CN214088650U

CN214088650U - Thin film deposition apparatus

Info

Publication number: CN214088650U
Application number: CN202022451467.1U
Authority: CN
Inventors: 林俊成
Original assignee: Xintianhong Xiamen Technology Co ltd
Current assignee: Xintianhong Xiamen Technology Co ltd
Priority date: 2020-10-29
Filing date: 2020-10-29
Publication date: 2021-08-31
Anticipated expiration: 2030-10-29

Abstract

The utility model provides a film deposition equipment mainly includes a cavity, an air inlet, a microscope carrier, a cooling gas input pipeline, one keeps off piece and a elevating gear. The carrier and the stopper are located in the accommodating space of the cavity, and the cooling gas input pipeline is located in the carrier and transmits cooling gas to a position between the carrier and the substrate. The lifting device drives the carrier and the stopper to approach each other, so that the stopper contacts and fixes the substrate on the carrier, and then the cooling gas is conveyed to the accommodating space through the cooling gas input pipeline. Before the deposition step, the cooling gas input pipeline stops conveying the cooling gas, the lifting device drives the carrying platform and the stopper to be away from each other, and then the deposition step is carried out to avoid the stopper from contacting the substrate to cause uneven thickness of the film deposited on the surface of the substrate.

Description

Thin film deposition apparatus

Technical Field

The utility model relates to a film deposition equipment can be under the condition that does not use electrostatic chuck to the base plate temperature that the microscope carrier bore is reduced to cooling gas, can reach the purpose that reduces the processing procedure cost under the prerequisite that does not influence the film quality of deposit on substrate surface

Background

High temperature heat treatment is usually required in thin film deposition processes, such as Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD) and Physical Vapor Deposition (PVD), and the substrate is usually subjected to high temperature heat treatment to form a thin film on the surface of the substrate.

However, in the process of forming a thin film on the surface of the substrate, the material of the thin film may form a bump or hillock (hillock) on the substrate due to the accumulation of temperature and the influence of thermal stress. Particularly, when the thickness of the thin film is large, for example, the thickness of the thin film is larger than 3000A, a bump or hillock is more easily formed on the substrate, thereby affecting the yield and reliability of the process.

In order to solve the above problems, the conventional carrier is replaced with an Electrostatic Chuck (ESC) that can attract the substrate by Electrostatic force. A cooling gas may be blown onto the substrate on the electrostatic chuck during the deposition process to reduce the temperature of the substrate and reduce the temperature buildup of the substrate, as well as reduce the effects of thermal stress.

The use of the electrostatic chuck can effectively reduce the generation of protrusions or hillocks in the deposition process of the film on the substrate, and can improve the yield and reliability of the manufacture. However, electrostatic chucks are expensive and prone to damage, which significantly increases the cost of the deposition process compared to conventional carriers.

SUMMERY OF THE UTILITY MODEL

In order to solve the problem that the material of the thin film forms a protrusion or hillock (hillock) on the substrate due to the accumulation of temperature and the influence of thermal stress, and avoid the increased process cost of using the electrostatic chuck, the present invention provides a novel thin film deposition apparatus.

An object of the present invention is to provide a film deposition apparatus, which mainly comprises a chamber, a carrying platform, at least one stopper and a lifting device, wherein the carrying platform and the stopper are located in the chamber, and the lifting device is used to drive the carrying platform and the stopper to move relatively. The chamber is fluidly connected to at least one gas inlet and at least one cooling gas input line, the gas inlet delivering a process gas into the chamber during the deposition step and forming a film on the substrate surface of the carrier. During the cooling step, the cooling gas input line delivers a cooling gas between the carrier and the loaded substrate, so that the cooling gas contacts the substrate on the carrier to reduce the temperature of the substrate and avoid forming bumps or hillocks (hillocks) on the surface of the substrate.

The film deposition equipment of the utility model can adjust the distance between the stopper and the carrier and the substrate according to the cooling step and the deposition step. Before the cooling step, the lifting device drives the carrier and the stopper to approach each other, so that the stopper contacts the substrate to fix the substrate on the carrier, and then the cooling gas is delivered between the carrier and the substrate to prevent the substrate from contacting the cooling gas and displacing relative to the carrier. In addition, before the deposition step is carried out, the lifting device drives the carrying platform and the stopper to be away from each other, so that the stopper does not contact the substrate on the carrying platform, and the quality of the film deposited on the surface of the substrate is prevented from being influenced.

