KR20030060218A - Semiconductor manufacturing equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: Semiconductor manufacturing equipment is provided to be capable of uniformly cooling the entire surface of a wafer by forming a plurality of cooling agent supply lines into a parallel double pass structure in a wafer chuck loaded with the wafer. CONSTITUTION: Semiconductor manufacturing equipment is provided with a wafer loading part for loading a wafer(80), a process chamber(100), a wafer chuck(126) installed in the process chamber for fixedly loading the wafer, a buffer chamber, a wafer transferring robot installed in the buffer chamber for transferring the wafer of the wafer loading part to the wafer chuck of the process chamber, and a cooling agent supply apparatus(180) installed for cooling the wafer by circulating a cooling agent into the wafer chuck. At this time, the cooling agent supply apparatus includes a plurality of cycle lines(181) for uniformly circulating the cooling agent into the wafer chuck.

Description

Semiconductor manufacturing equipment

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a semiconductor manufacturing facility, and more particularly, to a parallel double pass of a coolant supply pipe inside a wafer electrostatic chuck on which a wafer is seated so as to cool a wafer. It relates to a semiconductor manufacturing equipment installed in a structure.

In general, in order to produce a single semiconductor product, many semiconductor unit processes and a semiconductor manufacturing facility for performing such a semiconductor unit process are required. At this time, the semiconductor manufacturing equipment must satisfy various conditions for the process such as process gas (Gas), process temperature, process pressure according to each semiconductor unit process in progress.

For example, in the case of a dry etching facility using plasma, a process gas is supplied into a process chamber by supplying RF (Radio Frequency) power to a process chamber in which a wafer is seated and a process is performed. Is converted into a plasma state, and some of the converted plasma is rapidly hit to the wafer to etch a predetermined material applied to the wafer. In this case, the wafer rises to a high temperature and is applied to the wafer. It is very important to adjust the temperature of the wafer to the proper temperature so that the wafer does not rise to high temperature because the resist is burned or the CD (critical dimension) is changed to cause the chip to fail. .

Thus, in the related art, a coolant supply pipe is installed in a wafer electrostatic chuck in which a wafer is placed in a process chamber and a coolant flows at a low temperature, and coolant flows into a wafer electrostatic chuck in which an edge portion of the wafer is seated. Circulate inside the wafer electrostatic chuck A coolant supply pipe is installed in a single pass structure so that the center portion of the wafer flows out from the inside of the wafer electrostatic chuck. The temperature was controlled by mutual heat conduction with the coolant or the like.

However, in the case of the conventional semiconductor manufacturing equipment, since the coolant supply pipe is installed in a single pass structure, but the coolant flows in and the coolant flows out in one place, one of the wafers positioned at the portion where the coolant flows at the first temperature flows first. The temperature is controlled by the mutual heat conduction between the coolant and the wafer. However, when the introduced coolant circulates inside the wafer electrostatic chuck for a predetermined time or a predetermined distance while controlling the temperature of the wafer, the coolant has its own temperature due to mutual heat conduction with the wafer. As a result, there is a problem that can no longer control the temperature of the wafer.

As a result, the longer the plasma time at which the wafer is etched, the greater the temperature difference between the respective portions of the wafer, resulting in various quality defects.

Accordingly, the present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a semiconductor manufacturing facility for cooling a wafer by installing a coolant supply pipe in a parallel double pass structure inside a wafer electrostatic chuck on which the wafer is seated. Is in.

1 is a cross-sectional view showing a process chamber of a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a portion A-A of FIG. 1. FIG.

3 is an enlarged plan view of a portion B of FIG. 2;

The present invention for realizing the above object is a wafer loading portion in which a wafer is loaded, a process chamber in which a wafer electrostatic chuck is installed so that the wafer is seated and a predetermined reaction occurs in the wafer, and a wafer in the wafer loading portion in the process chamber. A semiconductor manufacturing facility comprising a buffer chamber in which a wafer transfer robot for transferring to an electrostatic chuck is installed, and a coolant supply device for circulating a coolant into a wafer electrostatic chuck to cool a wafer seated on a wafer electrostatic chuck. The apparatus is characterized in that a plurality of cycle piping is installed to circulate the coolant in different paths inside the wafer electrostatic chuck.

In addition, the cycle piping is installed in a mutual parallel structure, characterized in that the circulation direction of the coolant is circulated in the cross direction.

Further, the cycle pipe is composed of the first cycle pipe and the second cycle pipe, the first cycle pipe and the second cycle pipe is installed in a parallel double pass structure mutually, circulating in the first cycle pipe and the second cycle pipe The coolant to be circulated in a cross direction.

Hereinafter, a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. At this time, the semiconductor manufacturing equipment according to the present invention is a semiconductor manufacturing equipment for etching using plasma as a preferred embodiment, the semiconductor manufacturing equipment according to the present invention can cool the wafer seated on the wafer electrostatic chuck by the coolant circulation. It is also applicable to other semiconductor manufacturing equipment used in various unit processes.

In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus includes a wafer loading unit (not shown) in which a wafer 80 that has undergone a large advance process is stacked and loaded on a wafer cassette (not shown), and the loaded wafer 80. A buffer chamber (not shown) interposed between the process chamber 100 for etching the wafer, the wafer loading portion and the process chamber 100, and the loaded wafer 80 before being supplied to the process chamber 100. And a wafer unloading unit (not shown) in which the wafer 80, which has been etched in the process chamber 100, is unloaded, and a central control unit (not shown) for overall control of the semiconductor manufacturing equipment.

Specifically, a wafer cassette is disposed or installed in the wafer loading portion and the wafer unloading portion so that the wafer 80 to be etched and the etched wafer 80 are sequentially stacked. In this case, the wafer loading unit and the wafer unloading unit may be integrally installed or separately installed.

In addition, the buffer chamber transfers the wafer 80 to be etched as the process proceeds from the wafer loading unit to the process chamber 100. When the etching of the wafer 80 is completed, the etched wafer 80 is transferred to the process chamber ( A wafer transfer robot (Robot, not shown) for transferring the wafer back to the wafer unloading unit 100 is installed.

On the other hand, the process chamber 100 and the process gas supply device 140 for supplying the process gas required for etching into the process chamber 100 so that the etching of the wafer 80, and the inside of the process chamber 100 is smoothly etched Vacuum exhaust device 160 to maintain the proper pressure for the process, the process gas in the process chamber 100 is converted into a plasma state, the power of a predetermined frequency so that the etching of the wafer 80 by the plasma A magnetic power supply device 190 for supplying the coolant and a coolant supply device 180 for controlling and cooling the temperature of the wafer 80 are installed. In addition, a wafer electrostatic chuck 126 on which the wafer 80 to be etched transferred through the buffer chamber is mounted and a lower electrode 124 supporting the wafer electrostatic chuck 126 are installed in the process chamber 100.

In more detail, the process chamber 100 has a cylindrical cylindrical shape, and a slit valve (not shown) selectively communicating with the buffer chamber is installed at one side thereof, and the inside of the process chamber 100 is installed at the other side thereof. A vacuum pipe 163 connected to the vacuum exhaust device 160 is installed to maintain the proper pressure, and a lower portion of the lower electrode 124 having a cylindrical block shape receives power from the magnetic power supply 190 from a predetermined electrode. ) And a wafer electrostatic chuck 126 located on the upper surface of the lower electrode 124 to seat the wafer 80 transferred through the buffer chamber. In addition, a process gas supply port 145 is provided on the upper side of the process chamber 100 to smoothly supply the process gas supplied from the process gas supply device 140 to the wafer 80 inside the process chamber 100.

At this time, the entire process chamber 100 surrounding the remaining process chamber 100, that is, the lower electrode 124 except for the lower electrode 124 installed on the bottom of the process chamber 100, corresponds to the upper electrode corresponding to the lower electrode 124. An insulating member 122 is installed at the boundary between the upper electrode 120 and the lower electrode 124.

Meanwhile, a coolant supply pipe for cooling the wafer 80 by receiving a coolant from the coolant supply device 180 installed outside the process chamber 100 in the lower electrode 124 and the wafer electrostatic chuck 126 installed as described above ( 181 is installed.

At this time, the coolant supply pipe 181 is installed to circulate the inside of the wafer electrostatic chuck 126 by a predetermined path through the lower electrode 124 installed on the lower surface of the process chamber 100. The first cycle pipe 182 circulating in one direction and the second cycle pipe 185 in which the coolant is circulated alternately in the other direction are installed in a parallel double pass structure as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. do.

That is, the first cycle pipe 182 is installed in the wafer electrostatic chuck 126 so that the coolant supplied from the coolant supply device 180 can circulate in the wafer electrostatic chuck 126 in a predetermined path, and the coolant is a wafer. The first coolant inlet hole (Hole) 183 introduced into the electrostatic chuck 126 and the first coolant outlet hole 184 where the coolant flows out from the inside of the wafer electrostatic chuck 126 are different from each other. Are respectively installed in the part where the center of the seat and the one side edge of the wafer 80 are seated. In addition, the second cycle pipe 185 installed in the wafer electrostatic chuck 126 to circulate in a different direction and a different path from the first cycle pipe 182 may be formed of a coolant flowing into the wafer electrostatic chuck 126. 2 The coolant inlet hole 186 and the second coolant outlet hole 187 through which the coolant flows out from the inside of the wafer electrostatic chuck 126 are respectively positioned at one side edge of the wafer 80 and the wafer 80. It is installed at each part where the center of the seat is seated.

At this time, as described above, the first cycle pipe 182 and the second cycle pipe 185 installed in the wafer electrostatic chuck 126 are installed in a parallel double pass structure, respectively, The second coolant outlet hole 187 of the second cycle pipe 185 is positioned near the first coolant inlet hole 183, and the first coolant outlet hole 184 of the first cycle pipe 182 is located. It is preferable that the second coolant inlet hole 186 of the second cycle pipe 185 is positioned in the vicinity.

Herein, the present invention has been described as an example of two cycle pipes 182 and 186 flowing in and out at different positions, but this is only one embodiment of the present invention, and the wafer electrostatic chuck 126 according to the present invention is different from each other. Naturally, a plurality of cycle pipes may be installed so that the coolant is circulated in various paths and intersecting directions. The coolant inlet hole of the cycle pipe is preferably installed in pairs with the coolant outlet hole of the other cycle pipe.

In the above description, reference numeral 127 denotes a wafer pin (Fin, 127) installed in the wafer electrostatic chuck 126 to allow the wafer 80 transferred by the wafer transfer robot to be seated on the wafer electrostatic chuck 126 smoothly. will be.

Hereinafter, the operation and effects of the semiconductor manufacturing equipment of the present invention configured as described above will be described in detail.

When the wafer 80 having undergone the preceding process is stacked on the wafer cassette and loaded into the wafer loading unit by an operator (not shown) or a wafer transfer device (not shown), the wafer transfer robot installed in the buffer chamber is processed in the process chamber 100. The wafer 80 of the wafer loading part is transferred to the upper surface of the wafer pin 127 in the process chamber 100 through a slit valve formed at one side of the.

Thereafter, when the transfer of the wafer 80 is completed, the slit valve is closed, and the wafer pin 127 installed on the wafer electrostatic chuck moves downward while the wafer 80 transferred by the wafer transfer robot moves to the wafer electrostatic chuck 126. Make sure you are seated smoothly).

In this manner, when the mounting of the wafer 80 on the wafer electrostatic chuck 126 is completed, the vacuum exhaust device 160 changes and maintains the inside of the process chamber 100 at an appropriate pressure suitable for the process to proceed. The magnetic power supply 190 supplies power to the lower electrode 124 and the upper electrode 120, respectively, and the process gas supply device 140 injects the process gas necessary for etching into the process chamber 100. do. The coolant supply device 180 is a low temperature inside the wafer electrostatic chuck 126 on which the wafer 80 is seated through the coolant supply pipe 181 including the first cycle pipe 182 and the second cycle pipe 185. Of the coolant is supplied and circulated.

In this case, as the process gas and the power are supplied as described above, the process gas supplied into the process chamber 100 is converted into a plasma state by a predetermined magnetic field generated between the lower electrode 124 and the upper electrode 120 and then lowered. The predetermined material applied to the wafer 80 is etched while hitting the wafer 80 provided above the electrode 124, and the wafer 80 is heated above a predetermined temperature by the plasma.

However, the wafer 80 heated as described above is cooled while being mutually thermally conductive by a low temperature coolant circulated in a predetermined path and a predetermined direction inside the wafer electrostatic chuck 126 on which the wafer 80 is seated. In this case, since a plurality of cycle pipes 182 and 185 having different paths are installed in a parallel pass structure inside the wafer electrostatic chuck 126, the entire surface of the wafer 80 is uniformly cooled compared to the conventional one, and in particular, a plurality of cycles Since the coolant inlet hole of one cycle pipe among the pipes 182 and 185 is paired with the coolant outlet hole of the other cycle pipe, the plasma time is increased during the etching process or the circulation path of the coolant in the wafer electrostatic chuck 126 is longer. Even if the entire surface of the wafer 80 is uniformly cooled.

As described above, the semiconductor manufacturing equipment according to the present invention is provided with a coolant supply pipe inside the wafer electrostatic chuck on which the wafer is seated to cool the wafer heated to a predetermined temperature or more, but a plurality of cycle piping having different paths. Since it is installed in a parallel structure, the entire surface of the wafer can be uniformly cooled compared to the conventional one, and in particular, the coolant inlet hole of one cycle pipe among the plurality of cycle pipes is paired with the coolant outlet hole of the other cycle pipe. Even if the plasma time is long during the etching process or the circulation path of the coolant is slightly longer inside the wafer electrostatic chuck, the entire surface of the wafer is uniformly cooled.

Claims (3)

A wafer loading portion into which a wafer is loaded, a wafer electrostatic chuck installed to seat the wafer, and a process chamber for generating a predetermined reaction on the wafer, and transferring the wafer to the wafer electrostatic chuck in the process chamber. A semiconductor manufacturing facility comprising a buffer chamber in which a wafer conveying robot is installed, and a coolant supply device for circulating a coolant into the wafer electrostatic chuck to cool the wafer seated on the wafer electrostatic chuck. The coolant supply device is a semiconductor manufacturing equipment, characterized in that a plurality of cycle pipes for circulating the coolant in different paths inside the wafer electrostatic chuck is installed. The semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the cycle pipes are installed in a parallel path structure, and the circulation direction of the coolant is circulated in a cross direction. According to claim 1, wherein the cycle pipe is composed of a first cycle pipe and the second cycle pipe, the first cycle pipe and the second cycle pipe is installed in a mutual double parallel structure, the first cycle pipe and The coolant circulated in the second cycle pipe is a semiconductor manufacturing equipment, characterized in that circulated in the cross direction.