KR20060127544A - Gas supply system for sputtering apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

A gas supply system for sputtering apparatus that can uniformly maintain the temperature of a wafer on heater tables by mounting constant pressure maintenance parts on sub-supply pipes, thereby constantly maintaining the pressure of gas supplied into respective chambers is provided. A gas supply system(51) for sputtering apparatus comprises: a bottle(53) for storing a prescribed gas; a chamber part(B) having chambers on which heater tables are mounted, wherein a wafer is placed on the heater tables; a main supply pipe(61) for connecting the bottle and the chamber part to supply the gas from the bottle to the chamber part; sub-supply pipes(65) for connecting the main supply pipe and the respective chambers; and a first constant pressure maintenance part(66) installed on the sub-supply pipes respectively to uniformly maintain the temperature of a wafer on the respective heater tables by constantly maintaining a pressure value of gas outputted into the respective chambers irrespective of an inputted pressure value of gas supplied into the sub-supply pipes.

Description

Gas supply system of sputtering equipment {GAS SUPPLY SYSTEM FOR SPUTTERING APPARATUS}

1 is a view schematically showing a gas supply system of a sputtering apparatus according to the prior art.

2 is a plan view of a conventional heater table.

3 is a cross-sectional view of a first process chamber having a conventional heater table.

Figure 4 schematically shows a gas supply system of the sputtering apparatus according to the present invention.

5 is a schematic view of a first static pressure holding unit;

Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view of the first process chamber with a heater table according to the present invention.

7 is a schematic view of a second static pressure holding unit.

The present invention relates to a sputtering apparatus, and more particularly, a gas supply system of a sputtering apparatus capable of supplying a gas supplied to a heater table in a chamber at a constant pressure to maintain a uniform temperature of a wafer placed on a heater table. It is about.

Generally, a sputtering process is mainly used for depositing a metal layer for metal wiring of an integrated circuit. In the sputtering process, an inert gas ion having a high energy in a plasma state formed by RF power or DC power collides with the surface of a metal target attached to the cathode electrode of the sputtering device, and the metal of the metal target to be deposited. Particles are sputtered and deposited on a wafer. In order to generate sputtering, argon is used as a source gas. At this time, the wafer should be placed on the heater table to maintain a constant temperature. To this end, the gas in the bottle is supplied to the lower portion of the heater table in each chamber through the supply pipe so that the wafer is maintained at an appropriate temperature for the process without overheating. Argon is mainly used as said gas as a cooling gas.

1 is a view schematically showing a gas supply system of a sputtering apparatus according to the prior art.

As shown in FIG. 1, the gas supply system 1 of the sputtering apparatus according to the prior art includes a bottle 3 in which gas is stored, and a heater table (not shown) in which a wafer (not shown) is placed. Chamber portion (A) having each of the chambers, the main supply pipe (11) connecting the bottle and the chamber and supplying the gas in the bottle (3) to the chamber portion (A), and the main supply pipe ( It is configured to include a regulator (13) for adjusting the pressure of the gas supplied and installed in 11), and the sub-supply pipe (15) connecting the main supply pipe (11) and the chambers in the chamber portion (A). .

The chamber portion A has a first loadlock chamber 29 in contact with the loading region 31 of the wafer on which the sputtering process is to proceed, and a wafer on which the sputtering process is to be performed. A transfer chamber 21 provided with a transfer arm 37 for drawing out, and a degas process for removing impurities such as moisture and oxygen existing on the wafer and installed adjacent to the transfer chamber 21 are performed. The degas chamber 23, the first and second process chambers 25 and 27 where the respective sputtering processes are performed on the degassed wafer, the unloading region 35 of the wafer where the sputtering process is completed, and A second load lock chamber 33 is in contact.

The first and second load lock chambers 29 and 33 are in a low vacuum state, and the high vacuum state when the wafer is inserted into and discharged from the degas chamber 23, the first process chamber 25, and the second process chamber 27. This is to prevent the sudden deterioration.

