CN116403880A - Plasma apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

A plasma apparatus. The plasma apparatus includes a susceptor, a metal ring, and a movable dielectric ring. The base is configured to carry a workpiece to be processed. The metal ring is arranged on the base. The metal ring is configured to surround the workpiece to be machined. A removable media ring is disposed over the base. An orthographic projection of the movable media ring covers the metal ring.

Description

Plasma apparatus

Technical Field

The present application relates to a device, and more particularly, to a plasma device.

Background

In the prior art, when a wafer is to be processed using a plasma, a metal ring is placed on a susceptor and surrounds the wafer. However, since the metal ring and the wafer are prepared from different materials, a strong electric field is likely to generate arc discharge between the metal ring and the wafer when the wafer is processed. In addition, the plasma bombardment on the metal ring also tends to cause metal sputtering contamination inside the plasma apparatus.

Disclosure of Invention

In view of this, the present application proposes a plasma apparatus to solve the above-mentioned problems.

According to one embodiment of the present application, a plasma apparatus is provided. The plasma apparatus includes a susceptor, a metal ring, and a movable dielectric ring. The base is configured to carry a workpiece to be processed. The metal ring is arranged on the base. The metal ring is configured to surround the workpiece to be machined. A removable media ring is disposed over the base. An orthographic projection of the movable media ring covers the metal ring.

According to an embodiment of the present application, the inner circumference of the movable medium ring has a sidewall portion extending downward.

According to an embodiment of the present application, the side wall portion is annular.

According to an embodiment of the present application, the plasma apparatus further comprises a liner. The bushing includes a first extension extending upward from an outer circumference of the movable media ring.

According to an embodiment of the present application, the bushing further comprises a second extension extending downwards from the outer circumference of the movable medium ring.

According to an embodiment of the present application, the bushing is integrally formed with the movable media ring.

According to an embodiment of the present application, the bushing is detachably connected to the movable medium ring.

According to an embodiment of the present application, the bushing is at an angle in the range of 10-100 degrees to the movable media ring.

According to an embodiment of the present application, the movable media ring and the bushing comprise ceramic or polytetrafluoroethylene.

According to an embodiment of the present application, the movable medium ring is configured to move away from the susceptor when the workpiece to be processed enters the plasma apparatus.

According to an embodiment of the application, the movable medium ring is configured to move in a direction approaching the base when the workpiece to be processed is placed on the base.

According to an embodiment of the present application, the movable medium ring is configured to move in a direction approaching the metal ring to a range of 0-5 mm from the base when the workpiece to be processed is placed on the base.

According to an embodiment of the present application, the inner diameter of the movable media ring is in the range of 300-310 mm.

Drawings

The accompanying drawings are included to provide a further understanding of the application and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate the application and, together with the description, do not limit the application. In the drawings:

fig. 1 illustrates a block schematic diagram of a plasma apparatus according to an embodiment of the present application.

Fig. 2 illustrates a schematic diagram of a plasma apparatus according to an embodiment of the present application.

Fig. 3 illustrates a top view of a movable media ring and a workpiece to be processed placed on a base in accordance with one embodiment of the present application.

Fig. 4 illustrates a schematic diagram of a plasma apparatus according to an embodiment of the present application.

Fig. 5 illustrates a schematic diagram of a plasma apparatus according to an embodiment of the present application.

FIG. 6 illustrates an enlarged view of a removable media ring and bushing according to an embodiment of the present application.

Fig. 7A and 7B illustrate schematic diagrams of the angles between the movable media ring and the bushing, respectively.

Detailed Description

The following disclosure provides various embodiments or examples that can be used to implement the various features of the present disclosure. Specific examples of components and arrangements are described below to simplify the present disclosure. It is to be understood that these descriptions are merely exemplary and are not intended to limit the present disclosure. For example, in the following description, forming a first feature on or over a second feature may include certain embodiments in which the first and second features are in direct contact with each other; and may include embodiments in which additional components are formed between the first and second features such that the first and second features may not be in direct contact. In addition, the present disclosure may repeat reference numerals and/or letters in the various examples. Such reuse is for brevity and clarity purposes and does not itself represent a relationship between the different embodiments and/or configurations discussed.

