CN117293010A

CN117293010A - Limiting ring and manufacturing method thereof

Info

Publication number: CN117293010A
Application number: CN202311578493.2A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 邱勇; 王兆祥; 张朋兵; 涂乐义; 梁洁
Original assignee: Shanghai Nippon Semiconductor Equipment Co ltd
Current assignee: Shanghai Nippon Semiconductor Equipment Co ltd
Priority date: 2023-11-24
Filing date: 2023-11-24
Publication date: 2023-12-26
Anticipated expiration: 2043-11-24
Also published as: CN117293010B

Abstract

The application discloses a confinement ring and a method of manufacturing the same, the confinement ring comprising a bracket and a plurality of spacers; the plurality of isolation plates are detachably arranged on the bracket respectively, and gaps exist between every two adjacent isolation plates to form a fluid channel; at least part of the isolation plates are independent in structure, and no non-detachable connecting structure is arranged in the structure.

Description

Limiting ring and manufacturing method thereof

Technical Field

The invention relates to the field of semiconductor equipment, in particular to a limiting ring and a manufacturing method thereof.

Background

Plasma etching technology is already a well-established etching technology, and accordingly, plasma etchers are widely used. At present, in the process of carrying out plasma etching by a plasma etching machine, reaction gas is introduced into a reaction area, and plasma is generated under certain conditions, wherein the plasma reacts with an object to be etched; the plasma reacts with the object to be etched to generate byproducts, and the byproducts and the unreacted plasma need to be discharged in time. Accordingly, the plasma etcher pumps the byproducts and unreacted plasma out of the reaction zone through a pumping device.

It should be noted that, due to the high energy and high activity, the plasma needs to be annihilated in the process of pumping the plasma, so that the plasma is prevented from entering the pumping system, and damage is caused to components (such as a pressure control valve, a molecular pump and the like) in the pumping system. And the plasma is a good conductor, and the plasma which does not react with the object to be etched can influence the distribution and intensity of the electric field on the surface of the wafer.

In order to solve the above problems, a confinement ring is provided in a plasma etcher, the confinement ring is provided with a trench structure, the free path of gas molecules becomes small when plasma passes through the trench structure, electrons and ions collide, so that the electrons and the ions of the plasma are neutralized, thereby causing annihilation of the plasma, and the plasma is confined in a preset confinement region in such a way.

However, existing confinement rings have some problems. Specifically, the existing limiting ring is integrally formed by aluminum materials, as shown in fig. 1 of the specification, the limiting ring comprises a bottom wall P1 and a plurality of extending walls P2 integrally extending upwards from the bottom wall P1, and grooves are formed among the extending walls; and the surface of the aluminum material needs to be treated, for example, an etching-resistant film is generated by anodic oxidation or surface spraying, so as to avoid etching of the aluminum material. The prior limiting ring has the following problems: (1) the metal working and surface treatment processes are high; (2) The limiting ring is integrally formed, so that the depth-to-width ratio of the groove is not adjustable; (3) Some sediments are easy to generate in the etching process and are attached to the surface of the limiting ring, the limiting ring is required to be cleaned regularly, the limiting ring is integrally formed, the width of a groove is smaller, the depth is larger, and the inside is difficult to clean; (4) The confinement rings are made of metal, which is a good conductor and affects the electric field distribution in the region where the plasma is located.

Accordingly, a new type of confinement ring design is needed.

Disclosure of Invention

An advantage of the present application is that a confinement ring and a method of manufacturing the same are provided, wherein the present application provides a novel confinement ring structural design scheme with an adjustable aspect ratio of a fluid channel of the confinement ring.

Another advantage of the present application is to provide a confinement ring and a method of manufacturing the same, wherein in the confinement ring described herein, the spacer for forming the grooves is a split structure, which improves the design flexibility of the aspect ratio of the fluid channel of the confinement ring.

Still another advantage of the present application is to provide a confinement ring and a method for manufacturing the same, wherein in the confinement ring described herein, isolation plates for forming grooves are detachably mounted on a bracket, respectively, the isolation plates and the bracket are non-integral, and flexibility in assembling and selecting materials of the isolation plates and the bracket is high.

It is still another advantage of the present application to provide a confinement ring and a method of manufacturing the same, in which, in the confinement ring described herein, isolation plates for forming grooves are detachably mounted to a bracket, respectively, so that the confinement ring is easily cleaned.

Yet another advantage of the present application is that a confinement ring and method of manufacturing the same are provided wherein the confinement ring of the present application is easy to process, mass producible, and low in cost of manufacturing materials.