An object of the present invention is to provide a film deposition apparatus, which is mainly disposed on a carrier, wherein the ring structure is disposed around a substrate on the carrier. The ring structure is provided with at least one groove, and the blocking piece is provided with at least one corresponding protrusion. When the deposition step is performed, the protrusion of the upper portion of the stopper is located in the groove of the annular structure, so as to improve the shielding effect of the stopper.

An object of the present invention is to provide a thin film deposition apparatus, wherein the stopper contacts at least one cooling circulation channel, the cooling circulation channel can convey cooling fluid to when in use, and the temperature of the stopper and/or the substrate is reduced by heat conduction.

An object of the utility model is to provide a film deposition equipment, wherein elevating gear can drive the microscope carrier and keep off the piece and be close to each other for keep off the piece contact and fix the base plate on the microscope carrier, then cool off the step again, in order to avoid because of cooling gas contacts the base plate, and cause the base plate to shift for the microscope carrier. In addition, the lifting device can drive the carrying platform and the blocking piece to be away from each other, so that the blocking piece is not contacted with the substrate on the carrying platform, and then a deposition step is carried out, so that the quality of the film deposited on the surface of the substrate is prevented from being influenced.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a thin film deposition apparatus, comprising: a cavity body which comprises an accommodating space; at least one air inlet which is in fluid connection with the accommodating space of the cavity and is used for conveying a process gas to the accommodating space; a carrying platform which is positioned in the containing space and is used for carrying at least one substrate; a supporting member connected with the carrying platform; at least one cooling gas input line positioned in the carrier and delivering a cooling gas between the carrier and the substrate such that the cooling gas contacts the substrate to reduce the temperature of the substrate; at least one stopper positioned in the accommodating space of the cavity; and the lifting device is connected with the supporting piece, drives the carrying platform and the blocking piece to relatively displace through the supporting piece so as to adjust the distance between the carrying platform and the blocking piece, drives the carrying platform to be close to the blocking piece, enables the blocking piece to be in contact with the substrate on the carrying platform so as to fix the substrate on the carrying platform, and conveys cooling gas to a position between the carrying platform and the substrate through the cooling gas input pipeline, wherein the lifting device drives the carrying platform to be away from the blocking piece, so that a gap exists between the blocking piece and the substrate on the carrying platform, and the cooling gas input pipeline is closed when a deposition step is carried out on the surface of the.

The utility model provides another kind of film deposition equipment, include: a cavity body which comprises an accommodating space; at least one air inlet which is in fluid connection with the accommodating space of the cavity and is used for conveying a process gas to the accommodating space; a carrying platform which is positioned in the containing space and is used for carrying at least one substrate; a supporting member connected with the carrying platform; at least one cooling gas input line positioned in the carrier and delivering a cooling gas between the carrier and the substrate such that the cooling gas contacts the substrate to reduce the temperature of the substrate; at least one stopper located in the containing space of the cavity, wherein one end of the stopper is provided with an annular flange; a cover ring disposed on the annular flange of the stopper; and the lifting device is connected with the supporting piece and drives the carrier to move relative to the cover ring on the blocking piece through the supporting piece so as to adjust the distance between the carrier and the cover ring on the blocking piece, wherein the lifting device drives the carrier to be close to the cover ring, so that the cover ring on the blocking piece is in contact with the substrate on the carrier to fix the substrate on the carrier, and the cooling gas is conveyed to the space between the carrier and the substrate through the cooling gas input pipeline, the lifting device drives the carrier to leave the cover ring, so that a gap exists between the cover ring on the blocking piece and the substrate on the carrier, and the cooling gas input pipeline is closed when a deposition step is carried out on the surface of the substrate.

The film deposition equipment comprises at least one cooling circulation channel which is in contact with the stopper and is used for conveying a cooling fluid to reduce the temperature of the stopper.

The film deposition equipment comprises an annular structure arranged on the carrier and arranged around the substrate, wherein the annular structure comprises at least one groove, the cover ring comprises at least one convex part, and when the stopper contacts the substrate, the convex part of the stopper is positioned in the groove.

The annular structure comprises a plurality of grooves, the depth of the groove closest to the center of the carrier is larger than that of other grooves, the cover ring comprises a plurality of convex parts, and the length of the convex part closest to the center of the carrier is larger than that of other convex parts.

