CN219106089U

CN219106089U - Semiconductor device

Info

Publication number: CN219106089U
Application number: CN202320209026.1U
Authority: CN
Inventors: 高万俊
Original assignee: Yuexin Semiconductor Technology Co ltd
Current assignee: Yuexin Semiconductor Technology Co ltd
Priority date: 2023-02-14
Filing date: 2023-02-14
Publication date: 2023-05-30
Anticipated expiration: 2033-02-14

Abstract

The utility model provides a semiconductor device. The device comprises: the device comprises a process chamber, a vacuum pump, a first valve, a second valve, a transparent observation window and a terminal detection device, wherein the process chamber is communicated with the vacuum pump through a pipeline, the first valve and the second valve are arranged on the pipeline between the process chamber and the vacuum pump at intervals, the transparent observation window is arranged on the pipeline between the first valve and the second valve, and the terminal detection device is positioned outside the process chamber and is arranged on the transparent observation window. The improved structural design of the utility model can ensure that only part of pipelines are required to be inflated and pumped without the process chamber when the transparent observation window is subjected to maintenance operation, can greatly reduce the maintenance operation time and the power consumption of the vacuum pump, and improves the equipment output rate. Meanwhile, the process chamber does not need to be subjected to air inflation and air suction operation, so that the damage of components in the process chamber can be effectively avoided, the generation of particle pollution is avoided, and the production yield is improved.

Description

Semiconductor device

Technical Field

The utility model relates to the technical field of semiconductor manufacturing, in particular to semiconductor equipment.

Background

Endpoint detection devices are commonly used components in semiconductor devices by which the progress of a semiconductor process is monitored to determine the point in time at which the process is completed. For example, in a semiconductor dry etching apparatus, a transparent viewing window is provided on the exhaust line between its through process chamber and vacuum pump, and an end point detection device is provided on the transparent viewing window. When the exhaust gas passes through the exhaust line, light emitted from the emission end of the end point detection device passes through the exhaust gas, and a part of the light is absorbed by a specific gas (the specific gas is usually one of the process reaction gases), so that the light intensity reaching the detection end is changed. The greater the gas concentration, the more light is absorbed, the less light intensity is detected and vice versa. Based on this principle, when the light intensity detected by the detection end is substantially the same as the light intensity of the emission end, it can be considered that the discharged gas has no specific gas, the process reaction has ended, and the supply of the reaction gas can be stopped. Of course, there are many types of end point detection devices, and the detection principle is not the same, but most of the end point detection devices are used by arranging the emitting end and the detecting end on two opposite transparent windows.

Many impurity particles, such as reaction byproducts generated by etching reactions, are typically generated during the semiconductor process, and some of these impurity particles deposit on the transparent viewing window during the process of being discharged together with the residual gas. As the reaction proceeds, more and more sediment is deposited, which causes the light reaching the detection end to be blocked by the particulate matter, and the accuracy of the endpoint detection decreases.

To solve such problems, the prior art generally requires that the apparatus be stopped and then the transparent viewing window be cleaned or replaced. Because the existing semiconductor equipment is communicated with the process chamber and the vacuum pump through a straight pipeline, only one valve is arranged on the pipeline, when the transparent observation window is cleaned or replaced, the vacuum pump is required to be started to charge the process chamber, so that the air pressure in the process chamber is recovered to the atmospheric pressure from vacuum, then the valve is closed, the transparent observation window is cleaned or replaced, and the valve and the vacuum pump are restarted to vacuumize the process chamber after the operation is completed. This process is not only time consuming (typically more than 30 hours from downtime for maintenance to re-machine) resulting in reduced equipment throughput, but also the process of pumping the process chamber with a vacuum pump and evacuating it requires a significant amount of power. In addition, repeated changes in the gas pressure in the process chamber in a short time may cause damage to internal components, for example, a coating film on the component may crack due to repeated changes in pressure, generating impurity particles, causing pollution of equipment, and reducing the production yield.

It should be noted that the foregoing description of the background art is only for the purpose of facilitating a clear and complete description of the technical solutions of the present application and for the convenience of understanding by those skilled in the art. The above-described solutions are not considered to be known to the person skilled in the art simply because they are set forth in the background section of the present application.