To achieve at least one of the above or other advantages and objects, according to one aspect of the present application, there is provided a confinement ring, wherein the confinement ring is adapted to be installed in a plasma etcher, wherein the plasma etcher has a reaction zone and a pumping zone, and the confinement ring is installed between the reaction zone and the pumping zone, the confinement ring comprising: a bracket and a plurality of separator plates;

the plurality of isolation plates are detachably arranged on the bracket respectively, and gaps exist between every two adjacent isolation plates to form a fluid channel;

at least part of the isolation plates are independent in structure, and no non-detachable connecting structure is arranged in the structure.

In an embodiment of the confinement ring according to the present application, the bracket has a plurality of mounting grooves, and the plurality of the partition plates are mounted to the bracket by being inserted into the mounting grooves.

In an embodiment of the confinement ring according to the present application, the support includes a main body skeleton and a plurality of installation components of a whole that can function independently of installing in the main body skeleton, the main body skeleton includes outer rampart and is located the interior rampart in the outer rampart, outer rampart with interior rampart is cyclic annular, a plurality of the installation components of a whole that can function independently arrange in between interior rampart and the outer rampart, the mounting groove form in on the installation components of a whole that can function independently.

In an embodiment of the confinement ring according to the present application, the mounting sub-body has an upper end face and a lower end face opposite to each other, and a first side face and a second side face extending between the upper end face of the mounting sub-body and the lower end face of the mounting sub-body, the second side face being opposite to the first side face, and a partial area of the upper end face of the mounting sub-body is recessed downward to form the mounting groove, and the mounting groove penetrates through the first side face and the second side face.

In one embodiment of the confinement ring according to the present application, the mounting segment has opposite first and second sides, and a hollow structure formed between the first and second sides, the hollow structure forming the mounting groove.

In one embodiment of the confinement ring according to the present application, a plurality of the spacers are mounted to the bracket by screws.

In an embodiment of the confinement ring according to the present application, each of the isolation plates extends along a circumferential direction set by the support, and is annular, and the isolation plates are arranged along a radial direction set by the support; or, each isolation plate extends along the radial direction set by the bracket, and a plurality of isolation plates are arranged along the circumferential direction set by the bracket.

In an embodiment of the confinement ring according to the present application, the support includes a main body skeleton and a plurality of installation components of a whole that can function independently of installing in the main body skeleton, the main body skeleton includes outer rampart and is located the inner rampart in the outer rampart, outer rampart with the inner rampart is cyclic annular, a plurality of installation components of a whole that can function independently arrange in between inner rampart and the outer rampart.

In an embodiment of the confinement ring according to the present application, the spacer is made of a material selected from any one or more of the following materials: ceramics, quartz; the bracket is made of any one or more of the following materials: metal, ceramic, quartz.

According to another aspect of the present application, there is provided a method of manufacturing a confinement ring, comprising:

forming a bracket between a reaction space and an air exhaust space of the plasma etching machine;

forming a plurality of isolation plates, wherein at least part of the isolation plates are structurally independent from each other, and no non-detachable connecting structure is arranged on the structure; and

and a plurality of isolation plates are detachably arranged on the bracket respectively, wherein gaps exist between every two adjacent isolation plates, so that a fluid channel is formed.

In an embodiment of the method for manufacturing a confinement ring according to the present application, the method for manufacturing a confinement ring further includes: forming a reaction space and an air extraction space.

Further objects and advantages of the present application will become fully apparent from the following description and the accompanying drawings.

These and other objects, features, and advantages of the present application will become more fully apparent from the following detailed description, the accompanying drawings, and the appended claims.

Drawings

The invention is explained below on the basis of embodiments shown in the drawings, wherein similar or identical elements have the same reference numerals.

FIG. 1 illustrates a schematic cross-sectional view of a confinement ring of a prior art plasma etcher.

Fig. 2 illustrates a schematic perspective view of a plasma etcher in accordance with an embodiment of the present application.

FIG. 3 illustrates a disassembled schematic view of one implementation of a confinement ring of a plasma etcher in accordance with an embodiment of the application.

FIG. 4 illustrates a schematic plan view of one implementation of a confinement ring of a plasma etcher in accordance with an embodiment of the application.

FIG. 5 illustrates a schematic plan view of a support of an implementation of a confinement ring of a plasma etcher in accordance with an embodiment of the application.

FIG. 6 illustrates a schematic cross-sectional view of one implementation of a confinement ring of a plasma etcher in accordance with an embodiment of the application.