Moreover, spatially relative terms, such as "under," "below," "lower," "upper," and the like, may be used herein to facilitate a description of the relationship between one element or feature to another element or feature as illustrated in the figures. These spatially relative terms are intended to encompass a variety of different orientations of the device in use or operation in addition to the orientation depicted in the figures. The device may be placed in other orientations (e.g., rotated 90 degrees or at other orientations), and the spatially relative descriptors used herein interpreted accordingly.

Notwithstanding that the numerical ranges and parameters setting forth the broad scope of the application are approximations, the numerical values set forth in the specific examples are reported as precisely as possible. However, any numerical value inherently contains certain standard deviations found in their respective testing measurements. As used herein, "about" generally means that the actual value is within plus or minus 10%, 5%, 1% or 0.5% of a particular value or range. Alternatively, the term "about" means that the actual value falls within an acceptable standard error of the average value, depending on the consideration of those ordinarily skilled in the art to which the present application pertains. It is to be understood that all ranges, amounts, values, and percentages used herein (e.g., to describe amounts of materials, lengths of time, temperatures, operating conditions, ratios of amounts, and the like) are modified by the word "about" unless otherwise specifically indicated. Accordingly, unless indicated to the contrary, the numerical parameters set forth in the present specification and attached claims are approximations that may vary depending upon the desired properties. At least these numerical parameters should be construed as the number of significant digits and by applying ordinary rounding techniques. Herein, a numerical range is expressed as from one end point to another end point or between two end points; unless otherwise indicated, all numerical ranges recited herein include endpoints.

Fig. 1 shows a block schematic diagram of a plasma apparatus 1 according to an embodiment of the present application. In certain embodiments, the plasma apparatus 1 is configured to process a workpiece (e.g., a wafer) to be processed by a plasma.

In some embodiments, the plasma apparatus 1 may plasma activate the surface of the workpiece to be processed by plasma. In some embodiments, the plasma apparatus 1 may perform other treatments on the workpiece to be processed by the plasma.

In certain embodiments, the plasma apparatus 1 comprises a base 11, a metal ring 12, and a movable dielectric ring 13. In certain embodiments, the base 11 is configured to carry a workpiece to be machined. In some embodiments, a metal ring 12 is disposed over the base 11. In certain embodiments, the metal ring 12 is configured to encircle a workpiece to be machined. In some embodiments, the removable media ring 13 is disposed over the base 11. In certain embodiments, the orthographic projection of the movable media ring 13 covers the metal ring 12, in other words, the movable media ring 13 completely obscures the metal ring 12 from a top view. In certain embodiments, the movable dielectric ring 13 comprises an insulating material. In certain embodiments, the movable media ring 13 comprises ceramic or polytetrafluoroethylene. In some embodiments, the movable dielectric ring 13 may comprise an alumina ceramic, an aluminum nitride ceramic, or polytetrafluoroethylene. In certain embodiments, the removable media ring 13 comprises polyimide.

It is noted that the plasma apparatus 1 also comprises other necessary elements to effect the processing of the workpiece to be processed. For example, the plasma apparatus 1 further comprises a chamber to accommodate the susceptor 11, the metal ring 12 and the movable medium ring 13. For example, the plasma apparatus 1 further comprises a control member (e.g. a stepper motor, etc.) to control the movement of the movable medium ring 13.

Fig. 2 illustrates a schematic diagram of a plasma apparatus 2 according to an embodiment of the present application. In certain embodiments, the plasma apparatus 2 may be used to implement the plasma apparatus 1 of fig. 1. In some embodiments, the plasma apparatus 2 ignites the reaction gas charged in the plasma apparatus 2 by the radio frequency power supplied from the radio frequency power source (not shown) to generate plasma, and processes the workpiece WF to be processed by the plasma.

In certain embodiments, the plasma apparatus 2 includes a base 21, a metal ring 22, and a movable media ring 23. In some embodiments, a pedestal 21 is disposed at a lower portion of the plasma apparatus 2 and is configured to carry a workpiece WF to be processed. In some embodiments, the pedestal 21 is coupled to an external radio frequency power source RFS to attract the plasma to process the workpiece WF to be processed on the pedestal 21.

