiliary pipeline where H2 is located. Similarly, the monitoring unit 1021 can communicatively connect to each third mass flow controller 1142 and the fourth mass flow controller 1242 to monitor each type of fluid introduced into the reaction chamber 103 throughout the entire process to detect any abnormalities in the inflow, achieving comprehensive and timely anomaly monitoring and detection, and further effectively improving reliability.

[0134] By combining the above monitoring methods, the occurrence of inflow anomalies can be comprehensively monitored at different deposition steps in the deposition process, effectively improving the comprehensiveness and timeliness of inflow monitoring. This facilitates the timely detection of inflow anomalies at each step of the deposition process, rather than discovering anomalies during the acceptance testing after a large number of wafers have been produced. This avoids the problem of equipment failure and deposition reaction fluid liquefaction only being discovered after a large number of products (such as thousands of wafers) have been scrapped, effectively improving product yield.

[0135] Based on the above embodiments, as shown in Figure 11, a flowchart of a process flow monitoring method in one embodiment of this disclosure is presented.

[0136] The process inflow monitoring method can be applied to the process inflow system in the previous embodiments. Specifically, the method can be executed by the monitoring unit.

[0137] In Figure 11, the method includes:

[0138] Step S1101: Acquire the flow signals of the actual flow sensed by the first mass flow controller and the second mass flow controller, and acquire the flow signals of the flow entering the reaction chamber monitored by the first flow monitor and the second flow monitor.

[0139] Step S1102: Based on the obtained flow signals, perform the following monitoring methods: In the cyclically executed nucleation process step, identify the first flow characteristic curve waveform and the second flow characteristic curve waveform that correspond to the flow change characteristics of the pulsed inflow action from the flow signals of the actual flow sensed by the first mass flow controller and the second mass flow controller; determine whether there is an inflow anomaly based on the temporal distribution of the first flow characteristic curve waveform and the second flow characteristic curve waveform; In the cyclically executed nucleation process step, identify the first flow pulse corresponding to the pulsed inflow action of the first reducing fluid and the second flow pulse corresponding to the pulsed inflow action of the first reducing fluid from the flow signals of the flow entering the reaction chamber monitored by the first flow monitor and the second flow monitor; determine whether there is an inflow anomaly based on the temporal distribution of the first flow pulse and the second flow pulse; In the deposition process, determine whether there is an inflow anomaly of the corresponding fluid based on the stability of the fluctuation amplitude of the flow signals obtained by at least one of the mass flow controller and the flow monitor in the pipeline where the inflowing fluid is located.

[0140] In some embodiments, if an abnormal flow is detected, an alarm or notification to staff can be used to indicate the abnormality.

[0141] Figure 12 shows a schematic diagram of the process inflow monitoring device in one embodiment of this disclosure. It should be noted that the principle and technical implementation of the process inflow control device correspond to the process inflow monitoring method in the above embodiments, and its principle has been described in previous embodiments, so it will not be repeated here.

[0142] In Figure 12, the process inflow monitoring device 1200 includes:

[0143] The flow signal analysis module 1201 acquires the flow signal of the actual flow sensed by the first mass flow controller and the second mass flow controller, and acquires the flow signal of the flow entering the reaction chamber monitored by the first flow monitor and the second flow monitor.

[0144] The anomaly monitoring module 1202 is used to perform the following monitoring methods based on the obtained flow signals: In the cyclically executed nucleation process step, it identifies the first flow characteristic curve waveform and the second flow characteristic curve waveform, respectively, from the flow signals of the actual flow sensed by the first mass flow controller and the second mass flow controller, which are consistent with the flow change characteristics of the pulsed inflow action; it determines whether there is an inflow anomaly based on the temporal distribution of the first flow characteristic curve waveform and the second flow characteristic curve waveform; In the cyclically executed nucleation process step, it identifies the first flow pulse corresponding to the pulsed inflow action of the first reducing fluid and the second flow pulse corresponding to the pulsed inflow action of the first reducing fluid from the flow signals of the flow entering the reaction chamber monitored by the first flow monitor and the second flow monitor, and determines whether there is an inflow anomaly based on the temporal distribution of the first flow pulse and the second flow pulse; In the deposition process, it determines whether there is an inflow anomaly of the corresponding fluid based on the stability of the fluctuation amplitude of the flow signal obtained by at least one of the mass flow controller and the flow monitor of the pipeline where the inflowing fluid is located.