FIG. 7 illustrates a schematic plan view of another implementation of a confinement ring of a plasma etcher in accordance with an embodiment of the application.

FIG. 8 illustrates a schematic plan view of a support of another implementation of a confinement ring of a plasma etcher in accordance with an embodiment of the application.

FIG. 9 illustrates a cross-sectional schematic view of another implementation of a confinement ring of a plasma etcher in accordance with an embodiment of the application.

FIG. 10 illustrates a flow chart of a method of manufacturing a confinement ring in accordance with an embodiment of the application.

Detailed Description

The terms and words used in the following description and claims are not limited to literal meanings, but are used only by the inventors to enable a clear and consistent understanding of the application. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art, therefore, that the following description of the various embodiments of the present application is provided for the purpose of illustration only and not for the purpose of limiting the application as defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

It will be understood that the terms "a" and "an" should be interpreted as referring to "at least one" or "one or more," i.e., in one embodiment, the number of elements may be one, while in another embodiment, the number of elements may be plural, and the term "a" should not be interpreted as limiting the number.

Although ordinal numbers such as "first," "second," etc., will be used to describe various components, those components are not limited herein. The term is used merely to distinguish one component from another. For example, a first component may be referred to as a second component, and likewise, a second component may be referred to as a first component, without departing from the teachings of the present application. The term "and/or" as used herein includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing various embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting. As used herein, the singular is intended to include the plural as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms "comprises" and/or "comprising," when used in this specification, specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, or groups thereof, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, or groups thereof.

As previously mentioned, existing confinement rings present some problems. Specifically, the existing limiting ring is integrally formed by aluminum materials, as shown in fig. 1 of the specification, the limiting ring comprises a bottom wall P1 and a plurality of extending walls P2 integrally extending upwards from the bottom wall P1, and grooves are formed among the extending walls; and the surface of the aluminum material needs to be treated, for example, an etching-resistant film is generated by anodic oxidation or surface spraying, so as to avoid etching of the aluminum material. The prior limiting ring has the following problems: (1) the metal working and surface treatment processes are high; (2) The limiting ring is integrally formed, so that the depth-to-width ratio of the groove is not adjustable; (3) Some sediments are easy to generate in the etching process and are attached to the surface of the limiting ring, the limiting ring is required to be cleaned regularly, the limiting ring is integrally formed, the width of a groove is smaller, the depth is larger, and the inside is difficult to clean; (4) The confinement rings are made of metal, which is a good conductor and affects the electric field distribution in the region where the plasma is located.

In view of the above problems, the applicant of the present application proposes to design the isolation plate for forming the grooves as a split structure, so that the aspect ratio of the fluid channel of the confinement ring is adjustable, and the design flexibility of the aspect ratio of the fluid channel of the confinement ring is improved. Further, the isolation plates for forming the grooves are detachably arranged on a support respectively, the isolation plates and the support are non-integrated, and the assembly flexibility and the material selection flexibility of the isolation plates and the support are high. The spacers for forming the grooves are detachably mounted to the brackets, respectively, so that the confinement rings are easily cleaned.

Based on this, the present application proposes a confinement ring comprising: a bracket and a plurality of separator plates; the plurality of isolation plates are detachably arranged on the bracket respectively, and gaps exist between every two adjacent isolation plates to form a fluid channel; at least part of the isolation plates are independent in structure, and no non-detachable connecting structure is arranged in the structure.

The present application also proposes a method of manufacturing a confinement ring, comprising: forming a bracket; forming a plurality of isolation plates, wherein at least part of the isolation plates are structurally independent from each other, and no non-detachable connecting structure is arranged on the structure; and detachably arranging a plurality of isolation plates on the bracket respectively, wherein a gap exists between every two adjacent isolation plates to form a fluid channel.

Schematic plasma etcher

As shown in fig. 2 to 9, a plasma etcher according to an embodiment of the present application is illustrated. Specifically, as shown in fig. 2, in the embodiment of the present application, the plasma etcher includes a body main casing 10, an air intake assembly 20, a radio frequency generating assembly 30, a carrier assembly 40, and a confinement ring 50. The internal space of the main body case 10 is divided into a reaction space 110, an exhaust space 120, and a radio frequency generation space 130, and the radio frequency generation space 130 and the exhaust space 120 are respectively communicated with the reaction space 110. The gas inlet assembly 20 is installed in the reaction space 110, and is used for introducing a reaction gas into the reaction space 110. The carrier assembly 40 is mounted in the reaction space 110 for carrying an object to be etched (e.g., a wafer to which a material layer to be etched is applied). The rf generating assembly 30 is mounted in the rf generating space 130 for generating rf energy. The radio frequency energy is used for activating the reaction gas to generate plasma. The plasma can react with the object to be etched to etch the object to be etched. The confinement ring 50 is disposed between the reaction space 110 and the pumping space 120, and is used to confine plasma in the reaction space 110, so as to prevent the plasma from entering the pumping space 120.

