CN110396664B - Grounding ring, chamber and physical vapor deposition equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

The present disclosure provides a ground ring, a chamber and a physical vapor deposition apparatus. The ground ring includes: the elastic device comprises a first conductive ring, a second conductive ring and a plurality of elastic devices for electrically connecting the first conductive ring and the second conductive ring, wherein a first central axis of the first conductive ring is parallel to or coincident with a second central axis of the second conductive ring, and the plurality of elastic devices are configured to enable the first conductive ring and the second conductive ring to move relatively along the direction of the first central axis. The elastic device in the grounding ring can increase the adjusting range between the first conductive ring and the second conductive ring.

Description

Grounding ring, chamber and physical vapor deposition equipment

Technical Field

Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a ground ring, a chamber, and a physical vapor deposition apparatus.

Background

In the integrated circuit manufacturing process, the Physical Vapor Deposition (PVD) method can realize the processes of filling through holes with high aspect ratio due to the better consistency and uniformity of the thin film and wider process window, and is widely used for depositing many different metal layers, hard masks and other related material layers. However, in order to realize the deposition of high-density thin films of high-density TiN, other metals and metal compounds, the pvd sputtering apparatus needs to adjust process parameters in many ways, and if necessary, needs to add hardware configuration to achieve the process goal to meet the requirement of more advanced integrated circuit process.

Conventional dc sputtering equipment is difficult to meet the requirements of advanced processes, and therefore, rf and dc co-sputtering systems are widely used in advanced processes. Compared with direct current equipment, the radio frequency and direct current co-sputtering equipment has higher plasma density and lower sputtering particle energy, and has more advantages in aspects of nondestructive technology, preparation of high-density films, improvement of film performance and the like.

Disclosure of Invention

According to one embodiment of the disclosure, a ground ring chamber and a physical vapor deposition apparatus are provided. This ground ring includes: the first conductive ring and the second conductive ring are electrically connected through a plurality of elastic devices, wherein a first central axis of the first conductive ring is parallel to or coincident with a second central axis of the second conductive ring, and the plurality of elastic devices are configured to enable the first conductive ring and the second conductive ring to move relatively along the direction of the first central axis.

In some examples, the distance between the first conductive ring and the second conductive ring that is relatively movable in the direction of the first central axis is 1-30 mm.

In some examples, each of the plurality of resilient devices comprises: a connecting rod configured to define a direction of relative movement of the first and second conductive rings as a direction along the first central axis; and the elastic part is sleeved on the connecting rod and is configured to enable the first conductive ring and the second conductive ring to move relatively along the direction of the first central axis by deforming.

In some examples, one end of the elastic member is fixed to the first conductive ring, and the other end of the elastic member is fixed to the second conductive ring.

In some examples, a first inductive coil is disposed at a connection of at least one of the first and second conductive rings and the resilient means to enhance electrical conductivity therebetween.

In some examples, the plurality of resilient means are evenly distributed along a circumference of the first conductive ring.

In some examples, the number of the plurality of resilient devices is no less than 8.

In some examples, the first conductive ring partially overlaps the second conductive ring in a direction of the first central axis, and the elastic member is located between the overlapping portions of the first conductive ring and the second conductive ring.

In some examples, an inner diameter of the first conductive ring is smaller than an inner diameter of the second conductive ring, the first conductive ring includes a first annular sidewall, a cross section of the first annular sidewall in a radial direction of the first conductive ring extends in a direction of the first central axis, and an inner end of the second conductive ring is no more than 5mm from the first annular sidewall in the radial direction of the first conductive ring.

In some examples, an inner diameter of the first conductive ring is less than an inner diameter of the second conductive ring, the second conductive ring includes a second annular sidewall, a cross-section of the second annular sidewall in a radial direction of the second conductive ring extends in a direction of the second central axis, and a distance between an outer end of the first conductive ring and the second annular sidewall in the radial direction of the second conductive ring is no more than 5 mm.

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, there is provided a chamber including: a cavity; the shielding piece is connected with the inner wall of the cavity; the base comprises a conductive shell and a supporting surface for supporting a workpiece to be processed; and the ground ring of any of the above examples, wherein the support surface is perpendicular to the first central axis, the first conductive ring is connected to the housing, and the second conductive ring is configured to abut the shield.

In some examples, the resilient means is configured to maintain the second conductive ring in abutment against the shield when in the deformed state.

In some examples, a second inductive coil is disposed at a connection of the first conductive ring and the housing of the base to increase electrical conductivity between the first conductive ring and the housing of the base.

In some examples, a distance between an end of the first conductive ring near the shield and the shield in a radial direction of the first conductive ring is no more than 5 mm.

In some examples, the second conductive ring comprises a resilient electrical connection by which the second conductive ring abuts against the shield.

In some examples, the housing of the base, the ground ring, and the shield are configured to be grounded.

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, there is provided a physical vapor deposition apparatus including the chamber of any of the above examples.

For the grounding ring of the embodiment of the present disclosure, the distance of the relative movement of the first conductive ring and the second conductive ring along the direction of the first central axis may be adjusted by the elastic device. In the physical vapor deposition equipment comprising the grounding ring, the grounding ring is designed into a structure comprising the first conducting ring, the elastic device and the second conducting ring, so that on one hand, the good electric connection between the shell of the base and the shielding piece can be ensured, and the equipotential is formed among the shell of the base, the grounding ring and the shielding piece; on the other hand, the adjusting range of the target substrate distance can be enlarged to adjust important parameters such as the uniformity of the film, the process deposition rate and the like, the process window of the equipment is increased, and the hardware of the equipment main body is prevented from being damaged in the debugging process, misoperation and the like.

Drawings

To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present disclosure, the drawings of the embodiments will be briefly introduced below, and it is apparent that the drawings in the following description relate only to some embodiments of the present disclosure and are not limiting to the present disclosure.

FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a Physical Vapor Deposition (PVD) apparatus;

fig. 2A and 2B are schematic cross-sectional structural diagrams of a ground ring provided in an example of the present embodiment;

FIG. 2C is a schematic plan view of the ground ring shown in FIG. 2A;

fig. 2D and fig. 2E are schematic cross-sectional structural diagrams of a ground ring provided in another example of the present embodiment;

fig. 2F and fig. 2G are schematic cross-sectional structural diagrams of a ground ring provided in another example of the present embodiment;

fig. 3A and 3B are schematic partial sectional structural views of a chamber provided as an example of the present embodiment;

FIG. 3C is a schematic top view of the base and ground ring shown in FIG. 3A;

fig. 4A and 4B are schematic partial sectional structural views of a chamber provided in another example of the present embodiment;

fig. 5A and 5B are schematic partial sectional structural views of a chamber provided in another example of the present embodiment.

Detailed Description

In order to make the objects, technical solutions and advantages of the embodiments of the present disclosure more apparent, the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present disclosure will be described clearly and completely with reference to the drawings of the embodiments of the present disclosure. It is to be understood that the described embodiments are only a few embodiments of the present disclosure, and not all embodiments. All other embodiments, which can be derived by a person skilled in the art from the described embodiments of the disclosure without any inventive step, are within the scope of protection of the disclosure.

Unless otherwise defined, technical or scientific terms used herein shall have the ordinary meaning as understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure belongs. The use of "first," "second," and similar terms in this disclosure is not intended to indicate any order, quantity, or importance, but rather is used to distinguish one element from another. The word "comprising" or "comprises", and the like, means that the element or item listed before the word covers the element or item listed after the word and its equivalents, but does not exclude other elements or items.

Fig. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a Physical Vapor Deposition (PVD) apparatus, such as a magnetron sputtering apparatus. As shown in fig. 1, the magnetron sputtering apparatus with rf and dc co-sputtering includes a chamber 1, i.e. a reaction chamber, and the chamber 1 is configured to be grounded. The magnetron sputtering equipment also comprises avacuum pump system 2 which can pump the reaction cavity 1 to ensure that the interior of the cavity 1 is higher than 10%^-6Degree of vacuum of Torr; agas source 4 connected to the chamber 1 through aflow meter 3, thegas source 4 being configured to provide a sputtering reaction gas, e.g., argon, nitrogen, etc., to the magnetron sputtering device; and atarget 6 sealed on the chamber 1, for example, thetarget 6 may be a metal, or a metal compound. The magnetron sputtering apparatus can apply voltage to thetarget 6 through the radiofrequency power supply 18 and the directcurrent power supply 19, for example, the frequency of the radio frequency power supply can be 2MHz, 13.56MHz, 40MHz, 60MHz, etc. The radiofrequency power supply 18 and the directcurrent power supply 19 are both introduced into the target material through respective electrodesA ring-shaped current spreadingelectrode 21 above 6. The side of thetarget 6 remote from the chamber 1 comprises aninsulating material 7, and deionizedwater 8 for cooling thetarget 6 is filled between theinsulating material 7 and thetarget 6.

As shown in fig. 1, a susceptor 5 for carrying awafer 11 is included in the chamber 1, and the susceptor 5 has a heating or cooling function, for example, the susceptor 5 can be set at a high temperature and heat thewafer 11 positioned thereon. During sputtering, the DC power supply biases thetarget 6 to a negative voltage with respect to the grounded chamber 1, so that the argon discharge generates a plasma that attracts positively charged argon ions to the negativelybiased target 6. When the energy of the argon ions is sufficiently high, metal atoms are allowed to escape the surface of thetarget 6 and deposit on thewafer 11. A magnetron 9 and amotor 12 are arranged on the side of thetarget 6 remote from the chamber 1. The magnetron 9 comprises inner and outer magnetic poles with opposite polarities, and the magnetron 9 can greatly improve the sputtering deposition rate of the magnetron sputtering device. Themotor 12 will drive the stainless steel plate with fixed poles to rotate along the central axis, which can generate time-averaged magnetic fields at various angles to achieve a more uniform sputtering profile of the target and thus achieve uniformity of film deposition.

As shown in fig. 1, a capacitance adjusting device (ACT)16 and a Bias radio frequency (Bias RF)power supply 17 are provided outside the chamber 1 on the side of the base 5 away from thetarget 6. In performing thin film sputtering, thecapacitance adjusting device 16 and the biasrf power supply 17 are configured to adjust the bias voltage of the surface of thewafer 11, thereby changing the particle energy and the plasma sheath thickness of the surface of thewafer 11, thereby improving the stress and density of the thin film. For example, the bias RF frequency is typically 2MHz or 13.56 MHz.

As shown in fig. 1, the chamber 1 further includes a stainlesssteel press ring 23 having a certain weight and achamber shield 22. Thechuck 23 is configured to press thewafer 11 against the susceptor 5 during sputtering, and argon gas (typically 1 to 5Torr) is introduced between the susceptor 5 and thewafer 11 at a pressure to heat thewafer 11 by the susceptor 5, for example, thewafer 11 may be heated up to about 400 ℃. By heating thewafer 11 by the susceptor 5, thewafer 11 can be kept at a high temperature during sputtering, and the density of the thin film can be increased and the stress of the thin film can be adjusted. One end of thepress ring 23 is pressed on the base 5, the other end of the press ring is placed on theshielding piece 22, the shieldingpiece 22 is used for isolating theplasma 10 generated by argon from the cavity 1, and thepress ring 23 is mainly used for preventing the plasma from diffusing to the bottom of the cavity outside the shieldingpiece 22 to pollute the cavity.

In the rf and dc co-sputtering environment, the plasma density is high, and the rf introduction has very strict requirements on the grounding environment of the chamber 1 and theshield 22. If the grounding environment of part of hardware is poor, on one hand, plasma leakage occurs in the region outside the shieldingpiece 22 in the cavity 1, and the cavity outside the shieldingpiece 22 is lighted; on the other hand, one end of the cavity with poor grounding, for example, the outer shell of the base 5 or the connection surface such as thepress ring 23, is easily ignited, that is, in the actual process, the outer shell of the base 5 is often induced to generate a higher bias voltage due to the poor grounding of the outer shell of the base 5 and the higher rf energy loaded on the base 5, and the plasma in the shieldingmember 22 leaks out of the shieldingmember 22 through the gap between thepress ring 23 and the shieldingmember 22, and affects the bias voltage accumulated in the outer shell of the base 5, so that the argon and the like outside the shieldingmember 22 are easily ionized and glow, and in a serious case, the ignition phenomenon may be generated on the outer shell of the base 5 and other components in the cavity 1. This partially ignited plasma does not contribute to the process and also causes the rf power loaded on the pedestal to be not completely concentrated on the wafer, thereby causing serious process problems.