Disclosure of Invention

In view of the above-mentioned drawbacks of the prior art, the present utility model is directed to a semiconductor device, which is used for solving the problems that, in the semiconductor device in the prior art, since the process chamber and the vacuum pump are communicated through the straight line pipe, only a single valve is disposed on the pipe, when the transparent observation window on the pipe is cleaned or replaced, the process chamber needs to be inflated first, then the transparent observation window is operated, and then the process chamber is vacuumized, which not only consumes a long time, resulting in a decrease in the yield of the device, but also may cause particle pollution, resulting in a decrease in the yield of the product, and the like.

To achieve the above and other related objects, the present utility model provides a semiconductor device comprising: the device comprises a process chamber, a vacuum pump, a first valve, a second valve, a transparent observation window and a terminal detection device, wherein the process chamber is communicated with the vacuum pump through a pipeline, the first valve and the second valve are arranged on the pipeline between the process chamber and the vacuum pump at intervals, the transparent observation window is arranged on the pipeline between the first valve and the second valve, and the terminal detection device is positioned outside the process chamber and is arranged on the transparent observation window.

Optionally, the pipeline includes main pipeline and branch road, semiconductor equipment still includes third valve and fourth valve, first valve and second valve set up in main pipeline, the branch road both ends are linked together with the main pipeline that is located between first valve and the second valve, transparent observation window set up in on the branch road, third valve and fourth valve set up on the branch road, and are located transparent observation window's front and back both ends respectively.

Optionally, the pipe diameter of the branch pipe is smaller than the pipe diameter of the main pipeline.

Optionally, a particulate matter collecting part is arranged on the branch, and the transparent observation window is arranged on a pipeline at the rear end of the particulate matter collecting part.

Optionally, the particulate matter collection portion includes an arcuate conduit having an arcuate collection surface, the arcuate conduit being connected between two straight conduits.

Optionally, the particulate collection portion comprises a collection bag detachably connected to a corner of the branch.

Optionally, the main line and the branch line are connected to the same vacuum pump.

Optionally, the process chamber includes any one of a vapor deposition chamber, an etching chamber, an ion implantation chamber, and an annealing chamber.

Optionally, the first valve is a gate valve, and the second valve is a throttle valve.

Optionally, the transparent viewing window comprises a calcium fluoride glazing.

As described above, the semiconductor device of the present utility model has the following advantageous effects: the semiconductor equipment provided by the utility model has the advantages that through the improved structural design, when the maintenance operation is carried out on the transparent observation window, only part of pipelines are needed to be inflated and pumped without the process chamber, the maintenance operation time length and the power consumption of the vacuum pump can be greatly reduced, and the equipment output rate is improved. Meanwhile, the process chamber does not need to be subjected to air inflation and air suction operation, so that the damage of components in the process chamber can be effectively avoided, the generation of particle pollution is avoided, and the production yield is improved.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating an exemplary structure of a semiconductor device according to an embodiment of the utility model.

Fig. 2 shows an exemplary schematic structure of the first valve and/or the second valve in fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a schematic diagram illustrating an exemplary structure of a semiconductor device according to a second embodiment of the present utility model.

Detailed Description

Other advantages and effects of the present utility model will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following disclosure, which describes the embodiments of the present utility model with reference to specific examples. The utility model may be practiced or carried out in other embodiments that depart from the specific details, and the details of the present description may be modified or varied from the spirit and scope of the present utility model. As described in detail in the embodiments of the present utility model, the cross-sectional view of the device structure is not partially enlarged to a general scale for convenience of explanation, and the schematic drawings are only examples, which should not limit the scope of the present utility model. In addition, the three-dimensional dimensions of length, width and depth should be included in actual fabrication.

For ease of description, spatially relative terms such as "under", "below", "beneath", "above", "upper" and the like may be used herein to describe one element or feature's relationship to another element or feature as illustrated in the figures. It will be understood that these spatially relative terms are intended to encompass other orientations of the device in use or operation in addition to the orientation depicted in the figures. Furthermore, when a layer is referred to as being "between" two layers, it can be the only layer between the two layers or one or more intervening layers may also be present.