Specifically, the specific division of the internal space of the main body case 10 is not limited to the present application. For example, in one embodiment of the present application, the main body casing 10 includes a lower casing including a lower casing bottom wall 11, and an outer peripheral wall 12 extending upward from the lower casing bottom wall 11, and an upper cover 13 covering the lower casing.

The main body case 10 further includes an inner peripheral wall 14 extending upward from the lower case bottom wall 11, and a partition cross wall 15 extending between the inner peripheral wall 14 and the outer peripheral wall 12. The inner peripheral wall 14 is located inside the outer peripheral wall 12 and is spaced apart from the outer peripheral wall 12, and the upper surface of the inner peripheral wall 14 and the upper surface of the partition wall 15 are both lower than the height of the outer peripheral wall 12. The inner peripheral wall 14 and the lower shell bottom wall 11 enclose a lower inner ring cavity located inside the inner peripheral wall 14, the lower inner ring cavity has an upward opening, and the carrier assembly 40 is mounted above the inner peripheral wall 14 and at least partially corresponds to the opening of the lower inner ring cavity to form a cover of the lower inner ring cavity.

The partition wall 15, and the carrier assembly 40 divide the inner space of the body main case 10 into an upper space and a lower space between which the upper space is used as the reaction space 110. The inner peripheral wall 14 divides the lower space into a radio frequency generating space 130 located inside the inner peripheral wall 14 and an air extracting space 120 located between the inner peripheral wall 14 and the outer peripheral wall 12, wherein the inner peripheral wall 14, the lower case bottom wall 11 and the carrier assembly 40 enclose to form a lower portion located in the main body case 10 and the radio frequency generating space 130 located inside the inner peripheral wall 14, and the inner peripheral wall 14, the outer peripheral wall 12 and the partition transverse wall 15 enclose to form an air extracting space 120 located in the lower portion of the main body and located between the outside of the inner side wall and the inside of the outer peripheral wall 12. The pumping plenum 120 is adapted to be connected to a pumping system. The partition wall 15 has a vent 151 to allow the excess gas in the reaction space 110 to enter the pumping space 120 and be pumped out of the plasma etcher.

The specific structure of the air inlet assembly 20 and the specific embodiment of the air inlet assembly installed in the reaction space 110 are not limited in this application. Optionally, the upper cover 13 of the main body 10 has an upper cover opening 131, and the air inlet assembly 20 extends at least partially into the reaction space 110. For example, the air intake assembly 20 includes an air homogenizing member 21, an air intake cover plate 22, and an air intake passage 23, and the air homogenizing member 21 extends from the upper cover opening 131 into the reaction space 110. Specifically, the gas homogenizing member 21 includes a gas homogenizing plate 211 and a plate holder 212 connected to the gas homogenizing plate 211, wherein the plate holder 212 includes a longitudinally extending wall 2121 having opposite upper and lower ends and a laterally mounting wing 2122, the gas homogenizing plate 211 is connected to the lower end of the longitudinally extending wall 2121 and is located inside the longitudinally extending wall 2121, and the laterally mounting wing 2122 is connected to the upper end of the longitudinally extending wall 2121 and extends outwardly from the longitudinally extending wall 2121. The radial dimension of the portion of the tray support 212 provided with the transverse mounting wings 2122 is larger than the radial dimension of the upper cover opening 131, when the gas homogenizing member 21 extends into the reaction space 110 from the upper cover opening 131, the gas homogenizing tray 211 and the portion of the longitudinal extending wall 2121 located below the transverse mounting wings 2122 enter the reaction space 110, the gas homogenizing tray 211 has a plurality of through holes and is communicated with the reaction space 110, and the transverse mounting wings 2122 are blocked at the upper cover opening 131.

The gas distribution plate 211 may be integrally connected to the plate holder 212, or may be separately connected to the plate holder 212, which is not limited to the present application. The longitudinally extending wall 2121 may be integrally connected to the lateral mounting wing 2122 or may be separately connected to the lateral mounting wing 2122, which is not limited to the present application.

