TW202420396A - Plasma processing chamber, semiconductor processing system and robot - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention discloses a plasma processing chamber, a semiconductor processing system and a manipulator. The plasma processing chamber includes: a base; a focusing ring, including a focusing ring body and a clamping part arranged on the focusing ring body and close to one end of a film transmission port, the bottom of the clamping part has a fixing groove; a covering ring, arranged around the focusing ring, including a first arc ring close to the film transmission port; wherein the fixing groove of the clamping part is covered by the first arc ring in the horizontal direction, the first arc ring can be raised to expose the clamping part and the fixing groove, the film sensor can enter the upper part of the clamping part and the fixing groove, clamp the upper and lower surfaces of the clamping part to lift the focusing ring in the air, and carry it into and out of the processing chamber through the film transmission port. The present invention can realize the replacement of the focus ring without opening the cavity, and avoids the technical problems of ignition caused by setting the lifting mechanism in the base, resulting in device damage, particle generation, and influence on the device layout in the base.

Description

Plasma processing chamber, semiconductor processing system and robot

The present invention relates to the field of plasma etching technology, and in particular to a plasma processing chamber, a semiconductor processing system and a robot.

The focus ring will be corroded in the plasma processing chamber and needs to be replaced frequently. Opening the chamber every time to replace it will greatly reduce the utilization rate of the plasma processing chamber, and it will take a long time for the chamber environment to recover after replacement, which is too costly. Therefore, the best solution is to use a robot arm to automatically move the focus ring out of the processing chamber without opening the chamber, which requires an additional lifting mechanism to lift the focus ring from the base. However, placing the focus ring lift pin in the susceptor below the focus ring will bring a series of problems to the wafer processing process. On the one hand, in the high-pressure susceptor, the gap between the focus ring lift pin and the side wall of the susceptor is very easy to ignite, causing device damage and generating particles. On the other hand, because the focus ring lift pin needs to vertically penetrate the susceptor, it will affect the spatial arrangement range of the water cooling pipe in the susceptor and the heater on the susceptor, limiting the design space.

The purpose of the present invention is to provide a plasma processing chamber, a semiconductor processing system and a manipulator, which can realize the replacement of the focus ring without opening the chamber, and avoid the technical problems such as ignition caused by setting the lifting mechanism in the base causing device damage, generating particles, affecting the device layout in the base, etc.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention is implemented through the following technical solutions:

A plasma processing chamber, the side wall of which is provided with a film port for a film sensor to enter and exit the chamber, the film sensor is used to carry a wafer or a focusing ring in and out of the chamber; the plasma processing chamber comprises: a base for carrying a wafer; a focusing ring, arranged around the wafer, comprising a focusing ring body and a clamping part arranged on the focusing ring body and close to one end of the film port, the bottom of the clamping part having a fixing groove; a covering ring, arranged around the focusing ring, comprising a first arc ring close to the film port; The fixing groove of the clamping part is covered by the first arc ring in the horizontal direction. The first arc ring can be raised to expose the clamping part and the fixing groove. The film sensor can enter the upper part of the clamping part and the fixing groove, clamp the upper and lower surfaces of the clamping part to lift the focusing ring in the air, and carry it in and out of the processing chamber through the film sensor port.

Optionally, the bottom surface of the clamping portion is recessed into the bottom surface of the focusing ring body to form the fixing groove.

Optionally, the clamping portion protrudes outward from the outer edge of the focusing ring body along the direction of the focusing ring toward the film transmission port.

Optionally, the processing chamber further includes a first arc ring lifter; The first arc ring includes an extension portion adapted to the first arc ring lifter, and the first arc ring lifter can be controlled to lift the first arc ring by lifting the extension portion.

Optionally, the extension is a horizontal protrusion arranged at the outer edges of both ends of the first arc ring; The first arc ring lifter is arranged at the bottom of the processing chamber and is located at a position corresponding to the outer periphery of the base and the extension, which can be lifted and lowered and act on the extension to lift/lower the first arc ring.

Optionally, a groove adapted to the clamping portion is provided on the inner side of the first arc ring.

Optionally, the cover ring further includes a second arc ring far away from the film transmission port, and the second arc ring and the first arc ring form a cover ring surrounding the focusing ring.

Optionally, a plurality of positioning pins or vertical protruding edges are arranged between the second arc ring and the focusing ring, for positioning the focusing ring when the focusing ring is placed in the plasma processing chamber.

