Search

EP-4283023-B1 - GAS INLET ASSEMBLY OF PROCESS CHAMBER, GAS INLET APPARATUS, AND SEMICONDUCTOR PROCESSING EQUIPMENT

EP4283023B1EP 4283023 B1EP4283023 B1EP 4283023B1EP-4283023-B1

Inventors

  • Li, Shikai

Dates

Publication Date
20260506
Application Date
20211228

Claims (10)

  1. A gas inlet assembly (1) of a process chamber (7) in a semiconductor process apparatus, configured to transport a process gas to a gas inlet pipeline (5) communicating with the process chamber (7), characterized in that , comprising: a plurality of mixing chambers (11a-11e) arranged sequentially along a gas inlet direction (X), any two neighboring mixing chambers communicating with each other; a plurality of gas inlet connectors (2, 2a, 2b, 2c) communicating with a most upstream mixing chamber (11a) in the gas inlet direction (X); wherein: a most downstream mixing chamber (11e) in the gas inlet direction (X) communicates with the gas inlet pipeline (5); and a gas outlet direction of the gas inlet assembly (1) is same as the gas inlet direction (X); a gas inlet member (10a), one or more mixing members (10b), and a jet plate (10c) connected sequentially along the gas inlet direction (X), wherein: grooves with openings facing the gas inlet direction (X) are formed at the gas inlet member (10a) and the one or more mixing members (10b); the gas inlet connectors (2, 2a, 2b, 2c) are arranged at the gas inlet member (10a); the groove of the gas inlet member (10a) cooperates with a most upstream mixing member in the gas inlet direction (X) to form the mixing chamber; in any two neighboring mixing members, a groove of an upstream mixing member cooperates with a downstream mixing member to form a mixing chamber; and the jet plate (10c) is arranged at an opening of the groove of the most downstream mixing member in the gas inlet direction (X) and cooperates with the groove of the most downstream mixing member in the gas inlet direction (X) to form a mixing chamber; wherein: a plurality of gas inlet holes (13a, 13b, 13c) are arranged at a bottom of the groove of the gas inlet member (10a); the gas inlet connectors (2, 2a, 2b, 2c) communicate with the gas inlet holes (13, 13a, 13b, 13c); a plurality of gas uniform holes (12, 12a, 12b, 12c) are arranged at a bottom of the groove of the one or more mixing members (10b); any two neighboring mixing chambers communicate with each other through the gas uniform holes (12, 12a ,12b, 12c); a plurality of jet holes (14, 14a, 14b, 14c) are arranged at the jet plate (10c); and the most downstream mixing chamber (11e) in the gas inlet direction (X) communicates with the gas inlet pipeline (5) through the jet holes (14, 14a, 14b, 14c); and wherein: at least one isolation member (141) is arranged in the groove and configured to divide the groove into a plurality of sub-grooves (111a, 111b, 111c) in a direction (Y) perpendicular to the gas inlet direction; the plurality of gas inlet holes (13, 13a, 13b, 13c) are divided into a plurality of gas inlet hole groups; a number of the gas inlet hole groups is same as a number of the sub-grooves (111a, 111b, 111c), and the gas inlet hole groups is in a one-to-one correspondence with the sub-grooves (111a, 11lb, 111c); the plurality of gas uniform holes (12, 12a, 12b, 12c) are divided into a plurality of gas uniform hole groups; a number of the gas uniform hole groups is same as the number of the sub-grooves (111a, 111b, 111c), and the gas uniform hole groups is in a one-to-one correspondence with the sub-grooves (111a, 11lb, 111c); the plurality of jet holes (14, 14a, 14b, 14c) are divided into a plurality of jet hole groups; a number of the jet hole groups is same as the number of the sub-grooves (111a, 111b, 111c), and the jet hole groups is in a one-to-one correspondence with the sub-grooves (111a, 11lb, 111c); a gas outlet direction of the jet hole (14, 14a, 14b, 14c) is the gas outlet direction; wherein: each gas uniform hole group includes a plurality of gas uniform holes (12a, 12b, 12c); the plurality of gas uniform holes (12a, 12b, 12c) in the same gas uniform hole group are arranged in an array; diameters of the plurality of gas uniform holes (12a, 12b, 12c) gradually increase from a center of the sub-groove (111a, 111b, 111c) to edges on two sides.
  2. The gas inlet assembly according to claim 1, wherein from upstream to downstream along the gas inlet direction (X), a number of rows of gas uniform holes in different gas uniform hole groups gradually increases, and a number of gas uniform holes in a same row in different gas uniform hole groups gradually increases.
  3. The gas inlet assembly according to claim 2, wherein in the gas inlet direction (X), gas uniform holes in any two neighboring gas uniform hole groups are staggered.
  4. The gas inlet assembly according to claim 1, wherein: each jet hole group includes a plurality of jet holes (14a, 14b, 14c); the plurality of jet holes (14a, 14b, 14c) are arranged in an array; diameters of the plurality of jet holes (14a, 14b, 14c) are same and smaller than diameters of the gas uniform holes (12a, 12b, 12c); a number of rows of the plurality of jet holes (14a, 14b, 14c) of the jet hole group is greater than a number of rows of the plurality of gas uniform holes (12a, 12b, 12c) of the corresponding gas uniform hole group; and a number of jet holes (14a, 14b, 14c) of any row of the jet hole group is greater than the number of the gas uniform holes (12a, 12b, 12c) in a same row of the corresponding gas uniform hole group.
  5. A gas inlet device, comprising the gas inlet assembly (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, a gas inlet pipeline (5), and a transition assembly (6), wherein the gas inlet assembly (1) and the transition assembly (6) are arranged at two ends of the gas inlet pipeline (5), respectively, and the gas inlet pipeline (5) communicates with the process chamber (7) through the transition assembly (6).
  6. The gas inlet device according to claim 5, wherein the gas inlet pipeline (5) includes a gradually expanding pipe segment (5a) and a straight pipe segment (5b) arranged sequentially along the gas inlet direction (X), and a cross-sectional size of the gradually expanding pipe segment (5a) gradually increases along the gas inlet direction (X).
