KR20210009838A - Atomic layer deposition apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

According to one embodiment of the present invention, provided is an atomic layer deposition device, which deposits a thin film on a substrate. The atomic layer deposition device comprises: a deposition chamber unit having an opened substrate inlet port; a support table supporting the deposition chamber unit; and a transfer module positioned on the support table, having a transfer plate where the substrate is loaded, having a heater heating the substrate loaded on the transfer plate, and transferring the substrate preliminarily heated by the heater to an inner space of the deposition chamber unit through the substrate inlet port with the heater together for a thin film deposition process.

Description

Atomic layer deposition apparatus {ATOMIC LAYER DEPOSITION APPARATUS}

The present invention relates to an atomic layer deposition apparatus, and more particularly, to an atomic layer deposition apparatus in which a substrate is preheated and loaded into an inner space of a chamber.

Due to the development of semiconductor integration technology, the process of depositing a thin film with improved uniformity, high productivity, high purity, and high quality has become an important part of the semiconductor manufacturing process.

Referring to FIG. 1, typical methods of forming a thin film include a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) method and a physical vapor deposition (PVD) method. Physical vapor deposition methods such as sputtering cannot be used to form a film having a uniform thickness on the uneven surface because step coverage of the formed thin film is poor.

Chemical vapor deposition is a method in which gaseous substances react on the surface of a heated substrate, and a compound produced by the reaction is deposited on the substrate surface. The chemical vapor deposition method is widely applied because it has good step coverage compared to the physical vapor deposition method, less damage to the substrate on which the thin film is deposited, the thin film deposition cost is low, and the thin film can be mass produced.

However, as the degree of integration of semiconductor devices has recently been improved to the sub-micron unit, a uniform thickness in the sub-micron unit can be obtained from the wafer substrate using only the conventional chemical vapor deposition method or excellent step coverage. It is also difficult to obtain a material film having a constant composition regardless of its location when there are steps such as sub-micron-sized contact holes, vias, or trenches in the wafer substrate. Went through.

In addition, the CVD apparatus relies on a specific uniform substrate temperature and a flux to provide a precursor in order to maintain a uniform state in the process chamber to make a thin film layer of a desired uniform thickness on the substrate surface. Device. The requirements of these CVD apparatuses become serious as the substrate size increases, and more complex chamber designs and gas flow techniques are required to maintain appropriate uniformity.

In addition, in CVD deposition, reaction products and other contaminants may be contained in each deposition layer, and when the chamber pressure is reduced, the efficiency decreases. In addition, highly activated precursor molecules have a problem in that they may generate particles that are detrimental to the quality of the deposited thin film.

Therefore, unlike the chemical vapor deposition method in which all process gases are simultaneously injected, two or more process gases required to obtain a desired thin film are sequentially divided and supplied so that they do not meet in the vapor phase, but these supply cycles are periodically repeated to form a thin film. The (atomic layer deposition, ALD) method is being applied as a new thin film formation method.

In the ALD process, the dynamic motion of gas has a relatively small role, so the design limitation is small. Another advantage of the ALD process is that chemical substances that are precursors are not injected together, but are injected independently into the ALD reactor, so that high reactivity with each other can be avoided. That is, high reactivity, which is a problem in CVD, is an advantage in ALD. This high reactivity allows for low reaction temperatures and simplifies process chemistry steps.

The ALD process is deposited by chemical adsorption on the surface of the substrate. Another advantage of the ALD process is that the surface reaction by chemisorption makes it possible to achieve nearly perfect step coverage for complex surfaces.

The ALD technology is based on the principle of forming a saturated monolayer of active precursor particles by chemosorbent. In ALD, suitable active precursors are alternately pulsed into the deposition chamber. Each injection of the active precursor is separated by an inert gas purge. Each precursor jet provides a new atomic layer in addition to the previously deposited layer to form a uniform solid thin film layer. This process is repeated to form the desired thin film thickness.

However, the ALD process generally exhibits a deposition rate (typically 100 Å/min) lower than the CVD deposition rate (typically 1000 Å/min). In other words, there is a disadvantage in that the speed of the process is slow.