The air inlet cover plate 22 is disposed at an upper end of the longitudinally extending wall 2121 and is located inside the longitudinally extending wall 2121, the air inlet cover plate 22 and the air homogenizing member 21 enclose to form an air inlet space 210, and the air inlet space 210 formed by the air inlet cover plate 22 and the air homogenizing member 21 encloses is communicated with the reaction space 110. The air inlet channel 23 passes through the air inlet cover 22, and enters the air inlet space 210 formed by enclosing the air inlet cover 22 and the air homogenizing member 21, and then enters the reaction space 110. The gas inlet channel 23 is adapted to be connected to a gas supply device, which can deliver a reaction gas to the reaction space 110 through the gas inlet channel 23.

Optionally, the air intake assembly 20 further includes a buffer 24 located between the air distribution plate 211 of the air distribution member 21 and the air intake passage 23. The buffer member 24 is used to control the rate of reaction gas entering the reaction space 110, i.e., the gas inlet rate.

It should be appreciated that the specific structure of the air intake assembly 20 may be mounted to the reaction space 110 in other manners. For example, the air intake assembly 20 includes an air intake passage 23, the air intake passage 23 extending into the reaction space 110 through the upper cover 13 or the peripheral wall 12 of the main body case 10; the air inlet assembly 20 further comprises an air homogenizing component 21 arranged between the air inlet channel 23 and the reaction space 110, the air homogenizing component 21 comprises an air homogenizing disc 211 and a disc support 212, and the disc support 212 is connected between the main body shell 10 and the air homogenizing disc 211. The gas homogenizing member 21 may be installed in the reaction space 110 entirely or partially, and is not limited to this.

The carrier assembly 40 includes a carrier 41, a support structure 42, and an insulating ring 43. The carrier is used for placing an object to be etched, the supporting structure 42 is disposed between the inner peripheral wall 14 and the carrier 41, and the insulating ring 43 surrounds the carrier. A retention structure may be configured for the stage 41 to stabilize the position of the object to be etched, for example, an electrostatic adsorption structure may be configured for the stage 41, or a mechanical engagement structure may be configured for the stage 41.

The rf generating assembly 30 includes an rf feed rod 31 extending into the rf generating space 130 and a rf feed source 32 coupled thereto. The rf feed rod 31 feeds rf energy into the reaction space 110 in communication with the rf generation space 130, so that the reaction gas is ionized into charged ions with neutral active atoms and high energy level under the glow discharge. Because of the existence of the plasma sheath layer on the surface of the wafer, ions are attracted by the electric field of the sheath layer so as to accelerate the bombardment of the wafer, and meanwhile, active atoms and ions can react with the wafer chemically, and the purpose of etching the wafer is achieved due to physical and chemical effects.

As described above, the plasma needs to be annihilated during the process of pumping out the plasma due to high energy and high activity, so as to avoid the plasma from entering the pumping system and damaging the components (such as the pressure control valve, the molecular pump, etc.) in the pumping system. And the plasma is a good conductor, and the plasma which does not react with the object to be etched can influence the distribution and intensity of the electric field on the surface of the wafer.

Based on this, a confinement ring 50 is disposed between the reaction space 110 and the pumping space 120, the confinement ring 50 has a fluid channel 510, the fluid channel 510 has a specific aspect ratio, the free path of gas molecules becomes smaller when plasma passes through the fluid channel 510, electrons and ions collide, so that electrons and ions of the plasma are neutralized, thereby annihilating the plasma, and confining the plasma in the reaction region in such a manner.

It should be noted that, the greater the aspect ratio of the fluid channel 510 of the confinement ring 50 (i.e., the ratio of the depth of the fluid channel 510 to the width of the fluid channel 510), the higher the probability of collision between electrons and ions in the plasma, but at the same time, the greater the aspect ratio of the fluid channel 510, the greater the air resistance, which affects the pumping efficiency. Some processes require high plasma density and, in order to have good confinement effects, the aspect ratio of the fluid channel 510 needs to be increased. Some processes require relatively low gas pressures, which may increase pumping efficiency and reduce the aspect ratio of the fluid channel 510.

The present application proposes to design the confinement rings 50 in such a way that their flow channels are adjustable. Specifically, the spacer plate 52 for forming the fluid channel 510 is designed as a split structure, so that the aspect ratio of the fluid channel 510 of the confinement ring 50 is adjustable, and the design flexibility of the aspect ratio of the fluid channel 510 of the confinement ring 50 is improved, so that the confinement ring 50 can meet various application requirements. Further, the isolation plate 52 for forming the fluid channel 510 is detachably mounted on a bracket 51, the isolation plate 52 and the bracket 51 are non-integral, and the assembly flexibility and the material selection flexibility of the isolation plate 52 and the bracket 51 are high. The spacers 52 for forming the fluid passages 510 are detachably mounted to the brackets 51, respectively, so that the confinement rings 50 are easily cleaned.

