KR102818589B1 - Showerhead and substrate processing apparatus having the same - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a substrate processing device, and more specifically, to a substrate processing device that performs substrate processing such as deposition and etching on a substrate.
The present invention discloses a showerhead assembly (300) of a substrate processing device including a process chamber (100) forming a processing space (S) for substrate processing; a substrate support member (200) installed in the process chamber (100) to support a substrate (10); and a showerhead assembly (300) installed on top of the substrate support member (200) to inject gas for performing a process.

Description

Showerhead assembly and substrate processing apparatus having the same {Showerhead and substrate processing apparatus having the same}

The present invention relates to a substrate processing device, and more specifically, to a substrate processing device that performs substrate processing such as deposition and etching on a substrate.

A substrate processing device is a device that performs substrate processing, such as depositing or etching the surface of a substrate placed on a susceptor, by applying power to a closed processing space to form plasma.

At this time, the substrate processing device is configured to include a process chamber that is coupled to each other to form a processing space, a showerhead assembly installed above the process chamber to inject gas for substrate processing into the processing space, and a substrate support unit installed in the process chamber to support the substrate.

In a CCP (Capacitively Coupled Plasma) substrate treatment device, plasma is formed by RF power applied between an anode electrode and a cathode electrode.

Typically, the substrate is mounted on a substrate support member which acts as a cathode electrode, and typically, the anode electrode may be installed facing the upper side of the substrate support member as a showerhead assembly.

The above showerhead assembly can function as a spray plate for supplying process gas for the process to the processing space within the process chamber.

At this time, the injection plate can be equipped with numerous gas injection holes for gas injection.

The injection plate equipped with these gas injection holes can generally be supported by being joined to the upper wall of the process chamber.

However, there is a problem in that as heat is transferred to the spray plate during the process, the spray plate undergoes thermal expansion, and the joint structure between the spray plate and the upper wall of the process chamber cannot accommodate the thermal expansion, resulting in thermal stress accumulation and, as a result, deformation or damage of the spray plate.

The problem of thermal expansion of these gas distribution plates is becoming a more serious problem as the substrates to be processed become increasingly larger in size.

The purpose of the present invention is to provide a showerhead assembly and a substrate processing device including the same, which are capable of accommodating deformation of the spray plate due to thermal expansion in the side forming member while enabling RF power transmission to the spray plate by connecting the spray plate and the backing plate of the showerhead assembly through a non-metallic side forming member and a conductive joining member, in order to solve the above-mentioned problems.

The present invention has been created to achieve the above-described purpose of the present invention, and discloses a showerhead assembly (300) of a substrate processing device including: a process chamber (100) forming a processing space (S) for substrate processing; a substrate support member (200) installed in the process chamber (100) to support a substrate (10); and a showerhead assembly (300) installed on top of the substrate support member (200) to inject gas for performing a process.

The above showerhead assembly (300) may include a backing plate (310) installed on the upper side of the process chamber (100) and having at least one gas inlet (312) formed therein and to which RF power is applied, a spray plate (320) installed at a gap from the lower side of the backing plate (310) so as to form a gas diffusion space (D) and having a plurality of gas spray holes (322) formed therein for spraying gas introduced into the gas diffusion space (D) through the gas inlet (312) into the processing space (S), and a side portion (330) installed between the backing plate (310) and the spray plate (320) to form a side surface of the gas diffusion space (D).

The side portion (330) may include a non-metallic side forming member (332) arranged around the edges of the backing plate (310) and the injection plate (320) between the backing plate (310) and the injection plate (320), and a plurality of connecting members (334) made of an electrically conductive material that connect the side forming member (332) to the injection plate (320) and the backing plate (310) and allow the RF power to be transmitted to the injection plate (320).

The above side forming member (332) may include a plurality of blocks (332a to 332h) installed along the edge perimeter of the backing plate (310) and the injection plate (320).

