TW202226895A - Inductively coupled plasma apparatus and method for operating the same - Google Patents

Abstract

A method for operating an inductively coupled plasma apparatus is provided. The method includes disposing a first magnetic shield element adjacent a first side of a reaction chamber; performing a first plasma process when the first magnetic shield element is disposed adjacent the first side of the reaction chamber; removing the first magnetic shield element from the first side of the reaction chamber after performing the first plasma process; and performing a second plasma process after removing the first magnetic shield element from the first side of the reaction chamber.

Description

Inductively coupled plasma device and method of operation

The present disclosure relates to an inductively coupled plasma device and a method of operating the same.

In recent years, semiconductor integrated circuits (semiconductor integrated circuits) have experienced exponential growth. Technological advances in integrated circuit materials and design have resulted in multiple generations of integrated circuits, each of which has smaller and more complex circuits than the previous generation. During the development of integrated circuits, as the geometry size (ie, the smallest component or line that can be produced in the process) shrinks, the functional density (ie, the number of interconnect devices per wafer area) shrinks. Usually increases.

In general, such downsizing processes can provide the benefits of increased production efficiency and lower manufacturing costs, however, such downsizing processes also increase the complexity of manufacturing and producing integrated circuits. In order to realize these advances, corresponding research and development in the integrated circuit process and manufacturing equipment is required. In one example, the plasma etching process of the substrate is performed using a plasma fabrication system. In the plasma etch process, the plasma produces volatile etch products through chemical reactions between elements of the material etched from the substrate surface and reactive species generated by the plasma.

Some embodiments of the present disclosure provide a method of operating an inductively coupled plasma device. The method includes: disposing a first magnetic field shielding element adjacent to a first side of a reaction chamber; when the first magnetic field shielding element is disposed adjacent to the first side of the reaction chamber, performing a first plasma process; After performing the first plasma process, removing the first magnetic field shielding element from the first side of the reaction chamber; and after removing the first magnetic field shielding element from the first side of the reaction chamber , and perform a second plasma process.

Some embodiments of the present disclosure provide a method of operating an inductively coupled plasma device, comprising: disposing a first magnetic field shielding element adjacent to a first side of a reaction chamber; when the first magnetic field shielding element is disposed adjacent to When the first side of the reaction chamber is performed, a first plasma process is performed; after the first plasma process is performed, a second magnetic field shielding element is disposed adjacent to the first side of the reaction chamber; and when When the first magnetic field shielding element and the second magnetic field shielding element are disposed adjacent to the first side of the reaction chamber, a second plasma process is performed.

Some embodiments of the present disclosure provide an inductively coupled plasma device. The inductively coupled plasma apparatus includes a reaction chamber, a wafer base, a first magnetic field shielding element and a second magnetic field shielding element. The reaction chamber has a body and a dielectric plate, wherein the body and the dielectric plate define a space. The wafer base is arranged in the reaction chamber to carry a substrate. The first magnetic field shielding element is detachably disposed on the outer surface of the body. The second magnetic field shielding element is detachably disposed on the outer surface of the body.

The following disclosure will provide many different implementations or examples for implementing the various features of the provided patented subject matter. A number of elements and arrangements are described below in specific embodiments to simplify the present disclosure. Of course, these embodiments are only used as examples and should not be used to limit the present disclosure. For example, the statement "a first feature is formed on a second feature" includes embodiments that encompass the first feature being in direct contact with the second feature, as well as additional features being formed between the first feature and the second feature such that The two are not in direct contact. Furthermore, in various embodiments, the present disclosure may repeat reference numerals and/or reference letters. This repetition is for simplicity and clarity of illustration and is not intended to indicate the relationship between the various implementations and/or configurations of these discussions.

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 Relationship to another element or feature, as shown. In use or operation, these spatially relative terms encompass different turns of the device in addition to the turns shown in the figures. Alternatively, these devices can be rotated (rotated 90 degrees or other angles) and the spatially relative descriptors used herein can be interpreted accordingly.

In the inductively coupled plasma device, the dielectric plate is arranged between the induction coil and the plasma, for example, at the periphery or the top of the cavity. Using a radio frequency source, a radio frequency current is input into the coil to generate an induced radio frequency magnetic field, and then a radio frequency electric field opposite to the radio frequency current is induced in the cavity by the radio frequency magnetic field. Thereby, the RF source can be responsible for inductively coupling to generate plasma and control the plasma density.

FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of an inductively coupled plasma device 100 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. In some embodiments, inductively coupled plasma apparatus 100 is operable to perform a plasma etching process, such as plasma etching of metals, dielectrics, semiconductors and/or mask materials from the surface of substrate W. For example, it can be used in planar transistor processes to etch bottom antireflective coatings (BARC), polysilicon, and masks. In some other embodiments, the inductively coupled plasma apparatus 100 is operable to perform a deposition process, such as plasma deposition of metals, dielectrics, semiconductors and/or mask materials on the surface of the substrate W. In some other embodiments, the inductively coupled plasma apparatus 100 is operable to perform a plasma treatment, such as plasma treatment of metal, dielectric, semiconductor and/or mask materials on the surface of the substrate W.

In some embodiments, the inductively coupled plasma apparatus 100 includes a reaction chamber 110 , a wafer susceptor 120 , a coil 130 , a gas conveyor 140 , a fixture 160 and a magnetic field shielding element 170 .

In some embodiments, the reaction chamber 110 includes a body 112 and a dielectric window 114 . The body 112 and the dielectric plate body 114 define a closed space 110S of the reaction chamber 110 . In some embodiments, the closed space 110S of the reaction chamber 110 is insulated from the outside environment and can be maintained in a suitable state, such as vacuum or having a pressure lower than atmospheric pressure.

