TW202107522A - Semiconductor process tool and method for using the same - Google Patents

Abstract

A semiconductor process tool includes a shell body, a carrier, a gas distributer, and a gas guiding device. The shell body is configured to surround a reaction chamber. The carrier is disposed in the reaction chamber and configured to support a substrate. The gas distributer is disposed above the carrier and configured to provide at least one first gas, in which the first gas is to be deposited as a film over a substrate. The gas guiding device is disposed below the carrier and configured to provide at least one second gas, in which the second gas is different from and is not reacted with the first gas.

Description

Semiconductor process machine and its application method

This disclosure is about a semiconductor process tool and its application method.

In the semiconductor manufacturing process, thin films are deposited on the surface of the wafer through the use of appropriate deposition methods. These deposition methods are generally used to grow silicon oxide, silicon nitride, or polycrystalline silicon. Recently, they are also used to grow metal layers, such as tungsten, titanium, copper, aluminum and their alloys, and barrier layers such as titanium nitride and nitride. Tantalum etc. Such processes can be executed under cluster tools with multiple reaction chambers, and different processes are integrated into one system, so that the idle time between processes is reduced and the production capacity is increased.

However, when the cluster tool is running, there may be a difference in air pressure between the reaction chamber and the buffer chamber of the cluster tool. This difference causes the gas flow direction during wafer transfer, which in turn affects the flow direction of dust particles in the cluster tool. For example, dust particles may accumulate in a reaction chamber with a lower operating pressure, which may cause film defects during the film deposition process.

Some implementations of the present disclosure provide a semiconductor processing machine The table includes a shell, a carrier, a gas distribution nozzle, and an air flow guiding element. The shell is used to surround the reaction chamber. The carrier is arranged in the reaction chamber and used for supporting the substrate. The gas distribution showerhead is arranged above the carrier and used to provide at least one first gas, wherein the first gas is used to deposit on the substrate to form a thin film. The airflow guiding element is arranged under the carrier and used to provide a second gas, wherein the second gas is different from the first gas and does not react with the first gas.

Some embodiments of the present disclosure provide a semiconductor processing machine, which includes a housing, a carrier, a gas distribution nozzle, a ring-shaped exhaust element, and an airflow guide element. The shell is used to surround the reaction chamber, and the shell has a wafer channel. The carrier is arranged in the reaction chamber and used for supporting the substrate. The gas distribution showerhead is arranged above the carrier and used to provide at least one first gas, wherein the first gas is used to deposit on the substrate to form a thin film. The ring-shaped suction element is arranged below the gas distribution showerhead and above the wafer channel. The airflow guiding element is arranged under the wafer channel and used to provide a second gas, wherein the second gas is different from the first gas and does not react with the first gas.

Some embodiments of the present disclosure provide an application method of a semiconductor processing tool, including a valve for opening a wafer channel in a reaction chamber, wherein a stage is provided in the reaction chamber; After the valve, a first gas is introduced from below the stage; and a wafer is transported into or out of the reaction chamber through the wafer channel.

100‧‧‧Semiconductor process machine

210‧‧‧Shell

212O1‧‧‧Open

212O2‧‧‧Open

214‧‧‧Wafer channel

216‧‧‧Exhaust port

220‧‧‧wafer stage

222‧‧‧Support column

230‧‧‧Gas distribution nozzle

232‧‧‧Gas control panel

232C‧‧‧Gas channel

234‧‧‧Blocking plate

236‧‧‧Gas distribution plate

240‧‧‧Exhaust element

240O‧‧‧Suction ring type pipeline

242‧‧‧ring

244‧‧‧Bottom liner

246‧‧‧Interlining

248‧‧‧Top liner

248O‧‧‧Opening

250‧‧‧Air guiding element

260‧‧‧Cover body

290‧‧‧controller

310‧‧‧Shell

320‧‧‧Exhaust element

330‧‧‧Air injection element

900‧‧‧Film

LP‧‧‧Load Port

TC‧‧‧Equipment front-end module

LC‧‧‧Load lock room

BC‧‧‧Buffer room

R1~R4‧‧‧Reaction chamber

WI‧‧‧Wafer access chamber

WO‧‧‧Wafer Delivery Room

A1, A2‧‧‧Robot arm

V1~V4‧‧‧Valve

AG‧‧‧Reactive gas

NG‧‧‧Gas

GL‧‧‧Gas pipeline

GS‧‧‧Gas supply source

GC‧‧‧Flow Controller

M‧‧‧Method

252C‧‧‧Gas channel

252‧‧‧Wall

252O‧‧‧Exhaust port

S1~S13‧‧‧Step

W1‧‧‧First wafer

W2‧‧‧Second Wafer

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of the configuration of a semiconductor processing tool according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