Although ALD has the above-described advantages in thin film deposition, due to such a slow process speed, ALD has not yet been applied to commercial processes.

Accordingly, in the field of thin film technology for thin film deposition, a thin film deposition method having improved uniformity and high productivity on a wider substrate is required.

The technical problem to be achieved by the present invention is to provide an atomic layer deposition apparatus that shortens the process time and suppresses the generation of dust.

The technical problem to be achieved by the present invention is not limited to the technical problems mentioned above, and other technical problems that are not mentioned can be clearly understood by those of ordinary skill in the technical field to which the present invention belongs from the following description. There will be.

In order to achieve the above technical problem, an embodiment of the present invention provides an atomic layer deposition apparatus (Automic Layer Deposition Apparatus) for depositing a thin film on a substrate. The atomic layer deposition apparatus includes: a deposition chamber unit having an open substrate inlet port; A support table supporting the deposition chamber part; And a transfer plate positioned on the support table and loaded with a substrate, and a heater for heating the substrate loaded on the transfer plate. The substrate loaded on the transfer plate for the thin film deposition process is transferred to the heater and And a transfer module for transferring to the inner space of the deposition chamber through the substrate inlet port together.

In an embodiment of the present invention, when the substrate and the heater are introduced into the inner space of the deposition chamber part by the transfer module, the substrate inlet port is closed by the transfer plate, so that the deposition chamber part and the transfer plate Can form a deposition chamber together.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the support table includes: a support plate on which the transfer plate is located; And a pillar supporting the deposition chamber part so that the deposition chamber part is spaced upward from the support plate, wherein the deposition chamber part comprises: a body connected to a gas passage for the deposition process and having a cylindrical shape; An upper plate part covering an upper end of the body; And a lower plate coupled to the lower end of the body and supported by the pillar, the substrate inlet port open downward, and coupled to the transfer plate moved by the transfer module.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the atomic layer deposition apparatus includes: a rail formed on the support plate of the support table to guide the transfer plate to be moved below the substrate inlet port; And a driving unit for horizontally moving the transfer plate on the rail and lifting the transfer plate under the substrate inlet port.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the transfer module further includes a wheel coupled to a lower surface of the transfer plate so that the transfer plate is moved on the rail, wherein the transfer plate includes the substrate inlet port of the deposition chamber part. When closed, the wheel may be located outside the deposition chamber.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the transfer module is coupled to the transfer plate by avoiding the heater located on the transfer plate, and supports a plurality of substrates to be stacked while being spaced apart from each other in the vertical direction; Can include.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the heater is positioned between the transfer plate and the lowermost substrate among the plurality of substrates, has a built-in heating wire, and may have a plate shape.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the heater may heat the substrate loaded on the transfer plate in advance before the substrate flows into the inner space of the deposition chamber, and heat interposed between the heater and the transfer plate Blocking plate; may further include.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the substrate support unit includes: a plurality of supports respectively installed at the edges of the transfer plate; And a plurality of support pins coupled to each support of the plurality of supports so as to be spaced apart from each other in the vertical direction, and supporting the edge of each substrate so as to space each substrate apart.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the atomic layer deposition apparatus includes an additional heater coupled to a lower surface of the upper plate portion of the deposition chamber portion; At least one gas supply unit connected to the deposition chamber unit to supply a source gas and a purge gas for an atomic layer deposition process; An exhaust part connected to the deposition chamber part; And it may further include a; vacuum pump connected to the deposition chamber.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, since the transfer module is provided with a heater, it can be heated during transfer before loading the substrate into the interior space of the chamber, so that the time of the deposition process can be shortened.

In addition, the cassette type substrate support unit makes it easy to load a large number of large-area substrates into the interior space of the chamber.

In addition, when a large number of large-area substrates are loaded into the interior space of the chamber by the transfer module, parts that do not require deposition such as wheels of the transfer module are not inserted into the interior space of the chamber, thereby reducing the space inside the chamber, and dusting from the inside. Or particles are prevented from forming.

The effects of the present invention are not limited to the above effects, and should be understood to include all effects that can be inferred from the configuration of the invention described in the detailed description or claims of the present invention.