In some embodiments, the wafer susceptor 120 is disposed in the reaction chamber 110 and used to support the substrate W. As shown in FIG. The wafer base 120 may include an electrostatic chuck and/or a clamp ring (not shown) to hold the substrate W during the process. The wafer pedestal 120 may also include cooling and/or heating elements (not shown) for controlling the temperature of the wafer pedestal 120 . In some embodiments, the wafer pedestal 120 may further include electrodes 122 coupled to an RF generator. During the plasma processing process, the electrode 122 may be biased at an RF voltage by an RF generator. The biased electrode 122 can be used to bias the incoming process gas and help excite it into a plasma. In addition, electrode 122 can maintain plasma during the plasma treatment process.

In some embodiments, the coil 130 is disposed on the dielectric plate body 114 . The coil 130 is electrically coupled to a plasma radio frequency power source (not shown). The dielectric plate 114 allows the radio frequency energy provided by the plasma power source to be transmitted from the coil 130 to the closed space 110S of the reaction chamber 110 . Therefore, by using the coil 130 to transmit the radio frequency energy to the closed space 110S of the reaction chamber 110 through the dielectric plate body 114 , the process gas in the closed space 110S of the reaction chamber 110 can form an inductively coupled plasma, and then the substrate W can be processed Etching, deposition, and/or other plasma processes. In some embodiments, the inductively coupled plasma device 100 may optionally include a cover 150 for covering the coil 130 and the dielectric plate 114 to prevent contamination by dust particles.

In some embodiments, the dielectric plate body 114 has an opening 114O connected to the gas feeder 140 . The gas conveyor 140 is connected to a gas supply source (not shown), and is used for supplying process gas or other suitable gas (eg, cleaning gas, shielding gas, etc.) to the closed space 110S of the reaction chamber 110 . In various embodiments, the process gas may be an etch gas, a deposition gas, a treatment gas, a carrier gas (eg, nitrogen, argon, etc.), other suitable gases, and combinations thereof. The number of gas feeders 140 and openings 114O may be one or more. In some embodiments, the gas feeder 140 and the opening 114O may be located approximately at the center of the coil 130 . In some other embodiments, the gas feeder 140 and the opening 114O may be disposed off-center of the coil 130 . In some embodiments, the body 112 may include a gas outlet 112GO, which may be connected to an air pump (not shown) to extract air from the enclosed space 110S.

In some embodiments, the magnetic field shielding element 170 may be selectively disposed on each outer surface 150OS of the cover body 150 and each outer surface 112OS of the main body 112 . The material of the magnetic field shielding element 170 may be a suitable metal plate body capable of blocking external magnetic fields. For example, the material of the magnetic field shielding element 170 may be a transition metal or other suitable material. In some embodiments, the material of the magnetic field shielding element 170 may be a Group IV to Group 11 metal. In some embodiments, the material of the magnetic field shielding element 170 may be molybdenum (Mo), iron (Fe), nickel (Ni), alloys or combinations thereof, and the like.

In some embodiments, the magnetic field shielding element 170 can be fixed on the outer surfaces 112OS and 150OS through the fixing member 160 . For example, the fixing member 160 may be fixed (eg, locked) on the outer surface 112OS of the body 112 and/or the outer surface 150OS of the cover body 150 . The fixing member 160 may include one or more slots 160T for carrying the magnetic field shielding element 170 . Herein, the combination of the outer surface 112OS of the body 112 and the outer surface 150OS of the cover 150 is referred to as the outer surface OS.

The magnetic field shielding element 170 may include a magnetic field shielding element 172 located at the side of the reaction chamber 110 and a magnetic field shielding element 174 located above the reaction chamber 110 . The magnetic field shielding elements 172 , 174 can be separated from each other and can be independently selected to be disposed around the reaction chamber 110 . The fixing member 160 may include a fixing member 162 located at the side of the reaction chamber 110 and a fixing member 164 located above the reaction chamber 110 to carry the magnetic field shielding elements 172 and 174 respectively.

With the configuration of the fixing member 160 and the magnetic field shielding element 170 , the operator can adjust the distribution of the magnetic field shielding elements 170 around the reaction chamber 110 according to the plasma process to be performed, so as to effectively isolate the geomagnetism. For example, different distributions of magnetic field shielding elements 170 may be used for various plasma processes.

In some embodiments of the present disclosure, when the magnetic field shielding element 172 is disposed on the outer surface 112OS of the body 112 , the upper surface of the magnetic field shielding element 172 may be higher than the upper surface of the dielectric plate body 114 , and the magnetic field shielding element 172 The lower surface of the wafer base 120 may be positioned lower than the lower surface of the wafer base 120 . Specifically, the upper surface of the magnetic field shielding element 172 may be higher than the position of the coil 130 , and the lower surface of the magnetic field shielding element 172 may be lower than the position of the lower surface of the electrode 122 in the wafer base 120 . Therefore, when the coil 130 is used to generate a magnetic field, the magnetic field shielding element 172 can surround the area between the coil 130 and the electrode 122, so as to prevent the geomagnetism from affecting the plasma in this area. In this way, the plasma in this area can be effectively controlled by the coil 130 and the electrode 122 to achieve the target effect, such as uniform etching or non-uniform etching.

In some embodiments, in order to facilitate the opening and closing of the cover 150 when the machine is maintained, the fixing member 162 located on the side can be designed not to be fixed on the outer surface 150OS of the cover 150 , but only to the outer surface 112OS of the main body 112 . . For example, the fixing member 162 is directly fixed to the main body 112 and not directly fixed to the cover body 150 . Therefore, the setting of the fixing member 162 will not affect the operation of the machine itself. In some embodiments, the fixing member 162 may or may not contact the outer surface 150OS of the cover body 150 . In some embodiments, the fixing member 164 can be directly fixed on the upper surface of the cover body 150 .