In order to avoid the above problems, a good grounding design of theshield 22 and the housing of the base 5 is required. In addition, during the debugging and application of the magnetron sputtering process, the target base distance 24 (i.e. the distance between the surface of thetarget 6 facing thewafer 11 and the surface of thewafer 11, as shown in fig. 1) is often adjusted to adjust important parameters such as the uniformity of the deposited film and the deposition rate of the process.

The embodiment of the invention discloses a grounding ring, a chamber and a physical vapor deposition device. This ground ring includes: the elastic device comprises a first conductive ring, a second conductive ring and a plurality of elastic devices for electrically connecting the first conductive ring and the second conductive ring, wherein a first central axis of the first conductive ring is parallel to or coincident with a second central axis of the second conductive ring, and the plurality of elastic devices are configured to enable the first conductive ring and the second conductive ring to move relatively along the direction of the first central axis.

For the grounding ring, the distance of relative movement of the first conductive ring and the second conductive ring along the direction of the first central axis can be adjusted by the elastic device.

The disclosed embodiments of the present invention provide a ground ring. Fig. 2A and 2B are schematic cross-sectional structural diagrams of a ground ring provided in an example of the present embodiment, and fig. 2C is a schematic plan view of the ground ring shown in fig. 2A. As shown in fig. 2A and 2B, theground ring 300 includes a firstconductive ring 310, a secondconductive ring 330, and a plurality ofelastic devices 320 electrically connecting the firstconductive ring 310 and the secondconductive ring 330, and a first central axis 3001 of the firstconductive ring 310 is parallel to or coincides with a second central axis 3002 of the second conductive ring 330 (fig. 2A illustrates that the first central axis 3001 and the second central axis 3002 are overlapped), and the plurality ofelastic devices 320 are configured to allow the firstconductive ring 310 and the secondconductive ring 330 to move relatively along a direction of the first central axis 3001.

Fig. 2A and 2B illustrate two elastic means in the ground ring. The first central axis 3001 and the second central axis 3002 are axes perpendicular to the annular faces of the firstconductive ring 310 and the secondconductive ring 330, respectively. Further, the phrase "the first central axis 3001 is parallel to the second central axis 3002" includes strict parallel and substantially parallel, and substantially parallel means that an included angle between the two central axes is less than 5 °.

In some examples, as shown in fig. 2A and 2B, eachelastic device 320 includes a connectingrod 321, and anelastic member 322 sleeved on the connectingrod 321. The connectingrod 321 extends in a direction parallel to the first central axis 3001 and is configured to define a relative movement direction of the firstconductive ring 310 and the secondconductive ring 330 as a direction along the first central axis 3001. Theelastic member 322 is configured to deform to move the firstconductive ring 310 and the secondconductive ring 330 relatively along the first central axis 3001.

For example, theelastic member 322 includes a spring or other elastic member that can be sleeved on the connectingrod 321, and after theelastic member 322 is elastically deformed, the direction of the deformation force is parallel to the extending direction of the connectingrod 321. Theelastic member 322 shown in fig. 2A is in a loose state (the loose state is the state shown in fig. 2B, but the elastic member is still in a compressed state relative to its original unstressed state according to the requirement when the grounding ring is applied to the pvd apparatus), and theelastic member 322 shown in fig. 2B is in a compressed state. Taking the secondconductive ring 330 as an example, the firstconductive ring 310 is moved in the direction indicated by the arrow in the X direction with respect to the secondconductive ring 330 by compressing theelastic member 322, or theelastic member 322 is configured to be transformed from a compressed state to a loose state, so that the firstconductive ring 310 is moved in the direction opposite to the arrow in the X direction with respect to the secondconductive ring 330.

In some examples, as shown in fig. 2A and 2B, the distance between the firstconductive ring 310 and the secondconductive ring 330 that can move relatively is 1-30mm along the direction of the first central axis 3001, that is, theelastic member 322 can deform, so that the firstconductive ring 310 and the secondconductive ring 330 have a distance between them that can move relatively. The length of the connectingrod 321 in the direction of the first central axis 3001 is greater than 30mm, and the adjustable range of the distance of the relative movement between the firstconductive ring 310 and the secondconductive ring 330 is 1-30 mm.

In some examples, as shown in fig. 2A and 2B, one end of theelastic member 322 is fixed opposite to the firstconductive ring 310, that is, one end of theelastic member 322 close to the firstconductive ring 310 is fixed opposite to the firstconductive ring 310; the other end of theelastic member 322 is fixed relative to the secondconductive ring 330, that is, one end of theelastic member 322 close to the secondconductive ring 330 is fixed relative to the secondconductive ring 330, so that when theelastic member 322 deforms, the firstconductive ring 310 and the secondconductive ring 320 can move relative to each other.

For example, as shown in fig. 2A and 2B, one end of the connectingrod 321 may be connected to the firstconductive ring 310, and the other end of the connectingrod 321 may pass through a through hole included in the secondconductive ring 330, so that the firstconductive ring 310 and the secondconductive ring 330 move relatively.

For example, when the firstconductive ring 310 and the secondconductive ring 330 move relatively, the secondconductive ring 330 is fixed, and the firstconductive ring 310 and the connectingrod 321 can reciprocate relative to the secondconductive ring 330 through the through hole of the secondconductive ring 330 in a direction parallel to the first central axis 3001. The connection relationship between the connecting rod and the second conductive ring is not limited to this, as long as the connecting rod limits the elastic component sleeved on the connecting rod to move along the extending direction of the connecting rod, so that the first conductive ring and the second conductive ring relatively move along the direction perpendicular to the supporting surface.

For example, as shown in fig. 2A-2C, the firstconductive ring 310 includes a firstannular face 311 and a firstannular sidewall 312, the firstannular face 311 is perpendicular to the first central axis 3001, and a cross section of the firstannular sidewall 312 in a radial direction 3003 (Y direction shown in the figures) of the firstconductive ring 310 extends in a direction of the first central axis 3001.

For example, as shown in fig. 2A-2C, the secondconductive ring 330 includes a secondannular face 331 and a secondannular sidewall 333, the secondannular face 331 is perpendicular to the second central axis 3002, and a cross-section of the secondannular sidewall 333 in a radial direction 3004 (Y direction shown in the figures) of the secondconductive ring 330 extends in the direction of the second central axis 3002.