In some embodiments, the metal ring 22 is disposed over the base 21. In some embodiments, the metal ring 22 may be moved into the plasma apparatus 2 simultaneously with the workpiece WF to be processed and placed on the susceptor 21. In some embodiments, the metal ring 22 may be disposed directly on the base 21. In some embodiments, the metal ring 22 surrounds the work piece WF to be machined when the work piece WF to be machined is placed on the base 21.

In some embodiments, the removable media ring 23 is disposed over the base 21. In some embodiments, the movable media ring 23 is coupled to a control unit CE, which is used to control the movement of the movable media ring 23. In some embodiments, the control unit CE may control the movable media ring 23 to perform a movement in a vertical direction. In some embodiments, the control unit CE may control the movable medium ring 23 to perform a movement in a horizontal direction. In certain embodiments, the movable media ring 23 comprises ceramic or polytetrafluoroethylene. In some embodiments, the movable media ring 23 may comprise an alumina ceramic, an aluminum nitride ceramic, or polytetrafluoroethylene. In certain embodiments, the removable media ring 23 comprises polyimide

In some embodiments, the orthographic projection of the movable media ring 23 covers the metal ring 22. Referring to fig. 3, fig. 3 illustrates a top view of a movable media ring 23 and a workpiece WF to be processed placed on a base 21 according to an embodiment of the present application. Since the front projection of the movable medium ring 23 covers the metal ring 22, the movable medium ring 23 completely shields the metal ring 22 from a top view. In some embodiments, the movable media ring 23 may be entirely abutted against the upper surface of the metal ring 22. In some embodiments, the distance between the movable media ring 23 and the metal ring 22 is in the range of 0-5 millimeters. In some embodiments, the distance between the movable media ring 23 and the metal ring 22 is in the range of 0-1 mm.

Referring again to fig. 2, in some embodiments, the inner diameter 1R23 of the movable media ring 23 is equal to the inner diameter of the metal ring 22, in other words, the inner circumference 1S23 of the movable media ring 23 is aligned with the inner circumference of the metal ring 22. In some embodiments, the inner diameter 1R23 of the movable medium ring 23 is smaller than the inner diameter of the metal ring 22, in other words, the inner circumference 1S23 of the movable medium ring 23 is closer to the work WF to be processed than the inner circumference of the metal ring 22. The true size of the movable media ring 23 has a correlation with the true size of the metal ring 22 and/or the true size of the movable media ring 23. In some embodiments, the inner diameter R23 of the movable media ring 23 is approximately in the range of 300-320 millimeters when the diameter of the workpiece WF to be machined is 300 millimeters. In some embodiments, the inner diameter R23 of the movable media ring 23 is approximately in the range of 302-310 mm when the diameter of the workpiece WF to be machined is 300 mm. In some embodiments, the inner diameter R23 of the movable media ring 23 is approximately in the range of 300.4-306 millimeters when the diameter of the workpiece WF to be machined is 300 millimeters.

In certain embodiments, the outer diameter 2R23 of the movable media ring 23 is equal to the outer diameter of the metal ring 22, in other words, the outer circumference 2S23 of the movable media ring 23 is aligned with the outer circumference of the metal ring 22. In some embodiments, the outer diameter 2R23 of the movable medium ring 23 is larger than the outer diameter of the metal ring 22, in other words, the outer circumference 2S23 of the movable medium ring 23 is farther from the work WF to be processed than the outer circumference of the metal ring 22. In some embodiments, the outer diameter 2R23 of the movable media ring 23 is in the range of 0.4-6 mm greater than the outer diameter of the metal ring 22 when the diameter of the workpiece WF to be machined is 300 mm.

It should be noted that, the inner diameter of the movable medium ring 23 is only slightly larger than the diameter of the workpiece WF to be processed to avoid influencing the processing of the workpiece WF to be processed, and the inner diameter and the outer diameter of the movable medium ring 23 only need to completely cover the metal ring 22. The inner and outer diameters of the movable media ring 23 are not a limitation of the present application.