In some embodiments, the magnetic field shielding elements 170 (eg, the magnetic field shielding elements 172 in FIG. 1 ) disposed on the same side of the reaction chamber 110 may be separated by a fixing member 160 (eg, the fixing member 162 in FIG. 1 ) instead of each other. touch. Alternatively, in some other embodiments, the magnetic field shielding elements 170 (eg, the magnetic field shielding elements 172 in FIG. 1 ) disposed on the same side of the reaction chamber 110 may not be separated by the fixing member 160 . In other words, in some other embodiments, the magnetic field shielding elements 170 (eg, the magnetic field shielding elements 172 in FIG. 1 ) disposed on the same side of the reaction chamber 110 may be in contact with each other.

In some embodiments, the substrate W may be a silicon wafer. In other embodiments, the substrate W may comprise other elemental semiconductor materials, compound semiconductor materials, alloy semiconductor materials or other semiconductor wafers, as well as other suitable substrates. For example, compound semiconductor materials include, but are not limited to, silicon carbide, gallium arsenide, gallium phosphide, indium phosphide, indium arsenide, and/or indium antimonide. For example, alloyed semiconductor materials include, but are not limited to, SiGe, GaAsP, AlInAs, AlGaAs, GaInAs, GaInP, and/or GaInAsP.

In some embodiments, the dielectric plate body 114 may be made of materials that are transparent to electromagnetic signals, such as quartz, ceramics, and/or dielectric materials. The electromagnetic signal can be visible light, infrared light, ultraviolet light, X-ray light, and/or other electromagnetic signals. Electromagnetic signals through the dielectric plate body 114 can be used to monitor process conditions in the confined space 110S, such as the presence of plasma, the presence of process gas species, and/or the presence of etch/deposition residual materials. The dielectric plate body 114 may comprise a suitable shape, such as a round plate, a square plate, or other suitable shapes. In some embodiments, the dielectric plate body 114 may be transparent. In some embodiments, the dielectric plate body 114 may also be referred to as a dielectric window.

In some embodiments, the coil 130 may be a planar multi-turn spiral coil, a non-planar multi-turn spiral coil, or a coil having other suitable shapes. In some embodiments, the coil 130 can form a plasmonic antenna. In other embodiments, the plasmonic antenna may include multiple plates suitable for capacitively coupled plasma. In other embodiments, the plasma can be maintained via other plasmonic antennas, such as electron cyclotron resonance (ECR), parallel plate, helicon, helical resonator, or other plasmonic antennas. The plasma power source ES may be, for example, a radio frequency (RF) power source.

In some embodiments, the inductively coupled plasma device 100 may further include a ceramic support base 180 for supporting the inner coil and the outer coil of the coil 130 . For example, the coil 130 can be fixed to the ceramic support base 180 by appropriate means (eg, screws). The ceramic support 180 may contain appropriate openings for the gas feeder 140 to pass through. In some embodiments, the inductively coupled plasma device 100 may further include a terminal 190 , wherein the coil 130 is connected to the plasma RF power source through the terminal 190 .

In some embodiments, the inductively coupled plasma apparatus 100 may further include a plasma baffle 116 to confine the plasma around the substrate W and enable process gases and process by-products to be transmitted through the plasma baffle 116 to the gas outlet 112GO for discharge . Plasma baffle 116 may be coated with an alternate chamber material evaluation (ACME) film, wherein the film may comprise an aluminum material, such as anodized aluminum, configured to reduce defects.

FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view of an inductively coupled plasma device 100 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. In the embodiment of the present disclosure, the fixing members 160 may be disposed on the top, bottom, left and right, and front and rear sides of the outer surface OS (including the outer surface 112OS of the main body 112 and the outer surface 150OS of the cover 150 ), so that the magnetic field shielding element 170 can be If required, it is arranged outside the reaction chamber 110 .

For example, in some embodiments, the magnetic field shielding element 172 includes primary magnetic field shielding elements 172a-172d and secondary magnetic field shielding elements 172a'-172d' disposed on four sides of the reaction chamber 110. The magnetic field shielding elements 172a-172d and the secondary magnetic field shielding elements 172a'-172d' can be separated from each other and can be independently selected to be disposed around the reaction chamber 110. In some embodiments, the shape and size of the primary magnetic field shielding elements 172a-172d and the secondary magnetic field shielding elements 172a'-172d' are designed to match the structure of other elements in the inductively coupled plasma device 100. For example, the dimensions of the secondary magnetic field shielding elements 172a'-172d' may be smaller than the dimensions of the magnetic field shielding elements 172a-172d.

In some embodiments, the magnetic field shielding element 170 may be provided with a plurality of locking holes 170H, and the outer surface OS may be provided with a plurality of corresponding locking holes OSH for fixing the magnetic field shielding element 170 on the outer surface OS. The magnetic field shielding element 170 can be fixed to the outer surface OS through other fixing members (refer to the fixing member 160 of FIG. 1 ). Alternatively, in other embodiments, the magnetic field shielding element 170 can be directly fixed to the magnetic field shielding element 170 without other fixing elements interposed therebetween. Other details of this implementation manner are generally as described above, and will not be repeated here.

FIG. 3 is a schematic perspective view of an inductively coupled plasma device 100 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 3 , the fixing member 160 can be fixed on the outer surface OS of the inductively coupled plasma device 100 by means of screw locking. For example, the fixing member 160 may be provided with a plurality of locking holes 160H, so that the locking holes 170H of the magnetic field shielding element 170 can be locked to the locking holes OSH of the outer surface OS through the locking holes 160H through screws. Therefore, the magnetic field shielding element 170 can also be fixed in the slot 160T of the fixing member 160 by means of screw locking. Other details of this implementation manner are generally as described above, and will not be repeated here.