In the thin film deposition apparatus, when the deposition step is performed on the surface of the substrate, the projection portion closest to the center of the stage is located in the groove closest to the center of the stage.

The utility model has the advantages that: the problem of forming a bulge or a hillock on the substrate in the process of film deposition is avoided, and the processing cost increased by using an electrostatic chuck can be saved.

Drawings

FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of an embodiment of the thin film deposition apparatus according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of an embodiment of a thin film deposition apparatus according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view illustrating an embodiment of a cooling step performed by the thin film deposition apparatus of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view of another embodiment of the thin film deposition apparatus of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a schematic cross-sectional view of another embodiment of the thin film deposition apparatus of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a schematic cross-sectional view of another embodiment of the thin film deposition apparatus of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a schematic partial enlarged cross-sectional view of a thin film deposition apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a schematic partial enlarged sectional view illustrating an embodiment of a cooling step performed by the thin film deposition apparatus of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart illustrating steps of a thin film deposition method according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Description of reference numerals: 10-a thin film deposition device; 11-a cavity; 111-an air inlet; 113-cooling gas input line; 115-a delivery port; 117-cover plate; 12-an accommodating space; 121-a reaction space; 13-a stage; 131-a support; 14-a substrate; 15-a stopper; 151-lip; 16-a target material; 17-a lifting device; 18-cooling circulation channel; 20-a thin film deposition device; 25-a stopper; 251-an annular flange; 27-a cover ring; 271-an annular groove; 30-a thin film deposition device; 33-a stage; 331-bottom; 333-projection; 35-a stopper; 351-an annular flange; 36-ring configuration; 361-groove; 37-cover ring; 371 — annular groove; 373-a protrusion; g- -gap.

Detailed Description

Referring to fig. 1 to fig. 3, they are schematic structural diagrams of an embodiment of the thin film deposition apparatus performing a feeding step, a deposition step and a cooling step. As shown in the figure, the thin film deposition apparatus 10 mainly includes a chamber 11, a cover plate 117, a stage 13, at least one stopper 15, and a lifting device 17, wherein the cover plate 117 is used to cover the chamber 11, and a receiving space 12 is formed between the cover plate and the chamber 11, and the stage 13 and the stopper 15 are located in the receiving space 12 of the chamber 11.

The chamber 11 is provided with at least one gas inlet 111, wherein the gas inlet 111 is fluidly connected to the accommodating space 12 of the chamber 11, and is used for delivering a process gas into the accommodating space 12 to perform a deposition process.

The carrier 13 is used for carrying at least one substrate 14 and forming a thin film on the surface of the substrate 14 through a deposition process. For Physical Vapor Deposition (PVD) sputtering, a target 16 is typically disposed inside the chamber 11, wherein the target 16 is disposed on the cover plate 117 and faces the substrate 14.

The stopper 15 is disposed in the accommodating space 12 of the chamber 11 and is disposed in a peripheral area of the carrier 13, wherein the stopper 15 and the cover plate 117 can divide a part of the accommodating space 12 into a reaction space 121. The shutter 15 serves to limit the material sputtered from the target 16 and deposited on the surface of the substrate 14 and to avoid contamination of the chamber 11 during deposition.

After the process gas, which is usually an inert gas, is supplied to the receiving space 12 and/or the reaction space 121 of the chamber 11, a high voltage is applied to the target 16 and the substrate 14, so that a high voltage electric field is formed in the receiving space 12 and/or the reaction space 121 between the target 16 and the substrate 14. The high voltage electric field causes dissociation of the process gas in the volume 12 and/or the reaction space 121 between the target 16 and the substrate 14 and generates a plasma. The positive ions in the plasma are attracted to and accelerated by the negative voltage of the target 16 and strike the surface of the target 16, causing the kinetic energy of the target atoms to leave the surface of the target 16 and deposit on the surface of the substrate 14. Physical vapor deposition is only an embodiment of the present invention, but not a limitation of the scope of the present invention, thin film deposition apparatus can also be applied to chemical vapor deposition.