In some examples, as shown in fig. 2A-2C, one end of the connectingrod 321 is fixed to the firstannular face 311 of the firstconductive ring 310 connected to theelastic means 320, and the other end of the connectingrod 321 passes through a through hole included in an end of the secondconductive ring 330 remote from the secondannular face 331. At this time, the firstconductive ring 310 and the secondconductive ring 330 are partially overlapped along the direction of the first central axis 3001, and theelastic member 322 is located between the overlapped portions of the firstconductive ring 310 and the secondconductive ring 330, that is, along the direction of the first central axis 3001, the firstconductive ring 310, theelastic member 322, and the secondconductive ring 330 are all overlapped with each other.

In some examples, as shown in fig. 2A-2C, the inner diameter of the firstconductive ring 310 is smaller than the inner diameter of the secondconductive ring 330, and the inner end of the second conductive ring 330 (the end of the second conductive ring near the first conductive ring) is no more than 5mm from the firstannular sidewall 312 along the radial direction 3003 of the firstconductive ring 310. For example, thedistance 301 between the inner end of the secondconductive ring 330 and the firstannular sidewall 312 is 1-2 mm.

In some examples, as shown in fig. 2A-2C, the inner diameter of the firstconductive ring 310 is smaller than the inner diameter of the secondconductive ring 330, and thedistance 302 between the outer end of the first conductive ring 310 (the end of the first conductive ring near the second conductive ring) and the secondannular sidewall 333 in the radial direction 3004 of the secondconductive ring 330 is no more than 5 mm. For example, thedistance 302 between the outer end of the firstconductive ring 310 and the secondannular sidewall 333 is 1-2 mm.

In some examples, as shown in fig. 2C, the number ofresilient devices 320 is no less than 8. For example, the number of theelastic means 320 is 8-16. In this embodiment, more elastic devices are disposed to increase the conductive connection between the first conductive ring and the second conductive ring.

In some examples, as shown in fig. 2C, the resilient means 320 are evenly (e.g., equally spaced) distributed along the circumference of the firstconductive ring 310. However, embodiments according to the present disclosure are not particularly limited with respect to the specific distribution of the connecting rods.

For example, the material of theelastic component 322 may include a copper material with better conductivity, and the embodiment includes but is not limited to this, and may also be other materials with better conductivity.

In some examples, as shown in fig. 2A, a connection between at least one of the first and secondconductive rings 310 and 330 and theelastic means 320 includes a firstdielectric coil 410 to enhance electrical conductivity between at least one of the first and secondconductive rings 310 and 330 and theelastic means 320.

For example, the firstdielectric coil 410 is disposed at the connection position of the firstconductive ring 310 and the secondconductive ring 330, which is connected to theelastic member 322, to ensure a better conductive connection between the firstconductive ring 310, the secondconductive ring 330 and theelastic member 322. The present embodiment includes, but is not limited to, that at least one of the firstconductive ring 310 and the secondconductive ring 330 may be connected to theelastic member 322 by other members with better conductive characteristics.

For example, fig. 2D and 2E are schematic cross-sectional structural diagrams of a ground ring provided in another example of the present embodiment. As shown in fig. 2D and 2E, unlike the example shown in fig. 2A, there are: the secondconductive ring 330 does not include a second annular sidewall, and includes only a secondannular face 331 perpendicular to the second central axis, i.e., the secondconductive ring 330 has a straight-line shape in its cross-sectional shape in the radial direction.

For example, one end of the connectingrod 321 may be fixed to the secondconductive ring 330, and the other end of the connectingrod 321 passes through the included through-hole of the firstconductive ring 310.

For example, in a direction parallel to the second central axis, theelastic member 322 is located between the firstannular surface 311 of the firstconductive ring 310 and the secondannular surface 331 of the secondconductive ring 330.

In some examples, as shown in fig. 2D and 2E, the inner diameter of the firstconductive ring 310 is smaller than the inner diameter of the secondconductive ring 330, and thedistance 301 between the inner end of the second conductive ring 330 (the end of the second conductive ring near the first conductive ring) and the firstannular sidewall 312 in the radial direction 3003 of the firstconductive ring 310 is no more than 5 mm. For example, thedistance 301 between the inner end of the secondconductive ring 330 and the firstannular sidewall 312 is 1-2 mm.

For example, the elastic member shown in FIG. 2D is in a loose state (the loose state is the state shown in FIG. 2E, but the elastic member is still in a compressed state relative to its original unstressed state according to the requirement of the grounding ring applied to the PVD equipment), and theelastic member 322 shown in FIG. 2E is in a compressed state. Taking the secondconductive ring 330 as an example, the firstconductive ring 310 is moved in the direction indicated by the arrow in the X direction with respect to the secondconductive ring 330 by compressing theelastic member 322, or theelastic member 322 is configured to be transformed from a compressed state to a loose state, so that the firstconductive ring 310 is moved in the direction opposite to the arrow in the X direction with respect to the secondconductive ring 330.

Fig. 2F and 2G are schematic cross-sectional structural diagrams of a ground ring provided in another example of the present embodiment. As shown in fig. 2F and 2G, one end of the connectingrod 321 is fixed to the secondconductive ring 330, and the other end of the connectingrod 321 passes through the included through hole of the firstconductive ring 310. Theelastic member 322 shown in fig. 2F is in a more stretched state (the more stretched state is shown relative to the state shown in fig. 2G, but the elastic member is in a stretched state relative to its original unstressed state according to the requirement of the grounding ring applied to the pvd apparatus), and theelastic member 322 shown in fig. 2G is in a less stretched state. Taking the secondconductive loop 330 as an example, the firstconductive loop 310 is moved in the direction indicated by the arrow in the X direction with respect to the secondconductive loop 330 by stretching theelastic member 322, or theelastic member 322 is configured to be changed from a more stretched state to a less stretched state, so that the firstconductive loop 310 is moved in the direction opposite to the arrow in the X direction with respect to the secondconductive loop 330.