FIG. 4 is a schematic perspective view of an inductively coupled plasma device 100 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. In this embodiment, a casing 300 may be disposed around the main body 112 (refer to FIG. 1 ), and the material of the casing 300 may be a metal material capable of blocking external magnetic fields. For example, the material of the housing 300 may be a transition metal or other suitable material. In some embodiments, the material of the housing 300 may be a Group IV to Group 11 metal. In some embodiments, the material of the casing 300 may be molybdenum (Mo), iron (Fe), nickel (Ni), alloys thereof, or combinations thereof, and the like. Thereby, the magnetic field generated by the geomagnetic imaging coil can be further prevented. In some embodiments, the body 112 (refer to FIG. 1 ) for surrounding the enclosed space 110S may have a wafer channel for facilitating wafer transfer. The casing 300 may also have a wafer channel 300G, which communicates with the wafer channel of the body 112 (refer to FIG. 1 ), so as to facilitate wafer transfer. The magnetic field shielding element 170 may be disposed on the body 112 (refer to FIG. 1 ) and the two sides of the casing 300 without the wafer channel. In some embodiments, the magnetic field shielding element 170 and its fixing member 160 (refer to FIG. 1 ) may not be provided on the side of the body 112 (refer to FIG. 1 ) and the casing 300 without the wafer channel. Alternatively, in other embodiments, the body 112 (refer to FIG. 1 ) and the side of the housing 300 where the wafer channel is provided may be provided with a magnetic field shielding element 170 and its fixing member 160 (refer to FIG. 1 ) of matching dimensions. Other details of this implementation manner are generally as described above, and will not be repeated here.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart of a method M of operating an inductively coupled plasma device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. FIGS. 6A-6B are schematic diagrams of various stages of a method M of operating an inductively coupled plasma device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. This description is exemplary only, and is not intended to further limit what is set forth in the scope of subsequent patent applications. Method M includes steps S1 to S8. It should be understood that additional steps may be added before, during and after steps S1 to S8, and for another partial implementation of the method, some of the steps mentioned below may be replaced or eliminated. The sequence of steps/procedures can be changed.

First, referring to FIG. 5 and FIG. 6A , the method proceeds to step S1 , an inductively coupled plasma device 100 is provided, and a plurality of magnetic field shielding elements 170 are adjusted to a first position configuration. For example, the magnetic field shielding elements 170 are disposed on the four sides and the upper and lower sides of the periphery of the reaction chamber 110 . In the case of adopting the first position configuration, the number and shape of the magnetic field shielding elements 172a-172b, 172a'-172b' on the four sides of the reaction chamber 110, and the magnetic field shielding elements 174 on the upper and lower sides of the reaction chamber 110 can have a predetermined configuration . For example, the number of the magnetic field shielding elements 172a-172b, 174 is 3, 2, 1, 4, and 1, respectively.

Next, referring to FIG. 5 and FIG. 6A , the method proceeds to step S2 , after adjusting the plurality of magnetic field shielding elements 170 to the first position, the first wafer is placed in the reaction chamber. Alternatively, in some other embodiments, the order of steps S1 and S2 may be reversed, which is not limited to what is shown in the figures. For example, after the first wafer is placed in the reaction chamber, the plurality of magnetic field shielding elements 170 can be adjusted to the first position configuration.

Next, the method proceeds to step S3, and the inductively coupled plasma apparatus 100 is used to perform a suitable plasma process on the wafer, such as a plasma etching process, a plasma deposition process, or a plasma treatment process. In the present embodiment, the plasma process includes using the gas conveyor 140 (refer to FIG. 1 ) to transport the process gas into the closed space 110S, and using the coil 130 (refer to FIG. 1 ) to transmit energy to the closed space 110S, and then to lift The energy of the process gas to generate and/or maintain the plasma. In some embodiments, the plasma process can be anisotropic or isotropic.

Next, referring to FIG. 5 and FIG. 6A , the method goes to step S4 , after one plasma process is performed on the wafer, the wafer can be removed from the reaction chamber, and the next wafer can be placed in the reaction chamber 110 The plasma process is performed on the next wafer in the enclosed space 110S.

After performing these plasma processes on a plurality of wafers (eg, a plurality of wafers in the same step), referring to FIG. 5 and FIG. 6B , the method proceeds to step S5 to adjust the magnetic field shielding element 170 to the second position. For example, the number of magnetic field shielding elements 170 located on any one of the four peripheral sides and the upper and lower sides of the reaction chamber 110 can be increased. Alternatively, in some examples, the number of the magnetic field shielding elements 170 located on any one of the four peripheral sides and the upper and lower sides of the reaction chamber 110 can be reduced, for example, the magnetic field shielding on any one of the four peripheral sides and the upper and lower sides of the reaction chamber 110 can be removed element 170 . In the case of adopting the second position configuration, the number and shape of the magnetic field shielding elements 172a-172b, 172a'-172b' on the four sides of the reaction chamber 110, and the magnetic field shielding elements 174 on the upper and lower sides of the reaction chamber 110 can have a predetermined configuration . For example, the number of the magnetic field shielding elements 172a-172b, 174 is 2, 4, 1, 5, and 1, respectively.

In some embodiments, when adjusting the magnetic field shielding element 170 to the second position configuration, the magnetic field shielding element 170 disposed on either side of the reaction chamber 110 can be removed. Alternatively, in some other embodiments, the magnetic field shielding element 170 disposed on either side of the reaction chamber 110 can be moved to the other side. Alternatively, in some embodiments, the number of magnetic field shielding elements 170 disposed on either side of the reaction chamber 110 may be increased.

Next, referring to FIG. 5 and FIG. 6B , the method proceeds to step S6 , after adjusting the plurality of magnetic field shielding elements 170 to the second position, the second wafer is placed in the reaction chamber. Alternatively, in some other embodiments, the order of steps S5 and S6 may be reversed, which is not limited to what is shown in the figures. For example, after the second wafer is placed in the reaction chamber, the plurality of magnetic field shielding elements 170 can be adjusted to the second position configuration.

Next, the method goes to step S7, and then the inductively coupled plasma apparatus 100 is operated to perform an appropriate plasma process on the second wafer, such as a plasma etching process, a plasma deposition process, or a plasma treatment process. In the present embodiment, the plasma process includes using the gas conveyor 140 (refer to FIG. 1 ) to transport the process gas into the closed space 110S, and using the coil 130 (refer to FIG. 1 ) to transmit energy to the closed space 110S, and then to lift The energy of the process gas to generate and/or maintain the plasma. In some embodiments, the plasma process can be anisotropic or isotropic.

