TWI809706B - Gas distribution structure and maintenance method thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

A gas distribution structure and a maintenance method thereof are proposed, and the gas distribution structure includes a support ring with a first bonding surface and a distribution plate with a second bonding surface. The first bonding surface and the second bonding surface are facing each other with an E-beam welding layer to be formed therebetween, so that the distribution plate and the support ring are hermetically bonded to each other. In this way, the gas distribution structure can be easily manufactured and maintained, thereby reducing the cost burden on the user.

Description

Gas Diffusion Structure and Repair Method

The present invention relates to a gas diffusion structure and its maintenance method, in particular to a gas diffusion structure and its maintenance method used in semiconductor manufacturing processes.

Etching or chemical vapor deposition (Chemical Vapor Deposition, CVD) are commonly used processes for semiconductor manufacturing (including third-generation semiconductors) or optoelectronic components such as LCD, OLED, and LED, and the process gas system is provided to In the reaction chamber, a gas diffusion plate (or called a shower head) is usually arranged in the reaction chamber, so that the gas can be evenly diffused to the wafer (or substrate) in the reaction chamber.

In addition to the effect on the wafer in the reaction chamber (such as etching or growing a film), the gas will also act on the gas diffusion plate, that is, the gas or the plasma generated by it may erode or corrode the gas diffusion plate and affect the gas diffusion. performance of the board. For example, the holes in the gas diffusion plate will become larger or deformed, which will affect the uniform diffusion ability of the gas. In addition, after the process is completed, the gas diffuser plate may be cleaned or cleaned to remove residues on the surface, and during this cleaning or cleaning process, the cleaning or cleaning medium (gas, liquid or slurry) may It will make the holes of the gas diffusion plate bigger or deformed.

Therefore, the gas diffuser plate has a certain service life and needs to be replaced with new ones regularly to ensure its performance. If the replacement time of the gas diffuser is inadvertently delayed, the worn out gas diffuser may affect the process yield or production capacity.

On the other hand, the price of the gas diffusion plate is not low, and the larger the size of the gas diffusion plate, the higher the price. Therefore, regular replacement of the gas diffusion plate is not a small burden for the semiconductor manufacturing plant.

Therefore, how to reduce the cost of using the gas diffusion plate is the goal of practitioners in related technical fields.

The object of the present invention is to provide a gas diffusion structure and its maintenance method, so that the gas diffusion structure can be manufactured and maintained more easily, reduce the burden on the user's cost, and also help the throughput or production capacity of the process.

To achieve the above object, in the first aspect of the present invention, a gas diffusion structure is proposed, which includes: a support ring including a first joint surface and a diffuser plate including a second joint surface, the first joint surface and the second joint surface The two joint surfaces face each other, wherein an electron beam welding layer is formed between the second joint surface of the diffuser plate and the first joint surface of the support ring, so that the diffuser plate and the support ring are hermetically sealed. join.

In the second aspect of the present invention, the electron beam welded layer of the gas diffusion structure may be formed horizontally, vertically and/or obliquely.

In the third aspect of the present invention, the material of the support ring or the diffusion plate of the gas diffusion structure includes various metal materials such as aluminum, titanium, copper or stainless steel, and may also include non-metallic materials.

In the fourth aspect of the present invention, the first joint surface of the support ring of the gas diffusion structure may be the lower ring surface of the support ring, and the second joint surface of the diffuser plate may be the upper surface of the diffuser plate surface.

In the fifth aspect of the present invention, a maintenance method for a gas diffusion structure is proposed, which includes: providing a gas diffusion structure, the gas diffusion structure includes a joint supporting ring and a used diffusion plate; The diffuser plate is cut and separated from the support ring; a replacement diffuser plate is provided; the support ring is abutted against the replacement diffuser plate; and electron beams are formed between the support ring and the replacement diffuser plate. The welding layer is bonded to sealably engage the support ring with the replacement diffuser plate.

In the sixth aspect of the present invention, in the maintenance method of the gas diffusion structure, after the diffusion plate is cut and separated from the support ring, the cutting surface of the support ring can be processed to be flat.

In the seventh aspect of the present invention, in the maintenance method of the gas diffusion structure, the cut surface of the support ring may be ground or milled to become flat.

In the eighth aspect of the present invention, in the maintenance method of the gas diffusion structure, after the electron beam welding layer is formed, the exposed portion of the electron beam welding layer may be ground or polished.