[0145] It should be noted that the various functional modules in the embodiment of Figure 12 can be implemented, in whole or in part, by software, hardware, firmware, or any combination thereof. When implemented in software, they can be implemented, in whole or in part, in the form of a computer program or instruction product. A computer program or instruction product includes one or more computer programs or instructions. When a computer program or instruction is loaded and executed on a computer, it generates, in whole or in part, the flow or function according to this disclosure. The computer can be a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a computer network, or other programmable device. The computer program or instructions can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium or transferred from one computer-readable storage medium to another.

[0146] Furthermore, the device disclosed in the embodiment of Figure 12 can be implemented through other modular division methods. The device embodiments shown above are merely illustrative. For example, the module division is only a logical functional division, and in actual implementation, there may be other division methods. For example, at least one module or a module may be combined or dynamically integrated into another system, or some features may be ignored or not executed. Another point is that the shown or discussed mutual coupling, direct coupling, or communication connection may be through some interfaces; the indirect coupling or communication connection between devices or modules may be electrical or other forms.

[0147] Furthermore, the functional modules and sub-modules in the embodiment of Figure 12 can be dynamically integrated within a single processing unit, or each module can exist physically independently, or two or more modules can be dynamically integrated within a single unit. These dynamic units can be implemented in hardware or as software functional modules. If these dynamic units are implemented as software functional modules and sold or used as independent products, they can also be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. This storage medium can be a read-only memory, a hard disk, or an optical disk, etc.

[0148] It should be specifically noted that the flowchart representations of the embodiments described above in this disclosure can be understood as representing a module, segment, or portion of code comprising one or more executable instructions configured to implement a specific logical function or process. Furthermore, the scope of the preferred embodiments of this disclosure includes additional implementations in which functions may be performed not in the order shown or discussed, including substantially simultaneously or in reverse order depending on the functions involved.

[0149] For example, the order of the steps in the method embodiments shown in Figures 6 and 11 may vary in specific scenarios and is not limited to the above representation.

[0150] Figure 13 shows a schematic diagram of the structure of a computer device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0151] The computer device 1300 can be used to implement the control unit. The computer device 1300 includes a bus 1301, a processor 1302, and a memory 1303. The processor 1302 and the memory 1303 can communicate via the bus 1301. The memory 1303 can store computer programs or instructions. The processor 1302 implements the methods, processes, or timing logic control in the previous embodiments by running the computer programs or instructions in the memory 1303, as shown in Figures 6, 7, 8, and 11.

[0152] Bus 1301 can be a Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) bus or an Extended Industry Standard Architecture (EISA) bus, etc. Buses can be categorized as address buses, data buses, control buses, etc. For ease of representation, although only one thick line is used in the diagram, this does not indicate that there is only one bus or one type of bus.

[0153] In some embodiments, the processor 1302 may be implemented as a central processing unit (CPU), a microprocessor unit (MCU), a system-on-chip (System-on-Chip), or a field-programmable array (FPGA). The memory 1303 may include volatile memory for temporary data storage during program execution, such as random access memory (RAM).

[0154] The memory 1303 may also include non-volatile memory for data storage, such as read-only memory (ROM), flash memory, hard disk drive (HDD), or solid-state disk (SSD).

[0155] In some embodiments, the computer device 1300 may further include a communicator 1304. The communicator 1304 is used for communication with external devices. In specific examples, the communicator 1304 may include a wired communication circuit module or a wireless communication circuit module, or at least one wired communication circuit module and at least one wireless communication circuit module. For example, the communicator 1304 may include one or more of, such as a wired network card, a USB module, a serial interface module, etc. The wireless communication protocols followed by the wireless communication module include one or more of the following: Nearfield communication (NFC) technology, Infrared (IR) technology, Global System for Mobile communications (GSM), General Packet Radio Service (GPRS), Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA), Time-Division Code Division Multiple Access (TD-SCDMA), Long Term Evolution (LTE), Bluetooth (BT), and Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS).