1 is a table comparing methods of forming thin films.
2 and 3 are diagrams illustrating an atomic layer deposition apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.
4 is a diagram for describing a film formation in an atomic layer deposition apparatus.
5 is a view showing an atomic layer deposition apparatus according to another embodiment of the present invention.
6 is a view for explaining a transfer module of an atomic layer deposition apparatus according to another embodiment of the present invention.
7 is a diagram illustrating a relationship between a deposition chamber and a transfer module of an atomic layer deposition apparatus according to another embodiment of the present invention.
8 is a diagram illustrating a state in which a substrate is accommodated in a deposition chamber of an atomic layer deposition apparatus according to another embodiment of the present invention.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the present invention may be implemented in various different forms, and therefore is not limited to the embodiments described herein. In the drawings, parts irrelevant to the description are omitted in order to clearly describe the present invention, and similar reference numerals are assigned to similar parts throughout the specification.

Throughout the specification, when a part is said to be "connected (connected, contacted, bonded)" with another part, it is not only "directly connected", but also "indirectly connected" with another member in the middle. "Including the case. In addition, when a part "includes" a certain component, it means that other components may be further provided, rather than excluding other components unless specifically stated to the contrary.

The terms used in the present specification are only used to describe specific embodiments, and are not intended to limit the present invention. Singular expressions include plural expressions unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. In this specification, terms such as "comprise" or "have" are intended to designate the presence of features, numbers, steps, actions, components, parts, or a combination thereof described in the specification, but one or more other features. It is to be understood that the presence or addition of elements or numbers, steps, actions, components, parts, or combinations thereof, does not preclude in advance.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

2 and 3 are views showing an example of an atomic layer deposition apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

2 and 3, an atomic layer deposition apparatus (ALD) for depositing a thin film on a substrate 10 includes a deposition chamber unit 200 and a transfer module 300.

Referring to FIG. 2, the deposition chamber part 200 may have a substrate inlet port 203. The substrate inlet port 203 may be opened downward. An airtight chamber is required for the ALD process, and the deposition chamber part 200 having an open substrate inlet port 203 may be a part of such a chamber.

The transfer module 300 may include a transfer plate 310 and a heater 350.

The substrate 10 may be loaded on the transfer plate 310, and the transfer plate 310 is transferred from the vicinity of the deposition chamber 200 to the substrate inlet port 203 of the deposition chamber 200 by a driving device. Can be.

In the present embodiment, an example in which the substrate inlet port 203 is opened downward is described, but the opening direction of the substrate inlet port 203 may be opened in the lateral direction, and is not particularly limited.

The heater 350 may be provided on the transfer plate 310, and may heat the substrate 10 before or during transfer before loading the substrate 10 into the inner space 201 of the deposition chamber part 200. have.

Referring to FIG. 3, the transfer module 300 may transfer the substrate 10 previously heated by the heater 350 for the deposition process to the inner space 201 of the deposition chamber 200. At this time, the transfer plate 310 is coupled to the lower end of the deposition chamber part 200, so that the transfer plate 310 may close the substrate inlet port 203.

Accordingly, the substrate 10 loaded on the transfer plate 310 and heated in advance is loaded into the inner space 201 of the deposition chamber 200 through the substrate inlet port 203 together with the heater 350. I can.

Accordingly, the deposition chamber unit 200 and the transfer plate 310 may be combined to form a chamber for performing the deposition process. That is, the transfer plate 310 may serve as a lower structure of the chamber.

The atomic layer deposition apparatus may further include an additional heater 360 provided above the inner space 201 of the deposition chamber part 200.

4 is a view for explaining a process of forming a thin film in the atomic layer deposition apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

2 to 4, according to the deposition process by the atomic layer deposition apparatus, the source gas (reaction gas) and the purge gas are alternately formed into a chamber (ie, a combination of the deposition chamber part 200 and the transfer plate 310). ) Is supplied to the inner space 201 so that an atomic layer unit of a thin film may be deposited.

This thin film has a high aspect ratio, is uniform even at low pressure, and has excellent electrical and physical properties.

The configuration illustrated in FIG. 3 may be a gas supply and exhaust structure when applied to dielectric film deposition.