An embodiment of the present disclosure further provides a chamber, and fig. 3A and 3B are schematic partial structural diagrams of the chamber provided in this embodiment, as shown in fig. 3A and 3B, the chamber includes a cavity; ashield 200 connected to an inner wall of the cavity; a base 100 including aconductive housing 110 and asupport surface 101 for supporting a workpiece to be processed; and theground ring 300 in the above embodiments. Thesupport surface 101 is perpendicular to the first central axis, a firstconductive ring 310 is connected to thehousing 110, and a secondconductive ring 330 is configured to abut onto theshield 200. The firstconductive ring 310 is an inner ring of theground ring 300, and the secondconductive ring 330 is an outer ring of theground ring 300.

In the chamber, the grounding ring is designed to be of a structure comprising the first conducting ring, the elastic device and the second conducting ring, so that on one hand, the shell of the base and the shielding piece can be ensured to be well electrically connected, and the shell of the base, the grounding ring and the shielding piece form equipotential to avoid the problems of radio frequency ignition and plasma leakage; on the other hand, the adjusting range of the target substrate spacing can be enlarged, so that the process window of the equipment is increased, important parameters such as the uniformity of the film and the process deposition rate are better adjusted to meet the requirements of different processes, the main hardware of the equipment is prevented from being damaged in the debugging process and under the conditions of misoperation and the like, extra grounding rings with different sizes are not required to be manufactured, and the target substrate spacing is not required to be adjusted by breaking the vacuum condition.

Some embodiments according to the present disclosure are described in further detail below. In the specification of the present disclosure, the supporting surface of the base refers to a plane on a side of the base for carrying a member to be processed. The supporting surface is defined as a plane for better describing the position relationship of other components with the plane of the supporting surface and the movement relative to the supporting surface, but does not mean that the side surface of the base is necessarily a plane. For example, in the case where the side surface of the base has the convex structures, the supporting surface as a plane may be a plane located at the bottom of the convex structures or a plane passing through a point on the side surface of the base. In addition, the susceptor may be configured to move in a direction perpendicular to the support surface in the physical vapor deposition apparatus, i.e., the first and second conductive rings may move relative to each other in the direction perpendicular to the support surface.

In the direction perpendicular to the supporting surface, a direction from the opposite side of the supporting surface of the base to the supporting surface is referred to as an "upward" direction, and a direction from the supporting surface to the opposite side of the supporting surface of the base is referred to as a "downward" direction. Thus, the various positional relationships modified by "upper" and "lower" have clear meanings. For example, up and down. In addition, in a direction parallel to the supporting surface, a direction from the edge of the base toward the center is referred to as an "inward" direction, and a direction from the center of the base toward the edge is referred to as an "outward" direction. Thus, the relative positional relationships of the "inner" and "outer" modifications are also used in a clear sense. For example, an "inner ring" and an "outer ring". In addition, it should be noted that the above terms indicating the orientations are merely exemplary and indicate the relative positional relationships of the respective components, and the combinations of the components in the various apparatuses or devices disclosed in the present invention or the entire apparatuses or devices may be rotated by a certain angle as a whole.

In addition, the workpiece to be processed in the present disclosure may be, for example, a tray for supporting a wafer to be deposited, or may be a single wafer to be deposited or a combined structure in which a wafer is attached to a tray, which is not particularly limited according to the embodiments of the present disclosure.

Referring to fig. 3A and 3B, fig. 3A is a schematic diagram illustrating a position of a large distance between target substrates in a chamber, and fig. 3B is a schematic diagram illustrating a relatively small distance between target substrates after the firstconductive ring 310 in the base 100 and theground ring 300 is raised for a certain distance, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; similarly, with respect to the position shown in fig. 3B, fig. 3A can also be regarded as a schematic diagram of the base 100 and the firstconductive ring 310 in thegrounding ring 300 after descending a certain distance.

For example, the chamber may be a circular reaction chamber, which is not limited in this embodiment. For example, theground ring 300 is a ring structure surrounding the base 100. For example, the firstconductive ring 310 is a ring-shaped structure surrounding the substrate 100 and located inside thegrounding ring 300, and the secondconductive ring 330 is a ring-shaped structure surrounding the outer periphery of the firstconductive ring 310, i.e. the secondconductive ring 330 is a ring-shaped structure located outside thegrounding ring 300.

For example, as shown in fig. 3A and 3B, adistance 301 between an inner end of the secondconductive ring 330 and the first annular sidewall in a radial direction of the firstconductive ring 310 is no more than 5mm, and/or adistance 302 between an outer end of the firstconductive ring 310 and the second annular sidewall in the radial direction of the secondconductive ring 330 is no more than 5 mm. Thus, the plasma located inside theshield 200 can be prevented from leaking out of theshield 200.

In some examples, thehousing 110, theground ring 300, theshield 200, and the cavity of the base 100 are configured to be grounded. That is, thehousing 110 of the base 100 is connected to the cavity and grounded through the bellows on the side of the base 100 away from the supportingsurface 101, the shieldingmember 200 is connected to the sidewall of the cavity to make the shieldingmember 200 in a grounded state, and thegrounding ring 300 is an aluminum or copper ring with good conductivity, so that thegrounding ring 300 can better electrically connect thehousing 110 of the base 100 and the shieldingmember 200 to realize that thehousing 110, thegrounding ring 300 and the shieldingmember 200 of the base 100 are in an equipotential state, and therefore, a good grounding environment can prevent the leakage of plasma, and ensure that the induced bias voltage of the base housing can be quickly conducted away, thereby avoiding the occurrence of sparking phenomenon and ensuring the stability of the process.

In some examples, as shown in fig. 3A, the secondconductive ring 330 comprises a ring of resilientelectrical connection 332, for example a beryllium copper spring, with the secondconductive ring 330 abutting on theshield 200 through the resilientelectrical connection 332, i.e. the secondconductive ring 330 makes a good electrical connection with theshield 200 through the resilientelectrical connection 332.

For example, as shown in fig. 3A, the elasticelectrical connector 332 is located on a side of the second annular surface facing theshield 200 and is used for electrically connecting theshield 200 and the second annular surface, so that the elasticelectrical connector 332 can achieve the effect of electrically connecting theground ring 300 and theshield 200. In addition, embodiments according to the present disclosure are not limited thereto, and other elastic electrical connectors that are capable of conducting electricity and have good elasticity may be used in addition to the beryllium copper reed.