The above-mentioned plurality of blocks (332a to 332h) may be made of Teflon material.

The above side portion (330) may additionally include a first sealing member (337) installed between adjacent blocks (332a to 332h) among the plurality of blocks (332a to 332h).

The above side portion (330) may additionally include a second sealing member (338) installed on the contact surface of the plurality of blocks (332a to 332h) and the backing plate (310).

The above-mentioned connecting member (334) may be a bolt member that passes through the lower surface of the injection plate (320) and the side forming member (332) to be connected to the backing plate (310).

The showerhead assembly (300) may additionally include one or more electrically conductive straps (340) that connect the bottom surface of the backing plate (310) and the top surface of the spray plate (320) so that the RF power is transmitted from the backing plate (310) to the spray plate (320).

The above-mentioned electrically conductive strap (340) is a flexible strap and can be installed on the edge of the backing plate (310) and the injection plate (320) inside the gas diffusion space (D).

In another aspect, the present invention discloses a substrate processing device including a process chamber (100) forming a processing space (S) for substrate processing; a substrate support member (200) installed in the process chamber (100) to support a substrate (10); and a showerhead assembly (300) installed on top of the substrate support member (200) to inject gas for performing a process.

The showerhead assembly and the substrate processing device having the same according to the present invention have the advantage of being able to accommodate deformation of the spray plate due to thermal expansion in the side forming member while enabling RF power transmission to the spray plate by connecting the spray plate and the backing plate of the showerhead assembly through a side forming member made of a non-metallic material and a connecting member made of an electrically conductive material.

More specifically, the present invention has the advantage of being able to accommodate thermal expansion of the spray plate in the side forming member by configuring the material of the side forming member with a non-metallic material, particularly an engineering plastic having chemical resistance, heat resistance, and wear resistance, thereby preventing the spray plate from being deformed or damaged due to thermal expansion, fundamentally blocking metal friction (grinding) due to thermal expansion of the spray plate, and preventing the generation of particles.

In addition, the showerhead assembly according to the present invention and the substrate processing device having the same have the advantage of being able to effectively block gas leakage to the outside of the showerhead assembly and resulting abnormal discharge (arcing) by being composed of blocks in which side forming members are installed along the periphery of the showerhead assembly and a sealing member is installed between adjacent blocks.

In addition, the showerhead assembly according to the present invention and the substrate processing device having the same have the advantage of being able to adjust RF feeding to the spray plate according to location by installing electrically conductive straps for electrically connecting the backing plate and the spray plate in various locations in addition to the connecting member made of an electrically conductive material for transmitting RF power to the spray plate.

Figure 1 is a cross-sectional view showing a substrate processing device according to the present invention.
Figure 2 is an enlarged view showing a portion of a showerhead assembly installed in the substrate processing device of Figure 1.
Figure 3 is a plan view of a showerhead assembly installed in the substrate processing device of Figure 1.

Hereinafter, a showerhead assembly according to the present invention and a substrate processing device having the same will be described with reference to the attached drawings.

The substrate processing device according to the present invention, as illustrated in FIG. 1, includes a process chamber (100) forming a processing space (S) for substrate processing; a substrate support member (200) installed in the process chamber (100) to support a substrate (10); and a showerhead assembly (300) of the substrate processing device including a showerhead assembly (300) installed on top of the substrate support member (200) to inject gas for performing a process.

Here, the substrate (10) that is the target of substrate processing is a configuration in which substrate processing such as etching and deposition is performed, and any substrate such as a semiconductor manufacturing substrate, an LCD manufacturing substrate, an OLED manufacturing substrate, a solar cell manufacturing substrate, or a transparent glass substrate can be used.

The above process chamber (100) is configured to form a processing space (S) for substrate processing, and can have various configurations.

For example, the process chamber (100) may include a chamber body (110) with an open upper side and an upper lid (120) detachably coupled to the opening of the chamber body (110).