Next, referring to FIG. 5 and FIG. 6B , the method goes to step S8 , after one plasma process is performed on the wafer, the wafer can be removed from the reaction chamber, and the next wafer can be placed in the reaction chamber 110 In the enclosed space 110S, the plasma process is performed on the next wafer (eg, multiple wafers in the same step).

In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the operator may select an appropriate configuration of the magnetic field shielding element 170 according to the requirements of the plasma process. For example, here, the configuration of the magnetic field shielding element 170 in the second plasma process is different from that in the first plasma process. In FIG. 5 , although the first plasma process and the second plasma process are respectively performed on the first wafer and the second wafer as an example, this should not limit the scope of the present disclosure. In other embodiments, the first plasma process and the second plasma process may be performed on the same wafer.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart of a method N of operating an inductively coupled plasma device in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure. FIGS. 6A-6B are schematic diagrams of various stages of a method M of operating an inductively coupled plasma device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. This description is exemplary only, and is not intended to further limit what is set forth in the scope of subsequent patent applications. Method N includes steps P1 to P6. It should be understood that additional steps may be added before, during and after steps P1 to P6, and for another partial implementation of the method, some of the steps mentioned below may be replaced or eliminated. The sequence of steps/procedures can be changed.

Referring to FIGS. 7 and 6A , the method proceeds to step P1 , where the first wafer is placed into the reaction chamber of the inductively coupled plasma apparatus 100 .

Next, the method proceeds to step P2, where the plurality of magnetic field shielding elements 170 are adjusted to the first position configuration. For example, the magnetic field shielding elements 170 are disposed on the four sides and the upper and lower sides of the periphery of the reaction chamber 110 . In the case of adopting the first position configuration, the number and shape of the magnetic field shielding elements 172a-172b, 172a'-172b' on the four sides of the reaction chamber 110, and the magnetic field shielding elements 174 on the upper and lower sides of the reaction chamber 110 can have a predetermined configuration . For example, the number of the magnetic field shielding elements 172a-172b, 174 is 3, 2, 1, 4, and 1, respectively. The order of steps P1 and P2 can be exchanged, and is not limited to what is shown in the figure. For example, the plurality of magnetic field shielding elements 170 may be adjusted to the first positional configuration before or after placing the first wafer in the reaction chamber.

The method goes to step P3, and then the inductively coupled plasma apparatus 100 is operated to perform an appropriate plasma process on the wafer, such as a plasma etching process, a plasma deposition process, or a plasma treatment process.

Next, referring to FIG. 7 and FIG. 6B , the method proceeds to step P4 to adjust the plurality of magnetic field shielding elements 170 to the second position arrangement. For example, the number of magnetic field shielding elements 170 located on any one of the four peripheral sides and the upper and lower sides of the reaction chamber 110 can be increased. Alternatively, in some examples, the number of the magnetic field shielding elements 170 located on any one of the four peripheral sides and the upper and lower sides of the reaction chamber 110 can be reduced, for example, the magnetic field shielding on any one of the four peripheral sides and the upper and lower sides of the reaction chamber 110 can be removed element 170 . In the case of adopting the second position configuration, the number and shape of the magnetic field shielding elements 172a-172b, 172a'-172b' on the four sides of the reaction chamber 110, and the magnetic field shielding elements 174 on the upper and lower sides of the reaction chamber 110 can have a predetermined configuration . For example, the number of the magnetic field shielding elements 172a-172b, 174 is 2, 4, 1, 5, and 1, respectively.

Next, the method goes to step P5, and then the inductively coupled plasma apparatus 100 is operated to perform a suitable plasma process on the wafer, such as a plasma etching process, a plasma deposition process or a plasma treatment process.

FIGS. 8A to 8J are schematic diagrams of various stages in the manufacturing process of a semiconductor device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. This description is exemplary only, and is not intended to further limit what is set forth in the scope of subsequent patent applications. It should be understood that additional steps may be added before, during and after the steps of Figures 8A to 8J, and that some of the steps mentioned below may be replaced or eliminated for another partial embodiment of the method. The sequence of steps/procedures can be changed.

Referring to FIG. 8A , on the semiconductor substrate 910 , a hard mask layer 920 , a bottom anti-reflection coating (BARC) 930 and a patterned photoresist layer 940 are formed. In some embodiments, the patterned photoresist layer 940 may comprise a suitable organic material. In some embodiments, the patterned photoresist layer 940 is formed by coating a photoresist layer on the bottom anti-reflective layer 930 and performing a lithography process (eg, exposing and developing) on the photoresist layer.

In some embodiments, the semiconductor substrate 910 may comprise a suitable semiconductor material, such as silicon (Si), germanium (Ge), silicon carbide (SiC), silicon germanium (SiGe), or combinations thereof. In some embodiments, the semiconductor substrate 910 is, for example, bulk silicon. In some embodiments, the semiconductor substrate 910 may be a silicon on insulator (SOI) substrate, a multilayer substrate, a gradient substrate, or a hybrid orientation substrate.

In some embodiments, the hard mask layer 920 may include multiple layers of dielectric materials, and may be a three-layer structure of silicon carbide-silicon oxide-silicon carbide. Alternatively, in some embodiments, the hard mask layer 920 may comprise a silicon carbide layer. In some embodiments, bottom anti-reflective layer 930 may comprise a suitable organic or inorganic dielectric material, such as silicon carbide (SiC). The bottom anti-reflective layer 930 may reduce reflection interference from underlying features when exposing the photoresist layer.