2 is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of a buffer chamber and a reaction chamber of a semiconductor processing tool according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

3 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a buffer chamber and a reaction chamber of a semiconductor processing tool according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

Fig. 4 is an exploded schematic diagram of the reaction chamber according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 5 is a perspective schematic view of some elements of the reaction chamber according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

6A and 6B are schematic top views of air guiding elements according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 7 is a method of depositing a thin film according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

8A to 8I are schematic diagrams of the process of a thin film deposition method according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

The following disclosure will provide many different implementations or examples to realize the different features of the provided patent objects. Many components and arrangements will be described below with specific embodiments to simplify the disclosure. Of course, these embodiments are only used as examples and should not be used to limit the disclosure. For example, the narrative that "the first feature is formed on the second feature" includes a variety of implementations, including that the first feature is in direct contact with the second feature, and that additional features are formed between the first feature and the second feature. The two are not in direct contact. In addition, in various embodiments, the present disclosure may repeat labels and/or letters. This repetition is for simplification and clarity, and is not intended to indicate the various implementations and/or configurations of these discussions. The relationship between the settings.

What's more, spatially relative words, such as "lower", "below", "below", "below", "upper", "above" and other related words are used here to simply describe elements or features The relationship with another element or feature is shown in the figure. In use or operation, in addition to the steering shown in the figure, these spatially relative words cover the different steering of the device. Alternatively, these devices can be rotated (rotated by 90 degrees or other angles), and the spatially relative descriptors used here can be interpreted accordingly.

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of the configuration of a semiconductor processing tool 100 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. The semiconductor process tool 100 may be a cluster tool, including a load port LP, an equipment front-end module (EFCM) TC, a load-lock chamber LC, and a buffer Chamber BC and process reaction chambers R1~R4.

The load port LP is used to carry the wafer transfer box WP. The wafer transfer box WP can load multiple wafers and be transported by a suitable automated handling system, such as an overhead hoist transfer (OHT).

The load lock chamber LC can be used to load or unload wafers. For example, the load lock chamber LC includes a wafer entrance chamber WI and a wafer delivery chamber WO. The equipment front-end module TC is connected to the load port LP and the load lock chamber LC. The front-end module TC of the equipment can be equipped with a robot arm A1 to take out the wafer from the wafer transfer box WP carried by the load port LP and transfer it to the wafer entry chamber WI of the load lock chamber LC. The circle is taken out from the wafer delivery chamber WO of the load lock chamber LC and transferred to the wafer transfer box WP carried by the load port LP. The buffer chamber BC is connected to the load lock chamber LC and the reaction chambers R1 to R4. Buffer room BC can be equipped with a robotic arm A2, so that the wafer is transferred between the load lock chamber LC and the reaction chamber R1~R4.

In some embodiments, the reaction chambers R1 to R4 can be used for chemical vapor deposition, atomic layer deposition, sputtering, cleaning and other steps. The chemical vapor deposition can be low pressure chemical vapor deposition, plasma chemical vapor deposition, or plasma chemical vapor deposition. Other appropriate manufacturing process. The number of reaction chambers R1 to R4 is only for reference, and should not be limited by this number. In some embodiments, there may be six reaction chambers connected to the buffer chamber BC.

In the manufacturing process, in order to reduce unnecessary gas phase reactions and increase the uniformity of the film on the wafer, at least part of the reaction chambers R1~R4 are designed to be in a low pressure (lower than the atmospheric pressure of the environment), hereinafter referred to as the first predetermined Air pressure, such as vacuum. In some embodiments, the air pressure of the buffer chamber BC can match the air pressure of the reaction chambers R1 to R4 and is also in a low pressure state, which is referred to as the second predetermined air pressure hereinafter. In order to match the air pressure of other chambers, the second predetermined air pressure of the buffer chamber BC may be higher than the first predetermined air pressure of some of the reaction chambers R1 to R4. The reaction chamber R1~R4 and the buffer chamber BC are connected by vacuum valves V1~V4, which control the switch between the buffer chamber and the reaction chamber. For example, the vacuum valves V1 to V4 may be slit valves, bellows, or other suitable elements. The vacuum valve parts V1 to V4 may include appropriate elastic gaskets, such as rubber gaskets.

