Vacuum coating is aimed at reducing the interference of impurity deposition to ensure the purity of the coating layer, and this requirement is closely related to the production and processing of Showerheads (shower nozzles/gas distribution plates). The specific connections are as follows:
I. Core Functions of Vacuum Coating: Reducing Impurity Interference
1. Avoiding Oxidation and Contamination
In semiconductor manufacturing, the coating process needs to be carried out in a vacuum environment. This is because oxygen, water vapor, and other substances in the air will react rapidly with metal materials (such as aluminum and copper) at high temperatures, generating oxide layers or impurity particles. For example, when aluminum vapor is deposited and encounters oxygen, it will form aluminum oxide within one billionth of a second, directly damaging the conductivity of the wire structure. A vacuum environment can significantly reduce such risks and ensure the purity of the coating layer.
2. Controlling Process Precision
The uniformity of thin-film deposition is crucial for chip performance. A vacuum environment can reduce the interference of gas molecules in the coating process, enabling the control of coating thickness with nanoscale precision. For instance, by precisely controlling the vacuum level, temperature, and gas flow rate, high-precision deposition of metal interconnection layers and insulation layers can be achieved, avoiding resistance rate fluctuations or thin-film defects caused by impurities.
3. Meeting Extreme Process Requirements
Some core processes (such as ion implantation) need to be operated under ultra-high vacuum to prevent air-remaining particles from colliding with high-energy ions and causing radioactive contamination. The vacuum environment can also optimize the thin-film growth process. For example, in the generation of porous dielectric thin films, through stepwise vacuum adjustments (such as from 10⁻³ Torr to 10⁻⁶ Torr), the filling of metal atoms into nanoscale template trenches can be precisely controlled to avoid stacking gaps.
II. The Key Role of Showerheads in Vacuum Coating
1. Core Component for Uniform Gas Distribution
Showerheads are the core of the gas distribution system in semiconductor manufacturing. Their function is to uniformly spray reaction gases onto the surface of the wafer through tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands of micro-hole arrays on their surfaces. In the vacuum coating process, the uniformity of gas distribution directly affects the consistency of thin-film thickness. For example, the Showerheads produced by Anhui Boxin Microelectronics have reduced the film thickness deviation between the edge and the center of the wafer from ±3% to ±0.8% by optimizing the pore size distribution and flow channel design, significantly improving the yield.
2. Material Selection and Adaptability to Vacuum Processes
Showerheads need to adapt to extreme conditions such as high temperatures and corrosive gases in a vacuum environment. Anhui Boxin Microelectronics uses a variety of materials according to different process requirements:
Metal materials: Such as nickel-based alloys and titanium alloys, which are used to resist plasma bombardment and high-temperature corrosion and are suitable for mid-to-low-end manufacturing processes.
Non-metal materials: Such as chemical vapor deposition silicon carbide (CVD-SiC) and aluminum nitride (AlN), which are used in key processes such as extreme ultraviolet lithography (EUV) and atomic layer deposition (ALD). They meet requirements such as high-temperature resistance (above 600°C), chemical inertness (resistance to corrosive gases such as Cl₂ and BCl₃), and thermal expansion matching (close to the thermal expansion coefficient of silicon wafers).
3. Processing Precision and Synergy with Vacuum Coating
The processing precision of the micro-holes in Showerheads directly affects the uniformity of gas injection. Anhui Boxin Microelectronics adopts innovative processing technologies (such as femtosecond laser cold processing and composite processing techniques) to achieve a pore size deviation of ≤ ±1 μm and a hole wall perpendicularity of 90° ± 0.5°, meeting the requirements of 5nm manufacturing processes. The combination of this high-precision processing and vacuum coating processes ensures extreme uniformity in thin-film deposition, providing critical support for semiconductor manufacturing.
III. Examples of the Association between Anhui Boxin Microelectronics' Showerheads and Vacuum Coating
1. Applications in High-End Manufacturing Processes
Anhui Boxin Microelectronics' high-end Showerhead products are made of nickel-based alloys, significantly improving their high-temperature and corrosion resistance and making them suitable for high-temperature processes (such as chemical vapor deposition, CVD) in vacuum coating. Its non-metal Showerheads (such as those made of CVD-SiC) are used in ALD and other processes with extremely high requirements for material purity to avoid impurity contamination of the thin films.
2. Innovation in Composite Processing Techniques
Anhui Boxin Microelectronics has achieved mass production of 12-inch Showerheads through the "laser + grinding" composite processing technique. This technique combines the high-precision drilling of femtosecond lasers with the precision polishing of diamond grinding to eliminate the taper and burrs left by laser processing and improve the quality of the hole walls. This technological breakthrough not only optimizes the performance of Showerheads but also indirectly improves the stability and yield of the vacuum coating process.
3. Promoting the Localization of the Industrial Chain
Through technological breakthroughs, domestic enterprises such as Anhui Boxin Microelectronics have increased the localization rate of core components of semiconductor equipment such as Showerheads from 15% to 40%. Their products are widely used in fields such as semiconductors and display panels, providing reliable support for the localization of vacuum coating processes and reducing dependence on imported equipment.
ATMD provides high-precision Showerhead (shower nozzle/gas uniformity plate/gas distribution plate) services for core components. Its products mainly include Showerheads, Face plates, Blocker Plates, Top Plates, Shields, Liners, pumping rings, Edge Rings, and other core components of semiconductor equipment. These products are widely used in fields such as semiconductors and display panels, with excellent performance and high market recognition.
Content sources: Semiconductor Manufacturing Technology, Semiconductor Device Physics, Integrated Circuit Manufacturing Processes and Equipment, etc.