[0156] This disclosure also provides a computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program or instructions, which, when run, implement the methods, processes, or timing logic control of any of the previous embodiments, such as Figures 6, 7, 8, and 11.

[0157] That is, the method steps in the above embodiments are implemented as software or computer code that can be stored in a recording medium (such as CD ROM, RAM, floppy disk, hard disk or magneto-optical disk), or implemented as computer code that is originally stored in a remote recording medium or a non-transitory machine-readable medium and will be stored in a local recording medium after being downloaded via a network, so that the method represented herein can be stored in such software processing on a recording medium using a general-purpose computer, a special processor or programmable or special hardware (such as ASIC or FPGA).

[0158] This disclosure may also provide a computer program product, comprising one or more computer programs or instructions, which, when run, perform all or part of the processes or functions described in this disclosure, as shown in Figure 6. The computer program product includes one or more computer programs or instructions.

[0159] Computer programs or instructions can be stored in a readable storage medium or transferred from one readable storage medium to another. For example, the computer program or instructions can be transferred from one website, computer, server, or data center to another website, computer, server, or data center via wired or wireless means. The readable storage medium can be any available medium capable of access, or a data storage device such as a server or data center that integrates one or more available media. The available medium can be a magnetic medium, such as a floppy disk, hard disk, or magnetic tape; an optical medium, such as a digital video optical disc; or a semiconductor medium, such as a solid-state drive. The computer-readable storage medium can be a volatile or non-volatile storage medium, or it can include both volatile and non-volatile types of storage media.

[0160] In summary, this disclosure relates to the field of semiconductor processing technology, providing a process infeed system, monitoring method, and process equipment with anomaly monitoring. The system includes first and second pipeline units, a control unit, and a monitoring unit. The first and second pipelines are respectively equipped with pipeline valves, mass flow controllers, and flow monitors. The process infeed system executes the infeed in a preset process flow. The monitoring unit determines infeed anomalies in the nucleation process step and the main deposition step based on the temporal distribution and fluctuation amplitude analysis of the flow signals from the mass flow controller and flow monitor. This enables timely monitoring of anomalies, improving process reliability and product yield.

[0161] The above embodiments are merely illustrative of the principles and effects of this disclosure and are not intended to limit this disclosure. Any person skilled in the art can modify or alter the above embodiments without departing from the spirit and scope of this disclosure. Therefore, all equivalent modifications or alterations made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and technical concept disclosed in this disclosure should still be covered by the protection scope of this disclosure.

Claims

1. A process feed system with anomaly monitoring, characterized in that, include: The first piping unit includes a first piping for supplying a first reducing fluid to the reaction chamber; The first pipeline is provided with a first mass flow controller, a first pipeline valve and a first flow monitor in sequence from the input end to the output end; The second pipeline unit includes a deposition reaction fluid for supplying a deposition reaction fluid to the reaction chamber to react with the first reducing fluid to form a thin film deposition; the second pipeline is sequentially provided with a second mass flow controller, a second pipeline valve and a second flow monitor from the input end to the output end. A control unit is used to control the inflow in a preset process flow, the preset process flow including a deposition process, the deposition process including a nucleation process step executed cyclically, in each nucleation process step, the first pipeline unit and the second pipeline unit alternately execute a pulsed inflow action of the first reducing fluid and the deposition reaction fluid into the reaction chamber; The monitoring unit is communicatively connected to the first mass flow controller, the first flow monitor, the second mass flow controller, and the second flow monitor, and is used to perform the following monitoring methods: In the cyclically executed nucleation process step, the first flow characteristic curve waveform and the second flow characteristic curve waveform, which are consistent with the flow change characteristics of the pulsed inflow action, are respectively identified from the flow signals of the actual flow sensed by the first mass flow controller and the second mass flow controller. Determine whether there is an inflow anomaly based on the time-series distribution of the waveforms of the first and second flow characteristic curves; In the cyclically executed nucleation process step, the first flow pulse corresponding to the pulsed inflow action of the first reducing fluid and the second flow pulse corresponding to the pulsed inflow action of the first reducing fluid are identified from the flow signals of the inflow into the reaction chamber monitored by the first flow monitor and the second flow monitor. The presence of an inflow abnormality is determined based on the temporal distribution of the first flow pulse and the second flow pulse. In the deposition process, the presence of an inflow anomaly is determined based on the stability of the fluctuation amplitude of the flow signal obtained from at least one of the mass flow controller and flow monitor in the pipeline where the inflow fluid is located.