In an embodiment of the present invention, one end of the stopper 15 is connected to the inner wall of the chamber 11, and the other end has a lip 151, wherein the lip 151 forms a disc-shaped space, and the carrier 13 is located at a vertical extending position of the disc-shaped space formed by the stopper 15. When the stage 13 approaches the stopper 15, the lip 151 of the stopper 15 contacts the substrate 14 on the stage 13.

In the embodiment of the present invention, the distance between the stopper 15 and the carrier 13 is adjusted by the lifting device 17 mainly according to the steps of the deposition process. Specifically, the deposition process may include a material feeding and discharging step of transferring the substrate 14 outside the chamber 11 to the stage 13, or transferring the substrate 14 outside the chamber 11, a deposition step, and a cooling step. The deposition step is to form a thin film on the surface of the substrate 14, such as by applying a high voltage to the target 16 and the substrate 14 when the process gas is in the reaction space 121, and causing target atoms leaving the target 16 to deposit on the surface of the substrate 14. The cooling step is to deliver a cooling gas between the stage 13 and the substrate 14 via the cooling gas input line 113 so that the cooling fluid contacts the substrate 14 on the stage 13 to reduce the temperature of the substrate 14.

The carrier 13 and/or the stopper 15 can be connected to a lifting device 17 through the supporting member 131, wherein the lifting device 17 can drive the carrier 13 to move relative to the stopper 15 through the supporting member 131, so as to change the distance between the carrier 13 and the stopper 15. The lifting device 17 can move the stopper 15 away from the stage 13 and the substrate 14, or move the stopper 15 close to and in contact with the stage 13 and/or the substrate 14.

During the feeding and discharging step, the lifting device 17 drives the carrier 13 to move away from the stopper 15 through the supporting member 131, so that the carrier 13 is close to a conveying port 115 disposed on the chamber 11, for example, the upper surface of the carrier 13 is close to the conveying port 115, and a robot (not shown) can convey the substrate 14 on the carrier 13 to the outside of the chamber 11 through the conveying port 115, or convey the substrate 14 outside the chamber 11 onto the carrier 13 through the conveying port 115, as shown in fig. 1.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the gas inlet 111 may be disposed in the reaction space 121 and/or the cavity 11 outside the blocking member 15, and after the material feeding and discharging step is completed, the process gas may be transported into the accommodating space 12 and the reaction space 121 through the gas inlet 111. In various embodiments, the gas inlet 111 may be disposed on the baffle 15 and directly deliver the process gas to the reaction space 121.

The deposition step can then be continued, wherein the lifting device 17 can drive the carrier 13 and the substrate 14 to displace in the direction of the stop 15 and to deposit on the substrate 14. The cooling gas input line 113 does not deliver the cooling gas between the stage 13 and the substrate 14 when the deposition step is performed, and therefore the cooling gas does not contact or blow the substrate 14, so that the substrate 14 can be smoothly placed on the stage 13. Therefore, during the deposition step, the substrate 14 on the carrier 13 is close to but not contacting the stoppers 15, and a gap G is formed between the substrate 14 and the stoppers 15, as shown in fig. 2.

Generally, when a film is formed on the substrate 14 through a deposition process, if the stopper 15 contacts a portion of the substrate 14, the thickness of the film formed on the substrate 14 near the contact position of the stopper 15 is smaller than that of the other portions, which results in non-uniform thickness of the film deposited on the surface of the substrate 14. Therefore, the utility model discloses when carrying out the deposition step, keep off piece 15 and can not contact base plate 14 on microscope carrier 13, can avoid taking place the inhomogeneous situation of the film thickness of deposit on base plate 14.

In addition, although the stopper 15 does not contact the substrate 14 during the deposition step, the stopper 15 can still contact or be close to the carrier 13, for example, the stopper 15 can be close to a part of the surface or the side of the carrier 13, so as to avoid the contamination of the chamber 11.

The cooling step is to deliver a cooling gas between the stage 13 and the substrate 14 through the cooling gas delivery line 113 so that the cooling gas is in contact with the substrate 14, but the cooling gas may cause the substrate 14 to be displaced relative to the stage 13 when contacting the substrate 14. Therefore, before the cooling step, the lifting device 17 will drive the carrier 13 to approach the stopper 15 through the supporting member 131, so that the stopper 15 contacts and presses the partial area of the substrate 14 on the carrier 13, and fixes the substrate 14 on the carrier 13. It is possible to prevent the cooling gas from contacting the substrate 14 and causing the substrate 14 to be displaced relative to the stage 13, as shown in fig. 3.