The above chamber body (110) is configured to have a substrate support member (200) installed, and various configurations are possible. One or more gates (not shown) may be formed on the inner wall for introducing and discharging the substrate (10) into the processing space (S).

Additionally, an exhaust port (not shown) for exhausting gas or process byproducts within the processing space (S) may be formed in the chamber body (110).

The above process chamber (100) can be grounded.

The above substrate support member (200) is installed at the lower side of the processing space (S) in the process chamber (100) and supports the substrate (10), and various configurations are possible.

For example, the substrate support member (200) may include a substrate mounting plate having a substrate mounting surface on which the substrate (10) is mounted, and a support shaft installed on the lower side of the substrate mounting plate so that the substrate mounting plate can move up and down.

The above substrate support member (200) can be installed so as to be able to move up and down for the introduction and discharge of the substrate (10) through a gate (not shown), as shown in FIG. 1, and further, a temperature control member such as a heater can be additionally installed for temperature control, such as heating or cooling the substrate (10).

Additionally, the substrate support member (200) may be grounded to the lower electrode of the substrate processing device or may be applied with RF power.

The above showerhead assembly (300) is installed on top of the substrate support member (200) and is configured to inject gas for performing a process, and can be configured in various ways.

For example, the showerhead assembly (300), as illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3, may include a backing plate (310) installed on the upper side of the process chamber (100) and having at least one gas inlet (312) formed therein and to which RF power is applied, a spray plate (320) installed at a gap below the backing plate (310) so as to form a gas diffusion space (D) and having a plurality of gas spray holes (322) formed therein for spraying gas introduced into the gas diffusion space (D) through the gas inlet (312) into the processing space (S), and a side portion (330) installed between the backing plate (310) and the spray plate (320) to form a side surface of the gas diffusion space (D).

The above backing plate (310) is a plate that forms the upper wall of the showerhead assembly (300) and can be installed on the upper side of the process chamber (100) so that at least one gas introduction port (312) can be formed.

The above gas inlet (312) may be provided in the central portion of the backing plate (310) to ensure uniform gas supply.

The above backing plate (310) can be supported by being coupled to the process chamber (100) while maintaining an electrically insulated state from the process chamber (100), and can be fed RF power from an external RF power source (500) to function as an upper electrode of the substrate processing device.

A sealing means for sealing may be provided between the above backing plate (310) and the process chamber (100).

The above injection plate (320) is installed at a gap at the bottom of the backing plate (310) so that a gas diffusion space (D) is formed, and various configurations are possible in which a plurality of gas injection ports (322) are formed to inject gas introduced into the gas diffusion space (D) through the gas introduction port (312) into the processing space (S).

The above gas diffusion space (D) can be formed in the space between the backing plate (310) and the injection plate (320).

That is, the backing plate (310) can define the upper wall of the gas diffusion space (D), and the injection plate (320) can define the lower wall of the gas diffusion space (D).

Gas passing through the gas inlet (312) of the above backing plate (310) can flow into the gas diffusion space (D) and be diffused within the gas diffusion space (D).

The gas injection holes (322) formed on the above injection plate (320) can be formed in various sizes, patterns, and shapes depending on the design.

The gas diffused within the above gas diffusion space (D) can be injected into the treatment space (S) through the gas injection port (322) of the injection plate (320).

The above injection plate (320) can be supported by being joined to the backing plate (310) through the side portion (330) described later.

The above side portion (330) is installed between the backing plate (310) and the injection plate (320) to form the side of the gas diffusion space (D), and various configurations are possible.

The side wall of the gas diffusion space (D) can be limited through the above side portion (330).

That is, the gas diffusion space (D) can be defined as a space surrounded by the backing plate (310), the injection plate (320), and the side part (330).

The above side portion (330) may be a suspension means that forms the side of the gas diffusion space (D) and supports the gas injection portion (320) by being coupled to the backing plate (310).