The steps of growing the thin film are as follows: the silicon wafers in the wafer transfer box WP are placed in the wafer entrance chamber WI through the equipment front-end module TC, and then from the wafer entrance chamber WI into the buffer chamber BC, and then the machinery in the buffer chamber BC The arm A2 sends the wafer to the process reaction chamber R1, which is responsible for thin film deposition. Then, the vacuum valve V1 controlled by the vacuum between the buffer chamber BC and the process reaction chamber R1 is closed to seal the process reaction chamber R1, and then a thin film is deposited on the wafer. After the film is deposited, the vacuum valve V1 will open, and the robotic arm A2 will clamp the wafer back from the process reaction chamber R1 In the buffer chamber BC, it enters the process reaction chamber R2, the process reaction chamber R3, or the process reaction chamber R4 according to the process requirements to perform other process steps.

At the moment when the vacuum valve V1 is opened, because the second predetermined air pressure of the buffer chamber BC is higher than the first predetermined air pressure of the reaction chamber R1, an air flow from the buffer chamber BC to the reaction chamber R1 will be generated. This air flow may be caused by the reaction chamber R1. The internal pressure difference blows to the bottom of the reaction chamber R1, causing dust particles to stay at the bottom of the reaction chamber R1 and difficult to be removed, thereby contaminating the wafer. These dust particles may be by-products of the deposition process or elastic gaskets of the vacuum valve V1. In many embodiments of the present disclosure, by disposing an air flow guide element in the reaction chamber R1, the vacuum valve V1 between the reaction chamber R1 and the buffer chamber BC is opened from bottom to top in the reaction chamber R1. In order to prevent dust particles from accumulating at the bottom of the reaction chamber R1, an upward air flow is formed.

2 is a perspective view of the buffer chamber BC and the reaction chambers R1 and R2 of the semiconductor processing tool 100 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. The semiconductor processing tool 100 includes a housing 210 and a housing 310. The shell 210 is used for accommodating the reaction chambers R1 and R2. The casing 310 is used for accommodating the buffer chamber BC, and a plurality of wafer channels (not shown) are provided between the casings 210 and 310 to connect the buffer chamber BC and the reaction chambers R1 to R4.

3 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the buffer chamber BC and the reaction chamber R1 of the semiconductor processing tool 100 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

In the buffer chamber BC, the semiconductor processing tool 100 includes an air extraction element 320 and an air injection element 330 so that the buffer chamber BC generally maintains a stable air pressure state, such as the aforementioned second predetermined air pressure. The air extraction element 320 can be connected to an external air extraction system (not shown), such as a vacuum extraction system, through an appropriate opening or passage of the housing 310. The air flow injection element 330 passes through the housing 310 Appropriate openings or channels are connected to an external gas supply source (not shown).

FIG. 4 is an exploded schematic diagram of the reaction chamber R1 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. Referring to FIGS. 3 and 4 at the same time, in the reaction chamber R1, the semiconductor processing tool 100 includes a wafer stage 220, a gas distribution shower head 230, an air extraction element 240 and an airflow guide element 250. These elements or components are surrounded by the housing 210.

The wafer carrier 220 is used to carry wafers. The wafer stage 220 may include a heating plate and be used as a heating table. The wafer stage 220 may be disposed on the supporting column 222. The supporting column 222 can move up and down to control the wafer stage 220. For example, the support column 222 may extend through the opening 212O1 of the housing 210 to the outside of the reaction chamber R1, and then be connected to an appropriate mechanical moving device (such as a motor).