In the context of this application, a structure described as a first feature being "on" a second feature may include embodiments where the first and second features are formed in direct contact, as well as embodiments where additional features are formed between the first and second features, such that the first and second features may not be in direct contact.

It should be noted that, the illustrations provided in the present embodiment merely illustrate the basic concept of the present utility model by way of illustration, and only the components related to the present utility model are shown in the drawings and are not drawn according to the number, shape and size of the components in actual implementation, and the form, number and proportion of the components in actual implementation may be arbitrarily changed, and the layout of the components may be more complex. In order to make the illustration as concise as possible, not all structures are labeled in the drawings.

Example 1

As shown in fig. 1, the present utility model provides a semiconductor device including: a process chamber 11, a vacuum pump 12, a first valve 13, a second valve 14, a transparent viewing window 15, and an endpoint detection device 16. The process chamber 11 and the vacuum pump 12 are connected by a line 17, and more precisely, the exhaust port of the process chamber 11 is connected by a line 17 to the vacuum pump 12 to exhaust or inflate the process chamber 11 when needed. The exhaust ports may be provided at the sides or bottom of the process chamber 11, depending on the overall arrangement of the apparatus. The first valve 13 and the second valve 14 are arranged on a pipeline 17 between the process chamber 11 and the vacuum pump 12 at intervals, and the corresponding areas can be switched on or off by opening or closing the two valves. For example, closing the first valve 13 may isolate the process chamber 11 from other areas; if the first valve 13 and the second valve 14 are closed at the same time, the line 17 in the area of the transparent viewing window 15 is isolated from both the process chamber 11 and the vacuum pump 12. Since the semiconductor process involves a large amount of toxic and harmful corrosive gases, the inner surface of the pipe 17 to be used is usually subjected to corrosion-preventing treatment. A transparent viewing window 15 is arranged on a pipeline 17 between the first valve 13 and the second valve 14, and the end point detection device is arranged outside the process chamber 11 and on the transparent viewing window 15. The transparent viewing window 15 may be secured to the pipeline by a flange and a sealing ring is provided circumferentially to ensure sealing of the pipeline 17. The transparent observation window 15 is made of a material that does not react with reaction byproducts and residual reaction gases in the exhaust gas, for example, the reaction byproducts of the etching process include silicon oxide, and the transparent observation window 15 may be a magnesium fluoride or calcium fluoride glass window. A dust-proof film may be provided on the transparent observation window 15 to prevent adhesion of particulate matter without affecting the passage of detection light. Or a filter may be provided depending on the end point detection device. The end point detecting device generally includes a transmitting end and a receiving end, which are symmetrically disposed, so that the number of transparent viewing windows 15 is 2 correspondingly, and the transmitting end and the receiving end of the end point detecting device are symmetrically disposed on the pipeline 17, and the transmitting end and the receiving end of the end point detecting device are respectively disposed in the two transparent viewing windows 15. In other examples, more than one endpoint detection device may be provided, for example, 2 transparent observation windows 15 are provided, and the detection results of different detection devices are used together as a standard for monitoring the progress of the process reaction, so that the accuracy of endpoint detection can be improved.

