Analysis of the Relationship Between Dry Etching and Showerhead
2025/7/28 16:57:15   来源：    点击：21

I. Core Principles and Process Requirements of Dry Etching

Dry etching removes materials through plasma or high-energy ion beams, with the following core principles:

1. Physical Bombardment: Ions are accelerated by an electric field to strike the wafer surface, stripping atoms via energy transfer (e.g., sputter etching).

2. Chemical Reaction: Reactive atomic groups in the plasma react with the material to form volatile substances (e.g., chemical etching).

3. Physical-Chemical Synergy: Combines physical bombardment and chemical reactions to achieve high directionality (anisotropy) and selectivity (e.g., Reactive Ion Etching, RIE).

Process Requirements:

· Uniformity: The plasma must uniformly cover the wafer surface to ensure consistent etching rates.

· Directionality: The ion beam must strike vertically to avoid lateral erosion (undercutting).

· Material Compatibility: Adaptable to a full spectrum of materials, including silicon, metals, and dielectrics.

II. Functions and Roles of Showerhead in Dry Etching

The Showerhead is a core component of dry etching equipment, with the following functions:

1. Gas Distribution: Through a dense array of microholes, it uniformly sprays etching gases onto the wafer surface, forming a stable plasma field.

2. Electromagnetic Field Confinement: As the upper electrode, it generates an electromagnetic field when energized to accelerate and confine the plasma, controlling ion energy and distribution.

3. Temperature Control: Some Showerheads integrate cooling systems to prevent local overheating and material damage.

Key Design Parameters:

· Microhole Uniformity: Hole diameters and spacing must be highly consistent to ensure gas spray uniformity ≤ ±5%.

· Material Selection: Made of single-crystal silicon or specialty ceramics to withstand high temperatures and corrosion while minimizing metal contamination.

· Structural Optimization: Microhole arrangements are optimized through flow field simulations to enhance gas distribution uniformity.

III. Technological Synergy Between Dry Etching and Showerhead

1. Etching Uniformity Depends on Showerhead Design

The uniformity of the Showerhead's microholes directly affects gas distribution, which in turn determines plasma density uniformity. For example, in 3D NAND memory etching, deep vias with aspect ratios of 60:1 require a highly uniform plasma field; otherwise, variations in etching rates can lead to device failure.

2. High-Precision Etching Demands Drive Showerhead Iteration

As process nodes advance below 5nm, etching must achieve nanoscale linewidth control (e.g., ±1.2% uniformity in FinFET fin height). This requires Showerhead microholes with micron-level precision and material purity ≥ 9N (99.9999999%) to reduce metal impurity contamination.

3. New Material Etching Expands Showerhead Applications

High-k dielectrics, cobalt interconnects, and other novel materials require specific gas combinations for selective etching. For instance, cobalt etching uses a Cl₂/BCl₃ gas mixture, necessitating optimized gas mixing efficiency in the Showerhead to ensure timely removal of reaction products and prevent secondary deposition.

IV. Industry Case Study: Showerhead Technological Breakthroughs by Anhui Boxin Micro

Anhui Boxin Micro Semiconductor Technology Co., Ltd. specializes in the R&D of semiconductor core components, with its Showerhead products offering the following advantages:

1. High-Precision Manufacturing: Utilizing Chemical Mechanical Polishing (CMP) and laser drilling technologies, it achieves microhole diameter deviations ≤ 0.1μm and uniformity ≤ ±3%.

2. Material Innovation: Made of single-crystal silicon with a Diamond-Like Carbon (DLC) coating, the Showerhead's resistance to plasma erosion is tripled.

3. Process Adaptability: The products cover process requirements from 28nm to 3nm and support mainstream etching equipment such as RIE and ICP. They have entered the supply chains of SMIC and

Yangtze Memory Technologies Co., Ltd. (YMTC).

V. Future Trends: Co-Evolution of Dry Etching and Showerhead

1. Higher Aspect Ratio Etching:

3D integration technologies (e.g., 3D NAND layers exceeding 500) require etching structures with aspect ratios > 80:1. The Showerhead must optimize gas injection angles and enhance sidewall protection gas flow to reduce undercutting.

2. Atomic-Level Precision Etching:

EUV lithography is driving process nodes toward 1nm, necessitating atomic-level etching control. The Showerhead must integrate real-time monitoring systems to dynamically adjust gas flow and compensate for plasma fluctuations.

3. Green Manufacturing Demands:

Global semiconductor industry carbon emission targets are forcing process optimization. The Showerhead must reduce gas consumption (e.g., through pulsed injection) while improving reaction efficiency to lower waste gas treatment costs.

AMTD provides high-precision Showerhead services for core components, with products including Shower heads, Face plates, Blocker Plates, Top Plates, Shields, Liners, pumping rings, Edge Rings, and other semiconductor equipment core parts. These products are widely used in semiconductor and display panel industries, delivering exceptional performance and high market recognition.

Content Sources:

· Semiconductor Industry Technology Report (2025)

· Anhui Boxin Micro Semiconductor Technology Co., Ltd. Official Technical White Paper

· Principles of Integrated Circuit Manufacturing Processes (3rd Edition, Publishing House of Electronics Industry)

上一篇：Simultaneous Enhancement of Particle Control and Operational Durability
下一篇：Etching Process in Semiconductor Manufacturing（Showerhead）