A cooling gas input line 113 is disposed within the stage 13 and can deliver a cooling gas between the stage 13 and the substrate 14 such that the cooling gas contacts the substrate 14 to reduce the temperature of the substrate 14. In an embodiment of the present invention, the cooling gas input line 113 is disposed inside the support member 131 and the stage 13, wherein the cooling gas is delivered between the stage 13 and the substrate 14 through the cooling gas input line 113.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the cooling gas input line 113 extends through the carrier 13 to place the surface of the substrate 14, for example, at least one channel is disposed on the upper surface of the carrier 13, and delivers cooling gas between the carrier 13 and the substrate 12, so that the cooling gas contacts the lower surface of the substrate 12 to reduce the temperature of the substrate 12.

When the cooling step is performed for a period of time or the temperature of the substrate 12 reaches a predetermined temperature, the cooling gas input line 113 may be closed, and the lifting device 131 may drive the carrier 13 to leave the stopper 15, so that the stopper 15 does not contact the substrate 12 on the carrier 13, and then the deposition step may be performed on the surface of the substrate 12.

The utility model discloses a according to the step of processing procedure, drive microscope carrier 13 and keep off 15 relative displacement through elevating gear 17 to whether control keeps off 15 and contacts base plate 14. Particularly, the present invention can fix the substrate 14 on the stage 13 and reduce the temperature of the substrate 14 by the cooling gas without using the electrostatic chuck, and can avoid the situation of uneven thickness of the deposited film on the substrate 14 due to the contact of the stopper 15 with or shielding the substrate 14. In addition, the utility model can carry out a plurality of deposition steps and a plurality of cooling steps when carrying out the deposition process.

In other words, the present invention does not need to use an electrostatic chuck during the deposition process, thereby effectively reducing the cost of the film deposition process and not affecting the quality of the film deposited on the surface of the substrate 14.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the thin film deposition apparatus 10 may include at least one cooling circulation channel 18, wherein the cooling circulation channel 18 may be disposed in the chamber 11 and contact a portion of the surface of the stopper 15. The cooling circulation channel 18 is used for conveying a cooling fluid and reducing the temperature of the stopper 15, the accommodating space 12 and/or the reaction space 121. Further, when the stopper 15 contacts the substrate 14, the cooling fluid in the cooling circulation passage 18 may lower the temperature of the substrate 14 by means of heat conduction.

Please refer to fig. 4, which is a schematic structural diagram of another embodiment of the thin film deposition apparatus according to the present invention. As shown in the figure, the thin film deposition apparatus 20 mainly includes a chamber 11, a stage 13, at least one stopper 25, a cover ring 27 and a lifting device 17, wherein the chamber 11 has an accommodating space 12, and the stage 13, the stopper 25 and the cover ring 27 are located in the accommodating space 12 of the chamber 11.

The embodiment of the present invention provides a thin film deposition apparatus 20 similar to the thin film deposition apparatus 10 of fig. 1 to 3, the difference between them lies in the utility model discloses a thin film deposition apparatus 20 includes a cover ring 27, and keeps off the piece 25 and the shape of keeping off the piece 15 of the thin film deposition apparatus 10 of fig. 1 to 3 different.

The stopper 25 of the embodiment of the present invention has one end connected to the cavity 11 and the other end connected to the cover ring 27. Specifically, the stopper 25 and the cover ring 27 are two separate members, wherein the end of the stopper 25 not connected to the cavity 11 has an annular flange 251, and the cover ring 27 is disposed on the annular flange 253. For example, the annular flange 251 may project toward the upper surface of the chamber 11 or the target 16, and the cover ring 27 may have an annular groove 271, wherein the annular flange 251 of the stopper 25 may be inserted into the annular groove 271 of the cover ring 27 to dispose the cover ring 27 on the stopper 25.

Before the cooling step, the lifting device 17 can drive the stage 13 to approach the stopper 25 and/or the cover ring 27 through the support 131, so that the cover ring 27 on the stopper 25 contacts and presses a partial area of the substrate 14 on the stage 13, so as to fix the substrate 14 on the stage 13. The cooling gas is then delivered between the stage 13 and the substrate 14 through the cooling gas delivery line 113 so that the cooling gas is in contact with the substrate 14.