When the workpiece WF to be processed is to be moved into the plasma apparatus 2, the control means CE controls the movable medium ring 23 to move in a direction away from the base 21. The control unit CE may control the movable medium ring 23 to move away from the base 21 in a vertical or horizontal direction. Next, the robot arm grips the workpiece WF to be processed, and moves the workpiece WF to be processed into the plasma apparatus 2 and places it on the susceptor 21. When the work WF to be processed is placed on the base 21, the metal ring 22 surrounds the work WF to be processed. Next, the control part CE controls the movable medium ring 23 to move in a direction approaching the base 21 until the movable medium ring 23 is completely abutted against the metal ring 22 or is spaced apart from the metal ring 22. Then, the plasma equipment 2 generates plasma by igniting the reaction gas, and then processes the workpiece WF to be processed by the plasma.

By means of the plasma device 2, when the workpiece WF to be processed is processed by means of plasma, the movable medium ring 23 completely shields the metal ring 22, so that the risk of arc discharge under high electric field can be reduced, and even the electric field can be effectively prevented from generating arc discharge between the metal ring 22 and the workpiece WF to be processed. In addition, the movable medium ring 23 completely shields the metal ring 22, so that plasma bombardment on the metal ring 22 can be effectively avoided, and further metal sputtering pollution is avoided in the plasma equipment 2.

It should be noted that, although the movable medium ring 23 has a circular ring structure in the embodiment of fig. 2, in other embodiments, the movable medium ring 23 may have other shapes. The shape of the movable dielectric ring 23 is not a limitation of the present application as long as it can cover the metal ring 22 at the time of processing.

Fig. 4 illustrates a schematic view of a plasma apparatus 3 according to an embodiment of the present application. The plasma device 3 is substantially identical to the plasma device 2, with the only difference being the movable dielectric ring 33. Therefore, the same parts of the plasma apparatus 3 as those of the plasma apparatus 2 will not be described in detail, to save space. In some embodiments, the inner circumference 1S33 of the movable media ring 33 has a downwardly extending sidewall portion 331. In some embodiments, the sidewall 331 is configured to shield the metal ring 22 from the side to achieve better shielding. In some embodiments, the sidewall portion 331 is annular. In some embodiments, the sidewall 331 may also be an incomplete ring, in other words, the sidewall 331 may be composed of a plurality of downwardly extending teeth.

Fig. 5 illustrates a schematic diagram of a plasma apparatus 4 according to an embodiment of the present application. The plasma device 4 is substantially identical to the plasma device 2, except that the plasma device 4 further comprises a liner 44. Therefore, the same parts of the plasma apparatus 3 as those of the plasma apparatus 2 will not be described in detail for brevity.

In certain embodiments, the bushing 44 includes a first extension 441 extending upwardly from the outer circumference 2S23 of the movable media ring 23. In certain embodiments, the bushing 44 further includes a second extension 442 extending downward from the outer circumference 2S23 of the movable media ring 23. In certain embodiments, the bushing 44 is annular in shape. In certain embodiments, the bushing 44 is integrally formed with the movable media ring 23. In some embodiments, the bushing 44 and the removable media ring 23 may be removably connected. In some embodiments, the first extension 441 and the second extension 442 may be detachably connected. In some embodiments, the material of the bushing 44 is similar to the movable media ring 23. In certain embodiments, the bushing 44 comprises ceramic or polytetrafluoroethylene. In certain embodiments, the liner 44 may comprise an alumina ceramic, an aluminum nitride ceramic, or polytetrafluoroethylene. In some embodiments, the control element CE may control the movable media ring 23 and the bushing 44 to move together simultaneously. In some embodiments, the movable media ring 23 and the bushing 44 may be moved separately by different control components (not shown).

Fig. 6 illustrates an enlarged view of the movable media ring 23 and the bushing 44 according to an embodiment of the present application. In some embodiments, the bushing 44 is at an angle θ in the range of 5-95 degrees to the movable media ring 23. In some embodiments, the bushing 44 is at an angle θ in the range of 10-90 degrees to the movable media ring 23. In some embodiments, the bushing 44 is at an angle θ in the range of 15-75 degrees to the movable media ring 23. The plasma may cause excessive sputtering of a partial region or partial region activation failure after the surface activation treatment due to the edge effect, uniformity difference. By changing the angle θ between the bushing 44 and the movable medium ring 23, the incidence angle of the plasma on the surface of the workpiece WF to be processed can be adjusted, so that the plasma is more concentrated in the center of the workpiece WF to be processed or is deviated from the center of the workpiece WF to be processed.