In the ninth aspect of the present invention, in the maintenance method of the gas diffusion structure, the support ring and the used diffusion plate may be integrally formed and joined together.

In the tenth aspect of the present invention, in the maintenance method of the gas diffusion structure, the electron beam welding layer may be formed horizontally, vertically and/or obliquely.

The objects, features, and advantages disclosed herein will become more apparent to those skilled in the art from the description of the following embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings.

The following description will describe in detail the embodiments of the present invention in conjunction with the drawings. Unless otherwise clearly specified in the context, the technical features of the embodiments should not be construed as limiting the present invention, and the following embodiments and the features in the embodiments can be combined with each other if there is no conflict. In addition, unless clearly stated otherwise, the singular form "a" used herein also includes plural forms (and the specific number is not limited), and the stated orientation (such as front, back, upper, lower, one side, both sides, etc.) is The relative orientation can be defined according to the use state of the present invention, and it does not express or imply that the present invention requires a specific direction of construction or operation, nor should it be construed as a limitation of the present invention.

Please refer to FIG. 1A and FIG. 1B , according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a gas diffusion structure 1 (or gas blowing disk) is proposed, which can be used in etching or chemical vapor deposition processes in semiconductor manufacturing. The gas diffusion structure 1 mainly includes a support ring 10 (or support frame) and a diffusion plate 20 (or gas diffusion plate). The support ring 10 can be used to fix or support the gas diffusion structure 1 as a whole in these processes. In the reaction chamber (not shown in the figure) and above the wafer or the substrate (not shown in the figure), the diffusion plate 20 can be used to allow the process gas from above to diffuse downward evenly on the wafer or the substrate .

The supporting ring 10 and the diffusion plate 20 or one of them can be made of metal materials such as aluminum, titanium, copper or stainless steel, which are suitable for the process environment (less likely to be affected by the process environment or affect the process environment), and suitable for being Fusion welding. The support ring 10 or the diffuser plate 20 may also comprise non-metallic materials. In addition, the support ring 10 and the diffuser plate 20 are not integrally formed in the conventional way, but are manufactured separately, and then bonded to each other by E-beam welding described later.

More specifically, the support ring 10 may include an upper annular surface 11, a lower annular surface 12, an inner annular surface 13 and an outer annular surface 14, the upper annular surface 11 and the lower annular surface 12 are oppositely arranged, and the inner annular surface 13 and the outer annular surface The surfaces 14 are oppositely disposed, and the upper edge and the lower edge of each of the inner annular surface 13 and the outer annular surface 14 are respectively connected to the upper annular surface 11 and the lower annular surface 12 . The upper annulus 11 and the lower annulus 12 may be substantially parallel, that is, within a tolerance or machining accuracy. Either one of the inner annular surface 13 and the outer annular surface 14 may be inclined (or vertical, not shown in the figure) relative to the upper annular surface 11 or the lower annular surface 12 .

The diffuser plate 20 may include an upper surface 21, a lower surface 22, a side surface 23 (annulus) and a plurality of holes 24, the upper surface 21 and the lower surface 22 are oppositely arranged, and the upper edge and the lower edge of the side surface 23 are respectively connected to the upper surface 21 and the lower surface 22, the holes 24 are formed on the upper surface 21 and extend to the lower surface 22, that is, the holes 24 are through holes. The hole 24 can be a circular hole with a single diameter (such as a straight hole extending vertically) or a special-shaped hole with a changing diameter or a changing extending direction.

Corresponding to the shape of the wafer or the substrate, the upper annular surface 11 and the lower annular surface 12 of the support ring 10 can be circular, and the upper surface 21 and the lower surface 22 of the diffusion plate 20 can be circular. The lower annulus 12 faces the upper surface 21 and is intended to engage with each other. Accordingly, the lower annular surface 12 may be referred to as the first joint surface 101 of the support ring 10, and the upper surface 21 may be referred to as the second joint surface 201 of the diffuser plate 20; the terms "first" and "second" are used only to distinguish one face from another, without limitation.

The support ring 10 and the diffuser plate 20 are manufactured separately, for example, the support ring 10 is made of a metal block, and the diffuser plate 20 is made of another metal block (these two metal blocks may be made of aluminum, copper or stainless steel, etc. ). Since the support ring 10 and the diffuser plate 20 are not made from the same, single metal block, the gas diffusion structure 1 has fewer manufacturing steps, and the manufacturing cost is correspondingly lower, and the manufacturing quality is also better (for example, the uniformity of the holes 24 Good) and so on.