2. The process feed system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first pipeline unit includes a first output trunk line connected to the output end of the first pipeline and a third pipeline; the second pipeline unit includes a second output trunk line connected to the output end of the second pipeline and a fourth pipeline; The first and second output trunk lines are connected to the inlet of the reaction chamber; the input ends of the first and second pipelines are respectively supplied with the first reducing fluid and the deposition reaction fluid for the reaction; the first pipeline is provided with a first mass flow controller, a first pipeline valve and a first flow monitor in sequence from the input end to the output end; the second pipeline is provided with a second mass flow controller, a second pipeline valve and a second flow monitor in sequence from the input end to the output end; the input end of the third pipeline is connected between the first mass flow controller and the first pipeline valve, and is provided with a third pipeline valve; the input end of the fourth pipeline is connected between the second mass flow controller and the second pipeline valve, and is provided with a fourth pipeline valve.

3. The process feed system according to claim 2, characterized in that, The pulsed inflow action of the first reducing fluid includes: controlling the third pipeline valve to open and the first pipeline valve to close so that the first pipeline is in a pre-flow state; controlling the third pipeline valve and the first pipeline valve to close so that the first pipeline is in a pressurized state; keeping the first output main line open and controlling the first pipeline valve to open to execute the pulsed output of the first reducing fluid; sequentially controlling the closing of the first pipeline valve and the opening of the third pipeline to purge and prepare for the next pulse output; the pulsed inflow action of the deposition reaction fluid includes: controlling the fourth pipeline valve to open and the second pipeline valve to close so that the second pipeline is in a pre-flow state; controlling the fourth pipeline valve and the second pipeline valve to close so that the second pipeline is in a pressurized state; keeping the second output main line open and controlling the opening of the second pipeline valve to execute the pulsed output of the deposition reaction fluid; sequentially controlling the closing of the second pipeline valve and the opening of the fourth pipeline to purge and prepare for the next pulse output.

4. The process feed system according to claim 1 or 3, characterized in that, In the pulsed flow inlet action, the first pipeline and the second pipeline sequentially switch between the pre-flow state, the pressurization state, the pulse output state, and the pre-flow state, and the flow rate change characteristics are determined based on the state switching.

5. The process feed system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The identification of the first flow characteristic curve waveform and the second flow characteristic curve waveform that correspond to the flow change characteristics of the pulsed inflow action includes: identifying at least one of the first flow characteristic curve waveform and the second flow characteristic curve waveform that correspond to the flow change trend characteristics and flow fluctuation amplitude characteristics of the pulsed inflow action. The step of determining whether there is an inflow anomaly based on the temporal distribution of the waveforms of the first flow characteristic curve and the second flow characteristic curve includes: determining whether a first event that does not occur alternately between the waveforms of the first flow characteristic curve and the second flow characteristic curve, or whether the statistical information of the occurrence of the first event meets preset conditions; wherein, the statistical information includes one or more of the following: number of occurrences, frequency, duration of occurrence, and growth trend; if so, it is determined that there is an inflow anomaly.