In addition to the regulator 13, the main supply pipe 11 is provided with a pressure gauge 12 and a manual on / off valve 14. Each sub-supply pipe 15 is connected to the lower portion of the degas chamber 23, the first process chamber 25 and the second process chamber 27, on which the heater table is mounted, so that each chamber 23, 25, 27 is installed. ) Supply gas to inside. In FIG. 1, the sub-supply pipe installed in the degas chamber 23 is referred to by reference numeral 15a, the sub-supply pipe installed in the first process chamber 25 is referred to by reference numeral 15b, and the sub-supply pipe installed in the second process chamber 27 is shown. Represented by reference numeral 15c.

The degas chamber 23, the first process chamber 25, and the second process chamber 27 are installed inside a highly clean clean room because wafer defects may occur due to fine particles. do. In addition, each degas chamber 23, the first process chamber 25 and the second process chamber 27 is maintained in a high vacuum state to exclude the process influence by the particles.

2 is a plan view of a conventional heater table. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a chamber in which a conventional heater table is mounted. 3 shows the first process chamber as an example, and the degassing chamber and the second process chamber are also arranged in the same structure.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the heater table 41 on which the conventional wafer 5 is placed is installed at the bottom of the first process chamber 25, and a plurality of holes in which gas is injected into the upper edge portion ( 42) is formed. In addition, the heater table 41 is connected to the rotary shaft 43 is installed. As the conventional heater table 41 is rotated, the gas introduced into the lower portion of the first process chamber 25 through the sub-supply pipe 15b is evenly supplied to the wafer through the holes 42. The reaction by-products generated during the sputtering process in the first process chamber 25 are discharged out of the exhaust pipe 45 by the pumping operation of the vacuum pump 117.

The process of supplying gas to the wafer using the gas supply system 1 of the conventional sputtering apparatus having the above configuration and the process of the corresponding process will be briefly described.

As shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, when a cassette (not shown) on which a wafer is loaded is located in the loading area 31, the wafer loaded on the cassette is transferred to an operator or robot arm (not shown). ) Is introduced into the first load lock chamber 31. Subsequently, the wafer introduced into the first load lock chamber 31 is placed on the heater table in the degas chamber 23 through the transfer chamber 21 by the transfer arm 37. At this time, the gas in the bottle 3 is supplied into each chamber through the main supply pipe 11 and the sub-supply pipe 15. The wafer is subjected to a high temperature in a state where the temperature is uniformly maintained by the gas supplied into the degas chamber 23 to remove impurities such as moisture and oxygen present on the wafer. On the other hand, the pressure of the gas supplied to the main supply pipe 11 is adjusted by the regulator (13).

The wafer on which the degas process is completed is then placed on the heater table 41 in the first process chamber 25 by the transfer arm 37. Then, the wafer is sputtered in a state where the temperature is uniformly maintained by the gas supplied into the first process chamber 25, and as a result, a barrier metal film is formed on the wafer. The barrier metal film may be a TiN film.

Subsequently, the wafer with the barrier metal film is placed on the heater table in the second process chamber 27 by the transfer arm 37. In the same manner, the wafer is sputtered in a state where the temperature is kept uniform. As a result, a metal film is formed on the wafer with the barrier metal film. W (tungsten) film is mentioned as a metal film. The pressure of each gas supplied into the degas chamber 23, the first process chamber 25 and the second process chamber 27 corresponds to 20 Psi.

However, in the gas supply system of the conventional sputtering apparatus, the pressure value of the gas flowing through the regulator to the main supply pipe is adjusted, but since there is no device capable of controlling a separate pressure in the sub supply pipe, It is impossible. For example, when each process is simultaneously performed in each chamber, gas must be simultaneously supplied at the same pressure into each chamber through each sub-supply pipe. However, in this case, the pressure value of the gas supplied through any one of the sub-supply pipes is momentarily lowered to zero, and thus cannot be controlled. Thus, as the gas is supplied at a pressure other than 20 Psi in the chamber, the wafer on the heater table is not kept at a constant temperature. As a result, there is a problem that the reliability of the semiconductor manufacturing process is degraded, such as uneven film quality of the sputtered metal thin film.