Please refer to FIG. 2A, FIG. 2B and FIG. 3, the upper surface 21 (second joint surface 201) of the diffuser plate 20 and the lower ring surface 12 (first joint surface 101) of the support ring 10 are abutted against (by clamping tools to keep the two against each other), and then the two are placed in the vacuum chamber of the electron beam welding machine (not shown in the figure). The electron beam EB that will be generated in the vacuum chamber aligns the electron beam EB at the interface between the upper surface 21 and the lower annulus 12, and melts the upper surface 21 and the lower annulus 12 at high temperature, and then the upper surface 21 and the lower annulus 12 are melted. 12 to form a bead. In this way, an electron beam welding layer 30 (or welding layer for short) is formed between the second joint surface 201 of the diffuser plate 20 and the first joint surface 101 of the support ring 10, so that the diffuser plate 20 and the support ring 10 are sealed. ground joint.

Thereby, the first joint surface 101 and the second joint surface 201 are substantially integrally formed, so that it is difficult for gas to pass through between the first joint surface 101 and the second joint surface 201 to leak.

In addition to the rapid formation of the electron beam welding layer 30 by electron beam welding, the formed electron beam welding layer 30 is thin and deep, indicating that the electron beam welding layer 30 has little thermal influence on the support ring 10 and the diffuser plate 20 (such as distortion less deformation) and high bonding strength.

The electron beam welding layer 30 is formed horizontally, because the second joint surface 201 of the diffuser plate 20 and the first joint surface 101 of the support ring 10 are both horizontal planes. 4A and 4B, the second joint surface 201 of the diffusion plate 20 and the first joint surface 101 of the support ring 10 may also be a vertical plane or an inclined plane, so that the formed electron beam welding layer 30 is vertical Formed and/or formed obliquely. Although not shown in the drawing, a part of the electron beam welding layer 30 may be formed horizontally, vertically or obliquely, and another part may be formed horizontally, vertically or obliquely.

Next, the maintenance method of the gas diffusion structure according to other preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described, and the maintenance method can produce the same or similar gas diffusion structure 1 of the above-mentioned embodiment, so the technical content of the maintenance method and the technology of the gas diffusion structure The content can be referred to and applied to each other, and the same parts will be omitted or simplified.

Please refer to the flow chart of the maintenance method of the gas diffusion structure shown in Figure 5. In step S21, a gas diffusion structure is first provided. Take the above gas diffusion structure 1 as an example, but the gas diffusion structure can also be a traditional integral molding. . This gas diffusion structure 1 comprises the joined supporting ring 10 and the diffuser plate 20 that has been used. The diameter) has changed or become larger which may affect the gas diffusion effect. The joint between the support ring 10 and the used diffuser plate 20 can previously be achieved by electron beam welding of the layer 30 (or conventional one-piece joint).

Then proceed to step S23 , cutting and separating the used diffuser plate 20 from the support ring 10 , for example, can be achieved by milling machine, lathe or wire cutting, etc., which can reduce the amount of cutting removal or make the cutting surface relatively flat. When cutting and separating, it can be done along the interface between the original second joint surface 201 of the diffuser plate 20 and the first joint surface 101 of the support ring 10, or slightly deviate from the first joint surface 101 or the second joint surface. Surface 201 for it.

After the diffuser plate 20 is cut and separated from the support ring 10 , the cutting surface of the support ring 10 is defined as the first bonding surface 101 . The first joint surface 101 may be uneven (slightly inclined or rough), so optionally, the first joint surface 101 (cutting surface) can be flattened by grinding, milling or lathe processing, so as to benefit Subsequent electron beam welding is performed.

Then proceed to step S25 to provide a diffuser plate 20A for replacement. The replacement diffuser plate 20A is prefabricated and the size meets the requirements. Generally speaking, the replacement diffuser plate 20A has not been used in the semiconductor manufacturing process, or has been used but has been repaired (for example, the oversized hole 24 has been filled and remanufactured), so the size of the diffuser plate 20A also meets the requirements.

Then proceed to step S27, and referring to FIG. 3 , the support ring 10 is abutted against the diffuser plate 20A for replacement, that is, the first joint surface 101 (cutting surface) of the support ring 10 is aligned with the first joint surface 101 (cutting surface) of the diffuser plate 20A for replacement. The two joint surfaces 201 (such as the upper surface 21 ) are in contact with each other, and the two joint surfaces can be kept in contact with each other by using a clamp.