That is, the side portion (330) can support the injection plate (320) by joining it to the lower edge of the backing plate (310) at the edge of the injection plate (320).

More specifically, the side portion (330) may include a side forming member (332) made of a non-metallic material and arranged around the edges of the backing plate (310) and the injection plate (320) between the backing plate (310) and the injection plate (320), and a plurality of joining members (334) made of an electrically conductive material that join the side forming member (332) to the injection plate (320) and the backing plate (310) and allow the RF power to be transmitted to the injection plate (320).

The above-mentioned side forming member (332) is a member made of a non-metallic material that is arranged around the edges of the backing plate (310) and the injection plate (320) between the backing plate (310) and the injection plate (320), and can have various configurations.

The above-mentioned side forming member (332) can be made of various materials as long as they are non-metallic, and for example, can be made of an engineering plastic material (ex, Teflon, etc.) that has chemical resistance, heat resistance, and wear resistance.

Specifically, the side forming member (332) is positioned between the lower surface of the backing plate (310) and the upper surface of the injection plate (320), and can be arranged to surround the edges of the backing plate (310) and the injection plate (320).

The above side portion (330) may additionally include a second sealing member (338) at the contact surface between the upper surface of the side forming member (332) and the lower surface of the backing plate (310).

Through the second sealing member (338) above, it is possible to prevent gas in the gas diffusion space (D) from leaking to the outside through the gap between the side forming member (332) and the backing plate (310).

In addition, the side portion (330) may additionally include a third sealing member (339) at the contact surface between the lower surface of the side forming member (332) and the upper surface of the injection plate (320).

Through the third sealing member (339) above, it is possible to prevent gas in the gas diffusion space (D) from leaking to the outside through the gap between the side forming member (332) and the injection plate (320).

For example, the side forming member (332) may be formed integrally.

As another example, the side forming member (332) may include a plurality of blocks (332a to 332h) installed along the edge perimeter of the backing plate (310) and the injection plate (320), as illustrated in FIG. 3.

The above-mentioned plurality of blocks (332a to 332h) may each be made of Teflon material.

Each of the above blocks (332a to 332h) may be formed in a polyhedral shape having a height corresponding to the gap between the bottom surface of the backing plate (310) and the top surface of the injection plate (320), and may be formed in various shapes depending on the installation location.

For example, among the plurality of blocks (332a to 332h), blocks (332a, 332c, 332e, 332g) installed at positions corresponding to the corners of the backing plate (310) and the injection plate (320) may be blocks formed in an L-shape on a plane according to a 90° angle change of the corners, and among the plurality of blocks (332a to 332h), blocks (332b, 332d, 332f, 332h) corresponding to the edges of the backing plate (310) and the injection plate (320) may be formed in a hexahedral block shape corresponding to the edges of the I-shape.

At this time, the side portion (330) may additionally include a first sealing member (337) installed between adjacent blocks (332a to 332h) among the plurality of blocks (332a to 332h).

The gas in the gas diffusion space (D) can be prevented from leaking to the outside through the gap between neighboring blocks (332a to 332h) through the first sealing member (337).

At this time, the second sealing member (338) described above can be installed along the perimeter of the backing plate (310) at the contact surface between the plurality of blocks (332a to 332h) and the backing plate (310).

Similarly, the third sealing member (339) described above can be installed along the perimeter of the injection plate (320) at the contact surface between the plurality of blocks (332a to 332h) and the injection plate (320).

In the present invention, the gas diffusion space (D) can be completely covered at the side surface by the side forming member (332), and by adding the first sealing member (337), the second sealing member (338), and the third sealing member (339), gas can be prevented from leaking to the outside from the gas diffusion space (D), and there is an advantage in that abnormal discharge or arcing that may occur when gas leaks can be fundamentally blocked.

The above-described plurality of connecting members (334) can be configured in various ways as connecting means for connecting the side forming member (332) to the injection plate (320) and the backing plate (310).