Therefore, in order to solve the above problems, an object of the present invention is to install a constant pressure maintaining part that maintains a constant pressure value of the output gas irrespective of the pressure value of the input gas to the sub-supply pipe of the gas supplied into each chamber It is an object of the present invention to provide a gas supply system of a sputtering apparatus capable of maintaining a constant pressure to make the wafer temperature uniform on the heater table.

In order to achieve the above object, the gas supply system of the sputtering apparatus according to the present invention includes a bottle in which a predetermined gas is stored; a chamber unit having chambers on which a heater table on which a wafer is placed is mounted; A main supply pipe connecting the bottle and the chamber part and supplying gas from the bottle to the chamber part; A sub supply pipe connecting the main supply pipe and each chamber; and installed in the sub supply pipe, respectively, to maintain a constant pressure value of the gas output to the respective chambers regardless of the input pressure value of the gas supplied to the sub supply pipe. And a first static pressure holding unit for maintaining a uniform wafer temperature on the heater table.

The gas is preferably argon.

The chamber part includes a transfer chamber in which a wafer to be sputtered is held, a degas chamber for performing a degas process for removing impurities such as moisture and oxygen present on the wafer, and a process chamber in which the sputtering process is performed. Are provided in turn. In addition, the chamber unit further includes a first load lock chamber in contact with the loading region of the wafer where the sputtering process is to be performed, and a second load lock chamber in contact with the unloading region of the wafer where the sputtering process is completed.

The first hydrostatic pressure holding unit may have a first pressure sensing unit in which the gas pressure value in the sub-supply pipe is flushed with a pressure value that is flushed from the first pressure sensing unit, and is lower than a predetermined pressure value by comparing with a predetermined pressure value. And a first controller to stop the gas supply, and a first regulator to control the gas supply according to an input signal of the controller. The preset pressure value in the first control unit is 20 Psi.

It is preferable that a second positive pressure holding unit is connected to the main supply pipe and configured to adjust the output pressure value to be maintained regardless of the input pressure value of the gas supplied into the main supply pipe.

The second static pressure holding unit is a second pressure sensing unit that the gas pressure value in the main supply pipe is flushed with the pressure value is input from the second pressure sensing unit is lower than the predetermined pressure value compared with the predetermined pressure value And a second controller for stopping the gas supply, and a second regulator for adjusting the gas supply according to an input signal of the second controller. The preset pressure value in the second controller is 20 Psi.

The sub-supply pipe is preferably connected to the lower heater table in each of the chambers.

(Example)

Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described herein and may be embodied in other forms. Rather, the embodiments introduced herein are provided to ensure that the disclosed subject matter is thorough and complete, and that the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art will fully convey.

4 is a view schematically showing a gas supply system of a sputtering apparatus according to the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 4, the gas supply system 51 of the sputtering apparatus according to the present invention includes a bottle 53 in which a predetermined gas is stored, a chamber part B, a main supply pipe 61, and a sub supply pipe ( 65 and a first static pressure holding part 66.

The chamber portion B includes a first load lock chamber 79 in contact with the loading region 81 of the wafer to be subjected to the sputtering process, a transfer chamber 71 on which the wafer to be subjected to the sputtering process is held, and a wafer on the wafer. A degas chamber 73 for advancing a degas process for removing impurities such as moisture and oxygen, the first and second process chambers 75 and 77 for the respective sputtering processes, and a sputtering process A second load lock chamber 83 in contact with the unloading region 85 of the completed wafer is in turn provided. On the bottom surfaces of the degas chamber 73 and the first and second process chambers 75 and 77, heater tables (not shown) on which wafers are placed are mounted.

The door through which the wafer can enter and exit between the transfer chamber 71 and the degas chamber 73, the transfer chamber 71 and the first process chamber 75, and the transfer chamber 71 and the second process chamber 77 ( doors (not shown) are provided respectively. In addition, a door (not shown) through which the wafer can enter and exit is provided between the transfer chamber 71, the first load lock chamber 79, and the transfer chamber 71 and the second load lock chamber 83, respectively.