In an exemplary method for using the semiconductor device provided by the present utility model, during the process, the first valve 13, the second valve 14 and the vacuum pump 12 are opened, the vacuum pump 12 continuously exhausts (i.e. vacuumizes) the process chamber 11, the redundant reaction gas and the reaction by-product in the process chamber 11 are exhausted through the pipeline 17, the endpoint detection device continuously monitors the concentration of the specific gas in the pipeline 17 passing through the area where the endpoint detection device is located, if the monitored concentration of the corresponding gas is lower than the preset value, it is determined that the process reaction is finished, at this time, the supply of the reaction gas into the process chamber 11 can be stopped, and the vacuum pump 12 is turned off after a period of time. When more and more particles adhere to the transparent observation window 15, the light emitted from the emitting end of the end point detection device cannot be received by the receiving end, and maintenance operation needs to be performed on the transparent observation window 15. At this time, the first valve 13 is closed to isolate the process chamber 11 from the vacuum pump 12, then the pipeline 17 between the transparent observation window 15 and the vacuum pump 12 is inflated to restore the pressure to the atmospheric pressure, then the second valve 14 is closed to clean or replace the transparent observation window 15, the second valve 14 is opened after the maintenance operation is completed, the vacuum pump 12 pumps air in the pipeline 17 between the transparent observation window 15 and the vacuum pump 12 to restore the pressure to the vacuum of the same degree as the process chamber 11, and finally the first valve 13 is opened to complete the equipment reset. When the maintenance operation is carried out on the transparent observation window, only part of pipelines are needed, and the process chamber is not required to be inflated and pumped, so that the operation duration (the maintenance operation is reduced to within 3 hours from 30 hours in the past) can be greatly reduced, the power consumption of the vacuum pump is reduced, and the equipment output rate can be greatly improved. Meanwhile, the process chamber does not need to be subjected to air inflation and air suction operation, so that the damage of components in the process chamber can be effectively avoided, the generation of particle pollution is avoided, and the production yield is improved.

The process chamber 11 is a space for performing semiconductor process operations, for example, when the equipment is etching equipment, the process chamber 11 is a dry etching chamber; if the apparatus is a vapor deposition (including chemical vapor deposition and physical vapor deposition) apparatus, the process chamber 11 is a vapor deposition chamber. In the case of a vapor deposition chamber, the endpoint detection device may be used to determine the endpoint of a cleaning operation during cleaning of the process chamber. If the apparatus is an annealing apparatus, the process chamber 11 may be an annealing chamber, or may be any apparatus such as a diffusion chamber, an ion implantation chamber, or the like, which requires a viewing window provided on the exhaust line. And the same apparatus may have a plurality of chambers for performing the same and/or different processes, for example, a plurality of vapor deposition chambers at the same time, or a preheating chamber and a plurality of vapor deposition chambers at the same time, and the specific type of the apparatus is not limited in this embodiment. The apparatus may also include other components for performing the relevant process, such as a chemical vapor deposition apparatus, and the process chamber 11 may be provided with a gas inlet device such as a gas shower head, and in the case of a sputter deposition apparatus, the process chamber 11 may be provided with a magnetron sputtering device, and so on. The process chamber 11 is typically provided with a susceptor or the like for carrying wafers, which is not developed in detail since this section is not the focus of the present utility model.

The first valve 13 and the second valve 14 may be any suitable valves that can be opened and closed in correspondence with the pipe 17. In a preferred example, the first valve 13 is a gate valve (gate valve), and the second valve 14 is a throttle valve (throttle valve). An exemplary structure of the gate valve is shown with reference to fig. 2, including a cylinder 131, a bellows 132, and a door plate 133, and when it is required to close the pipe 17 of the corresponding area, the cylinder 131 drives the bellows 132, thereby allowing the door plate 133 to cover the opening of the pipe 17 and to be fastened with the pipe 17 by a fastener penetrating through the screw hole 134. The process chamber 11 can be rapidly isolated by using the gate valve, and the damage to related components caused by too large air flow can be avoided by adjusting the opening and closing angle to control the fluid flow in the pipeline 17 by using the throttle valve.