Referring to FIG. 8B , using the aforementioned inductively coupled plasma apparatus 100 , a plasma etching process is performed to remove the portion of the bottom anti-reflection layer 930 not covered by the patterned photoresist layer 940 to form the bottom anti-reflection layer 932 . Specifically, the semiconductor substrate 910 is placed on the wafer susceptor (refer to the wafer susceptor 120 of FIG. 1 ), and the gas conveyor 140 is controlled to introduce a gas Ga to generate plasma Pa to etch the unpatterned light The portion of the bottom anti-reflection layer 930 (refer to FIG. 8A ) covered by the resistive layer 940 . During the plasma etching process, the magnetic field shielding element 170 (refer to the aforementioned FIGS. 1 to 4 or FIGS. 6A and 6B ) may adopt a positional configuration 170LA.

Referring to FIG. 8C , the hard mask layer 920 is etched to form a hard mask 922 . Specifically, the inductively coupled plasma apparatus 100 introduces a gas Gb to generate plasma Pb to etch the portion of the hard mask layer 920 (refer to FIG. 8B ) that is not covered by the bottom anti-reflection layer 932 . During the plasma etching process, the magnetic field shielding element 170 (refer to the aforementioned FIGS. 1 to 4 or FIGS. 6A and 6B ) may adopt a positional configuration 170LB.

Referring to FIG. 8D , using the hard mask 922 as an etching mask, the semiconductor substrate 910 is etched, and a trench 910R is formed in the semiconductor substrate 910 . Specifically, the inductively coupled plasma apparatus 100 introduces a gas Gc to generate plasma Pc to etch the portion of the semiconductor substrate 910 not covered by the hard mask 922 . During the plasma etching process, the magnetic field shielding element 170 (refer to the aforementioned FIGS. 1 to 4 or FIGS. 6A and 6B ) may adopt a positional configuration 170LC.

Referring to FIG. 8E, trenches 910R are filled with dielectric material to form shallow trench isolation regions 950. FIG. The shallow trench isolation region 950 may be used to define the active region 912 of the semiconductor substrate 910 .

Referring to FIG. 8F, a gate dielectric layer 960, a gate electrode layer 970, a hard mask layer 980, and a bottom anti-reflection coating (BARC) are formed on the shallow trench isolation region 950 and the active region 912. ) 990 and the patterned photoresist layer 1000. In some embodiments, the patterned photoresist layer 1000 is formed by coating a photoresist layer on the bottom anti-reflection layer 990 and performing a lithography process (eg, exposing and developing) on the photoresist layer.

Referring to FIG. 8G, bottom anti-reflective layer 990 is etched to form bottom anti-reflective layer 992. Specifically, the inductively coupled plasma apparatus 100 introduces a gas Ga' to generate plasma Pa' to etch the portion of the bottom anti-reflection layer 990 (refer to FIG. 7F ) that is not covered by the patterned photoresist layer 1000. During the plasma etching process, the magnetic field shielding element 170 (refer to the aforementioned FIGS. 1 to 4 or FIGS. 6A and 6B ) may adopt a positional configuration 170LD.

Referring to FIG. 8H , the hard mask layer 980 is etched to form a hard mask 982 . Specifically, the inductively coupled plasma apparatus 100 introduces a gas Gb' to generate plasma Pb' to etch the portion of the hard mask layer 980 (refer to FIG. 7G ) that is not covered by the bottom anti-reflection layer 992. During the plasma etching process, the magnetic field shielding element 170 (refer to the aforementioned FIGS. 1 to 4 or FIGS. 6A and 6B ) may adopt a positional configuration 170LE.

Referring to FIG. 8I, using the hard mask 982 as an etching mask, the gate electrode layer 970 and the gate dielectric layer 960 (refer to FIG. 7H) are etched to form the gate electrode 972 and the gate dielectric 962, respectively. Specifically, the inductively coupled plasma device 100 introduces a gas Gc' to generate plasma Pc' to etch the gate electrode layer 970 and the gate dielectric layer 960 not covered by the hard mask 982 (refer to FIG. 8H ). )part. During the plasma etching process, the magnetic field shielding element 170 (refer to the aforementioned FIGS. 1 to 4 or FIGS. 6A and 6B ) may adopt a positional configuration 170LF.

In some embodiments, referring to FIGS. 8B to 8I , at least two of the positional configurations 170LA to 170LF are different. In some embodiments, the positional configurations 170LA to 170LF may be partially the same according to the similarity of the etching patterns. For example, the location configurations 170LA~170LC may be substantially the same, and the location configurations 170LD~170LF may be substantially the same, wherein the location configurations 170LA~170LC are different from the location configurations 170LD~170LF. In some embodiments, depending on the type of target material to be etched, the positional configurations 170LA to 170LF may be partially the same. For example, the positional configurations 170LA and 170LD for etching the bottom anti-reflective layer can be substantially the same, the positional configurations 170LB and 170LE for the hard mask layer can be substantially the same, and the positional configurations 170LC and 170LF for the silicon substrate or polysilicon can be Substantially the same, wherein the set of location configurations 170LA, 170LD, the set of location configurations 170LB, 170LE, and the set of location configurations 170LC, 170LF are different. Alternatively, in some other embodiments, the positional configurations 170LA-170LF are different.

In some embodiments, the gases Ga, Gb, and Gc may be different depending on the material to be etched, and the plasmas Pa, Pb, and Pc may be different. Likewise, the gases Ga', Gb', Gc' may be different, and the plasmas Pa', Pb', Pc' may be different, depending on the material to be etched. In some embodiments, the same gas can be used as the gases Ga and Ga', so that the components of the plasmas Pa and Pa' are substantially the same. In some embodiments, the same gas can be used for the gases Gb and Gb', so that the components of the plasmas Pb and Pb' are substantially the same. In some embodiments, the same gas can be used as the gases Gc and Gc', so that the components of the plasmas Pc and Pc' are substantially the same. Alternatively, in some other embodiments, the gases Ga, Gb, Gc, Ga', Gb', and Gc' may be different.