A semiconductor processing system, comprising: Any one of the above-mentioned plasma processing chambers; A wafer sensor, comprising a manipulator and a robot arm connected to the manipulator, wherein the manipulator can pass through the wafer sensor port and enter and exit the plasma processing chamber under the drive of the robot arm; wherein the manipulator comprises a wafer handling part and a focusing ring handling part located below the wafer handling part; the wafer sensor can carry the wafer into and out of the plasma processing chamber through the wafer handling part, and can clamp the upper and lower surfaces of the clamping part of the focusing ring through the focusing ring handling part and the wafer handling part to carry the focusing ring into and out of the plasma processing chamber.

A robot arm, which forms a sensor with a robot arm, is used in the above-mentioned semiconductor processing system, comprising: a wafer pick-up and placement part and a focus ring pick-up and placement part located below the wafer pick-up and placement part; wherein, the wafer pick-up and placement part comprises a wafer pick-up and placement surface and a first clamping surface of a focus ring, and the wafer pick-up and placement part carries the wafer through the wafer pick-up and placement surface; the focus ring pick-up and placement part comprises a second clamping surface of a focus ring; wherein, the first clamping surface of the focus ring is higher than the second clamping surface of the focus ring, and the upper and lower surfaces of the clamping part of the focus ring can be clamped by the first clamping surface of the focus ring and the second clamping surface of the focus ring respectively abutting against the upper and lower surfaces of the clamping part of the focus ring, so as to lift and carry the focus ring.

Optionally, the width of the focus ring placement portion is not greater than the width of the wafer placement portion.

Optionally, the wafer placement part includes a wafer claw disposed at one end of the remote robot arm, the top surface of the wafer claw is the wafer placement surface, and the bottom surface of the wafer placement part includes at least the first clamping surface of the focus ring; The focus ring placement part includes a focus ring claw facing one end of the remote robot arm, the top surface of the focus ring claw is the second clamping surface of the focus ring, and the focus ring claw can be inserted into the fixing groove.

Optionally, the wafer handling part is a flat plate, and the upper and lower surfaces of the wafer claws are the wafer handling surface and the first clamping surface of the focus ring respectively; The focus ring handling part is an L-shaped plate with the same number of clamping parts as the focus ring, one end of the focus ring handling part is connected to the first clamping surface of the focus ring of the wafer handling part, and the other end is the focus ring claw facing the direction of the wafer claw; Wherein, a clamping groove is formed between the focus ring handling part and the first clamping surface of the focus ring of the wafer handling part, and the number, position and shape of the clamping groove are compatible with the clamping part of the focus ring, and the clamping part can be accommodated in the clamping groove.

Optionally, the first clamping surface of the focusing ring is parallel to the second clamping surface of the focusing ring.

Optionally, an upper groove angle is formed between the bottom surface of the clamping groove and the first clamping surface of the focusing ring, and a focusing ring anti-tilt portion is provided at the upper groove angle for abutting against the clamping portion when the robot clamps the focusing ring to reduce the degree of tilt when the focusing ring is lifted.

Optionally, the focusing ring anti-tilt portion is made of an elastic material such as fluororubber or Teflon.

Optionally, the focusing ring anti-tilt portion has an inclined side surface, so that when the end of the clamping portion away from the focusing ring main body is in close contact with the focusing ring anti-tilt portion, the two can be clamped together.

Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following advantages: 1. By adopting a method of setting a cover ring lifting mechanism on the periphery of the base to lift the cover ring, the focus ring lifting mechanism is avoided to be set in the base, thereby solving the technical problems of setting the focus ring lifting mechanism in the base, which leads to ignition leading to device damage, particle generation, and affecting the device layout in the base; 2. By adopting a cover ring with a split structure design, only part of the cover ring needs to be lifted to expose the focus ring, which reduces the volume of the lifting mechanism, thereby minimizing the impact on the process environment and device layout in the plasma processing chamber; 3. Through the cooperation between the manipulator of the present invention and the clamping part and the fixing groove of the focusing ring, the focusing ring can be carried in and out of the processing chamber for replacement of the focusing ring, so that the focusing ring can be replaced without opening the reaction chamber, which significantly improves the working efficiency of the equipment, saves a lot of manpower and time, and effectively reduces the use cost of the equipment; 4. Through the anti-tilting design of the focusing ring of the manipulator of the present invention in the clamping groove, the technical problems of the tilting of the focusing ring and the generation of friction particles during the replacement of the focusing ring are solved; 5. Through the positioning pin design of the present invention, the focusing ring can be accurately fixed in the best position when placed in the plasma processing chamber, avoiding the position deviation of the newly installed focusing ring and the deviation of the process effect.