The main supply pipe 61 is for supplying gas from the bottle 53 to the chamber portion B, and a manual opening / closing valve 62 and a pressure gauge 64 are provided respectively.

Each sub-supply pipe 65 connects the main feed pipe 61 and the chambers in the chamber part B, and is preferably installed in a parallel structure. Each sub-supply pipe 65 is a sub-supply pipe 65a installed in the degas chamber 73, a sub-supply pipe 65b installed in the first process chamber 75, and a sub-supply pipe installed in the second process chamber 77 ( 65c). Each sub-supply pipe 65: 65a, 65b, 65c is connected to the lower part of the heater table in the degas chamber 73, the first process chamber 75, and the second process chamber 79 to supply gas to the inside. .

In each of the sub-supply pipes 65: 65a, 65b and 65c, the pressure values of the gas output to the chambers 73, 75 and 77 are kept constant regardless of the input pressure value of the gas supplied to the sub-supply pipes. The main is provided with a first pressure holding unit 66. The first static pressure holding unit 66 may include, for example, each of the sub-supply pipes 65: 65a, 65b, and 65c adjacent to the degassing chamber 73, the first process chamber 75, and the second process chamber 77. It is installed at the entrance of each. Meanwhile, in FIG. 4, reference numeral 66a, which is not described, denotes the first static pressure holding unit installed in the degas chamber 73, reference numeral 66b denotes the first static pressure holding unit installed in the first process chamber 75, and reference numeral 66c. Denotes first static pressure holding units respectively installed in the second process chamber 77.

5 is a schematic view of a first static pressure holding unit. Although FIG. 5 illustrates that the first static pressure holding unit is installed in the first process chamber as an example, the first static pressure holding unit installed in the degassing chamber and the second process chamber is also arranged in the same structure. 6 is a cross-sectional view of a chamber in which a heater table according to the present invention is mounted. In FIG. 5, the first process chamber is illustrated as a chamber, but the degassing chamber and the second process chamber are also arranged in the same structure.

5 and 6 will be described in detail with respect to the process in which the pressure value of the gas output from each sub-supply pipe through the first static pressure holding unit and the first static pressure holding unit is kept constant as follows.

As illustrated in FIG. 5, the first static pressure holding part 66b includes a first pressure sensing unit 93 in which a gas pressure value in the sub-supply pipe 65b is sensed, and a first pressure sensing unit 93. The pressure value is inputted from the first control unit 95 and the control unit 95 to stop the gas supply when the pressure value is inputted from the pressure value is compared with each other and the predetermined pressure value is lower or higher than the predetermined pressure value. And a first regulator 97 to adjust.

A process in which the pressure value output from the sub-supply pipe 65b is kept constant by using the first static pressure holding unit 66b having the above configuration will be described.

As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the gas supplied into the sub-supply pipe 65b is flushed with a pressure value by the first pressure sensing unit 93, and the pressure value is measured by the first controller 95. The first regulator 97 is kept in the ON state only when compared with the preset pressure value and equal to the preset pressure value. When the first regulator 97 is turned on, the gas passes through the sub-supply pipe 65b to the heater table 111 (exactly, the hole 112 of the heater table 111) in the first process chamber 75 at a constant pressure. Supplied. Therefore, the wafer is maintained at a constant temperature without being overheated during the process in the first process chamber 75. If the flushed pressure value is larger or smaller than the pressure value preset in the controller 95, the first regulator 97 is turned off. The preset pressure value in the first control unit 95 corresponds to 20 Psi.

In FIG. 6, reference numeral 113, which is not described in FIG. 6, denotes a rotation shaft, 115, an exhaust pipe, and 117, a vacuum pump, respectively.

7 is a schematic view of a second static pressure holding unit in the gas supply system of the sputtering apparatus according to the present invention.