6. The process feed system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The step of determining whether an inflow anomaly exists based on the timing distribution of the first flow pulse and the second flow pulse includes: Determine whether a second event occurs between the first flow pulse and the second flow pulse without alternation, or whether the statistical information of the occurrence of the second event meets preset conditions; wherein, the statistical information includes one or more of the following: number of times, frequency, duration of duration and growth trend; if so, it is determined that there is an inflow anomaly.

7. The process feed system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The step of determining whether there is an abnormal inflow of the corresponding fluid based on the stability of the fluctuation amplitude of the flow signal obtained from at least one of the mass flow controller and flow monitor in the pipeline where the inflowing fluid is located includes: The system determines whether the fluctuation amplitude of the flow signal within a preset time period exceeds the preset fluctuation range, or whether the statistical information of the third event meets the preset conditions; if so, it determines that there is an inflow anomaly in the corresponding fluid.

8. The process feed system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first mass flow controller maintains gas output until the pulse output is completed during the pulsed inflow of the first reducing fluid, and stops gas output after the pulse output of the first reducing fluid is completed, until the pulse output of the deposition reaction fluid is completed and gas output resumes; the second mass flow controller is configured to have the opposite gas output state to the first mass flow controller.

9. The process feed system according to claim 2, characterized in that, The first pipeline unit further includes: at least one first auxiliary pipeline, the output end of which is connected to the first output main line via a confluence with the output end of the first pipeline; the second pipeline unit further includes: at least one second auxiliary pipeline, the output end of which is connected to the second output main line via a confluence with the output end of the second pipeline; each of the first auxiliary pipeline and the second auxiliary pipeline is respectively provided with a first auxiliary pipeline valve and a second auxiliary pipeline valve; the input ends of at least one first auxiliary pipeline and at least one second auxiliary pipeline are used to input other fluids; wherein, other fluids that will react undesirably with the deposition reaction fluid and do not react with the first reducing fluid are transported through the first auxiliary pipeline, and other fluids that will react undesirably with the first reducing fluid and do not react with the deposition reaction fluid are transported through the second auxiliary pipeline.

10. The process feed system according to claim 2, characterized in that, The first pipeline unit further includes: a first auxiliary pipeline for supplying the second reducing fluid to the reaction chamber; the first auxiliary pipeline is sequentially provided with a third mass flow controller and a first auxiliary pipeline valve from the input end to the output end; the monitoring unit is also communicatively connected to the third mass flow controller, and is used to determine whether there is an abnormality in the inflow of the second reducing fluid in the main deposition step after the nucleation process step, based on the fluctuation amplitude of the flow signal sensed by the third mass flow controller.

11. A process inflow monitoring method, applied to the process inflow system according to any one of claims 1-10, characterized in that, The process inflow monitoring method includes: Acquire the flow signals of the actual flow sensed by the first mass flow controller and the second mass flow controller, and acquire the flow signals of the flow entering the reaction chamber monitored by the first flow monitor and the second flow monitor; Based on the obtained flow signals, the following monitoring methods are performed: In the cyclically executed nucleation process step, a first flow characteristic curve waveform and a second flow characteristic curve waveform that correspond to the flow change characteristics of the pulsed inflow action are identified from the flow signals of the actual flow sensed by the first mass flow controller and the second mass flow controller, respectively; the presence of an inflow anomaly is determined based on the temporal distribution of the first flow characteristic curve waveform and the second flow characteristic curve waveform; In the cyclically executed nucleation process step, a first flow pulse corresponding to the pulsed inflow action of the first reducing fluid and a second flow pulse corresponding to the pulsed inflow action of the first reducing fluid are identified from the flow signals of the flow entering the reaction chamber monitored by the first flow monitor and the second flow monitor, and the presence of an inflow anomaly is determined based on the temporal distribution of the first flow pulse and the second flow pulse; In the deposition process, the presence of an inflow anomaly of the corresponding fluid is determined based on the stability of the fluctuation amplitude of the flow signal obtained by at least one of the mass flow controller and flow monitor in the pipeline where the inflowing fluid is located.

12. A semiconductor process apparatus, characterized in that, include: reaction chamber; The process feed system with anomaly monitoring as described in any one of claims 1 to 10.

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