The gas distribution shower head 230 may be disposed above the wafer stage 220. During the deposition process, the gas distribution shower head 230 may spray one or more reactive gases downward to form a thin film on the wafer. For example, when the film to be formed is silicon dioxide (SiO ₂ ), the reaction gas can be silane (SiH ₄ ) and oxygen (O ₂ ), and the silane can be mixed with a suitable carrier gas. For example, the carrier gas may be hydrogen (H ₂ ), nitrogen (N ₂ ), argon (Ar), or the like. After the deposition process, after removing the wafer, the gas distribution shower head 230 can also be used to distribute a cleaning gas, such as a fluorine-containing gas, an inert gas, or a combination thereof, to clean the reaction chamber R1.

Specifically, the gas distribution shower head 230 includes a gas control panel (Gax Box) 232, a blocking plate 234, and a gas distribution plate 236. The gas control panel 232 has a gas channel 232C for supplying reaction gas. The gas control panel 232 can be electrically connected to the process control module, and control the flow rate and mixing ratio of the reaction gas through the mass flow controller. The blocking plate 234 and the gas distribution plate 236 can be separated With multiple openings. The opening size of the blocking plate 234 may be the same or different from the opening size of the gas distribution plate 236. The configuration of the blocking plate 234 and the gas distribution plate 236 causes the reaction gas to be slightly restricted in flow, so that the reaction gas further diffuses radially on the blocking plate 234 and the gas distribution plate 236 before entering the reaction chamber R1.

The air extraction element 240 is disposed around the wafer stage 220 for air extraction, so that the reaction chamber R1 generally maintains a stable air pressure state. The suction element 240 may include a plurality of openings 248O, which are arranged in a ring-shaped arrangement. Specifically, the air extraction element 240 includes a ring member 242, a bottom liner element 244, an intermediate liner element 246, and a top liner element 248. After these elements are installed, an air extraction ring-shaped pipeline 240O can be formed therein. For example, the top lining member 248 constitutes the inner wall of the suction ring-type pipe 240O, and the ring member 242 constitutes the outer wall of the suction ring-type pipe 240O. The top liner 248 has the aforementioned opening 248O, so that the air extraction element 240 can draw air substantially in a horizontal direction.

In some embodiments, the airflow guiding element 250 is disposed under the wafer stage 220 and the air extraction element 240. The air guiding element 250 may be a ring-shaped pipe to surround the supporting column 222. The airflow guiding element 250 may have an appropriate air inlet and an air outlet 252O, wherein the air inlet of the airflow guiding element 250 is connected to the gas supply source GS via a gas line GL, and the air outlet 252O of the airflow guiding element 250 is used to The gas is discharged into the reaction chamber R1. The airflow guiding element 250 may be completely located under the wafer stage 220. For example, the radius of the annular pipe of the air guiding element 250 is smaller than the radius of the wafer carrier 220.

In some embodiments, the airflow guiding element 250 may contact the bottom wall of the housing 210 and be directly disposed on the bottom wall of the housing 210. The positional relationship between the airflow guiding element 250 and the housing 210 can be fixed by appropriate positioning elements (such as grooves, protrusions, etc.). In some embodiments, the airflow guiding element 250 may It does not directly contact the bottom wall of the housing 210 and fixes the positional relationship between the airflow guiding element 250 and the housing 210 through other supporting elements. The airflow guiding element 250 may be substantially parallel to the bottom wall of the housing 210. For example, the distance between each air outlet 252O of the airflow guiding element 250 and the bottom wall of the housing 210 is approximately the same. In some embodiments, the airflow guiding element 250 may be made of metal (such as aluminum or stainless steel), quartz, ceramic materials, and/or other materials, which can withstand the thermal energy and the erosion of chemical reagents during the deposition process.

In some embodiments, the gas provided by the gas flow guiding element 250 may be a gas that does not easily react with the aforementioned reaction gas, such as hydrogen (H ₂ ), nitrogen (N ₂ ), argon (Ar), and helium (He). Wait. In some embodiments, the gas provided by the gas flow guiding element 250 may be the same as or different from the carrier gas in the aforementioned reaction gas.

In this embodiment, the gas line GL passes through the opening 212O2 of the housing 210 to connect to the gas supply source GS. In this embodiment, the opening 212O2 is located on the bottom wall of the housing 210. In some other embodiments, the opening 212O2 may be located on the side wall of the housing 210. In some other embodiments, the airflow guiding element 250 and the gas pipeline GL may be connected to the two ends of the opening 212O2, respectively, so that the airflow guiding element 250 and the gas pipeline GL are not directly connected to each other. In some embodiments, the flow controller GC may be disposed on the gas pipeline GL to control the flow rate of the supplied gas, where the flow controller GC may be, for example, a Mass Flow Controller (MFC). The semiconductor processing tool 100 may further include a cover 260 installed on the housing 210 and used to support the gas distribution shower head 230.