In order to make the purpose, technical solutions and advantages of the present invention clearer, the present invention will be further described below in conjunction with the drawings. The described embodiments should not be regarded as limiting the present invention. All other embodiments obtained by ordinary technical personnel in this field without making progressive labor are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

In the following description, reference is made to “some embodiments”, “one or more embodiments”, which describe a subset of all possible embodiments, but it can be understood that “some embodiments”, “one or more embodiments” may be the same subset or different subsets of all possible embodiments and may be combined with each other without conflict.

In the following description, the terms "first, second, and third" are only used to distinguish similar objects and do not represent a specific order of the objects. It can be understood that "first, second, and third" can be interchanged in a specific order or sequence where permitted, so that the embodiments of the present invention described herein can be implemented in an order other than that illustrated or described.

Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as those commonly understood by those skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains. The terms used herein are for the purpose of describing embodiments of the present invention only and are not intended to limit the present invention.

The present invention is applicable to an inductively coupled plasma processing device (ICP) and also to a capacitively coupled plasma processing device (CCP). With reference to FIGS. 1 to 4 , the plasma processing chamber, semiconductor processing system and robot of the present invention are described in detail by taking CCP as an example.

Specifically, FIG. 1 shows a CCP plasma processing chamber (hereinafter referred to as the processing chamber) of the present embodiment, wherein the processing chamber is surrounded by a processing chamber wall 1, and a film transfer port 11 for a film sensor (not shown) to enter and exit the chamber is opened on the processing chamber wall 1 on the side of the chamber, and the film sensor is used to carry the wafer W or the focusing ring 4 in and out of the processing chamber; a shower head 2 for introducing the reaction gas into the processing chamber is provided at the top of the interior of the processing chamber, and a base 3 (usually made of aluminum) for carrying and fixing the wafer W is provided below the shower head 2. The processing area is between the shower head 2 and the base 3. Usually, the shower head 2 is used as the upper electrode and the base 3 is used as the lower electrode. At least one RF power source is applied to one of the upper electrode or the lower electrode through a matching network, and an RF electric field is generated between the upper electrode and the lower electrode to decompose the reaction gas in the processing area into plasma. The plasma reaching the upper surface of the wafer W can perform etching and other treatments on the wafer W. The bottom of the processing chamber is an exhaust area, which is connected to an external exhaust pump to extract the process waste gas generated after the etching reaction during the processing process out of the processing chamber.

Furthermore, the processing chamber of the present invention also includes a focusing ring 4 arranged around the periphery of the base 3, which is used to adjust the distribution of the entire radio frequency electromagnetic field in the processing chamber, especially the electric field distribution at the edge of the wafer W, to achieve uniform control of the plasma during the etching process; a covering ring 5 is also arranged around the outer edge of the focusing ring 4 to prevent the plasma in the processing chamber from corroding the components below the covering ring 5. In addition, some other functional rings are usually provided below the focusing ring 4 and the cover ring 5. For example, in the present embodiment, an insulating ring 9 is provided below the focusing ring 4 and the cover ring 5 for transferring the heat radiated by the plasma onto the focusing ring 4 to the base 3 without affecting the electric field distribution in the processing chamber; an isolation ring 7 and a grounding shield ring 8 are also provided below the insulating ring 9; wherein the isolation ring 7 is used for electrically isolating the base 3 from the surrounding grounding shield ring 8; and the grounding shield ring 8 is used for shielding the radio frequency signal applied to the base 3 within the base 3.

The focusing ring 4 is in the plasma etching environment for a long time, and is gradually corroded as the etching time increases, and needs to be replaced regularly. In order to achieve the replacement of the focusing ring 4 without opening the chamber, and to avoid the ignition caused by the setting of the focusing ring lifting mechanism in the base 3, resulting in device damage, particle generation, and affecting the device layout in the base 3, as shown in Figures 2a to 2c, the technical solution of the processing chamber provided by the present invention also includes:

The focus ring 4 includes a focus ring body and a clamping portion 41 disposed on the focus ring body and close to one end of the film transmission port 11. The bottom of the clamping portion 41 has a fixing groove 42. The function of the clamping portion 41 and the fixing groove 42 is that the film sensor can enter the upper part of the clamping portion 41 and the fixing groove 42 from the horizontal direction, clamp the upper and lower surfaces of the clamping portion 41 to lift the focus ring 4 in the air, so as to carry the focus ring 4. In some embodiments, the bottom surface of the clamping portion 41 is concave in the bottom surface of the focus ring body to form the fixing groove 42. Preferably, in some embodiments, the clamping portion 41 protrudes outward from the outer edge of the focusing ring body along the direction of the focusing ring 4 toward the film sensor port, so that the clamping portion 41 and the fixing groove 42 have a sufficient radial depth, so that the film sensor can more stably clamp the focusing ring 4. Preferably, in some embodiments, the number of the clamping portions 41 is 2, so that the focusing ring 4 can ensure stability when being clamped and does not have a higher processing complexity.

Furthermore, since the focusing ring 4 is surrounded by the cover ring 5 in the processing chamber, the fixing groove 42 at the bottom of the clamping portion 41 is blocked by the cover ring 5. Therefore, before lifting the focusing ring 4, it is necessary to lift the focusing ring 4 or one of the cover ring 5 in the vertical direction to expose the fixing grooves 42 of the focusing ring 4. Since the focusing ring 4 is located above the base 3, a lifting mechanism needs to be set in the base 3, which brings a series of problems. The technical solution of the present invention is to lift the cover ring 5 to expose the fixing grooves 42 of the focusing ring 4, so that the lifting mechanism can be set at the periphery of the base 3 to avoid ignition problems and affect the device layout in the base 3; and, a cover ring 5 with a split structure design is adopted, so there is no need to lift the entire cover ring 5, only to lift part of its ring body, so that the volume of the lifting mechanism can be reduced, thereby minimizing the impact on the process environment and device layout in the processing chamber. Specifically, as shown in Figures 2a and 2b, the cover ring 5 includes a first arc ring 5a close to the film transfer port 11. As shown in Figure 2c, the first arc ring 5a can be controlled to rise to a sufficient height, and after the rise, the fixing groove 42 of each clamping part 41 can be exposed, and then the upper and lower parts of the sensor move from the horizontal direction to the top of the clamping part 41 and the inside of the fixing groove 42, clamp the upper and lower surfaces of the clamping part 41 to lift the focusing ring 4 in the air, and then carry it out of the processing chamber through the film transfer port 11, and reversely carry the focusing ring 4 into the processing chamber. Preferably, in some embodiments, the cover ring 5 further includes a second arc ring 5b far away from the film transfer port 11, and the second arc ring 5b and the first arc ring 5a constitute a complete cover ring 5, so that the cover ring 5 is simpler in manufacturing process and has less impact on the process environment in the processing chamber.

In some embodiments, the lifting and lowering of the first arc ring 5a is achieved by a first arc ring lifter (not shown) disposed in the processing chamber; as shown in Figure 2a, the first arc ring 5a includes an extension portion 5c adapted to the first arc ring lifter, and the first arc ring lifter can be controlled to lift the first arc ring 5a by lifting the extension portion 5c. In some embodiments, the extension portion 5c is a horizontal protrusion arranged at the outer edges of both ends of the first arc ring 5a, so that the first arc ring 5a can be evenly stressed and stably supported when being lifted; preferably, in some embodiments, the first arc ring lifter is arranged at the bottom of the plasma processing chamber, and is located at a position corresponding to the outer periphery of the base 3 and the extension portion 5c, and it can be lifted and lowered and act on the extension portion 5c to lift or drop the first arc ring 5a. This setting position of the first arc ring lifter has little effect on the process environment and device layout in the processing chamber. Furthermore, in the embodiment where the clamping portion 41 protrudes outward along the radial direction of the focusing ring 4, a groove adapted to the clamping portion 41 is provided on the inner side of the first arc ring 5a, so as to avoid the protruding clamping portion 41 when the cover ring 5 is combined with the focusing ring 4. Preferably, in some embodiments, uniformly distributed positioning pins pin1 and pin2 are provided between the second arc ring 5b and the focusing ring 4, so as to accurately fix the focusing ring 4 in the best position when it is placed in the plasma processing chamber, so as to avoid the position deviation of the newly installed focusing ring 4 and cause the process effect deviation. It is also possible to set two protruding vertically extending edges on the inner wall of the second arc ring 5b close to the focusing ring 4, so that the functions of the positioning pins pin1 and pin2 can be realized, and there is no need to set two positioning pins separately.