In addition to the first static pressure holding unit described above, a second constant pressure holding unit 91 may be provided in the main supply pipe 61 to maintain a constant gas pressure value.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 7, the second static pressure holding unit 91 includes a second pressure sensing unit 103 and a second pressure sensing unit 103 in which a gas pressure in the main supply pipe 61 is flushed. When the pressure value is inputted from the controller and the pressure value is lower than or higher than the preset pressure value, the gas supply is supplied according to the input signal of the second controller 105 and the second controller 105 which stops the gas supply. It includes a second regulator 107 to adjust the.

The process of making the pressure value output from the main supply pipe 61 constant using the second static pressure holding unit 91 is the same as that of the first static pressure holding unit described above. That is, the pressure of the gas supplied into the main supply pipe 61 is flushed by the second pressure detecting unit 103, and the pressure is preset by comparing the pressure with the pressure preset by the second control unit 105. The second regulator 107 is kept ON only when the value is the same. For example, when the flushed pressure value is larger or smaller than the pressure value set in the second controller 105, the second regulator 107 is kept off.

According to the present invention, the wafer temperature on the heater table can be made uniform by maintaining a constant pressure value of the gas output to each chamber irrespective of the pressure value of the gas input by attaching the constant pressure holding part to the sub-supply pipe. Therefore, this invention can improve the reliability of a semiconductor manufacturing process. On the other hand, the present invention can be provided in the main supply pipe as well as the sub-supply pipe to maintain a constant pressure of the gas supplied to the chamber portion.

Claims (10)

A bottle in which a predetermined gas is stored; A chamber portion having chambers on which a heater table on which a wafer is placed is mounted; A main supply pipe connecting the bottle and the chamber part and supplying the gas from the bottle to the chamber part; A sub supply pipe connecting the main supply pipe and the respective chambers; and Respectively installed in the sub-supply pipes and maintaining the pressure value of the gas output to the chambers regardless of the input pressure value of the gas supplied to the sub-supply pipes to maintain the wafer temperature on each heater table uniformly. Gas supply system of the sputtering apparatus comprising a first static pressure holding for. The gas supply system of a sputtering apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the gas is argon. The method of claim 1, wherein the chamber portion A transfer chamber in which a wafer on which a sputtering process is to be performed is waiting; A degas chamber for performing a degas process for removing impurities such as moisture and oxygen present on the wafer; The gas supply system of the sputtering apparatus, characterized in that each of the process chambers for each sputtering process is provided in turn. The method of claim 3, wherein the chamber portion further comprises a first load lock chamber in contact with the loading region of the wafer to be sputtered, and a second load lock chamber in contact with the unloading region of the wafer on which the sputtering process is completed; Gas supply system of sputtering device. The method of claim 1, wherein the first pressure holding unit A first pressure detector configured to flush the gas pressure value in the sub-supply pipe; A first control unit which stops the gas supply when a pressure value flushed from the first pressure sensing unit is input and is lower than or higher than a preset pressure value compared with a preset pressure value; And a first regulator for adjusting the gas supply according to the input signal of the controller. The gas supply system of the sputtering apparatus according to claim 5, wherein a predetermined pressure value of the first control unit is 20 Psi. According to claim 1, It is connected to the main supply pipe, it is added that the second static pressure holding unit for adjusting the output pressure value is maintained constant regardless of the input pressure value of the gas supplied into the main supply pipe A gas supply system for a sputtering apparatus, characterized in that. The method of claim 7, wherein the second static pressure holding unit A second pressure detector configured to flush the gas pressure value in the main supply pipe; A second control unit which stops the gas supply when a pressure value flushed from the second pressure sensing unit is input and is lower than or higher than a predetermined pressure value compared with a predetermined pressure value; And a second regulator for adjusting the gas supply according to the input signal of the second control unit. The gas supply system of the sputtering apparatus according to claim 8, wherein a predetermined pressure value of the second control unit is 20 Psi. The gas supply system of the sputtering apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the sub-supply pipe is connected to a lower portion of a heater table in the chambers.

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