  7. The gas inlet device according to claim 5, wherein: a division plate (51) is arranged in the gas inlet pipeline (5) and configured to divide the gas inlet pipeline (5) into a plurality of gas flow channels (52a, 52b, 52c) along a direction (Y) perpendicular to the gas inlet direction (X); the division plate (51) includes a uniform thickness portion (51a) and a gradually thinning portion (51b) arranged sequentially along the gas inlet direction (X); and a thickness of the gradually thinning portion (51b) gradually decreases along the gas inlet direction (X).
  8. The gas inlet device according to claim 5, wherein: the transition assembly (6) includes a plurality of transition members (61, 62) inserted sequentially along the gas inlet direction (X); a most upstream transition member (61) in the gas inlet direction (X) is inserted into the gas inlet pipeline (5); and a most downstream transition member (62) in the gas inlet direction (X) communicates with the process chamber (7).
  9. The gas inlet device according to claim 8, wherein: the gas inlet pipeline (5) is made of quartz; and the transition member (61, 62) is made of graphite.
  10. A semiconductor processing apparatus, comprising a process chamber (7) and the gas inlet device of the process chamber (7) according to any one of claims 5 to 9.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present disclosure generally relates to the semiconductor manufacturing field and, more particularly, to a semiconductor processing apparatus, a gas inlet assembly, and a gas inlet device of a process chamber in the semiconductor processing apparatus. BACKGROUND Epitaxial growth refers to a growth of a single crystal layer on a substrate with the same crystal orientation as the substrate. Compared to a growth environment of silicon epitaxy, a process environment of silicon carbide epitaxy has a higher temperature, which ranges from 1500°C to 1800°C. The silicon carbide epitaxy has a longer growth cycle. Currently, chemical vapor deposition (CVD) is mainly used to grow a silicon carbide epitaxial layer. In the process of epitaxial growth, control of a gas flow field is an important factor affecting process uniformity. However, existing gas inlet devices often have the following problems in practical applications. First, a process gas including a plurality of gas components output by the existing gas inlet device enters a process chamber without being sufficiently mixed. Thus, the gas components of the process gas are distributed unevenly in the process chamber, which causes different reaction rates at different positions of the substrate to affect the process uniformity. Second, as shown in FIG. 1, the existing gas inlet device includes three diversion chambers configured to divert the process gas. The number of gas inlet holes corresponding to the middle diversion chamber is relatively large, the gas inlet holes are arranged in a center position of the diversion chamber, and the process gas entering from the gas inlet holes does not have enough time to fully diffuse towards two edges before entering the middle diversion chamber. Thus, a gas flow speed output by gas inlet holes in the middle is higher than a gas flow speed output by gas inlet holes at the two edges. This speed difference causes a gas flow field in the diversion chamber to generate a turbulent region including a dead zone and a vortex. As shown in A region of FIG. 1, since the process gas stops in the dead zone, the process gas overflows after the process gas in the dead zone is saturated. The process gas flows to the process chamber to react with the substrate to cause differences in fabrication processes of the substrate to affect the process stability. US patent application US2012/0111271A1 discloses a CVD reactor, such as a MOCVD reactor conducting metalorganic chemical vapor deposition of epitaxial layers, is provided. The CVD or MOCVD reactor generally comprises a flow flange assembly, adjustable proportional flow injector assembly, a chamber assembly, and a multi-segment center rotation shaft. The reactor provides a novel geometry to specific components that function to reduce the gas usage while also improving the performance of the deposition. Chinese utiltiy model CN210826439U discloses an epitaxial furnace gas supply device, comprising multiple air inlet pipes and an air guide assembly, an inlet end of the air guide assembly is connected to the multiple air inlet pipes via multiple air inlets, an outlet end of the gas guide assembly is provided with multiple sets of dispersion holes, and each air inlet communicates with a corresponding set of dispersion holes through a cavity, thereby forming multiple spaced air inlet passages. By controlling gas dispersion, the present application realizes uniform gas distribution at an edge of a reaction zone of a wafer surface, which significantly improves edge crystallization quality of epitaxial wafer products, enhances overall parameter uniformity, and substantially increases usable area of epitaxial wafers. Chinese patent application CN111020693A discloses a gas inlet device for a silicon carbide epitaxial growth apparatus, comprising a gas inlet device body, a mixing chamber being provided at a front portion of the gas inlet device body, and a cooling chamber being provided at a rear portion of the gas inlet device body; a gas inlet pipe is disposed on a front side of the mixing chamber, and multiple gas outlet pipes are disposed on a rear side of the mixing chamber and pass through the cooling chamber; the gas inlet device further comprises a coolant inlet pipe and a coolant outlet pipe which are inserted into the front portion of the gas inlet device body and communicated with the cooling chamber, and multiple purge pipes passing through an upper portion and a lower portion of the gas inlet device body; and the rear portion of the gas inlet device body extends through a transition zone of the silicon carbide epitaxial growth apparatus. The gas inlet device can suppress pre-reaction of a reaction gas. SUMMARY The present disclosure aims to address at least one technical problem in the existing technology and provides a gas inlet assembly of a process chamber in a semiconductor process apparatus, a gas inlet device, and a semiconductor processing apparatus, which can suf