In addition, the present invention also provides a semiconductor processing system, comprising:

Any of the above-mentioned processing chambers;

A wafer sensor is located outside the plasma processing chamber, and the wafer sensor can carry the wafer W or the focusing ring 4 into and out of the plasma processing chamber. The wafer sensor includes a manipulator 6 (Figures 3a, 3b, and 4a) and a robot arm (not shown) connected to the manipulator 6. The present invention does not specifically limit the structure of the robot arm. The manipulator 6 can pass through the wafer sensor port 11 to enter and exit the plasma processing chamber under the drive of the robot arm; wherein the manipulator 6 includes a wafer pick-up and placement portion and a focusing ring pick-up and placement portion located below the wafer pick-up and placement portion; the wafer sensor can carry the wafer W into and out of the processing chamber through the wafer pick-up and placement portion, and can clamp the upper and lower surfaces of the clamping portion 41 of the focusing ring 4 through the focusing ring pick-up and placement portion and the wafer pick-up and placement portion to carry the focusing ring 4 into and out of the processing chamber.

In addition, as shown in Figures 3a, 3b, and 4a, the present invention also provides a robot 6, which together with the robot arm constitutes a wafer picker for the above-mentioned semiconductor processing system, including: a wafer pick-up and placement unit and a focus ring pick-up and placement unit; wherein,

The wafer placement part includes a wafer placement surface and a first clamping surface of the focus ring, and the wafer placement part carries the wafer W through the wafer placement surface; in some embodiments, the wafer placement part includes a wafer claw 61a and a wafer claw 61b arranged at one end away from the robot arm, and the top surface of the wafer claw 61a and the wafer claw 61b is the wafer placement surface, and the bottom surface is the first clamping surface of the focus ring; in some embodiments, the semiconductor processing system includes a wafer placement surface arranged in the base 3 for lifting the wafer W. The push pin, the end of the wafer claw 61a, 61b away from the robot arm is provided with a push pin groove 61c or a through hole for avoiding the lifting of the push pin; in this embodiment, the wafer placement part is a flat plate, and the end of the flat plate away from the robot arm is the wafer claw 61a, 61b, the wafer claw 61a, 61b is a fork-shaped structure with a V-shaped push pin groove 61c in the middle, and the size of the wafer claw 61a, 61b is compatible with the wafer W and the push pin.

The focus ring placement part includes a second clamping surface of the focus ring; wherein the first clamping surface of the focus ring is higher than the second clamping surface of the focus ring, and the first clamping surface of the focus ring and the second clamping surface of the focus ring are respectively abutted against the upper and lower surfaces of the clamping part 41 of the focus ring 4, so as to clamp the upper and lower surfaces of the clamping part 41 to lift and carry the focus ring 4. In some embodiments, the width of the focus ring placement part is not greater than the width of the wafer placement part. In some embodiments, the focus ring placement part is an L-shaped plate having the same number as the clamping part 41 of the focus ring 4, one end of which is two vertical arms 62a and 62b connected to the first clamping surface of the focus ring of the wafer placement part, and the other end is a focus ring claw 63a and 63b connected to the two vertical arms 62a and 62b and facing the wafer claw 61a and 61b); and a clamping groove is formed between the focus ring placement part and the first clamping surface of the focus ring of the wafer placement part, and the number, position and shape of the clamping groove are compatible with the clamping part 41 of the focus ring 4, and the clamping part 41 can be accommodated in the clamping groove. In some embodiments, the first clamping surface of the focus ring is parallel to the second clamping surface of the focus ring.

