Process chamber and semiconductor processing apparatus

{
  "publication_number": "US10347470B2",
  "country": "US",
  "kind": "B2",
  "title": "Process chamber and semiconductor processing apparatus",
  "abstract": "Embodiments of the invention provide a process chamber and a semiconductor processing apparatus. According to at least one embodiment, the process chamber includes a reaction compartment, a gas introducing system and a wafer transfer device. The reaction compartment is provided in the process chamber and used for performing a process on a wafer, the gas introducing system is used for providing processing gas to the reaction compartment, and the wafer transfer device is used for transferring the wafer into the reaction compartment. A lining ring assembly is provided in the reaction compartment, and is configured such that a flow uniformizing cavity is formed between the lining ring assembly itself and an inner side wall of the reaction compartment, so as to uniformly transport the processing gas, from the gas introducing system, into the reaction compartment through the flow uniformizing cavity.",
  "claims": [
    "1. A process chamber, comprising: a reaction compartment; a gas introducing system; and a wafer transfer device, wherein the reaction compartment is provided in the process chamber and used for performing a process on a wafer therein, wherein the gas introducing system is used for providing processing gas to the reaction compartment, wherein the wafer transfer device is used for transferring the wafer into the reaction compartment, wherein a lining ring assembly is provided in the reaction compartment, and is configured such that a flow uniformizing cavity is formed between the lining ring assembly itself and an inner side wall of the reaction compartment, so as to uniformly transport the processing gas, from the gas introducing system, into the reaction compartment through the flow uniformizing cavity, and wherein the lining ring assembly comprises an upper ring body and a lower ring body, the upper ring body being positioned at an inner side of the lower ring body; an upper ring-shaped horizontal part is provided on an outer side wall of the upper ring body, a lower ring-shaped horizontal part is provided on an outer side wall of the lower ring body, a ring-shaped vertical part is provided between the upper ring-shaped horizontal part and the lower ring-shaped horizontal part, and the flow uniformizing cavity is formed by the upper ring-shaped horizontal part, the lower ring-shaped horizontal part, the ring-shaped vertical part and the inner side wall of the reaction compartment.",
    "2. The process chamber according to claim 1, wherein the upper ring body and the lower ring body are provided with a ring-shaped gap interposed therebetween, and the ring-shaped gap is connected to an interior of the reaction compartment, and wherein a plurality of radial through holes are distributed uniformly in the ring-shaped vertical part, and are connected to the flow uniformizing cavity and the ring-shaped gap, respectively.",
    "3. The process chamber according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the process chamber comprises one reaction compartment.",
    "4. The process chamber according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the process chamber comprises at least two reaction compartments, which are distributed uniformly along a circumferential direction of the process chamber, and each reaction compartment forms an independent processing environment therein, and wherein a number of the gas introducing systems corresponds to that of the reaction compartments, and each of the gas introducing systems transports processing gases into a reaction compartment in a one to one correspondence.",
    "5. The process chamber according to claim 1 or 2, wherein a gas inlet channel is formed in a side wall of the reaction compartment, and has a gas inlet connected to the gas introducing system, and a gas outlet provided at the inner side wall of the reaction compartment and connected to the flow uniformizing cavity.",
    "6. The process chamber according to claim 5, wherein the gas inlet of the gas inlet channel is positioned at top of the reaction compartment.",
    "7. The process chamber according to claim 2, wherein the radial through hole has a diameter ranging from 0.5 mm to 2 mm.",
    "8. The process chamber according to claim 2, wherein the upper ring body, the upper ring-shaped horizontal part and the ring-shaped vertical part are formed integrally, and the lower ring body and the lower ring-shaped horizontal part are formed integrally; or, the upper ring body and the upper ring-shaped horizontal part are formed integrally, and the lower ring body, the lower ring-shaped horizontal part and the ring-shaped vertical part are formed integrally.",
    "9. A semiconductor processing apparatus, comprising: a process chamber for performing a process on a wafer therein; a degas chamber for removing water vapor from the wafer; a precleaning chamber for removing remnant on a surface of the wafer; and a transfer cavity, which is connected to the process chamber, the degas chamber and the precleaning chamber, respectively, and is provided therein with a mechanical arm which is used for transferring the wafer into the chambers, respectively, wherein the process chamber is the process chamber according to any one of claims 1 or 2.",
    "10. The semiconductor processing apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the semiconductor processing apparatus includes a plurality of process chambers."
  ],
  "description_excerpt": "Embodiments of the invention relate to the manufacturing field of a semiconductor apparatus, and more specifically relate to a process chamber and a semiconductor processing apparatus.\n\nA fundamental principle of physical vapor deposition (PVD) is that, under vacuum, a metal, or a metal alloy or a metal compound is evaporated and then deposited on a surface of a substrate, so as to form a thin film having a specific function. Common methods of PVD mainly include vacuum evaporation, plasma sputter coating, arc plasma coating, ion coating, molecular beam epitaxy, and the like. Here, the plasma sputter coating is a PVD technique which is the most representative and most widely used at present. When performing a deposition (film coating) process on a semiconductor wafer by using the plasma sputtering technique, a process chamber used is generally kept under vacuum, and processing gas is provided in the process chamber and is excited to generate plasma; then the plasma bombards a target material, so that sputtered target material is deposited on the surface of the wafer to form a thin film required for the process.\n\nIn terms of manufacture of a thin film of a semiconductor wafer, the uniformity of the thin film on the entire surface of the wafer is an essential process index, which is closely related to the distribution of an electromagnetic field, a thermal field, an airflow field and the like on and around the semiconductor wafer. Therefore, increasing the uniformity of distribution of the electromagnetic field, the thermal field and the airflow field is one of important ways to improve the uniformity of the process.",
  "cpc": [
    "H01J 37/32642",
    "C23C 14/0068",
    "C23C 14/34",
    "C23C 14/564",
    "H01J 37/32449",
    "H01J 37/32633",
    "H01J 37/32733",
    "H01J 37/32853",
    "H01J 37/34",
    "H01J 37/3411",
    "H01L 21/67167",
    "H01L 21/6719",
    "H01L 21/67207",
    "H10P 72/0452",
    "H10P 72/0454",
    "H10P 72/0462",
    "H10P 72/0468",
    "H10P 72/33"
  ],
  "ipc": [
    "C23C 14/00",
    "H01J 37/32",
    "H01J 37/34",
    "H10P 14/22",
    "H10P 72/00",
    "H10P 72/30",
    "C23C 14/34",
    "C23C 14/56"
  ],
  "assignees": [
    "Beijing Naura Microelectronics Equipment Co Ltd"
  ],
  "inventors": [
    "Feng LV",
    "Fenggang Zhang",
    "Mengxin Zhao",
    "Peijun Ding"
  ],
  "filing_date": "2014-12-29",
  "publication_date": "2019-07-09",
  "grant_date": "2019-07-09",
  "priority_date": "2013-12-29",
  "application_number": "US-201415109050-A",
  "family_id": "53477598",
  "cited_by_count": 4,
  "citations": [
    "US5108569A",
    "US6270862B1",
    "US5827408A",
    "US20040217217A1",
    "CN101065513A",
    "US20110186426A1",
    "US9175377B2",
    "US20120090691A1"
  ]
}