For example, as illustrated in FIG. 4, the ALD cycle may include processes of adsorption, substitution, generation and discharge.

For example, a precursor 2Al(CH3)3 may be supplied to form a mono layer on the substrate 10 by surface adsorption. Thereafter, the reactant (3H2O) is supplied to perform a substitution reaction with a single layer of the precursor. Next, as a result of this substitution reaction, a single atom layer (Al2O3) may be formed. Thereafter, gas 6CH4 may be discharged.

These ALD cycles

2Al(CH3)3 + 3H2O = Al2O3 + 6CH4.

By repeating this cycle, several atomic layers may be formed, and a thin film may be formed to a designed thickness.

Of course, the cycle can be repeated by changing the source gas to form another thin film.

The ALD process has several advantages described above, such as superior step coverage compared to other thin film deposition processes, for example, CVD processes, but has a disadvantage in that the process speed is slow due to the nature of the process of repeatedly forming an atomic layer single layer.

In addition, for the ALD process, it is necessary to heat the substrate 10 to a required temperature or temperature range. That is, in order to maintain the temperature of the substrate 10 to a required level in repeated cycles, a process time may be required.

In this embodiment, as described above, since the substrate 10 is preheated by the heater 350 provided on the transfer plate 310, the process time can be shortened.

In addition, the transfer plate 310 may be loaded into the inner space 201 of the deposition chamber 200 in a state in which a plurality of substrates 10 are loaded, and during the loading process, the transfer plate 310 is 200) and functions as a lower structure of the chamber.

That is, since the upper surface of the transfer plate 310 faces the inner space 201 of the chamber, and other parts of the transfer module 300 do not unnecessarily enter the inner space 201 of the chamber, the transfer module 300 Since a thin film is unnecessarily deposited on the wheel 315 or other parts, particles are generated, and a problem of deteriorating the quality of the thin film deposited on the substrate 10 can be prevented.

5 is a view showing an atomic layer deposition apparatus according to another embodiment of the present invention.

The atomic layer deposition apparatus of this embodiment includes a support table 100, a deposition chamber part 200, and a transfer module 300. The atomic layer deposition apparatus may further have structures such as pipes 140 and 160 (see FIG. 8) for supplying and evacuating gas, a pump, and a tank, which are similar to the example shown in FIG. 3, and thus a duplicate description will be omitted.

The support table 100 includes a support plate 110 on which the transfer plate 310 is located, and a pillar 130 supporting the deposition chamber part 200 so that the deposition chamber part 200 is spaced upward from the support plate 110. It may include.

The deposition chamber part 200 is positioned on one side of the support plate 110 so as to be spaced upward from the support plate 110, and the transfer plate 310 may be positioned on the other side of the support plate 110.

The transfer module 300 may load the substrate 10 together with the heater 350 into the inner space 201 of the deposition chamber 200 as described later.

The deposition chamber part 200 may include a body 210, an upper plate part 230 and a lower plate part 250.

The body 210 may be connected to a gas passage for a deposition process, and may have a cylindrical shape without special limitation, such as a square or cylindrical shape. The upper plate part 230 may cover the upper end of the body 210.

The upper plate 230 may be provided with a pipe or valve for supplying or exhausting gas. The lower plate part 250 is coupled to the lower end of the body 210 and may be supported by the pillar 130 of the support table 100. A substrate inlet port 203 that is open downward may be formed in the lower plate portion 250.

The transfer module 300 may include a transfer plate 310 and a heater 350.

The transfer plate 310 is located on the support plate 110 of the support table 100, and the substrate 10 may be loaded on the transfer plate 310 by another substrate 10 transfer means.

The heater 350 may be provided on the transfer plate 310, and a substrate loaded on the transfer plate 310 before the substrate 10 is loaded into the inner space 201 of the deposition chamber 200 ( 10) can be heated. The heater 350 may have a plate shape in which a heating wire is embedded.

The atomic layer deposition apparatus may further include rails 150 and driving units 170 and 190.

The rail 150 is formed on the support plate 110 of the support table 100 and may guide the transfer plate 310 to be transferred under the substrate inlet port 203.