Finally, step S29 is performed to form an electron beam welded layer 30 between the support ring 10 and the replacement diffuser plate 20A by electron beam EB, so that the support ring 10 and the replacement diffuser plate 20A are hermetically bonded. During electron beam welding, the normal direction of the first bonding surface 101 and the second bonding surface 201 (horizontal line in this example) may be perpendicular to the forward direction of the electron beam EB (vertical line in this example). After the electron beam welding layer 30 is formed, if the electron beam welding layer 30 has an exposed portion, the exposed portion can be optionally ground or polished to make the surface of the support ring 10 and the diffuser plate 20A evener after bonding.

The gas diffusion structure 1 obtained by the above maintenance method can have the size that meets the specifications like a new product, but the cost can be lower than the price of a new product. In addition, after the repaired gas diffusion structure 1 is used several times, the above maintenance method can be performed again to replace the used diffusion plate 20A. Therefore, the semiconductor manufacturing plant can regularly maintain the gas diffusion structure 1 to maintain its normal function. Compared with the traditional method of replacing a new gas diffusion plate, it will save money. In addition, because the maintenance cost is relatively cheap, the semiconductor The manufacturer may consider increasing the maintenance frequency of the gas diffusion structure 1 to keep the gas diffusion structure 1 in a good condition.

To sum up, the gas diffusion structure and its maintenance method provided by the present invention can make the gas diffusion structure easier to manufacture and maintain, reduce the burden on the user's cost, and also help the yield or productivity of the manufacturing process.

Although the invention has been described with respect to the above selected embodiments only, various changes, modifications or substitutions are possible in this case without departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the claims of the appended claims, as long as they do not materially affect intended operation or functionality. Therefore, the foregoing descriptions of the embodiments are only for illustrative purposes and not intended to limit the present invention, and the scope of the application is defined by the scope of the patent application and its equivalents.

1: Gas diffusion structure

10: Support ring

101: the first joint surface

11: Upper torus

12: lower annulus

13: Inner ring surface

14: Outer ring surface

20,20A: Diffusion plate

201: the second joint surface

21: upper surface

22: lower surface

23: side

24: hole

30: electron beam welding layer

EB: electron beam

[FIG. 1A] is a perspective view of a gas diffusion structure according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

[ FIG. 1B ] is an exploded perspective view of a gas diffusion structure according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

[FIG. 2A] is a cross-sectional view of a gas diffusion structure according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

[ Fig. 2B ] is a partially enlarged view of a cross section of a gas diffusion structure according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, showing an electron beam welded layer.

[ Fig. 3 ] is a sectional view of a gas diffusion structure according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, wherein an electron beam is applied to the gas diffusion structure.

[FIG. 4A] and [FIG. 4B] are partial enlarged views of the cross-section of the gas diffusion structure according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention, showing other kinds of electron beam welding layers.

[ Fig. 5 ] is a flowchart of a maintenance method of a gas diffusion structure according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

1: Gas diffusion structure

10: Support ring

11: Upper torus

12: lower annulus

13: Inner ring surface

14: Outer ring surface

20: Diffusion plate

21: upper surface

22: lower surface

23: side

24: hole

Claims (6)

A maintenance method for a gas diffusion structure, comprising: providing a gas diffusion structure, the gas diffusion structure comprising a joined support ring and a used diffuser plate; cutting and separating the used diffuser plate from the support ring; providing a replacement abutting the support ring against the replacement diffuser plate; and forming an electron beam welded layer between the support ring and the replacement diffuser plate so that the support ring and the replacement The diffuser plate is hermetically bonded. The maintenance method of the gas diffusion structure according to claim 1, wherein after the diffusion plate is cut and separated from the support ring, the cut surface of the support ring is flattened. The maintenance method of the gas diffusion structure as claimed in claim 2, wherein the cut surface of the support ring is flattened by grinding, milling or lathe processing. The maintenance method of the gas diffusion structure according to claim 1, wherein after the electron beam welding layer is formed, the exposed part of the electron beam welding layer is ground or polished. The maintenance method for a gas diffusion structure as described in claim 1, wherein the support ring and the used diffusion plate are integrally formed and connected. The maintenance method of the gas diffusion structure as described in any one of Claims 1 to 5, wherein the electron beam welding layer is formed horizontally, vertically Formed straight and/or formed obliquely.

Images