Accordingly, the confinement ring 50 includes: a bracket 51 and a plurality of partition plates 52; wherein a plurality of isolation plates 52 are detachably arranged on the bracket 51 respectively, and a gap exists between every two adjacent isolation plates 52 to form a fluid channel 510; at least some of the spacers 52 are structurally independent of each other and are not structurally provided with non-removable attachment structures.

In the embodiment of the present application, the bracket 51 of the limiting ring 50 is mounted to the partition wall 15. Specifically, the mounting may be performed on the partition wall 15 by means of screw connection, plugging, fitting, clamping, or the like.

The morphology of the holder 51 is not limited in this application. In this embodiment, the bracket 51 includes a main body skeleton 511 and a plurality of installation components 512 installed on the main body skeleton 511, where the main body skeleton 511 includes an outer annular wall 5112 and an inner annular wall 5111 located in the outer annular wall 5112, and the outer annular wall 5112 and the inner annular wall 5111 are annular, and a plurality of installation components 512 are arranged between the inner annular wall 5111 and the outer annular wall 5112.

In this embodiment, each of the mounting sub-units 512 extends along a radial direction set by the bracket 51, and extends between the outer annular wall 5112 and the inner annular wall 5111, and the plurality of mounting sub-units 512 are arranged along a circumferential direction set by the bracket 51. It should be understood that the mounting sub-units 512 may be implemented in other manners, for example, each mounting sub-unit 512 extends along a circumferential direction defined by the bracket 51, a plurality of the mounting sub-units 512 are arranged along a radial direction defined by the bracket 51, and the bracket 51 further includes a connection structure connected between the mounting sub-units 512.

Alternatively, the bracket 51 may be integrally formed, and the mounting member 512 is integrally connected between the outer and inner walls 5112 and 5111 of the main body frame 511; the bracket 51 may also be a split structure, and the mounting split 512 is connected to the outer annular wall 5112 and/or the inner annular wall 5111 of the main body skeleton 511 in a split manner, for example, a screw connection, a plugging connection, a fitting connection, a clamping connection, etc.

The outer annular wall 5112 can be an integrally formed annular structure or a plurality of split semi-annular structures can collectively form a complete annular structure. The inner annular wall 5111 may be an integrally formed annular structure, or a plurality of split semi-annular structures may together form a complete annular structure.

The morphology of the separator 52 is not limited in this application. In some embodiments of the present application, each of the isolation plates 52 extends along the circumferential direction set by the bracket 51, and has a ring shape, and the isolation plates 52 are arranged along the radial direction set by the bracket 51; in other embodiments of the present application, each of the partition plates 52 extends in a radial direction set by the bracket 51, and a plurality of the partition plates 52 are arranged in a circumferential direction set by the bracket 51.

The manner in which the spacer plate 52 is mounted is not limited in this application. In some embodiments of the present application, the bracket 51 has a plurality of mounting grooves 501, and the plurality of partition plates 52 are mounted to the bracket 51 by being inserted into the mounting grooves 501.

In a specific example of the present application, as shown in fig. 3 to 6, each of the mounting sub-bodies 512 extends in a radial direction set by the bracket 51, extends between the outer annular wall 5112 and the inner annular wall 5111, and the plurality of mounting sub-bodies 512 are arranged in a circumferential direction set by the bracket 51; each of the partition plates 52 extends along a circumferential direction set by the bracket 51, and a plurality of the partition plates 52 are arranged along a radial direction set by the bracket 51; the mounting sub 512 has opposite upper and lower end surfaces, and first and second side surfaces 5121 and 5122 extending between the upper end surface of the mounting sub 512 and the lower end surface of the mounting sub 512, the second side surface 5122 being opposite to the first side surface 5121, a partial area of the upper end surface of the mounting sub 512 being recessed downward to form the mounting groove 501, the mounting groove 501 penetrating the first and second side surfaces 5121 and 5122, and the partition plate 52 being inserted into the mounting groove 501.