The driving units 170 and 190 horizontally move the transfer plate 310 on the rail 150 and lift the transfer plate 310 under the substrate inlet port 203 to close the substrate inlet port 203.

A sealing portion is formed around the substrate inlet port 203 of the upper surface of the transfer plate 310 and the lower plate portion 250 of the deposition chamber portion 200, so that the closure can be more reliably closed.

The transfer module 300 may further include a wheel 315 coupled to a lower surface of the transfer plate 310 so that the transfer plate 310 moves on the rail 150.

When the transfer plate 310 is coupled to the substrate inlet port 203 of the deposition chamber part 200, the wheel 315 is located outside the deposition chamber part 200. Therefore, the film is prevented from being deposited on unnecessary portions such as the lower surface of the wheel 315 or the transfer plate 310, and the quality of the thin film formed on the substrate 10 is prevented from deteriorating due to the formation of particles due to deposition on the unnecessary portion. do.

6 is a view for explaining a transfer module 300 of the atomic layer deposition apparatus according to another embodiment of the present invention.

The transfer module 300 may further include a substrate 10 support unit 330.

The substrate 10 support unit 330 is coupled to the transfer plate 310 avoiding the heater 350 located on the transfer plate 310, and may support a plurality of substrates 10 to be stacked apart from each other.

The substrate 10 support unit 330 includes a plurality of supports 331 respectively disposed at the edge of the transfer plate 310, and a plurality of support pins 333 coupled to each support 331 so as to be spaced apart from each other in the vertical direction. It may include.

The plurality of support pins 333 may be attached to and detached from the support 331, and the number may be adjusted as necessary. Each of the support pins 333 positioned at each height may support an edge of the substrate 10. Accordingly, the plurality of substrates 10 may be stacked to be spaced apart from each other in the vertical direction.

The substrate 10 to which the atomic layer deposition apparatus can be applied is not particularly limited, and may be applied to, for example, a metal mask that can be used in a manufacturing process of a display, or other substrates 10.

The heater 350 may be positioned between the transfer plate 310 and the lowermost substrate 10 of the plurality of substrates 10.

The transfer module 300 may further include a heat shield plate interposed between the heater 350 and the transfer plate 310.

7 is a view for explaining the relationship between the deposition chamber and the transfer module 300 of the atomic layer deposition apparatus according to another embodiment of the present invention. 7 is a view showing a state in which a substrate 10 is accommodated in a deposition chamber of an atomic layer deposition apparatus according to another embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 7, the driving units 170 and 190 may include a motor, a gear, a belt, etc. for various transfer mechanisms. The driving units 170 and 190 may include a horizontal driving unit 170 and a vertical driving unit 190.

The horizontal drive unit 170 may horizontally move the transfer plate 310 located on the rail 150. For example, when the transfer plate 310 is pulled or pushed by the driving force of the horizontal drive unit 170, the wheel 315 installed on the lower surface of the transfer plate 310 rolls on the rail 150 so that the transfer plate 310 is It can be moved horizontally.

When the transfer plate 310 loaded with the substrate 10 is positioned under the substrate inlet port 203 of the deposition chamber part 200, the vertical drive unit 190 operates to lift the transfer plate 310 to inflow the substrate. The port 203 can be closed. Accordingly, as shown in FIG. 8, the substrate 10, the substrate 10 support unit 330, and the heater 350 may flow into the inner space of the deposition chamber part 200. Thereafter, a deposition process may be performed.

According to the atomic layer deposition apparatus according to embodiments of the present invention, the transfer module 300 includes a heater 350 so that it can be heated during transfer before loading the substrate 10 into the chamber inner space 201. , The time of the deposition process can be shortened.

In addition, due to the cassette-type substrate 10 and the support unit 330, it is easy to load a large number of substrates 10 having a large area into the inner space 201 of the chamber.

In addition, when loading a plurality of large-area substrates 10 into the inner space 201 of the chamber by the transfer module 300, parts that do not require deposition, such as the wheels 315 of the transfer module 300, are located in the inner space of the chamber ( Since it is not inserted into 201), the interior space 201 of the chamber is not cramped or dust or particles are prevented from forming inside.