Furthermore, since the center of gravity of the focusing ring 4 is at the center and the clamping portion 41 is distributed on the side close to the film-transmitting port 11, as shown in Figure 3c, two technical problems will arise when the manipulator 6 lifts the focusing ring 4. On the one hand, the end of the focusing ring 4 far from the film-transmitting port 11 will sag, and then the height of the film-transmitting port 11 needs to be increased accordingly to enable the focusing ring 4 to enter and exit normally, resulting in an impact on the process environment and device layout in the processing chamber; on the other hand, when the manipulator 6 lifts the focusing ring 4, the manipulator 6 only contacts the focusing ring 4 at points P1 and P2. During the movement of the robot arm, sliding friction will occur between the focusing ring 4 and the manipulator 6, generating a small amount of particulate matter, thereby polluting the process environment. In order to solve the above technical problems, as shown in FIG. 4a, in some embodiments, a focus ring anti-tilt portion 64a and a focus ring anti-tilt portion 64b are provided at the upper groove corner between the groove bottom surface of the clamping groove and the first clamping surface of the focus ring, and are used to abut against the clamping portion 41 when the robot 6 clamps the focus ring 4, so as to reduce the tilting degree of the focus ring 4 when it is lifted, so that the far end of the focus ring 4 away from the film transmission port 11 will not be tilted. It droops significantly and is basically parallel to the first and second clamping surfaces of the focusing ring, so the film transmission port 11 does not need to increase the opening height; further, in some embodiments, the focusing ring anti-tilt portion 64a and the focusing ring anti-tilt portion 64b are made of elastic materials, such as fluororubber or Teflon, and have high friction and elasticity to prevent sliding friction between the focusing ring 4 and the manipulator 6 during the movement of the manipulator arm to generate particles. Furthermore, in some embodiments, as shown in Figures 4b and 4c, the focusing ring anti-tilt portion 64a and the focusing ring anti-tilt portion 64b have inclined side surfaces, so that when the manipulator 6 moves horizontally, the end of the clamping portion 41 away from the focusing ring body is inserted into the clamping groove and then abuts against the focusing ring anti-tilt portion 64a and the focusing ring anti-tilt portion 64b at point P1', and after the focusing ring 4 is lifted, the end of the clamping portion 41 away from the focusing ring body and the focusing ring anti-tilt portion 64a and the focusing ring anti-tilt portion 64b are tightly attached and clamped together at point P1', and the two are pressed against each other and will not slide relative to each other, thereby having better anti-tilt, anti-slip and fixing effects.

In addition, the present invention also provides a method for replacing a focus ring 4, which is applicable to the semiconductor processing system of the present invention, and includes a process of taking the focus ring 4 out of a processing chamber of the semiconductor processing system and putting it into the processing chamber of the semiconductor processing system; wherein,

The process of taking the focusing ring 4 out of the processing chamber of the semiconductor processing system comprises the steps of:

The first arc ring lifter is raised to abut against the extension 5c of the first arc ring 5a, and the first arc ring 5a is lifted to a height higher than the top of the film transmission port 11, so that the fixing groove 42 of the focusing ring 4 is exposed; the robot arm adjusts the height of the robot hand 6, so that when the robot hand 6 enters the processing chamber, the focusing ring claws 63a and 63b can horizontally penetrate into the fixing groove 42 of the focusing ring 4; the film sensor passes through the film sensor in the horizontal direction. The focusing ring 4 passes through the film transmission port 11 and enters the processing chamber. The focusing ring claws 63a and 63b penetrate into the fixing groove 42 of the focusing ring 4, and the clamping portion 41 of the focusing ring 4 is inserted into the clamping groove of the manipulator 6. The film sensor rises so that the clamping groove clamps the upper and lower surfaces of the clamping portion 41 of the focusing ring 4 to lift the focusing ring 4. The film sensor carries the focusing ring 4 through the film transmission port 11 in the horizontal direction and exits the processing chamber.

The process of placing the focusing ring 4 into the processing chamber of the semiconductor processing system comprises the steps of:

The robot arm adjusts the height of the robot 6 so that when the robot 6 enters the processing chamber, the carried focusing ring 4 can be located above the upper surface of the base 3; the sensor clamps the focusing ring 4 and passes through the sensor port 11 in the horizontal direction to enter the processing chamber; the sensor is lowered and the focusing ring 4 is placed around the periphery of the base 3 under the positioning of the positioning pins pin1 and pin2; the sensor retreats in the horizontal direction, the focusing ring claws 63a and 63b withdraw from the fixing groove 42 of the focusing ring 4, the clamping part 41 of the focusing ring 4 withdraws from the clamping groove, and the sensor withdraws from the processing chamber; the first arc ring lifter falls, so that the first arc ring 5a of the cover ring 5 drops to the same height as the second arc ring 5b.

In addition, in the process of processing a wafer W by the semiconductor processing system provided by the present invention, the method of taking and placing the wafer W by the sensor includes:

The process of placing the wafer W into the processing chamber of the semiconductor processing system comprises:

The robot arm adjusts the height of the robot 6 so that when the robot 6 enters the processing chamber, the wafer claws 61a and 61b are located above the base 3, and the focusing ring claws 63a and 63b are located above the focusing ring 4; the sensor supports the wafer W to pass through the sensor port in the horizontal direction and enter the processing chamber, and the wafer claws 61a and 61b are located above the base 3. The ejector rises and passes through the gap between the focusing ring claws 63a and 63b and the ejector groove 61c to lift the wafer W from the wafer claws 61a and 61b; the sensor retreats in the horizontal direction to exit the processing chamber; the ejector descends to place the wafer W on the base 3.