Example two

As shown in fig. 3, the present embodiment provides a semiconductor device of another structure. The main difference between this embodiment and the first embodiment is that in the first embodiment, there is only a single pipeline 17 between the process chamber 11 and the vacuum pump 12, and the first valve 13, the second valve 14 and the transparent viewing window 15 are all disposed on the same pipeline 17. In this embodiment, the pipeline 17 includes a main pipeline 171 and a branch pipeline 172, the pipe diameter of the branch pipeline 172 is preferably smaller than that of the main pipeline 171, the first valve 13 and the second valve 14 are disposed on the main pipeline 171, two ends of the branch pipeline 172 are communicated with the main pipeline 171 between the first valve 13 and the second valve 14, and the transparent observation window 15 is disposed on the branch pipeline 172. The semiconductor device further includes a third valve 18 and a fourth valve 19 disposed on the branch 172 and respectively disposed at the front and rear ends of the transparent window 15, or both the front and rear ends of the transparent window are provided with valves. The third valve 18 and/or the fourth valve 19 are, for example, also gate valves. The main line 171 and the branch line 172 may be in communication with the same vacuum pump, which has the advantage of reducing the number of vacuum pumps and the footprint of the apparatus. Of course, the main pipe 171 and the branch 172 may also be connected to different vacuum pumps, which has the advantage that the two vacuum pumps are mutually standby, and when one of them fails, maintenance can be performed without stopping. The specific shapes of the main pipeline 171 and the branch pipeline 172 are not limited, as long as the pipeline provided with the transparent observation window 15 is ensured to be in a vertical state. By dividing the pipeline 17 into the main pipeline 171 and the branch pipeline 172, the pipeline section where the transparent observation window 15 is located can be completely stripped, for example, when the maintenance operation needs to be performed on the transparent observation window 15 and/or the endpoint detection device 16, the corresponding maintenance operation can be performed after the two valves on the branch pipeline 172 are closed, and the process chamber 11 still normally performs the process operation (the time of some semiconductor processes is longer, and the endpoint detection device is closed for a period of time and is not influenced), so that the device yield can be further improved.

In an example, the branch 172 is provided with a particulate matter collecting portion 20, and the transparent observation window 15 is disposed on the pipe 17 at the rear end of the particulate matter collecting portion 20, where the rear end is opposite to the exhaust direction, that is, the exhaust gas discharged first passes through the particulate matter collecting portion 20 and then passes through the pipe section where the transparent observation window 15 is located. Therefore, the gas in the pipeline 17 flows through the particulate matter collecting device, and the particulate impurities in the gas are partially deposited in the particulate matter collecting device, so that the possibility of depositing the particulate matters on the transparent observation window 15 can be reduced, the service life of the transparent observation window 15 is prolonged, and the improvement of the output rate of equipment is also facilitated.

In one example, the particulate matter collecting part 20 includes an arc-shaped pipe 17 having an arc-shaped collecting surface, the arc-shaped pipe 17 is connected between two straight pipes 17, and the arc-shaped collecting surface protrudes obliquely downward. The arcuate line 17 and the two straight lines 17 may be integrally connected, preferably detachably connected, so that they may be cleaned separately. In the case of insulating the arc-shaped pipe 17 and the straight pipe 17 from each other, the arc-shaped pipe 17 may be connected to an electrostatic device to be electrostatically charged, which will contribute to the adsorption of the particulate impurities.

In another example, the particulate collection portion 20 includes a collection pouch that is removably connected to a corner of the branch 172. Namely, an opening is arranged at the corner of the pipeline 17, and the collecting bag is in sealing connection with the pipeline 17 through a connecting piece such as a thread. The material and the size of the collecting bag can be set according to the needs, and the collecting bag is not particularly limited, and an adsorption material capable of adsorbing particulate matters, such as activated carbon, can be placed in the collecting bag. The particle collecting part 20 with the bag-shaped structure can reduce the probability of re-escaping particles, improve the adsorption effect, reduce the possibility of depositing particles on the transparent observation window 15, prolong the service life of the transparent observation window 15 and also facilitate the improvement of the output rate of equipment.

In addition to the above differences, other structures of the semiconductor device provided in the present embodiment are not different from those of the first embodiment, and detailed descriptions of the first embodiment are omitted for brevity.

An exemplary maintenance method of the semiconductor device includes:

closing the first valve 13 to isolate the process chamber 11 so that the process chamber 11 can remain in the process environment at all times;

starting the vacuum pump 12 to inflate the pipeline 17 between the transparent observation window 15 and the vacuum pump 12 so as to restore the air pressure in the area to the atmospheric pressure, closing the second valve 14, and performing maintenance operation on the transparent observation window 15, such as cleaning or replacement, and replacing the pipeline 17 corresponding to the area as required;

after maintenance of the transparent observation window 15 is completed, the second valve 14 and the vacuum pump 12 are opened, the inside of the pipeline 17 between the transparent observation window 15 and the vacuum pump 12 is exhausted, so that the air pressure is restored to the same vacuum as the process chamber 11, and finally the first valve 13 is opened.