In some embodiments, the change in the included angle θ may be accomplished by maintaining the bushing 44 vertical and adjusting the tilt angle of the movable media ring 23. Referring to fig. 7A, by setting the movable medium ring 23 to be inclined and setting the bushing 44 to be vertical, the angle θ can be adjusted thereby. In some embodiments, the change in the included angle θ may be achieved by maintaining the movable media ring 23 horizontal and adjusting the tilt angle of the bushing 44. Referring to fig. 7B, by setting the movable medium ring 23 to be horizontal and setting the bush 44 to be inclined, the angle θ can be adjusted thereby. However, the present application is not limited thereto. In some embodiments, the change of the included angle θ may be achieved by simultaneously changing the inclination angle of the bushing 44 and the inclination angle of the movable medium ring 23, and those skilled in the art will understand the implementation thereof after reading the above embodiments, and detailed descriptions thereof will be omitted herein.

It should be noted that the above embodiments may be combined with each other. For example, the movable media ring 33 in the embodiment of FIG. 4 may be combined with the bushing 44 in the embodiment of FIG. 5. Those skilled in the art will understand the embodiments after reading the above examples, and detailed descriptions thereof are omitted herein.

In this application, different structural designs of the movable media ring 23 or liner 44, such as shape, size, etc., may be adjusted to affect plasma, gas flow characteristics to alter the uniformity of surface activation. The device can be applied to various fields, such as treatment before wafer bonding, can improve the uniformity of plasma, ensure uniform activation effect, increase the bonding success rate, and can also be applied to other devices needing shielding metal rings during treatment.

As used herein, the terms "approximately," "substantially," and "about" are used to describe and account for minor variations. When used in connection with an event or circumstance, the terms can refer to instances where the event or circumstance occurs precisely and instances where it occurs to the close approximation. As used herein with respect to a given value or range, the term "about" generally means within ±10%, ±5%, ±1% or ±0.5% of the given value or range. Ranges can be expressed herein as from one endpoint to the other endpoint, or between two endpoints. Unless otherwise specified, all ranges disclosed herein include endpoints. The term "substantially coplanar" may refer to two surfaces within a few micrometers (μm) positioned along a same plane, for example, within 10 μm, within 5 μm, within 1 μm, or within 0.5 μm positioned along the same plane. When referring to "substantially" the same value or property, the term may refer to a value that is within ±10%, 5%, 1% or 0.5% of the average value of the values.

As used herein, the terms "approximately," "substantially," and "about" are used to describe and explain minor variations. When used in connection with an event or circumstance, the terms can refer to instances where the event or circumstance occurs precisely and instances where it occurs to the close approximation. For example, when used in conjunction with a numerical value, the term can refer to a range of variation of less than or equal to ±10% of the numerical value, e.g., less than or equal to ±5%, less than or equal to ±4%, less than or equal to ±3%, less than or equal to ±2%, less than or equal to ±1%, less than or equal to ±0.5%, less than or equal to ±0.1%, or less than or equal to ±0.05%. For example, if the difference between two values is less than or equal to + -10% of the average of the values (e.g., less than or equal to + -5%, less than or equal to + -4%, less than or equal to + -3%, less than or equal to + -2%, less than or equal to + -1%, less than or equal to + -0.5%, less than or equal to + -0.1%, or less than or equal to + -0.05%), then the two values may be considered to be "substantially" or "about" the same. For example, "substantially" parallel may refer to a range of angular variation of less than or equal to ±10° relative to 0 °, for example, less than or equal to ±5°, less than or equal to ±4°, less than or equal to ±3°, less than or equal to ±2°, less than or equal to ±1°, less than or equal to ±0.5°, less than or equal to ±0.1°, or less than or equal to ±0.05°. For example, "substantially" perpendicular may refer to a range of angular variation of less than or equal to ±10° relative to 90 °, for example, less than or equal to ±5°, less than or equal to ±4°, less than or equal to ±3°, less than or equal to ±2°, less than or equal to ±1°, less than or equal to ±0.5°, less than or equal to ±0.1°, or less than or equal to ±0.05°.