The process of taking the wafer W out of the plasma processing chamber of the semiconductor processing system comprises:

In the plasma processing chamber, the ejector pin is raised to lift the wafer W on the base 3; the robot arm adjusts the height of the robot 6 so that when the robot 6 enters the processing chamber, the wafer claws 61a and 61b are located between the base 3 and the lifted wafer W, and the focusing ring claws 63a and 63b are located above the focusing ring 4, and the ejector pin is located between the focusing ring claws 63a and 63b. The gap between the focusing ring claws 63b and the push pin groove 61c; the sensor passes through the sensor port in the horizontal direction and enters the processing chamber, and the wafer claws 61a and wafer claws 61b are located below the wafer W lifted by the push pins. The push pins are lowered and the wafer W falls on the wafer claws 61a and wafer claws 61b; the sensor retreats in the horizontal direction to support the wafer W to exit the processing chamber.

The above is only an embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the scope of protection of the present invention. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions and improvements made within the spirit and scope of the present invention are included in the scope of protection of the present invention.

1: Processing chamber wall 11: Film transfer port 2: Shower head 3: Base 4: Focusing ring 41: Clamping part 42: Fixing groove 5: Covering ring 5a: First arc ring 5b: Second arc ring 5c: Extension part 6: Robot arm 61a, 61b: Wafer claws 61c: Ejector groove 62a, 62b: Vertical arm 63a, 63b: Focusing ring claws 64a, 64b: Focusing ring anti-tilt part 7: Isolation ring 8: Grounding shield ring 9: Insulation ring W: Wafer pin1, pin2: Positioning pins P1, P2, P1’: Points Y: Local section line

Figure 1 is a front cross-sectional view of the CCP plasma processing chamber of the present invention; Figure 2a is a top view of the focus ring, cover ring and wafer of one embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2b is a partially enlarged front cross-sectional view of the cover ring of Figure 2a in a non-elevated state; Figure 2c is a partially enlarged front cross-sectional view of the cover ring of Figure 2a in an elevated state; Figure 3a is a top view of the structure of one embodiment of the manipulator of the present invention; Figure 3b is a side view of the structure of Figure 3a; Figure 3c is a front cross-sectional view of the manipulator of Figure 3a holding the focus ring; Figure 4a is a side view of the structure of one embodiment of the manipulator of the present invention; Figure 4b is a front cross-sectional view of the manipulator of Figure 4a lifting the focus ring; Figure 4c is a front cross-sectional view of the robot in Figure 4a taking and placing the focusing ring from the base.

4: Focus ring

41: Clamping part

42:Fixed slot

5: Covering ring

5a: First arc

5b: Second arc

5c: Extension

pin1, pin2: positioning pins

W: Wafer

Y: Local section line

Claims (17)