Before the deposition step, the lifting device 17 drives the stage 13 to slightly separate from the stopper 25 and/or the cover ring 27 through the support 131, so that a gap exists between the cover ring 27 on the stopper 25 and the substrate 14 on the stage 13, and then a thin film is formed on the surface of the substrate 14 by deposition.

Please refer to fig. 5, which is a schematic cross-sectional view illustrating a deposition step performed by the thin film deposition apparatus according to another embodiment of the present invention. As shown in the figure, the thin film deposition apparatus 30 mainly includes a chamber 11, a stage 33, at least one stopper 35, an annular structure 36, a cover ring 37 and a lifting device 17, wherein the chamber 11 has an accommodating space 12, and the stage 33, the stopper 35, the annular structure 36 and the cover ring 37 are located in the accommodating space 12 of the chamber 11.

The embodiment of the present invention provides a thin film deposition apparatus 30 is similar to the thin film deposition apparatus 20 of fig. 4, and the difference between them lies in that the cover ring 37 of the thin film deposition apparatus 30 of this embodiment is different from the cover ring 27 of the thin film deposition apparatus 20 of fig. 4 in structure, and in addition, the embodiment of the present invention further includes an annular structure 36.

The stopper 35 of the embodiment of the present invention has one end connected to the cavity 11 and the other end connected to the cover ring 37. Specifically, the stopper 35 and the cover ring 37 may be two separate members, wherein the end of the stopper 35 not connected to the cavity 11 has an annular flange 351, and the cover ring 37 is disposed on the annular flange 351. For example, the annular flange 351 may protrude toward the upper surface of the chamber 11 or the target 16, and the cover ring 37 may have an annular groove 371, wherein the annular flange 351 of the stopper 35 may be inserted into the annular groove 371 of the cover ring 37 to dispose the cover ring 37 on the stopper 35.

The ring structure 36 according to the embodiment of the present invention is disposed on the carrier 33 and surrounds the substrate 14, wherein the ring structure 36 includes at least one groove 361. Specifically, the carrier 33 of the embodiment of the present invention includes a bottom 331 and a protrusion 333, wherein the protrusion 333 is located above the bottom 331, and the cross-sectional area of the protrusion 333 is smaller than the bottom 331, and the protrusion 333 is used to carry the substrate 14.

The ring structure 36 may be arranged on the stage 33, for example, the ring structure 36 may fit over the protrusion 333 of the stage 33, wherein the ring structure 36 and the groove 361 are located around the substrate 14, for example, a portion of the ring structure 36 may be located below the substrate 14, and the groove 361 is directed towards the top surface of the chamber 11 and/or the target 16.

The cover ring 37 of the embodiment of the present invention further includes at least one protrusion 373, wherein the protrusion 373 faces the ring-shaped structure 36 and/or the groove 361. During the cooling step, the lifting device 17 drives the stage 33 and the stoppers 35 to approach each other, so that the cover ring 37 of the stoppers 35 contacts and presses a partial area of the substrate 14, and the protrusion 373 of the cover ring 37 enters the groove 361 of the ring-shaped structure 36. A cooling gas may then be delivered between stage 33 and substrate 12 through cooling gas inlet line 113 to reduce the temperature of substrate 14.

During the deposition step, the lift mechanism 17 drives the stage 33 and the stopper 35 away from each other, so that the cover ring 37 is separated from the substrate 14, and the protrusion 373 of the cover ring 37 is separated from the groove 361 of the ring-shaped structure 36. By providing the annular formation 36 with a recess 361 and the cover ring 37 with a corresponding projection 37, target atoms can be shielded during the deposition step to enhance the shielding effect of the shield 35. In various embodiments, a portion of the protrusion 373 of the cover ring 37 is located in the groove 361 of the ring-shaped structure 36 during the deposition step to improve the shielding effect.

In another embodiment of the present invention, a plurality of protrusions 373 are disposed on the cover ring 37, and a plurality of grooves 361 are disposed on the ring-shaped structure 36, wherein the number of the protrusions 373 is the same as the number of the grooves 361. As shown in fig. 6 to 8, two annular protrusions 373 are disposed on the cover ring 37, and two annular grooves 361 are disposed on the ring structure 36, wherein the length of the protrusion 373 closest to the center of the stage 33 on the cover ring 37 is greater than that of the other (another) protrusion 373, and the depth of the groove 361 closest to the center of the stage 33 on the ring structure 36 is greater than that of the other (another) groove 361, so as to improve the shielding effect.