The semiconductor processing tool 100 may further include a controller 290. Controller 290 is used to control multiple process conditions in the deposition process. For example, the controller 290 is connected to the flow controller GC or other flow controllers to control the operation of the airflow guiding element 250, the gas distribution assembly 230, and the airflow injection element 330; the controller 290 is connected to an appropriate air extraction system to The operation of the air extraction element 240 and the air extraction element 320 is controlled; the controller 290 is connected to an appropriate mechanical moving device to control the lifting of the wafer stage 220; the controller 290 is connected to the heating plate to control the temperature of the wafer stage 220 and the like. In some embodiments, the controller 290 is a computer device including one or more processing units and one or more memory devices. The processing unit can be implemented in a variety of ways, such as dedicated hardware using microcode or software instructions or general-purpose hardware (such as single processor, multi-processor, or circular processing unit capable of parallel computing, etc.) to execute here The described function. Each memory device can be random access memory, exclusive memory, and so on.

FIG. 5 is a perspective schematic view of some elements of the reaction chamber R1 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. The housing 210 may include a suction port 216. The air extraction element 240 can be connected to an external air extraction system (such as a vacuum extraction system) through the air extraction port 216 of the housing 210 to exhaust gas from the reaction chamber R1 through the air extraction port 216 of the housing 210. Specifically, referring to FIGS. 4 and 5 at the same time, the lining member 246 of the air extraction element 240 has an opening so that the air extraction ring-shaped pipe 240O (refer to FIG. 3) of the air extraction element 240 can be connected to the housing 210 The suction port 216 communicates with each other. In some embodiments, the housing 210 may include a wafer channel 214 to connect to the buffer chamber BC (refer to FIG. 3).

6A and 6B are schematic top views of the air guiding element 250 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. The air flow guiding element 250 has a wall surface 252 to form an annular gas passage 252C, and the gas can be in the annular gas passage 252C Circulate and release into the reaction chamber through the air outlet 252O. The air outlet 252O of the airflow guiding element 250 may be arranged on the side of the wall 252 facing outward, so that the airflow guiding element 250 blows outward in a substantially horizontal direction. The number of air outlets 252O may be between about 5 and about 50, and this number should not be used to limit the scope of the present disclosure. If the number of air outlets 252O is less than 5, the gas distribution is uneven and the covering range is narrow; if the number of air outlets 252O is more than 50, it is not easy to set the air outlet 252O, which may cause the aperture of the air outlet 252O to be limited Shrink.

In FIG. 6A, the air outlet 252O is provided on the wall surface 252 with a uniform distribution density. Two adjacent air outlets 252O have an included angle, which is a straight line from the center of one air outlet 252O to the center of the airflow guiding element 250 and a straight line from the center of another adjacent air outlet 252O to the center of the airflow guiding element 250 Angle. For example, the air outlets 252O may be distributed in an equal-difference manner in included angles, for example, distributed in an equal-difference manner of about 1 degree to about 90 degrees. This arithmetic angle is related to the number of air outlets 252O. For example, when the number of air outlets 252O is 5, the arithmetic included angle is 72 degrees; when the number of air outlets 252O is 50, the arithmetic included angle is 7.2 degrees.

In FIG. 6B, the air outlet 252O has a higher distribution density at the air outlet 216 adjacent to the housing 210, and the air outlet 252O has a lower distribution density at the air outlet 216 away from the housing 210. Adjusting the distribution density of the gas outlet 252O according to the position of the gas suction port 216 can make the pressure distribution in the reaction chamber R1 more consistent. For example, in some embodiments, the air outlets 252O may be distributed in an equal ratio with the included angle angle, wherein the angle difference between adjacent air outlets 252O decreases proportionally from the adjacent air outlet 216 to the air outlet 216 away from the air outlet 216. Or, in some embodiments, the air outlets 252O may be distributed in a multi-step arithmetic way of included angles, for example In the second-order arithmetic method, the angle difference between adjacent air outlets 252O decreases gradually from the adjacent air outlet 216 to the distance away from the air outlet 216.