In another specific example of the present application, as shown in fig. 7 to 9, each of the mounting sub-bodies 512 extends in a radial direction set by the bracket 51, extends between the outer annular wall 5112 and the inner annular wall 5111, and the plurality of mounting sub-bodies 512 are arranged in a circumferential direction set by the bracket 51; each of the partition plates 52 extends in a radial direction set by the bracket 51, and a plurality of the partition plates 52 are arranged in a circumferential direction set by the bracket 51; the mounting sub-body 512 has opposite first and second sides 5121 and 5122, and a hollow structure formed between the first and second sides 5121 and 5122, the hollow structure forming the mounting groove 501, at least a portion of the spacer plate 52 being inserted into the mounting groove 501.

In yet another specific example of the present application, each of the mounting sub-bodies 512 extends in a radial direction set by the bracket 51, extends between the outer annular wall 5112 and the inner annular wall 5111, and the plurality of mounting sub-bodies 512 are arranged in a circumferential direction set by the bracket 51; each of the partition plates 52 extends in a radial direction set by the bracket 51, and a plurality of the partition plates 52 are arranged in a circumferential direction set by the bracket 51; the mounting sub 512 has opposite first and second sides 5121 and 5122, and a hollow structure formed between the first and second sides 5121 and 5122, the hollow structure forming part of the mounting slot 501; the outer annular wall 5112 has opposite upper and lower end surfaces, and inner and outer side surfaces extending between the upper end surface of the outer annular wall 5112 and the lower end surface of the outer annular wall 5112, the inner side surface of the outer annular wall 5112 being opposite to the outer side surface of the outer annular wall 5112, a partial region of the upper end surface of the outer annular wall 5112 being recessed downward to form another part of the mounting groove 501, the mounting groove 501 of the outer annular wall 5112 penetrating the inner side surface of the outer annular wall 5112 and/or the outer side surface of the outer annular wall 5112; the inner annular wall 5111 has opposite upper and lower end surfaces, and inner and outer side surfaces extending between the upper end surface of the inner annular wall 5111 and the lower end surface of the inner annular wall 5111, the inner side surface of the inner annular wall 5111 being opposite to the outer side surface of the inner annular wall 5111, a partial region of the upper end surface of the inner annular wall 5111 being recessed downward to form a further part of the mounting groove 501, the mounting groove 501 of the inner annular wall 5111 penetrating the inner side surface of the inner annular wall 5111 and/or the outer side surface of the inner annular wall 5111; a part of the partition plate 52 is inserted into the installation groove 501 of the installation sub-body 512, and another part of the partition plate 52 is inserted into the installation groove 501 of the inner annular wall 5111 and the installation groove 501 of the outer annular wall 5112.

In yet another specific example of the present application, each of the mounting sub-units 512 extends along a circumferential direction set by the bracket 51, and the plurality of mounting sub-units 512 are arranged along a radial direction set by the bracket 51, and the bracket 51 further includes a connection structure connected between the mounting sub-units 512; each of the partition plates 52 extends in a radial direction set by the bracket 51, and a plurality of the partition plates 52 are arranged in a circumferential direction set by the bracket 51; the mounting sub 512 has opposite upper and lower end surfaces, and first and second side surfaces 5121 and 5122 extending between the upper end surface of the mounting sub 512 and the lower end surface of the mounting sub 512, the second side surface 5122 being opposite to the first side surface 5121, a partial area of the upper end surface of the mounting sub 512 being recessed downward to form the mounting groove 501, the mounting groove 501 penetrating the first and second side surfaces 5121 and 5122, and the partition plate 52 being inserted into the mounting groove 501.

In yet another specific example of the present application, each of the mounting sub-units 512 extends along a circumferential direction set by the bracket 51, and the plurality of mounting sub-units 512 are arranged along a radial direction set by the bracket 51, and the bracket 51 further includes a connection structure connected between the mounting sub-units 512; each of the partition plates 52 extends along a circumferential direction set by the bracket 51, and a plurality of the partition plates 52 are arranged along a radial direction set by the bracket 51; the mounting sub-body 512 has opposite first and second sides 5121 and 5122, and a hollow structure formed between the first and second sides 5121 and 5122, the hollow structure forming the mounting groove 501, and the partition plate 52 being inserted into the mounting groove 501.

In other embodiments of the present application, a plurality of the partition plates 52 are mounted to the bracket 51 by screws. In still other embodiments of the present application, the spacer 52 may be mounted to the bracket 51 by other means, such as fitting, clamping, etc.

It should be noted that the distance between every two adjacent isolation plates 52 may be equal or unequal, and may be set according to the requirement. The number of the installation sub-bodies 512 and the number of the partition plates 52 are not limited to the present application. The number of the installation sub-bodies 512 may be the same as the number of the partition plates 52 or may be different from the number of the partition plates 52.