For example, in order to achieve better electrical connection characteristics between the housing of the base and the grounding ring, the connection point of the first conductive ring and the housing of the base may further include a second inductive coil (not shown) or other components with better electrical connection characteristics, so as to ensure electrical connection performance between the two components.

For example, in the cross-sectional views shown in fig. 3A and 3B, the member to be processed 1001 is shown on the supportingsurface 101, and theinner surface 120 of the base 100, which is in contact with or connected to the member to be processed 1001 (e.g., a wafer), is at a magnetic levitation potential. A ceramic ring is disposed between theouter shell 110 and theinner shell 120 of the base 100, thereby separating theouter shell 110 and theinner shell 120 of the base 100 to prevent the conduction therebetween.

In some examples, as shown in fig. 3A and 3B, embodiments of the present disclosure further include apressure ring 500 on the susceptor 100, a portion of thepressure ring 500 and the member to be processed 1001 being exposed to theplasma sputtering region 1000. One end of thepressing ring 500 is used for pressing theworkpiece 1001 to be processed on the supportingsurface 101 of the base 100, the other end of thepressing ring 500 is placed on theshielding piece 200, and thepressing ring 500, thegrounding ring 300 and theshielding piece 200 work together to isolate the plasma from a cavity outside theshielding piece 200 and prevent the plasma from diffusing to the bottom of the cavity.

Therefore, when the grounding ring included in the chamber disclosed by the invention is used in radio frequency and direct current co-sputtering equipment, the shell of the base can be well connected with the shielding piece to form a good grounding environment, so that the problems of ignition, plasma leakage in the chamber and the like are avoided.

For example, the chamber provided in the present embodiment further includes a target (refer to fig. 1). In the pvd process, for example, in the magnetron sputtering process, it is often necessary to perform a large adjustment on the target-substrate spacing (refer to the target-substrate spacing 24 in fig. 1) to satisfy the adjustment of the uniformity and the sputtering deposition rate of the thin film, the bias voltage of the susceptor (substrate damage condition), and so on, so as to satisfy the requirements of different process flows.

Theshield 200 is generally fixed on the inner wall of the cavity, and the position of the secondconductive ring 330 can be generally adjusted only by fine adjustment due to the limitation of theshield 200 when the secondconductive ring 330 is in contact with theshield 200. For example, the elasticelectrical connection 332 between the secondconductive ring 330 and theshielding element 200, such as a beryllium copper spring, has a certain elasticity, and the contraction range thereof is about 1-3mm, so that, in a state where the secondconductive ring 330 is abutted on theshielding element 200, the adjustable distance range of the secondconductive ring 330 in a direction perpendicular to the supportingsurface 101 is 1-3 mm.

When the target base distance is adjusted, the base 100 is controlled to move up and down by the motor to drive theground ring 300 to move up and down, and the firstconductive ring 310 can move relative to the secondconductive ring 330 in the direction perpendicular to the supportingsurface 101 under the action of the elastic device 320 (fig. 3A shows that the firstconductive ring 310 is in the low position state, and fig. 3B shows that the firstconductive ring 310 is in the high position state). Therefore, in the chamber provided by the embodiment, important parameters such as the uniformity of the film and the process deposition rate can be well adjusted, the process window is increased, and the damage to the hardware of the device main body in the debugging process and the misoperation and other conditions is avoided. In addition, when the target base distance is adjusted, extra grounding rings with different sizes do not need to be manufactured, and the vacuum environment does not need to be damaged, so the cost is reduced.

In some examples, as shown in fig. 3A and 3B, theresilient means 320 is configured to maintain the secondconductive ring 330 in abutment against theshield 200 when in the deformed state. For example, theelastic member 322 in theelastic device 320 is configured to be in a deformed state, thereby maintaining the secondconductive ring 330 in a state of abutting on theshield 200.

For example, theelastic member 322 includes a spring or other elastic member that can be sleeved on the connectingrod 321, and after theelastic member 322 is elastically deformed, the direction of the deformation force is parallel to the extending direction of the connectingrod 321. In the example structure illustrated in fig. 3A and 3B, theelastic member 322 is in a compressed state, so that the secondconductive ring 330 can be tightly abutted on theshield 200.

For example, in an example of the embodiment, as shown in fig. 3A and 3B, a vertical distance from a portion of the secondconductive ring 330 connected to theelastic device 320 to the plane of the supportingsurface 101 is smaller than a vertical distance from a portion of the firstconductive ring 310 connected to theelastic device 320 to the plane of the supportingsurface 101, one end of the connectingrod 321 is fixed on the firstconductive ring 310, and the other end of the connectingrod 321 passes through a through hole included in the secondconductive ring 330.

For example, when adjusting the target base distance, the base 100 is controlled to ascend by the motor to drive theground ring 300 to ascend, i.e. the secondconductive ring 330 follows the ascending of the base 100 and just abuts against the shieldingmember 200, as shown in fig. 3A, at this time, theelastic member 322 is in a loose state (the loose state is relative to the state of fig. 3B, but the elastic member is still in a compressed state relative to its original unstressed state due to the need to abut the second conductive ring against the shielding member). When the base 100 drives thegrounding ring 300 to continuously rise, due to the restriction of theshielding element 200, theelastic member 322 is in a compressed state (as shown in fig. 3B), so on one hand, theelastic member 322 applies an upward force to the secondconductive ring 330 to keep the secondconductive ring 330 in a state of abutting against the shieldingelement 200, thereby ensuring a good electrical connection effect between thegrounding ring 300 and theshielding element 200; on the other hand, due to the restriction of theshielding element 200, the secondconductive ring 330 is fixed, and the base 100 can drive the firstconductive ring 310 to continue to rise, at this time, theelastic member 322 located between the first conductive ring and the second conductive ring is gradually compressed, until theelastic member 322 is in the compression limit state, the base 100 also rises to the limit position.

In some examples, as shown in fig. 3A and 3B, the range of adjustment of the target base spacing is primarily related to the length of the connectingrod 321 and the elastic range of theelastic member 322.

For example, the length of the connectingrod 321 in the direction perpendicular to the supportingsurface 101 is greater than 30mm, and the distance of the relative movement between the firstconductive ring 310 and the secondconductive ring 330 is 1-30mm, so that the adjustable range of the target base distance of the apparatus is increased. The length of the connectingrod 321 in this embodiment is not fixed, but is limited by the apparatus, for example, after the connectingrod 321 is mounted on the firstconductive ring 310, the connectingrod 321 should not be higher than the surface of thehousing 110 of the susceptor 100, so as not to affect the wafer transfer from the robot to the chamber.