During the deposition step, as shown in fig. 7, a gap G exists between the cover ring 37 and the substrate 14, wherein the length of the at least one protrusion 373 of the cover ring 37 is greater than the gap G, so that the at least one protrusion 373 of the cover ring 37 is located in the at least one groove 361 of the ring-shaped structure 36, for example, the protrusion 337 closest to the center of the stage 33 is partially located in the groove 361 closest to the center of the stage 33, thereby improving the shielding effect.

During the cooling step, as shown in fig. 8, a portion of the cover ring 37 contacts the substrate 14 and fixes the substrate 14 on the stage 33, and the protrusions 373 of the cover ring 37 are located in the grooves 361 of the ring structure 36.

Fig. 9 is a flowchart illustrating steps of a thin film deposition method according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in the figure, with reference to fig. 1 to 8, a deposition step is performed on the substrate 14 on the carrier 13/33 located in the accommodating space 12 of the cavity 11 to form a film on the surface of the substrate 14, and at this time, the stopper 15 or the cover ring 27/37 on the stopper 25/35 does not contact the substrate 14 on the carrier 13/33, as shown in step 41.

Before the deposition step, a discharging step may be performed, in which the lifting device 17 may drive the carrier 13/33 to move away from the stopper 15/25/35, so that the carrier 13/33 is close to a conveying port 115 disposed on the chamber 11, for example, the upper surface of the carrier 13/33 is close to the height of the basic conveying port 115, and a robot (not shown) may convey the substrate 14 outside the chamber 11 to the carrier 13/33 through the conveying port 115.

Specifically, the deposition step includes delivering a process gas to the receiving space 12 of the chamber 11 and applying a high voltage to the target 16 and the substrate 14 such that the receiving space 12 between the target 16 and the substrate 14 forms a high voltage electric field. The high voltage electric field causes dissociation of the process gas in the volume 12 between the target 16 and the substrate 14 and generates a plasma. The positive ions in the plasma are attracted to and accelerated by the negative voltage of the target 16 and strike the surface of the target 16, causing the kinetic energy of the target atoms to leave the surface of the target 16 and deposit on the surface of the substrate 14. In an embodiment of the present invention, at least one protrusion 373 of the cover ring 37 is partially located in at least one groove 361 of the ring structure 36 during the deposition step, thereby improving the shielding effect.

The deposition process may then be stopped, for example, when the temperature of the substrate 14 is higher than a predetermined temperature, or the time for performing the deposition process exceeds a predetermined time, the lift device 113 drives the cover ring 27/37 of the stopper 15 or the stopper 25/35 to approach the stage 13/33, so that the stopper 15 or the cover ring 27/37 of the stopper 25/35 contacts the substrate 14, and the substrate 14 is fixed on the stage 13/33, as shown in step 43.

The dam 15/25/35 may deliver cooling gas between the stage 13/33 and the substrate 14 via the cooling gas input line 113 after the substrate 14 is secured to the stage 13/33 such that the cooling gas contacts the substrate 14 to reduce the temperature of the substrate 14, as shown in step 45.

When the temperature of the substrate 14 is lowered, the cooling gas delivery is stopped, and the lift device 17 drives the stage 13/33 and the stop 15/25/35 away from each other, so that the stop 15 or the cover ring 27/37 on the stop 25/35 does not contact the substrate 14, as shown in step 47, and the deposition process can continue.

The above steps 41 to 47 may be repeated in the deposition process, and the temperature of the substrate 14 may be effectively controlled by repeating the deposition step and the cooling step for a plurality of times, so as to prevent the formation of protrusions or hillocks on the substrate 14 due to the temperature accumulation and the thermal stress during the deposition process.

In addition, after the deposition process is completed, a material feeding and discharging step may be performed, in which the lifting device 17 drives the carrier 13/33 to move away from the stopper 15/25/35, so that the carrier 13/33 is close to a conveying port 115 disposed on the chamber 11, for example, the upper surface of the carrier 13/33 is close to the height of the basic conveying port 115, and the substrate 14 on the carrier 13/33 is conveyed to the outside of the chamber 11 through the conveying port 115 by a robot (not shown).