The spacer plate 52 is made of any one or more of the following materials: ceramics, quartz; the bracket 51 is made of any one or more of the following materials: metal, ceramic, quartz.

According to the structural design of the confinement ring 50 of the present application, the present application proposes a method for manufacturing a confinement ring, as shown in fig. 10, the method for manufacturing a confinement ring 50 includes: s110, forming a bracket between a reaction space 110 of the plasma etching machine and the air extraction space 120; s120, forming a plurality of isolation plates 52, wherein at least part of the isolation plates 52 are structurally independent, and no non-detachable connecting structure is arranged on the structure; and S130, a plurality of isolation plates 52 are detachably arranged on the support 51 respectively, wherein a gap exists between every two adjacent isolation plates 52 to form a fluid channel 510.

In some embodiments of the present application, the method of manufacturing a confinement ring further comprises: s100, forming a reaction space 110 and an air extraction space 120. Step S100 is performed in step S110.

In summary, a plasma etcher and a confinement ring 50 and a method of manufacturing the confinement ring 50 in accordance with embodiments of the present application are illustrated. The present application provides a structural design scheme of the confinement ring 50, wherein the isolation plate 52 for forming the grooves is designed as a split structure, so that the aspect ratio of the fluid channel 510 of the confinement ring 50 is adjustable, and the design flexibility of the aspect ratio of the fluid channel 510 of the confinement ring 50 is improved. Further, the isolation plates 52 for forming the grooves are respectively and detachably arranged on the support 51, the isolation plates 52 and the support 51 are in a non-integrated mode, and the assembly flexibility and the material selection flexibility of the isolation plates 52 and the support 51 are high. The spacers 52 for forming the grooves are detachably mounted to the brackets 51, respectively, so that the confinement rings 50 are easily cleaned.

The basic principles of the present application have been described above in connection with specific embodiments, however, it should be noted that the advantages, benefits, effects, etc. mentioned in the present application are merely examples and not limiting, and these advantages, benefits, effects, etc. are not to be considered as necessarily possessed by the various embodiments of the present application. Furthermore, the specific details disclosed herein are for purposes of illustration and understanding only, and are not intended to be limiting, as the application is not intended to be limited to the details disclosed herein as such.

Claims

1. A confinement ring, wherein the confinement ring is adapted to be mounted within a plasma etcher having a reaction zone and a pumping zone, the confinement ring being mounted between the reaction zone and the pumping zone,

characterized by comprising the following steps: a bracket and a plurality of separator plates;

2. The confinement ring of claim 1 wherein said bracket has a plurality of mounting slots, a plurality of said spacer plates being mounted to said bracket by being inserted into said mounting slots.

3. The confinement ring of claim 2, wherein the bracket comprises a main body skeleton and a plurality of mounting components mounted to the main body skeleton, the main body skeleton comprises an outer annular wall and an inner annular wall positioned in the outer annular wall, the outer annular wall and the inner annular wall are annular, the plurality of mounting components are arranged between the inner annular wall and the outer annular wall, and the mounting groove is formed in the mounting components.

4. A confinement ring as claimed in claim 3 wherein the mounting sub-body has opposite upper and lower end faces and first and second side faces extending between the upper and lower end faces of the mounting sub-body, the second side face being opposite the first side face, a partial region of the upper end face of the mounting sub-body being recessed downwardly to form the mounting slot, the mounting slot extending through the first and second side faces.

5. A confinement ring as set forth in claim 3 wherein said mounting segment has opposed first and second sides and a hollow structure formed between said first and second sides, said hollow structure forming said mounting slot.

6. The confinement ring of claim 1 wherein a plurality of said spacer plates are mounted to said bracket by screws.

7. The confinement ring of claim 1 wherein each of said spacers extends circumferentially about said support frame and is annular, said spacers being arranged radially about said support frame; or, each isolation plate extends along the radial direction set by the bracket, and a plurality of isolation plates are arranged along the circumferential direction set by the bracket.

8. The confinement ring of claim 1, wherein the bracket comprises a main body skeleton and a plurality of mounting components mounted to the main body skeleton, the main body skeleton comprising an outer annular wall and an inner annular wall disposed within the outer annular wall, the outer annular wall and the inner annular wall being annular, the plurality of mounting components being disposed between the inner annular wall and the outer annular wall.

9. The confinement ring of claim 1 wherein the spacer is made of a material selected from any one or more of the following: ceramics, quartz; the bracket is made of any one or more of the following materials: metal, ceramic, quartz.

10. A method of manufacturing a confinement ring for a plasma etcher, comprising: