KR20050101576A - Apparatus for cleaning atom layer deposition equipment and method at the same - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention discloses a cleaning apparatus for an atomic layer deposition apparatus and its cleaning method capable of increasing or maximizing productivity. The cleaning method of an atomic layer deposition apparatus according to the present invention is a cleaning method of an atomic layer deposition apparatus that forms a dielectric film on an atomic layer basis on a semiconductor substrate. And spraying dry ice pellets on the member to clean the dielectric film caused on the inner wall of the reaction chamber or on the surfaces of the various members.

Description

Apparatus for Cleaning Atom Layer Deposition equipment and method at the same}

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to the maintenance and management of semiconductor manufacturing equipment, and more particularly, to an atomic layer deposition (ALD) device and a cleaning method thereof.

In general, a semiconductor device is manufactured through a plurality of unit processes such as an ion implantation process, a thin film process, a diffusion process, a photo process, an etching process and the like. Among these unit processes, the thin film process is an essential process requiring improvement in the reproducibility and reliability of semiconductor device manufacturing.

In this case, the thin film may be a sol-gel method, a sputtering method, an electroplating method, an evaporation method, a chemical vapor deposition method, or a molecular beam epitaxy. It is formed on a semiconductor substrate by a beam eptaxy) method, an atomic layer deposition method or the like.

Among them, the chemical vapor deposition method and the molecular beam because the atomic layer deposition method can form a thin film by decomposition of the reactants (reactant) by chemical exchange through the periodic supply of each reactant rather than pyrolysis. Compared to the epitaxy thin method, a thin film process is possible at low temperatures, and there is an advantage of obtaining excellent step coverage.

Such an atomic layer deposition method and a reaction chamber for atomic layer deposition for forming a thin film by the atomic layer deposition method are disclosed in Korean Patent Nos. 1020000053415 and 1020020024223, respectively.

For example, when forming a dielectric film of a semiconductor device, a method of forming a dielectric film of a semiconductor device in which a dielectric film such as an aluminum oxide film is formed by the atomic layer deposition method will be described below.

First, a first reactant, for example, trimethyl aluminum (Al (CH 3) 3, “TMA”) composed of a thin film of aluminum and a methyl ligand is injected into a reaction chamber loaded with a semiconductor substrate. Subsequently, the first reactant A, which is physically bonded, is removed by purging (purging) the inert gas. At this time, the first reactant is chemisorbed on the semiconductor substrate. Next, a second reactant, for example, water (H ₂ O) composed of oxygen and hydrogen radicals forming a thin film is injected into the reaction chamber in which the first reactant is chemisorbed. The second reactant is then chemically adsorbed to the first reactant. Here, the hydrogen radicals of the chemisorbed second reactant move to the methyl ligand of the first reactant to separate the methyl ligand from the first reactant. The hydrogen radicals of the transferred second reactant react with the methyl ligand of the separated first reactant to form a volatile gaseous substance. The aluminum oxide film is formed on the semiconductor substrate by reaction of aluminum of the first reactant with oxygen of the second reactant. The first reactant and the second reactant may be alternately sequentially formed to form the aluminum oxide film having a desired thickness. In this case, since the aluminum oxide film is formed not only in the semiconductor substrate but also in the reaction chamber of the atomic layer deposition apparatus, it may cause a defect in the deposition process. The cleaning process of the atomic layer deposition equipment should be performed in parallel.

However, according to the conventional method of cleaning an atomic layer deposition apparatus, after forming the dielectric film on a predetermined number of semiconductor substrates, a dielectric film caused to the reaction chamber and various members inside the reaction chamber by using a volatile material such as alcohol. There is a problem in that productivity is lowered because the time required for cleaning the reaction chamber is long because it is not yet systematically established, such as cleaning the same foreign matter by wiping.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention for solving the above problems is to provide an atomic layer deposition apparatus and its cleaning method capable of increasing or maximizing productivity by reducing the time required for cleaning the reaction chamber.

According to an aspect of the present invention for achieving some of the above technical problems, the cleaning method of the atomic layer deposition equipment, in the cleaning method of the atomic layer deposition equipment to form a dielectric film in atomic layer units on a semiconductor substrate. And spraying dry ice pellets into the reaction chamber of the atomic layer deposition apparatus or the various members within the reaction chamber to clean the dielectric film caused on the inner wall of the reaction chamber or the surface of the various members.

Another aspect of the present invention provides a washing apparatus of an atomic layer deposition apparatus, comprising: a dry ice supply unit for supplying dry ice pellets by crushing dry ice into lumps or particles having a predetermined size; Compressed air supply unit for providing a high-pressure compressed air to accelerate the pressure, dry ice and compressed air supplied through a supply pipe connected to the dry ice supply unit and the compressed air supply unit inner wall or the reaction chamber of the atomic layer deposition equipment It is an apparatus including a dry ice spray gun for discharging to various members therein.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail. However, embodiments of the present invention illustrated below may be modified in various other forms, and the scope of the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described below. Embodiments of the present invention are provided to more completely explain the present invention to those skilled in the art.

1 is a view schematically showing an apparatus for cleaning an atomic layer deposition apparatus according to the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 1, the cleaning apparatus of the atomic layer deposition apparatus according to the present invention is a dry ice supply unit 200 for supplying dry ice pellets (120 of FIG. 3) by grinding dry ice into lumps or particles having a predetermined size. And a compressed air supply unit 300 for providing high pressure compressed air to accelerate the dry ice pellet 120 to a predetermined pressure, and a supply pipe connected to the dry ice supply unit 200 and the compressed air supply unit 300. Dry ice pellets 120 and compressed air supplied through 500 to the inner wall of the reaction chamber (100 of FIG. 3) of the atomic layer deposition equipment or to various members inside the reaction chamber 100 ( 400).

Here, the dry ice supply unit 200 grinds the dry ice mass to have a particle size of about 10 μm or less, and the compressed air supply unit 300 compresses the compressed air at a pressure of about 5.5 cm 2 / kg. Supply to the spray gun (400). In this case, since the compressed air may be solidified by the dry ice pellet 120, the atomic layer cleaning apparatus according to the present invention may be provided to the supply pipe 500 at the point where the dry ice pellet 120 and the compressed air meet. It may be further provided with a temperature control unit 600, such as a heater.

 In addition, the dry ice spray gun 400 is the switch 410 for blocking the dry ice pellet 120 and the compressed air supplied through the supply pipe 500 or the temperature control unit 600, and the Injection pipe 420 for moving the dry ice pellets 120 and the compressed air flowing in the switch 410, and the dry ice pellets 120 and the compressed air supplied through the injection pipe 420 It comprises a nozzle 430 for spraying. For example, the nozzle 430 may use a unique name '523SF' having an inner diameter of about 1 inch to inject a predetermined pressure to dry ice pellets 120 and compressed air. At this time, when the pressure of the dry ice pellet 120 and the compressed air is about 5.5 cm 2 / kg, and the consumption amount of the dry ice is about 1 kg / min, the inner wall of the reaction chamber 100 or the various members are about 10 You can wash in seconds.

Therefore, the cleaning apparatus of the atomic layer deposition apparatus according to the present invention, by the operator or user to dry ice pellets 120 on the inner wall of the reaction chamber 100 of the atomic layer deposition apparatus or the various members inside the reaction chamber 100 By spraying at a predetermined pressure, the inner wall of the reaction chamber 100 or the various members can be easily cleaned.

The cleaning method of the atomic layer deposition apparatus using the cleaning apparatus of the atomic layer deposition apparatus as described above is as follows.

2 is a view for explaining a method for cleaning an atomic layer deposition apparatus according to the present invention, the method for cleaning an atomic layer deposition apparatus according to the present invention is the atomic layer deposition equipment of the atomic layer deposition on the semiconductor substrate is formed The inner wall of the reaction chamber 100 is sprayed with a predetermined pressure by spraying dry ice pellets 120 containing carbon dioxide at a predetermined pressure on the inner wall of the reaction chamber 100 or the dielectric film caused by various members inside the reaction chamber 100. Alternatively, the dielectric film 110 may be cleaned from various members inside the reaction chamber 100.

Here, the dry ice pellet 120 collides with the dielectric film 110 induced on the inner wall of the reaction chamber 100 or the surface of the various members at a predetermined pressure by compressed air, and then peels the dielectric film 110. (剝離)

For example, the dry ice pellets 120 have a particle diameter of at least about 10 μm and are sprayed at a pressure of about 5.5 cm 2 / kg to the inner wall of the reaction chamber 100 or the various members. The dielectric film 110 formed in the order of μm may be peeled off within about 10 seconds.

In this case, the inner wall or the various members of the reaction chamber 100 may be cleaned at room temperature (eg, about 20 ° C.) to high temperature (eg, about 200 ° C.).

On the other hand, when the dry ice pellet 120 has a particle diameter of 10 μm or more or is injected at a pressure of 5.5 cm 2 / kg or more, the dry ice pellet 120 is not only the dielectric layer 110 but also the reaction chamber 100. The inner wall of the ()) or the surface of the various members can be damaged. On the other hand, when the particle diameter and pressure of the dry ice pellet 120 are significantly smaller than 10 μm and 5.5 cm 2 / kg, respectively, the dielectric film 110 induced on the inner wall of the reaction chamber or the surface of the various members is physically peeled off. You won't be able to.

3 is a photograph showing the result of the dielectric film 110 cleaned by dry ice pellets according to the present invention, the dielectric film induced on the surface around the heater 130 and the reaction gas inlet 140 of the atomic layer deposition equipment. It can be seen that 110 is cleaned by dry ice pellets 120 according to the present invention. Here, 'a, b' of FIG. 3 is a dielectric film 110 around the heater 130 in the reaction chamber (100 of FIG. 2) and the reaction gas inlet 140 for supplying the reaction gas into the reaction chamber, respectively. Shows that it is formed, 'c, d' shows that the dielectric film is cleaned around the heater 130 and the reaction gas inlet 140 by the dry ice pellets (120 of FIG. 2) according to the present invention.

Accordingly, in the method of cleaning the atomic layer deposition apparatus according to the present invention, the dry ice pellet 120 is sprayed onto the inner wall of the reaction chamber 100 of the atomic layer deposition apparatus or various members inside the reaction chamber 100 to form the reaction chamber. Since the dielectric film 110 caused on the inner wall or the various members can be easily peeled off, productivity due to cleaning can be increased or maximized.

In addition, the description of the above embodiment is merely given by way of example with reference to the drawings in order to provide a more thorough understanding of the present invention, it should not be construed as limiting the present invention. In addition, various changes and modifications are possible to those skilled in the art without departing from the basic principles of the present invention.

As described above, the cleaning method of the atomic layer deposition apparatus according to the present invention sprays dry ice pellets on the inner wall of the reaction chamber of the atomic layer deposition apparatus or the various members inside the reaction chamber to the inner wall of the reaction chamber or the various members. Since the induced dielectric film can be easily peeled off, there is an effect of increasing or maximizing productivity due to cleaning.

1 is a view schematically showing a cleaning apparatus of an atomic layer deposition apparatus according to the present invention.

Figure 2 is a view for explaining a cleaning method of the atomic layer deposition equipment according to the present invention.

Figure 3 is a photograph for showing the result of being cleaned by dry ice pellets according to the present invention.

    * Description of the symbols for the main parts of the drawings *

100: reaction chamber 110: dielectric film

120: dry ice pellets 130: heater

140: reaction gas inlet 200: dry ice supply unit

300: compressed air supply unit 400: dry ice spray gun

410: switch 420: injection pipe

430: nozzle 500: supply pipe

600: temperature control unit

Claims (12)

In the cleaning method of the atomic layer deposition equipment for forming a dielectric film in atomic layer units on a semiconductor substrate, And cleaning the dielectric film caused on the inner wall of the reaction chamber or on the surface of the various members by spraying dry ice pellets into the reaction chamber of the atomic layer deposition apparatus or the various members within the reaction chamber. The method of claim 1, The dry ice pellets are sprayed at a predetermined pressure by compressed air. The method of claim 2, The dry ice pellets cleaning method of the atomic layer deposition equipment, characterized in that the spraying at a pressure of about 5.5cm / kg. The method of claim 1, And cleaning the dielectric film in the reaction chamber or at a temperature of about 20 ° C to 200 ° C. In the cleaning device of the atomic layer deposition equipment, Dry ice supply unit for supplying dry ice pellets by grinding the dry ice into lumps or particles of a predetermined size, A compressed air supply unit for providing high pressure compressed air to accelerate the dry ice pellets to a predetermined pressure; And a dry ice spray gun for discharging dry ice and compressed air supplied through a supply pipe connected to the dry ice supply unit and the compressed air supply unit to the inner wall of the reaction chamber of the atomic layer deposition facility or various members inside the reaction chamber. Device. The method of claim 5, And the dry ice supply unit grinds the dry ice to have a particle diameter of about 10 μm or less. The method of claim 5, And the compressed air supply unit supplies the compressed air to the dry ice spray gun at a pressure of about 5.5 cm 2 / kg. The method of claim 5, And a temperature control unit in the supply pipe at the point where the dry ice pellets and the compressed air meet. The method of claim 8, The temperature control unit cleaning device of an atomic layer deposition equipment, characterized in that it comprises a heater. The method of claim 5, The dry ice spray gun is the switch for blocking the dry ice pellets and the compressed air supplied through the supply pipe; An injection pipe for moving the dry ice pellets and the compressed air flowing through the switch; And a nozzle for injecting the dry ice pellet and the compressed air supplied through the injection pipe. The method of claim 10, And the nozzle has an inner diameter of about 1 inch. The method of claim 5, The dry ice spray gun has a pressure of about 5.5 cm 2 / kg of the dry ice pellets and compressed air, and when the consumption amount of the dry ice is about 1 kg / min, the inner wall of the reaction chamber or the various members is about 10 seconds. Cleaning apparatus for atomic layer deposition equipment characterized in that the cleaning.