A plasma processing chamber, wherein a side wall of the plasma processing chamber is provided with a film transfer port for a film transfer device to enter and exit the chamber, and the film transfer device is used to carry a wafer or a focusing ring in and out of the chamber; the plasma processing chamber comprises: a base, used to carry the wafer; a focusing ring, arranged around the wafer, comprising a focusing ring body and a clamping part arranged on the focusing ring body and close to one end of the film transfer port, and the bottom of the clamping part has a fixing groove; a covering ring, arranged around the focusing ring, comprising a first arc ring close to the film transfer port; The fixing groove of the clamping part is covered by the first arc ring in the horizontal direction, the first arc ring can be raised to expose the clamping part and the fixing groove, the film sensor can enter the upper part of the clamping part and the fixing groove, clamp the upper and lower surfaces of the clamping part to lift the focusing ring in the air, and carry it in and out of the processing chamber through the film sensor port. The plasma processing chamber as described in claim 1, wherein, the bottom surface of the clamping portion is recessed into the bottom surface of the focusing ring body to form the fixing groove. The plasma processing chamber as described in claim 1, wherein, the clamping portion protrudes outward from the outer edge of the focusing ring body along the direction of the focusing ring toward the film transmission port. The plasma processing chamber as described in claim 1, wherein: the processing chamber further includes a first arc ring lifter; the first arc ring includes an extension portion adapted to the first arc ring lifter, and the first arc ring lifter can be controlled to lift the first arc ring by lifting the extension portion. The plasma processing chamber as described in claim 4, wherein, the extension is a horizontal protrusion arranged at the outer edges of both ends of the first arc ring; the first arc ring lifter is arranged at the bottom of the processing chamber and is located at a position corresponding to the outer periphery of the base and the extension, and can be lifted and lowered and act on the extension to lift/lower the first arc ring. The plasma processing chamber as described in claim 3, wherein, the inner side of the first arc ring is provided with a groove adapted to the clamping portion. The plasma processing chamber as described in claim 1, wherein, the cover ring further includes a second arc ring away from the film transmission port, and the second arc ring and the first arc ring form a cover ring surrounding the focusing ring. A plasma processing chamber as described in claim 7, wherein, A plurality of positioning pins or vertical protruding edges provided on the second arc ring are provided between the second arc ring and the focusing ring, for positioning the focusing ring when the focusing ring is placed in the plasma processing chamber. A semiconductor processing system, comprising: The plasma processing chamber as described in any one of claim 1 to claim 8; The wafer sensor, comprising a manipulator and a robot arm connected to the manipulator, wherein the manipulator can pass through the wafer sensor port and enter and exit the plasma processing chamber under the drive of the robot arm; wherein the manipulator comprises a wafer handling part and a focusing ring handling part located below the wafer handling part; the wafer sensor can carry the wafer in and out of the plasma processing chamber through the wafer handling part, and can clamp the upper and lower surfaces of the clamping part of the focusing ring through the focusing ring handling part and the wafer handling part to carry the focusing ring in and out of the plasma processing chamber. A robot, and a robot arm form a sensor, and are used in the semiconductor processing system as described in claim 9, wherein the robot comprises: the wafer handling part and the focus ring handling part located below the wafer handling part; wherein, the wafer handling part comprises a wafer handling surface and a first clamping surface of the focus ring, and the wafer handling part carries the wafer through the wafer handling surface; the focus ring handling part comprises a second clamping surface of the focus ring; wherein the first clamping surface of the focus ring is higher than the second clamping surface of the focus ring, and the upper and lower surfaces of the clamping part of the focus ring can be clamped by the first clamping surface of the focus ring and the second clamping surface of the focus ring respectively abutting against the upper and lower surfaces of the clamping part of the focus ring, so as to lift and carry the focus ring. A robot as described in claim 10, wherein, the width of the focus ring placement portion is not greater than the width of the wafer placement portion. The robot arm as claimed in claim 10, wherein: the wafer handling portion includes a wafer claw disposed at an end away from the robot arm, the top surface of the wafer claw is the wafer handling surface, and the bottom surface of the wafer handling portion includes at least the first clamping surface of the focus ring; the focus ring handling portion includes a focus ring claw facing the end away from the robot arm, the top surface of the focus ring claw is the second clamping surface of the focus ring, and the focus ring claw can be inserted into the fixing groove. The robot arm as described in claim 12, wherein, the wafer handling part is a flat plate, and the upper and lower surfaces of the wafer claws are the wafer handling surface and the first clamping surface of the focus ring respectively; the focus ring handling part is an L-shaped plate with the same number of clamping parts as the focus ring, one end of the focus ring handling part is connected to the first clamping surface of the wafer handling part, and the other end is the focus ring claw facing the direction of the wafer claw; wherein a clamping groove is formed between the focus ring handling part and the first clamping surface of the focus ring of the wafer handling part, the number, position and shape of the clamping groove are compatible with the clamping part of the focus ring, and the clamping part can be accommodated in the clamping groove. A robot as described in claim 13, wherein, the first clamping surface of the focusing ring is parallel to the second clamping surface of the focusing ring. As described in claim 13, the manipulator, wherein, an upper groove angle is formed between the bottom surface of the clamping groove and the first clamping surface of the focus ring, and a focus ring anti-tilt portion is provided at the upper groove angle, which is used to abut against the clamping portion when the manipulator clamps the focus ring, so as to reduce the tilting degree of the focus ring when it is lifted. A manipulator as described in claim 15, wherein the anti-tilt portion of the focusing ring is made of an elastic material such as fluororubber or Teflon. The robot arm as described in claim 16, wherein, the focusing ring anti-tilt portion has an inclined side surface, so that when the end of the clamping portion away from the focusing ring body is in close contact with the focusing ring anti-tilt portion, the two can be clamped together.