Referring to FIG. 8J, source/drain regions 1100 are formed in/on the active region 912 in the portion not covered by the gate electrode 972 and the gate dielectric 962. For example, the source/drain regions 1100 can be formed by n-type or p-type doping. Alternatively, in some embodiments, the source/drain regions 1100 may be formed by epitaxial growth. The above steps of FIGS. 8A to 8J may be repeated for multiple substrates.

FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram of a semiconductor processing tool 200 in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure. The semiconductor process tool 200 may be a cluster tool, including a load port LP, an Equipment Front-End Module (EFCM) TC, a load-lock chamber LC, a buffer Chamber BC and process reaction chamber (eg inductively coupled plasma apparatus 100).

The loading port LP is used for carrying the wafer transfer cassette WP. Wafer cassettes WP can hold multiple wafers and are transported by suitable automated handling systems, such as Overhead Hoist Transfer (OHT) systems.

The equipment front end module TC is connected to the load port LP and the load lock chamber LC. The load lock chamber LC can be used to load or unload wafers. For example, the load lock chamber LC includes a wafer entry chamber WI and a wafer delivery chamber WO. The front-end module TC of the equipment may be provided with a robotic arm A1 to take the wafer out of 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, and also to transfer the wafer 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 cassette WP carried by the load port LP. The buffer chamber BC is connected to the load lock chamber LC and the process reaction chamber (eg, the inductively coupled plasma apparatus 100). The buffer chamber BC may be provided with a robotic arm A2 to transfer wafers between the load lock chamber LC and a plurality of chamber process chambers (eg, the inductively coupled plasma apparatus 100). In some embodiments, the configuration of the inductively coupled plasma device 100 is generally as described above, and the number of the inductively coupled plasma device 100 is only for illustration, and should not be limited to this number.

Based on the above discussion, it can be seen that the present disclosure provides a number of advantages. It should be understood, however, that other embodiments may provide additional advantages, and not all advantages are necessarily disclosed herein, and not all embodiments require a particular advantage. One of the advantages of this case is that by installing fixing parts around the reaction chamber, the operator can easily adjust the distribution of the magnetic field shielding elements around the reaction chamber according to the desired plasma process, so as to effectively isolate the geomagnetism and improve the Control of the plasma to achieve good control of plasma etching, such as uniform etching or non-uniform etching. The magnetic field shielding element in the embodiments of the present disclosure can also be fixed by other means, and is not limited to the fixing member shown in the drawings.

Some embodiments of the present disclosure provide a method of operating an inductively coupled plasma device. The method includes: disposing a first magnetic field shielding element adjacent to a first side of a reaction chamber; when the first magnetic field shielding element is disposed adjacent to the first side of the reaction chamber, performing a first plasma process; After performing the first plasma process, removing the first magnetic field shielding element from the first side of the reaction chamber; and after removing the first magnetic field shielding element from the first side of the reaction chamber , and perform a second plasma process.

In some embodiments, the method further includes disposing a second magnetic field shielding element adjacent to a second side of the reaction chamber after performing the first plasma process and before performing the second plasma process.

In some embodiments, the method further includes disposing a first substrate in the reaction chamber, wherein the first plasma process is performed on the first substrate in the reaction chamber, and the second plasma process is performed on the first substrate in the reaction chamber. performed on the first substrate in the reaction chamber.

In some embodiments, the method further includes disposing a first substrate in the reaction chamber, wherein the first plasma process is performed on the first substrate in the reaction chamber; removing the first substrate from the reaction chamber; a substrate; and disposing a second substrate in the reaction chamber, wherein the second plasma process is performed on the second substrate in the reaction chamber.

Some embodiments of the present disclosure provide a method of operating an inductively coupled plasma device, comprising: disposing a first magnetic field shielding element adjacent to a first side of a reaction chamber; when the first magnetic field shielding element is disposed adjacent to When the first side of the reaction chamber is performed, a first plasma process is performed; after the first plasma process is performed, a second magnetic field shielding element is disposed adjacent to the first side of the reaction chamber; and when When the first magnetic field shielding element and the second magnetic field shielding element are disposed adjacent to the first side of the reaction chamber, a second plasma process is performed.

In some embodiments, performing the first plasma process includes introducing a first gas into the reaction chamber, and performing the second plasma process includes introducing a second gas into the reaction chamber, wherein the second gas is different from the first gas.

In some embodiments, disposing the first magnetic field shielding element adjacent to the first side of the reaction chamber includes: locking the first magnetic field shielding element to the first side of the reaction chamber.

In some embodiments, disposing the second magnetic field shielding element adjacent to the first side of the reaction chamber is performed such that the second magnetic field shielding element contacts the first magnetic field shielding element.

Some embodiments of the present disclosure provide an inductively coupled plasma device. The inductively coupled plasma apparatus includes a reaction chamber, a wafer base, a first magnetic field shielding element and a second magnetic field shielding element. The reaction chamber has a body and a dielectric plate, wherein the body and the dielectric plate define a space. The wafer base is arranged in the reaction chamber to carry a substrate. The first magnetic field shielding element is detachably disposed on the outer surface of the body. The second magnetic field shielding element is detachably disposed on the outer surface of the body.

In some embodiments, an upper surface of the first magnetic field shielding element is higher than an upper surface of the dielectric plate body, and a lower surface of the first magnetic field shielding element is lower than a lower surface of the wafer base.

The foregoing summarizes the features of various embodiments, and those of ordinary skill in the art may better understand the various aspects of the present disclosure. Those of ordinary skill in the art should appreciate that the present disclosure may be used as a basis for designing or modifying other processes or structures for carrying out the same purposes and/or achieving the same advantages mentioned in the embodiments. Those with ordinary knowledge in this technical field should also understand that these equivalent structures do not exceed the spirit and scope of the present disclosure, and various changes, substitutions, and transformations can be made, and the spirit and scope of the present disclosure cover these changes, substitutions, and transformations. .