FIG. 7 is a method M of depositing a thin film according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. Method M includes steps S1 to S11. 8A to 8G are schematic diagrams of the process of a thin film deposition method according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

7 and 8A, the method M goes to step S1, the gas distribution shower head 230 sprays the reactive gas AG to deposit a thin film 900 on the first wafer W carried by the wafer stage 220. During the deposition process, the valve V1 between the reaction chamber R1 and the buffer chamber BC is closed, and the air extraction element 240 continues to pump air. During the deposition process, the air flow injection element 330 in the buffer chamber BC continues to supply air, and the air extraction element 320 in the buffer chamber BC continues to pump air to maintain the air pressure in the buffer chamber BC stable.

7 and 8B, the method M goes to step S2 to move the wafer stage 220 down to an appropriate position to prepare for wafer transfer. Next, step S3 of method M is performed to stop the pumping element 320 in the buffer chamber BC from pumping. This step is only to simplify the possible disturbance factor of the air flow generated when the subsequent wafer channel is opened. In some other embodiments, the air extraction element 320 can continuously extract air.

7 and 8C, step S4 of the method M is performed, the valve V1 that controls the wafer channel 214 is opened, and at the same time, the reaction chamber R1 is controlled by the flow controller GC (refer to FIG. 3). The gas flow guiding element 250 starts to supply gas NG. At this time, an air flow from the buffer chamber BC to the reaction chamber R1 is generated. For example, the airflow is supplied by the airflow injection element 330 in the buffer chamber BC to be evacuated by the air extraction element 240. In this process, the gas NG is supplied by the gas flow guide element 250 so that the gas flow will not be brought to the bottom of the reaction chamber R1, thereby preventing dust particles from accumulating in the reaction chamber R1.

7 and 8D, step S5 of the method M is performed, and the gas flow guiding element 250 in the reaction chamber R1 is stopped from supplying the gas NG under the control of the flow controller GC (refer to FIG. 8C). Here, step S5 can be performed within about 1 to about 5 seconds after step S4. In other words, the time for the gas flow guiding element 250 to supply the gas NG (refer to FIG. 8C) may be only about 1 to about 5 seconds. Within this time range, the air flow between the reaction chamber R1 and the buffer chamber BC can be stabilized without the need to continue to supply air.

7 and 8E, step S6 of the method M is performed, the first wafer W1 (see FIG. 8D) is taken out from the wafer stage 220 in the reaction chamber R1 using the robot arm A2 through the wafer channel 214, and then Transfer to the buffer room BC. Next, the valve V1 that controls the wafer channel 214 is closed to isolate the buffer chamber BC from the reaction chamber R1. Thereafter, step S7 of the method M is performed, and the air extraction element 320 in the buffer chamber BC can be turned on to stabilize the air flow in the buffer chamber BC. Here, after the robot arm A2 transfers the first wafer W1 (refer to FIG. 8D) to an appropriate position, it can obtain a second wafer to be transferred to the reaction chamber R1.

7 and 8F, step S8 of method M is performed. After the robot arm A2 prepares the second wafer, the pumping element 320 in the buffer chamber BC stops pumping, so as to simplify the subsequent wafer channel opening. The possible disturbance factor of the airflow. Next, proceed to step S9 of method M to open the valve V1 that controls the wafer channel 214. At the same time, the flow guide element in the reaction chamber R1 is controlled by the flow controller GC (refer to FIG. 3). 250 starts to supply gas NG. At this time, an air flow from the buffer chamber BC to the reaction chamber R1 is generated. For example, the airflow is supplied by the airflow injection element 330 in the buffer chamber BC to be evacuated by the air extraction element 240. In this process, the gas NG is supplied by the gas flow guide element 250, The air flow will not be brought to the bottom of the reaction chamber R1, thereby preventing dust particles from accumulating in the reaction chamber R1.

7 and 8G, the step S10 of the method M is performed, and the gas flow guiding element 250 in the reaction chamber R1 is stopped from supplying the gas NG under the control of the flow controller GC. As mentioned above, step S10 can be performed within about 1 to about 5 seconds after step S9. Within this time range, the air flow between the reaction chamber R1 and the buffer chamber BC can be stabilized without the need to continue to supply air.