For example, two surfaces may be considered to be coplanar or substantially coplanar if the displacement between the two surfaces is equal to or less than 5 μm, equal to or less than 2 μm, equal to or less than 1 μm, or equal to or less than 0.5 μm. A surface may be considered planar or substantially planar if the displacement of the surface relative to the plane between any two points on the surface is equal to or less than 5 μm, equal to or less than 2 μm, equal to or less than 1 μm, or equal to or less than 0.5 μm.

As used herein, the terms "conductive", "conductive (electrically conductive)" and "conductivity" refer to the ability to transfer electrical current. Conductive materials generally indicate those materials that are little or zero opposing to current flow. One measure of conductivity is Siemens per meter (S/m). Typically, the conductive material is one having a conductivity greater than approximately 104S/m (e.g., at least 105S/m or at least 106S/m). The conductivity of a material can sometimes vary with temperature. Unless otherwise specified, the conductivity of a material is measured at room temperature.

As used herein, the singular terms "a" and "an" may include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. In the description of some embodiments, a component provided "on" or "over" another component may encompass the case where the former component is directly on (e.g., in physical contact with) the latter component, as well as the case where one or more intermediate components are located between the former component and the latter component.

As used herein, spatially relative terms such as "below," "lower," "above," "upper," "lower," "left," "right," and the like may be used herein for ease of description to describe one component or feature's relationship to another component or feature as illustrated in the figures. In addition to the orientations depicted in the figures, the spatially relative terms are intended to encompass different orientations of the device in use or operation. The apparatus may be otherwise oriented (rotated 90 degrees or at other orientations) and the spatially relative descriptors used herein interpreted accordingly. It will be understood that when an element is referred to as being "connected" or "coupled" to another element, it can be directly connected or coupled to the other element or intervening elements may be present.

The foregoing has outlined features of several embodiments and detailed aspects of the present disclosure. The embodiments described in this disclosure may be readily used as a basis for designing or modifying other processes and structures for carrying out the same or similar purposes and/or obtaining the same or similar advantages of the embodiments introduced herein. Such equivalent constructions do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure and are susceptible to various changes, substitutions and alterations without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure.

Claims (13)

1. A plasma apparatus, comprising:

a base configured to carry a workpiece to be processed;

a metal ring disposed above the base and configured to surround the workpiece to be processed; and

and the movable medium ring is arranged above the base, and the orthographic projection of the movable medium ring covers the metal ring.

2. The plasma apparatus of claim 1 wherein the inner circumference of the movable dielectric ring has a downwardly extending sidewall portion.

3. The plasma apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the side wall portion has a circular ring shape.

4. A plasma apparatus according to any one of claims 1-3, further comprising:

a bushing includes a first extension extending upwardly from an outer circumference of the movable media ring.

5. The plasma apparatus of claim 4, wherein the liner further comprises a second extension extending downward from an outer circumference of the movable media ring.

6. The plasma apparatus of claim 4 wherein the liner is integrally formed with the movable dielectric ring.

7. The plasma apparatus of claim 4 wherein the liner is removably coupled to the movable dielectric ring.

8. The plasma apparatus of claim 4 wherein the liner forms an angle with the movable media ring in the range of 5-95 degrees.

9. The plasma apparatus of claim 4 wherein the movable dielectric ring and the liner comprise ceramic or polytetrafluoroethylene.

10. The plasma apparatus of claim 1 wherein the movable media ring is configured to move away from the pedestal as the workpiece to be processed enters the plasma apparatus.

11. The plasma apparatus of claim 1, wherein the movable dielectric ring is configured to move in a direction approaching the base when the workpiece to be processed is placed on the base.

12. The plasma apparatus of claim 11, wherein the movable dielectric ring is configured to move in a direction approaching the base to a distance in a range of 0-5 millimeters from the metal ring when the workpiece to be processed is placed on the base.

13. The plasma apparatus of claim 1, wherein an inner diameter of the movable dielectric ring is in a range of 300-310 millimeters.

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