In the embodiment of the disclosure, on one hand, when the film thickness, the uniformity and the base bias voltage are adjusted, the target-substrate distance can be conveniently adjusted by changing the position of the base so as to achieve the process target, and the equipment process window is increased. On the other hand, the adjustment mode of the grounding ring for the target substrate distance is suitable for adjusting the target substrate distance in real time in the process, so that the equipment adapts to the requirement of changing the target substrate distance greatly in the partial thin film preparation process, the flexibility of the equipment process is increased, and therefore, when the target substrate distance is adjusted, extra grounding rings with different sizes do not need to be manufactured, the vacuum environment does not need to be damaged, and the cost is saved.

For example, fig. 3C is a schematic top view of the base and the grounding ring shown in fig. 3A, and as shown in fig. 3C, theelastic devices 320 in the chamber are uniformly (e.g., equidistantly) distributed along the circumference of the base 100. However, embodiments according to the present disclosure are not particularly limited with respect to the specific distribution of the connecting rods.

Fig. 4A and 4B are schematic partial sectional structural views of a chamber provided as another example of the present embodiment. As shown in fig. 4A and 4B, unlike the example shown in fig. 3A, there are: the portion of the secondconductive ring 330 connected to theelastic means 320 has a vertical distance from the plane of the supportingsurface 101 that is greater than the vertical distance from the portion of the firstconductive ring 310 connected to the elastic means 320 to the plane of the supportingsurface 101, and one end of the connectingrod 321 may be fixed to the secondconductive ring 330, and the other end of the connectingrod 321 may pass through a through hole included in the firstconductive ring 310.

In some examples, as shown in fig. 4B, thedistance 303 between the outer end of the first conductive loop 310 (the end of the first conductive loop near the shield) and theshield 200 is no more than 5mm in a direction parallel to the supportingsurface 101. In this embodiment, thedistance 303 between the outer end of the first annular surface of the firstconductive ring 310 and theshield 200 is not more than 5mm, so as to prevent the plasma inside theshield 200 from leaking out of theshield 200. For example, thedistance 303 between the outer end of the firstconductive ring 310 and theshield 200 in a direction parallel to the supportingsurface 101 is 1-2 mm.

For example, when adjusting the distance between the targets, the base 100 is controlled to ascend by the motor to drive theground ring 300 to ascend, i.e. the secondconductive ring 330 follows the ascending of the base 100 and just abuts against the shieldingmember 200, as shown in fig. 4A, at this time, theelastic member 322 is in a state of being stretched to a small extent (compared with the state shown in fig. 4B), so that the secondconductive ring 330 can abut against the shieldingmember 200. When the base 100 drives thegrounding ring 300 to continuously rise, due to the restriction of theshielding element 200, the position of the secondconductive ring 330 remains substantially unchanged, and the firstconductive ring 310 moves relative to the connectingrod 321 through the through hole thereof, and at the same time, the firstconductive ring 310 drives one end of theelastic member 322 to continuously rise to make theelastic member 322 in a more extended state (as shown in fig. 4B), so on one hand, theelastic member 322 applies an upward pulling force to the secondconductive ring 330 in one direction to make the secondconductive ring 330 capable of maintaining a state of abutting against the shieldingelement 200, thereby ensuring that thegrounding ring 300 and theshielding element 200 have a good electrical connection effect; on the other hand, when the secondconductive ring 330 is fixed and the base 100 drives the firstconductive ring 310 to continuously ascend, theelastic member 322 located between the first conductive ring and the second conductive ring is gradually stretched until theelastic member 322 is at the stretching limit, and the base 100 also ascends to the limit position.

Fig. 5A and 5B are schematic partial sectional structural views of a chamber provided in another example of the present embodiment. As shown in fig. 5A and 5B, unlike the example shown in fig. 2A, there are: the cross-sectional shape of the secondconductive ring 330 is in-line, and the secondconductive ring 330 includes a second annular surface parallel to the supportingsurface 101, i.e., the secondconductive ring 330 in this example includes only a second annular surface parallel to the supportingsurface 101, as opposed to the second conductive ring shown in FIG. 2A.

For example, as shown in fig. 5A and 5B, theelastic member 322 is located between the first annular surface of the firstconductive ring 310 and the second annular surface of the secondconductive ring 330 in a direction perpendicular to the supportingsurface 101. For example, one end of the connectingrod 321 is fixed to the secondconductive ring 330, and the other end of the connectingrod 321 passes through the included through-hole of the firstconductive ring 310.

For example, as shown in fig. 5A and 5B, two turns of elasticelectrical connection 332 are disposed between the secondconductive ring 330 and theshielding element 200, which includes but is not limited to this embodiment, for example, one turn of elastic electrical connection or more turns may also be disposed.

In some examples, as shown in fig. 5A, adistance 301 between an inner end of the secondconductive ring 330 and the first annular sidewall of the firstconductive ring 310 is no more than 5mm in a direction parallel to the supportingsurface 101 to prevent plasma located inside theshield 200 from leaking out of theshield 200. For example, thedistance 301 between the inner end of the secondconductive ring 330 and the first annular sidewall of the firstconductive ring 310 in a direction parallel to the supportingsurface 101 is 1-2 mm.

For example, when adjusting the target base distance, the base 100 is controlled to ascend by the motor to drive theground ring 300 to ascend, i.e. the secondconductive ring 330 follows the ascending of the base 100 and just abuts against the shieldingmember 200, as shown in fig. 5A, and at this time, theelastic member 322 is in a loose state (the loose state is relative to the state of fig. 5B, but the elastic member is still in a compressed state relative to its original unstressed state due to the need to abut the second conductive ring against the shielding member). When the base 100 drives thegrounding ring 300 to continuously rise, due to the restriction of theshielding element 200, the position of the secondconductive ring 330 remains substantially unchanged, and the firstconductive ring 310 moves relative to the connectingrod 321 through the through hole thereof, and at the same time, the firstconductive ring 310 drives the one end of theelastic member 322 to continuously rise to make theelastic member 322 in a compressed state (as shown in fig. 5B), so on one hand, theelastic member 322 applies an upward force to the secondconductive ring 330 in one direction to make the secondconductive ring 330 capable of keeping a state of abutting against the shieldingelement 200, thereby ensuring a good electrical connection effect between thegrounding ring 300 and theshielding element 200; on the other hand, when the secondconductive ring 330 is fixed and the base 100 drives the firstconductive ring 310 to continuously ascend, theelastic member 322 between the first conductive ring and the second conductive ring is gradually compressed until theelastic member 322 is at the compression limit, and the base 100 also ascends to the limit position.