For example, the connecting member (334) may be a bolt member that passes through the bottom surface of the injection plate (320) and the side forming member (332) to be connected to the backing plate (310), as shown in FIG. 2.

When the above-mentioned connecting member (334) is made of a bolt member, the side forming member (332) can be secured to the injection plate (320) and the backing plate (310) through one bolt member.

Since the above bolt member is configured to pass through the bottom surface of the injection plate (320), a through hole (324) for the penetration of the bolt member can be formed in the injection plate (320).

The diameter of the above through hole (324) can be formed to be equal to or larger than the diameter of the body of the bolt member passing through the above through hole (324).

In addition, the bolt member can be connected to the lower surface of the backing plate (310) by passing through the side forming member (332) upwardly and downwardly.

At this time, a joining hole (314) may be formed on the lower surface of the backing plate (310) to allow a bolt member protruding through the side forming member (332) to be joined.

The body of the above bolt member may have screw threads formed for screw connection with the backing plate (310).

Meanwhile, a through hole (333) for allowing a bolt member to pass through from top to bottom may be formed in the side forming member (332).

The diameter of the above through hole (333) can be formed to be equal to or larger than the diameter of the body of the bolt member passing through the above through hole (333).

For example, the end of the bolt member body is fixedly connected to the bottom joining hole (314) of the backing plate (310), and the bottom of the injection plate (320) is supported by the head of the bolt member so that the injection plate (320) can be suspended on the backing plate (310).

At this time, if the diameter of the through hole (333) or the through hole (324) is formed to be larger than the diameter of the bolt member, a certain degree of relative movement between the injection plate (310) and the bolt member, or a certain degree of relative movement between the side forming member (332) and the bolt member can be allowed, so there is an advantage in that more mechanical stress due to thermal expansion of the injection plate (310) can be accommodated.

As another example, the bolt member body may be fixedly connected to the bottom joining hole (314) of the backing plate (310), the through hole (333) of the side forming member (332), and the through hole (324) of the injection plate (320), so that the injection plate (320) can be suspended on the backing plate (310).

The above-described connecting member (334) may be provided in multiples and installed along the edge perimeter of the injection plate (320) and the backing plate (310), as shown in FIG. 3.

Meanwhile, in the present invention, since RF power is applied to the backing plate (310), the coupling member (334) may be made of an electrically conductive material to transmit the RF power applied to the backing plate (310) to the injection plate (320).

Since one end of the above-mentioned coupling member (334) is coupled to the backing plate (310), RF power applied to the backing plate (310) can be transmitted to the injection plate (320) through the coupling member (334).

Therefore, the installation position of the above-mentioned coupling member (334), the number of coupling members (334), and the distribution can be set in consideration of the RF power transmission to the injection plate (320).

As an example, the above-mentioned connecting members (334) may be installed at equal intervals along the edge of the injection plate (320) to ensure even RF feeding across the entire surface of the injection plate (320).

However, there may be cases where it is not easy to adjust the RF feeding to the injection plate (310) simply by adjusting the number or installation location of the connecting member (334).

Accordingly, the showerhead assembly (300) of the present invention may additionally include one or more electrically conductive straps (340) that connect the lower surface of the backing plate (310) and the upper surface of the spray plate (320) so that RF power is transmitted from the backing plate (310) to the spray plate (320).

The above-mentioned electrically conductive strap (340) can be made of various materials and shapes as long as it is a member capable of transmitting RF power, and one end can be coupled to the lower surface of the backing plate (310) and the other end can be coupled to the upper surface of the injection plate (320).

However, since gas injection holes (322) for gas injection are formed on the injection plate (320), it is preferable that the electrically conductive strap (340) be coupled to the edge of the injection plate (320).

In particular, the electrically conductive strap (340) can be installed at the edge of the backing plate (310) and the injection plate (320) inside the gas diffusion space (D).