The utility model discloses the advantage:

the problem of forming a bulge or a hillock on the substrate in the process of film deposition is avoided, and the processing cost increased by using an electrostatic chuck can be saved.

The foregoing is merely a preferred embodiment of the invention, and is not intended to limit the scope of the invention, which is defined by the appended claims, in which all equivalent changes and modifications in the shapes, constructions, features, and spirit of the invention are intended to be included.

Claims

1. A thin film deposition apparatus, comprising:

a cavity;

a cover plate for covering the cavity and forming a containing space between the cover plate and the cavity;

at least one gas inlet, which is in fluid connection with the accommodating space of the cavity and is used for conveying a process gas to the accommodating space;

a carrying platform which is positioned in the containing space and is used for carrying at least one substrate;

a supporting member connected to the carrier;

at least one cooling gas input line positioned in the carrier and delivering a cooling gas between the carrier and the substrate such that the cooling gas contacts the substrate to reduce the temperature of the substrate;

at least one stopper located in the containing space of the cavity, wherein one end of the stopper is connected with the cavity, and the other end is provided with a lip, and a reaction space is formed between the stopper and the cover plate; and

and the lifting device is connected with the supporting piece and drives the carrying platform and the stopper to relatively displace through the supporting piece so as to adjust the distance between the carrying platform and the lip of the stopper, wherein the lifting device drives the carrying platform to be close to the stopper, so that the lip of the stopper is in contact with the substrate on the carrying platform, the substrate is fixed on the carrying platform, and the cooling gas is conveyed between the carrying platform and the substrate through the cooling gas input pipeline, wherein the cooling gas input pipeline stops conveying the cooling gas, the lifting device drives the carrying platform to leave the lip of the stopper, so that a gap exists between the lip of the stopper and the substrate on the carrying platform, and a deposition step is carried out on the surface of the substrate.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, comprising at least one cooling circulation channel contacting the stopper, the cooling circulation channel being configured to convey a cooling fluid to lower a temperature of the stopper.

3. The thin film deposition apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein the cooling circulation channel is disposed on the chamber and contacts an end of the stopper connected to the chamber.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a target disposed on the cover plate, wherein the target on the cover plate faces the substrate on the stage when the cover plate covers the chamber.

5. A thin film deposition apparatus, comprising:

a cavity;

a supporting member connected to the carrier;

at least one stopper located in the containing space of the cavity, wherein one end of the stopper is connected with the cavity, and the other end of the stopper is provided with an annular flange, and a reaction space is formed between the stopper and the cover plate;

a cover ring disposed on the annular flange of the stopper; and

and the lifting device is connected with the supporting piece and drives the carrying platform to move relative to the cover ring on the blocking piece through the supporting piece so as to adjust the distance between the carrying platform and the cover ring on the blocking piece, wherein the lifting device drives the carrying platform to be close to the cover ring, so that the cover ring on the blocking piece is in contact with the substrate on the carrying platform, the substrate is fixed on the carrying platform, the cooling gas is conveyed between the carrying platform and the substrate through the cooling gas input pipeline, the cooling gas input pipeline stops conveying the cooling gas, the lifting device drives the carrying platform to leave the cover ring, a gap is formed between the cover ring on the blocking piece and the substrate on the carrying platform, and a deposition step is carried out on the surface of the substrate.

6. The apparatus according to claim 5, comprising a ring structure disposed on the stage and surrounding the substrate, wherein the ring structure comprises at least one groove, and the cover ring comprises at least one protrusion, and the protrusion of the stopper is located in the groove when the stopper contacts the substrate.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the ring-shaped structure comprises a plurality of grooves, and a depth of the groove closest to the center of the stage is greater than the other grooves, and the cover ring comprises a plurality of protrusions, and a length of the protrusion closest to the center of the stage is greater than the other protrusions.

8. The thin film deposition apparatus of claim 7, wherein the portion of the protrusion closest to the center of the stage is located in the recess closest to the center of the stage when the deposition step is performed on the surface of the substrate.

9. The apparatus according to claim 5, comprising at least one cooling circulation channel contacting the stopper, the cooling circulation channel being configured to convey a cooling fluid to lower the temperature of the stopper and the cover ring.

10. The apparatus of claim 5, further comprising a target disposed on the cover plate, wherein the target on the cover plate faces the substrate on the stage when the cover plate covers the chamber.