7 and 8H, step S11 of the method M is performed, and the second wafer W2 is transferred from the buffer chamber BC to the wafer stage 220 of the reaction chamber R1 via the wafer channel 214 using the robot arm A2. Next, the valve V1 that controls the wafer channel 214 is closed to isolate the buffer chamber BC from the reaction chamber R1. Thereafter, step S12 of method M is performed, and an appropriate air extraction control system can be used to make the air extraction element 320 in the buffer chamber BC start air extraction, so that the air pressure in the buffer chamber BC can be stabilized.

7 and 8I, step S13 of method M is performed, and the wafer stage 220 is moved upward to an appropriate position to deposit a thin film on the second wafer W2. The deposition process is roughly the same as that shown in step S1 of FIG. 8A, and will not be repeated here.

In many embodiments of the present disclosure, by disposing an airflow guiding element in the reaction chamber, the airflow guiding element is supplied from bottom to top in the reaction chamber at the moment when the vacuum valve between the reaction chamber and the buffer chamber is opened. In order to prevent dust particles from accumulating at the bottom of the reaction chamber, an upward air flow is formed. In this way, the defects of inline or offline inspection of the wafer can be reduced, and the maintenance cycle of the semiconductor process tool can also be extended.

Some implementations of the present disclosure provide a semiconductor processing machine The table includes a shell, a carrier, a gas distribution nozzle, and an air flow guiding element. The shell is used to surround the reaction chamber. The carrier is arranged in the reaction chamber and used for supporting the substrate. The gas distribution showerhead is arranged above the carrier and used to provide at least one first gas, wherein the first gas is used to deposit on the substrate to form a thin film. The airflow guiding element is arranged under the carrier and used to provide a second gas, wherein the second gas is different from the first gas and does not react with the first gas.

In some embodiments, the semiconductor processing tool further includes a supporting column connected to the lower surface of the carrier, wherein the airflow guiding element surrounds the supporting column.

In some embodiments, the airflow guiding element has a wall surface to form a gas channel, the gas channel surrounds the opening, the airflow guiding element has a plurality of air outlets, and the air outlet is arranged on the side of the wall away from the opening surrounded by the gas channel.

In some embodiments, the housing has an air extraction port, the air extraction port is arranged below the gas distribution nozzle and above the airflow guiding element, wherein the airflow guiding element has a plurality of air outlets, and the density of the air outlets in the first part is higher than The density of the air outlets of the second part, wherein the air outlets of the first part are closer to the air suction openings of the housing than the air outlets of the second part.

In some embodiments, the annular air extraction element of the semiconductor processing machine is arranged below the gas distribution nozzle and above the air guiding element.

Some embodiments of the present disclosure provide a semiconductor processing machine, which includes a housing, a carrier, a gas distribution nozzle, a ring-shaped exhaust element, and an airflow guide element. The shell is used to surround the reaction chamber, and the shell has a wafer channel. The carrier is arranged in the reaction chamber and used for supporting the substrate. The gas distribution shower head is arranged above the carrier and used to provide at least one first gas, wherein the first gas is used to deposit on the substrate to form a thin film. The annular suction element is arranged under the gas distribution nozzle and Position above the wafer channel. The airflow guiding element is arranged under the wafer channel and used to provide a second gas, wherein the second gas is different from the first gas and does not react with the first gas.

In some embodiments, the airflow guiding element provides the second gas in a direction substantially parallel to the upper surface of the carrier.

Some embodiments of the present disclosure provide a method including opening a valve of a wafer channel in a reaction chamber; after opening the valve of the wafer channel, introducing a first gas from below the carrier ; And transport a wafer into or out of the reaction chamber through the wafer channel.

In some embodiments, the application method of the semiconductor processing tool further includes stopping the introduction of the first gas before transferring the wafer into or out of the reaction chamber through the wafer channel.

In some embodiments, the application method of the semiconductor processing tool further includes in the reaction chamber, introducing a second gas from above the carrier to deposit a thin film on the wafer, wherein the second gas is different from the first gas, and the second gas is different from the first gas. One gas does not react with the second gas.