The above description of the present invention is for illustrative purposes only, and those of ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention pertains will be able to understand that it can be easily modified into other specific forms without changing the technical spirit or essential features of the present invention. will be. Therefore, it should be understood that the embodiments described above are illustrative in all respects and not limiting. For example, each component described as a single type may be implemented in a distributed manner, and similarly, components described as being distributed may also be implemented in a combined form.

The scope of the present invention is indicated by the claims to be described later, and all changes or modified forms derived from the meaning and scope of the claims and their equivalent concepts should be interpreted as being included in the scope of the present invention.

10: substrate
100: table
110: support plate
130: pillar
150: rail
170: horizontal drive unit
190: vertical drive unit
200: deposition chamber part
201: internal space
203: substrate inlet port
210: body
230: upper plate
250: lower plate
300: transfer module
310: transfer plate
315: wheel
330: substrate support unit
331: support
333: support pin
350: heater
360: additional heater
370: heat shield plate

Claims (10)

In the atomic layer deposition apparatus (Atomic Layer Deposition Apparatus) for depositing a thin film on a substrate,
A deposition chamber portion having an open substrate inlet port;
A support table supporting the deposition chamber part; And
It is located on the support table and has a transfer plate on which a substrate is loaded, and a heater for heating the substrate loaded on the transfer plate, and the substrate loaded on the transfer plate for a thin film deposition process is transferred together with the heater. Atomic layer deposition apparatus comprising a; transfer module for transferring to the inner space of the deposition chamber through the substrate inlet port.
The method of claim 1,
When the substrate and the heater are introduced into the inner space of the deposition chamber part by the transfer module, the substrate inlet port is closed by the transfer plate to form a deposition chamber together with the deposition chamber part and the transfer plate. Atomic layer deposition apparatus, characterized in that.
The method of claim 2,
The support table,
A support plate on which the transfer plate is located; And
Includes; a pillar supporting the deposition chamber portion so that the deposition chamber portion is spaced upward from the support plate,
The deposition chamber part,
A body connected to the gas passage for the deposition process and having a cylindrical shape;
An upper plate part covering an upper end of the body; And
Atom comprising; a lower plate coupled to the transfer plate moved by the transfer module, the substrate inlet port coupled to the lower end of the body and supported by the pillar, the substrate inlet port opened downward, and coupled to the transfer plate. Layer deposition apparatus.
The method of claim 3,
A rail formed on the support plate of the support table to guide the transfer plate to be moved below the substrate inlet port; And
And a driving unit that horizontally moves the transfer plate on the rail and lifts the transfer plate under the substrate inlet port.
The method of claim 4,
The transfer module,
A wheel coupled to a lower surface of the transfer plate so that the transfer plate moves on the rail; further includes,
The atomic layer deposition apparatus, wherein when the transfer plate closes the substrate inlet port of the deposition chamber part, the wheel is located outside the deposition chamber part.
The method of claim 2,
The transfer module,
And a substrate support unit coupled to the transfer plate, avoiding the heater located on the transfer plate, and supporting a plurality of substrates to be stacked while being spaced apart from each other in an up-down direction.
The method of claim 6,
The heater is positioned between the transfer plate and the lowermost substrate among the plurality of substrates, has a built-in heating wire, and has a plate shape.
The method of claim 7,
The heater further comprises a heat shield plate interposed between the heater and the transfer plate to heat the substrate loaded on the transfer plate before the substrate flows into the inner space of the deposition chamber. Atomic layer deposition apparatus.
The method of claim 6,
The substrate support unit,
A plurality of supports respectively installed at the edges of the transfer plate; And
And a plurality of support pins coupled to each support of the plurality of supports so as to be spaced apart from each other in the vertical direction, and supporting an edge of each substrate so as to separate each substrate.
The method of claim 3,
An additional heater coupled to a lower surface of the upper plate portion of the deposition chamber portion;
At least one gas supply unit connected to the deposition chamber unit to supply a source gas and a purge gas for an atomic layer deposition process;
An exhaust part connected to the deposition chamber part; And
Atomic layer deposition apparatus comprising a; vacuum pump connected to the deposition chamber.

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