In one example, the method of restoring the air pressure in the pipe 17 between the transparent window 15 and the vacuum pump 12 to the atmospheric pressure includes gradually increasing the opening angle of the second valve 14, for example, by 10% each time, in a state where the vacuum pump 12 is opened, to evacuate the pipe 17. In the process of gradually opening the second valve 14, the air pressure in the pipeline 17 of the corresponding section can be monitored in real time, so that the air pressure is prevented from severely fluctuating in a short time.

According to the maintenance method, the process chambers are isolated in the maintenance process, so that the time for inflating and exhausting the process chambers can be greatly saved, particle pollution caused by air pressure fluctuation in the process chambers can be avoided, the equipment yield and the production yield are improved, and the production cost is reduced.

In summary, the present utility model provides a semiconductor device. The device comprises: the device comprises a process chamber, a vacuum pump, a first valve, a second valve, a transparent observation window and a terminal detection device, wherein the process chamber is communicated with the vacuum pump through a pipeline, the first valve and the second valve are arranged on the pipeline between the process chamber and the vacuum pump at intervals, the transparent observation window is arranged on the pipeline between the first valve and the second valve, and the terminal detection device is positioned outside the process chamber and is arranged on the transparent observation window. The semiconductor equipment provided by the utility model has the advantages that through the improved structural design, when the maintenance operation is carried out on the transparent observation window, only part of pipelines are needed to be inflated and pumped without the process chamber, the maintenance operation time length and the power consumption of the vacuum pump can be greatly reduced, and the equipment output rate is improved. Meanwhile, the process chamber does not need to be subjected to air inflation and air suction operation, so that the damage of components in the process chamber can be effectively avoided, the generation of particle pollution is avoided, and the production yield is improved. Therefore, the utility model effectively overcomes various defects in the prior art and has high industrial utilization value.

The above embodiments are merely illustrative of the principles of the present utility model and its effectiveness, and are not intended to limit the utility model. Modifications and variations may be made to the above-described embodiments by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the utility model. Accordingly, it is intended that all equivalent modifications and variations of the utility model be covered by the claims, which are within the ordinary skill of the art, be within the spirit and scope of the present disclosure.

Claims

1. A semiconductor device, characterized by comprising: the device comprises a process chamber, a vacuum pump, a first valve, a second valve, a transparent observation window and a terminal detection device, wherein the process chamber is communicated with the vacuum pump through a pipeline, the first valve and the second valve are arranged on the pipeline between the process chamber and the vacuum pump at intervals, the transparent observation window is arranged on the pipeline between the first valve and the second valve, and the terminal detection device is positioned outside the process chamber and is arranged on the transparent observation window.

2. The semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein the pipeline includes a main pipeline and a branch pipeline, the semiconductor device further includes a third valve and a fourth valve, the first valve and the second valve are disposed on the main pipeline, two ends of the branch pipeline are communicated with the main pipeline between the first valve and the second valve, the transparent observation window is disposed on the branch pipeline, and the third valve and the fourth valve are disposed on the branch pipeline and are disposed at front and rear ends of the transparent observation window, respectively.

3. The semiconductor device of claim 2, wherein the pipe diameter of the branch is smaller than the pipe diameter of the main pipe.

4. The semiconductor device according to claim 2, wherein the branch is provided with a particulate matter collecting portion, and the transparent observation window is provided on a pipe line at a rear end of the particulate matter collecting portion.

5. The semiconductor device of claim 4, wherein the particulate collection portion comprises an arcuate conduit having an arcuate collection surface, the arcuate conduit being connected between two straight conduits.

6. The semiconductor device of claim 4, wherein the particulate collection portion comprises a collection pocket removably connected to a corner of the branch.

7. The semiconductor device of claim 2, wherein the main conduit and the branch conduit are connected to the same vacuum pump.

8. The semiconductor device of claim 1, wherein the process chamber comprises any one of a vapor deposition chamber, an etch chamber, an ion implantation chamber, and an anneal chamber.

9. The semiconductor device of claim 1, wherein the transparent viewing window comprises a calcium fluoride glazing.

10. The semiconductor apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the first valve is a gate valve and the second valve is a throttle valve.