The features of the various embodiments are summarized above, and those with ordinary knowledge in the technical field can better understand the various aspects of the present disclosure. Those with ordinary knowledge in the technical field should understand that the present disclosure can be used as a basis for designing or modifying other programs or structures to implement the same purpose and/or achieve the same benefits mentioned in the embodiments. Those with ordinary knowledge in the technical field should also understand that these equivalent structures do not exceed the spirit and scope of this disclosure, and various changes, substitutions, and transformations can be made. Here, the spirit and scope of this disclosure cover these changes, substitutions, and transformations. .

210‧‧‧Shell

212O1‧‧‧Open

212O2‧‧‧Open

214‧‧‧Wafer channel

220‧‧‧wafer stage

222‧‧‧Support column

230‧‧‧Gas distribution nozzle

232‧‧‧Gas control panel

232C‧‧‧Gas channel

234‧‧‧Blocking plate

236‧‧‧Gas distribution plate

240‧‧‧Exhaust element

240O‧‧‧Suction ring type pipeline

242‧‧‧ring

248‧‧‧Top liner

250‧‧‧Air guiding element

252O‧‧‧Exhaust port

260‧‧‧Cover body

290‧‧‧controller

310‧‧‧Shell

320‧‧‧Exhaust element

330‧‧‧Air injection element

BC‧‧‧Buffer room

R1‧‧‧Reaction Chamber

A2‧‧‧Robot arm

V1‧‧‧Valve

GL‧‧‧Gas pipeline

GS‧‧‧Gas supply source

GC‧‧‧Flow Controller

Claims (10)

A semiconductor processing machine includes: a housing for surrounding a reaction chamber; a carrier arranged in the reaction chamber and used for supporting a substrate; a gas distribution nozzle arranged above the carrier and used To provide at least one first gas, wherein the first gas is used for depositing on the substrate to form a thin film; and an airflow guiding element is disposed under the carrier and used to provide a second gas, wherein the The second gas is different from the first gas and does not react with the first gas. The semiconductor processing tool according to claim 1, further comprising: a supporting column connected to the lower surface of the carrier, wherein the airflow guiding element surrounds the supporting column. The semiconductor processing tool according to claim 1, wherein the airflow guiding element has a wall surface to form a gas channel, the gas channel surrounds an opening, the airflow guiding element has a plurality of air outlets, and the air outlets are provided On the side of the wall away from the opening surrounded by the gas channel. The semiconductor processing machine according to claim 1, wherein the housing has an air extraction port, the air extraction port is arranged below the gas distribution nozzle and above the airflow guiding element, wherein the airflow guiding element has a plurality of Air outlets, the density of the air outlets of a first part is higher than the density of the air outlets of a second part, wherein the air outlets of the first part are relatively The air outlets of the second part are closer to the air outlet of the housing. The semiconductor processing machine according to claim 1, further comprising: a ring-shaped air extraction element arranged below the gas distribution nozzle and above the gas flow guiding element. A semiconductor processing machine includes: a housing for surrounding a reaction chamber, wherein the housing has a wafer channel; a carrier set in the reaction chamber and used for supporting a substrate; and a gas distribution nozzle , Arranged above the carrier and used to provide at least one first gas, wherein the first gas is used to deposit on the substrate to form a thin film; an annular pumping element is arranged below the gas distribution nozzle and Is located above the wafer channel; and an airflow guide element is provided below the wafer channel and used to provide a second gas, wherein the second gas is different from the first gas and is not the same as the first gas Gas reaction. The semiconductor processing tool according to claim 6, wherein the airflow guiding element provides the second gas in a direction substantially parallel to the upper surface of the carrier. An application method of a semiconductor processing machine includes: opening a valve of a wafer channel in a reaction chamber, wherein the reaction chamber A carrier is provided in the wafer channel; after the valve of the wafer channel is opened, a first gas is introduced from below the carrier; and a wafer is transported into or out of the reaction chamber through the wafer channel. The application method of the semiconductor process tool according to claim 8, further comprising: stopping the introduction of the first gas before transferring the wafer into or out of the reaction chamber through the wafer channel. The application method of the semiconductor process tool according to claim 8, further comprising: in the reaction chamber, introducing a second gas from above the carrier to deposit a thin film on the wafer, wherein the second gas The gas is different from the first gas, and the first gas does not react with the second gas.

Images