At this time, the electrically conductive strap (340) has the advantage of being flexibly adjustable even when the gap between the backing plate (310) and the injection plate (320) is variable due to the flexible strap.

The showerhead assembly (300) according to the present invention basically feeds RF power to the spray plate (320) through a connecting member (334) made of an electrically conductive material, and additionally forms an RF path (RF path from the backing plate (310) to the spray plate (320)) through an electrically conductive strap (340) at one or more points, thereby having the advantage of allowing RF power feeding to be adjusted by region.

The above is only a description of some of the preferred embodiments that can be implemented by the present invention, and therefore, as is well known, the scope of the present invention should not be construed as being limited to the above embodiments, and the technical ideas of the present invention described above and the technical ideas underlying them are all included in the scope of the present invention.

10: Substrate 100: Process chamber
200: Substrate support 300: Showerhead assembly

Claims (9)

A showerhead assembly (300) of a substrate processing device, comprising: a process chamber (100) forming a processing space (S) for substrate processing; a substrate support member (200) installed in the process chamber (100) to support a substrate (10); and a showerhead assembly (300) installed on top of the substrate support member (200) to inject gas for performing a process.
A backing plate (310) installed on the upper side of the process chamber (100) and having at least one gas inlet (312) formed therein and to which RF power is applied,
A spray plate (320) is installed at a gap at the bottom of the backing plate (310) so that a gas diffusion space (D) is formed, and a plurality of gas spray holes (322) are formed to spray gas introduced into the gas diffusion space (D) through the gas introduction hole (312) into the processing space (S).
It includes a side portion (330) installed between the backing plate (310) and the injection plate (320) and forming a side surface of the gas diffusion space (D).
The above side part (330) is,
A non-metallic side forming member (332) arranged around the edge of the backing plate (310) and the injection plate (320) between the backing plate (310) and the injection plate (320),
It includes a plurality of connecting members (334) made of an electrically conductive material to connect the side forming member (332) to the injection plate (320) and the backing plate (310) and to transmit the RF power to the injection plate (320).
The above side forming member (332) forms the side of the gas diffusion space (D),
A showerhead assembly (300) characterized in that the above-mentioned joining member (334) passes through the lower surface of the injection plate (320) and penetrates the side forming member (332) to be joined to the backing plate (310). In claim 1,
The above side forming member (332) is characterized by a showerhead assembly (300) including a plurality of blocks (332a to 332h) installed along the edge perimeter of the backing plate (310) and the injection plate (320). In claim 2,
A showerhead assembly (300) characterized in that the above plurality of blocks (332a to 332h) are made of Teflon material. In claim 2,
A showerhead assembly (300) characterized in that the side portion (330) additionally includes a first sealing member (337) installed between adjacent blocks (332a to 332h) among the plurality of blocks (332a to 332h). In claim 4,
A showerhead assembly (300) characterized in that the side portion (330) additionally includes a second sealing member (338) installed on the contact surface of the plurality of blocks (332a to 332h) and the backing plate (310). In claim 1,
A showerhead assembly (300) characterized in that the above-mentioned connecting member (334) is a bolt member. In claim 1,
The above shower head assembly (300) is
A showerhead assembly (300) characterized by further including at least one electrically conductive strap (340) connecting the lower surface of the backing plate (310) and the upper surface of the spray plate (320) so that the RF power is transmitted from the backing plate (310) to the spray plate (320). In claim 7,
A showerhead assembly (300) characterized in that the electrically conductive strap (340) is a flexible strap and is installed on the edge of the backing plate (310) and the injection plate (320) inside the gas diffusion space (D). A substrate processing device comprising: a process chamber (100) forming a processing space (S) for substrate processing; a substrate support member (200) installed in the process chamber (100) to support a substrate (10); and a showerhead assembly (300) according to any one of claims 1 to 8 installed on the upper portion of the substrate support member (200) to inject gas for performing a process.

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