For example, the length of the connectingrod 321 in this example is not fixed, e.g., the length of the connectingrod 321 is greater than 30 mm. Due to the limitation of the apparatus, for example, after the connectingrod 321 is mounted on the secondconductive ring 330 of thegrounding ring 300, when the pedestal 100 is lowered to the lowest position, it should be ensured that the connectingrod 321 is not in contact with or connected to the lower wall of the chamber, so as to prevent thegrounding ring 300 from falling off the pedestal 100.

The embodiment of the disclosure includes a specific structure of the grounding ring, which is not limited to the illustrated case, and may be other structures, and the relative position relationship between the first conductive ring and the second conductive ring and the specific structure of the elastic device are not limited to the above description, as long as the elastic device connects the first conductive ring and the second conductive ring to realize the relative movement of the first conductive ring and the second conductive ring along the direction perpendicular to the supporting surface.

The embodiment of the disclosure also provides a physical vapor deposition device which comprises any one of the chambers.

For example, the physical vapor deposition apparatus may be a sputtering apparatus, a magnetron sputtering apparatus, an arc plasma deposition apparatus, or the like.

The physical vapor deposition equipment comprising the chamber provided by the embodiment can better adjust important parameters such as the uniformity of the film, the process deposition rate and the like, increase the process window and avoid damaging the hardware of the equipment main body in the debugging process and under the conditions of misoperation and the like. In addition, when the target base distance is adjusted, extra grounding rings with different sizes do not need to be manufactured, and the vacuum environment does not need to be damaged, so the cost is reduced.

The following points need to be explained:

(1) in the drawings of the disclosed embodiments of the present invention, only the structures related to the disclosed embodiments are referred to, and other structures may refer to general designs.

(2) Features disclosed in the same embodiment of the invention and in different embodiments may be combined with each other without conflict.

The above description is intended to be illustrative of the present invention and not to limit the scope of the invention, which is defined by the claims appended hereto.

Claims (17)

1. A grounding ring, comprising:

a first conductive ring, a second conductive ring, and a plurality of elastic means electrically connecting the first conductive ring and the second conductive ring,

wherein a first central axis of the first conductive ring is parallel to or coincident with a second central axis of the second conductive ring, and the plurality of elastic devices are configured to allow relative movement between the first conductive ring and the second conductive ring along the direction of the first central axis.

2. A grounding ring as claimed in claim 1, in which the distance between the first conductive ring and the second conductive ring that is relatively movable in the direction of the first central axis is 1-30 mm.

3. The ground ring of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of resilient devices comprises:

a connecting rod configured to define a direction of relative movement of the first and second conductive rings as a direction along the first central axis; and

the elastic part is sleeved on the connecting rod and configured to enable the first conductive ring and the second conductive ring to move relatively along the direction of the first central axis by deforming.

4. The ground ring of claim 3, wherein one end of the resilient member is fixed relative to the first conductive ring and the other end of the resilient member is fixed relative to the second conductive ring.

5. A grounding ring as claimed in claim 3 or 4 in which a first electrically conductive coil is provided at the connection of at least one of the first and second electrically conductive rings to the resilient means to enhance electrical conductivity between the at least one of the first and second electrically conductive rings and the resilient means.

6. A grounding ring as claimed in claim 3 or 4, in which the plurality of resilient means are evenly distributed around the circumference of the first conductive ring.

7. A grounding ring as claimed in claim 3 or claim 4 in which the number of the plurality of resilient means is not less than 8.

8. A grounding ring as claimed in claim 3 or 4 in which the first conductive ring partially overlaps the second conductive ring in the direction of the first central axis, the resilient member being located between the overlapping portions of the first and second conductive rings.

9. A grounding ring as claimed in claim 3 or 4, wherein the inner diameter of the first conductive ring is smaller than the inner diameter of the second conductive ring, the first conductive ring comprises a first annular sidewall, a cross-section of the first annular sidewall in the radial direction of the first conductive ring extends in the direction of the first central axis, and the inner end of the second conductive ring is no more than 5mm from the first annular sidewall in the radial direction of the first conductive ring.

10. A grounding ring as claimed in claim 3 or 4, wherein the inner diameter of the first conductive ring is smaller than the inner diameter of the second conductive ring, the second conductive ring comprises a second annular sidewall, a cross-section of which in a radial direction of the second conductive ring extends in the direction of the second central axis, and the distance between the outer end of the first conductive ring and the second annular sidewall in the radial direction of the second conductive ring is not more than 5 mm.

11. A chamber, comprising:

a cavity;

the shielding piece is connected with the inner wall of the cavity;

the base comprises a conductive shell and a supporting surface for supporting a workpiece to be processed; and

a ground ring as claimed in any of claims 1 to 10,

wherein the support surface is perpendicular to the first central axis, the first conductive ring is connected to the housing, and the second conductive ring is configured to abut against the shield.

12. The chamber of claim 11, wherein the resilient means is configured to maintain the second conductive ring in abutment against the shield when in a deformed state.

13. The chamber of claim 11, wherein a connection of the first electrically conductive ring to the housing of the base is provided with a second electrically conductive coil to increase electrical conductivity between the first electrically conductive ring and the housing of the base.

14. The chamber of claim 11, wherein, in a radial direction of the first electrically conductive ring, an end of the first electrically conductive ring proximate to the shield is no more than 5mm from the shield.

15. The chamber of any of claims 11-14, wherein the second conductive ring comprises a resilient electrical connection by which the second conductive ring abuts against the shield.

16. The chamber of any of claims 11-14, wherein the housing of the susceptor, the ground ring, and the shield are configured to be grounded.

17. A physical vapor deposition apparatus comprising the chamber of any of claims 11-16.

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