100: Inductively Coupled Plasma Devices 110: Reaction Chamber 110S: Confined Space 112: Ontology 112OS: External Surface 112GO: Gas outlet 114: Dielectric plate body 114O: Opening 116: Plasma baffle 120: Wafer base 122: Electrodes 130: Coil 140: Gas Conveyor 150: cover 150OS: External Surface 160: Fixtures 160H: Locking hole 162, 164: Fixing parts 160T: Slot 170: Magnetic field shielding element 170H: Locking hole 170LA~170LF: Location configuration 172, 174: Magnetic field shielding elements 172a~172d: Main magnetic field shielding elements 172a'~172d': Secondary magnetic field shielding element 180: Ceramic support base 190: Terminal 200: Semiconductor process machine 300: Shell 300G: Wafer channel 910: Semiconductor substrate 910R: Groove 912: Active Zone 920: Hard mask layer 922: Hard Mask 930: bottom anti-reflection layer 932: Bottom Anti-Reflection Layer 940: Patterned photoresist layer 950: Shallow Trench Isolation Region 960: Gate Dielectric Layer 962: Gate Dielectric 970: gate electrode layer 972: Gate electrode 980: Hard mask layer 982: Hard Mask 990: bottom anti-reflection layer 992: bottom anti-reflection layer 1000: Patterned photoresist layer 1100: source/drain region W: substrate M, N: method S1~S8, P1~P5: Steps Ga, Ga', Gb, Gb', Gc, Gc': gases Pa, Pa', Pb, Pb', Pc, Pc': Plasma OS: outer surface OSH: Locking hole LP: Load port TC: equipment front-end module LC: Load Lock Chamber BC: Buffer Chamber WP: Wafer Transfer Box WI: Wafer entry chamber WO: Wafer Delivery Room A1, A2: robotic arm

The aspects of the present disclosure can be understood from the following detailed description and review of the drawings. It should be noted that various features are not drawn to scale that is standard in industry practice. In fact, the dimensions of the various features may be arbitrarily increased or decreased for clarity of discussion. FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of an inductively coupled plasma device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view of an inductively coupled plasma device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. FIG. 3 is a schematic perspective view of an inductively coupled plasma device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. FIG. 4 is a schematic perspective view of an inductively coupled plasma device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. 5 is a flowchart of a method of operating an inductively coupled plasma device in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure. FIGS. 6A-6B are schematic diagrams of various stages of a method of operating an inductively coupled plasma device in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure. 7 is a flowchart of a method of operating an inductively coupled plasma device in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure. FIGS. 8A to 8J are schematic diagrams of various stages in the manufacturing process of a semiconductor device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram of a semiconductor processing tool according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

Domestic storage information (please note in the order of storage institution, date and number) none Foreign deposit information (please note in the order of deposit country, institution, date and number) none

100: Inductively Coupled Plasma Devices

110: Reaction Chamber

110S: Confined Space

112: Ontology

112OS: External Surface

112GO: Gas outlet

114: Dielectric plate body

114O: Opening

116: Plasma baffle

120: Wafer base

122: Electrodes

130: Coil

140: Gas Conveyor

150: cover

150OS: External Surface

160: Fixtures

162, 164: Fixing parts

160T: Slot

170: Magnetic field shielding element

172, 174: Magnetic field shielding elements

180: Ceramic support base

190: Terminal

W: substrate

OS: outer surface

Claims (10)

A method of operating an inductively coupled plasma device comprising: disposing a first magnetic field shielding element adjacent to a first side of a reaction chamber; when the first magnetic field shielding element is disposed adjacent to the first side of the reaction chamber, performing a first plasma process; After performing the first plasma process, removing the first magnetic field shielding element from the first side of the reaction chamber; and After removing the first magnetic field shielding element from the first side of the reaction chamber, a second plasma process is performed. The method as described in claim 1, further comprising: After the first plasma process is performed, and before the second plasma process is performed, a second magnetic field shielding element is disposed adjacent to a second side of the reaction chamber. The method as described in claim 1, further comprising: Disposing a first substrate in the reaction chamber, wherein the first plasma process is performed on the first substrate in the reaction chamber, and the second plasma process is performed on the first substrate in the reaction chamber ongoing. The method as described in claim 1, further comprising: disposing a first substrate in the reaction chamber, wherein the first plasma process is performed on the first substrate in the reaction chamber; removing the first substrate from the reaction chamber; and A second substrate is disposed in the reaction chamber, wherein the second plasma process is performed on the second substrate in the reaction chamber. A method of operating an inductively coupled plasma device comprising: disposing a first magnetic field shielding element adjacent to a first side of a reaction chamber; when the first magnetic field shielding element is disposed adjacent to the first side of the reaction chamber, performing a first plasma process; disposing a second magnetic field shielding element adjacent to the first side of the reaction chamber after performing the first plasma process; and When the first magnetic field shielding element and the second magnetic field shielding element are disposed adjacent to the first side of the reaction chamber, a second plasma process is performed. The method of claim 5, wherein performing the first plasma process includes introducing a first gas into the reaction chamber, and performing the second plasma process includes introducing a second gas into the reaction chamber, wherein the second The gas is different from the first gas. The method of claim 5, wherein disposing the first magnetic field shielding element adjacent to the first side of the reaction chamber comprises: The first magnetic field shielding element is locked on the first side of the reaction chamber. The method of claim 5, wherein disposing the second magnetic field shielding element adjacent the first side of the reaction chamber is performed such that the second magnetic field shielding element contacts the first magnetic field shielding element. An inductively coupled plasma device comprising: a reaction chamber having a main body and a dielectric plate, wherein the main body and the dielectric plate define a space; a wafer base, disposed in the reaction chamber; a first magnetic field shielding element detachably disposed on an outer surface of the body; and A second magnetic field shielding element is separated from the first magnetic field shielding element and is detachably disposed on the outer surface of the body. The inductively coupled plasma device of claim 9, wherein an upper surface of the first magnetic field shielding element is higher than an upper surface of the dielectric plate body, and a lower surface of the first magnetic field shielding element is lower than the crystal The lower surface of the round base.

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