Semiconductor processing apparatus with lift pin structure

Abstract

A semiconductor processing apparatus includes: a reaction chamber; a susceptor disposed in the reaction chamber for placing a substrate thereon and having through-holes in an axial direction of the susceptor; lift pins slidably disposed in the respective through-holes for lifting the substrate over the susceptor; and a means for reducing contact resistance between the lift pins and the respective through-holes.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

These and other features of this invention will now be described with reference to the drawings of preferred embodiments which are intended to illustrate and not to limit the invention. The drawings are oversimplified for illustrative purposes and are not to scale. For example, there is a gap between a wafer lift pin and a susceptor plate or susceptor heater, although they may look as if they are in contact with each other in some of the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a schematic cross sectional view of a semiconductor processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, wherein a substrate is placed on a top surface of a susceptor.

FIG. 2 is a schematic cross sectional view of the semiconductor processing apparatus of FIG. 1, wherein the substrate is lifted over the top surface of the susceptor by lift pins.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged schematic cross sectional view showing a structure of a lift pin area according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged schematic cross sectional view showing a structure of a lift pin area according to another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged schematic cross sectional view showing a structure of a lift pin area according to still another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a schematic cross sectional view of a base member according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a schematic cross sectional view of a base member according to another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is an enlarged schematic cross sectional view showing a structure of a lift pin area according to an embodiment of the present invention, wherein the lift pin is retracted from a top surface of a susceptor.

FIG. 9 is an enlarged schematic cross sectional view showing the structure of the lift pin area of FIG. 8, wherein the lift pin protrudes from the top surface of a susceptor as the susceptor moves downward.

FIG. 10 is an enlarged schematic cross sectional view showing a structure of a lift pin area according to another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 11 is an enlarged schematic cross sectional view showing a structure of a lift pin area according to still another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 12 is an enlarged schematic cross sectional view showing a structure of a lift pin area according to yet another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 13 is an enlarged schematic cross sectional view showing a structure of a lift pin area according to a further embodiment of the present invention.

Claims

1. A semiconductor processing apparatus comprising: a reaction chamber;a susceptor disposed in the reaction chamber for placing a substrate thereon, said susceptor having through-holes in an axial direction of the susceptor;lift pins slidably disposed in the respective through-holes for lifting the substrate over the susceptor; anda means for reducing contact resistance between the lift pins and the respective through-holes.

2. The semiconductor processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a drive which moves the susceptor in its axial direction.

3. The semiconductor processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the lift pins have lower ends which are attached to a bottom portion of the reaction chamber, and the means for reducing contact resistance comprises multiple pairs of magnetic materials, each pair being magnetically attracted to each other wherein one of the pair is provided at the lower end of each lift pin, and the other of the pair is provided at the bottom portion of the reaction chamber.

4. The semiconductor processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the susceptor further comprises ceramic hollow columns inserted therein which form the respective through-holes.

5. The semiconductor processing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the susceptor further comprises ceramic hollow columns inserted therein which form the respective through-holes.

6. The semiconductor processing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein each ceramic hollow column has an inner portion having an inside diameter which is smaller than that of the remaining inner portion which is not in contact with the lift pins.

7. The semiconductor processing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the inner portion is arranged at upper and lower ends.

8. The semiconductor processing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the susceptor is comprised of a susceptor plate and a susceptor heater, and an upper end of each ceramic hollow column has a flange which is affixed between the susceptor plate and the susceptor heater.

9. The semiconductor processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the means for reducing contact resistance comprises inner surfaces of the through-holes having a surface roughness of about 0.8 μm or less.

10. The semiconductor processing apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the lift pins have free lower ends and are suspended in the through-holes by supporting upper ends of the lift pins at an upper surface of the susceptor.

11. The semiconductor processing apparatus according to claim 1, which is a plasma CVD/etching apparatus.

12. A semiconductor processing apparatus comprising: a reaction chamber;a susceptor disposed in the reaction chamber for placing a substrate thereon, said susceptor having through-holes in an axial direction of the susceptor;lift pins slidably disposed in the respective through-holes for lifting the substrate over the susceptor, said lift pins having lower ends which are attached to a bottom portion of the reaction chamber; andmultiple pairs of magnetic materials, each pair being magnetically attracted to each other wherein one of the pair is provided at the lower end of each lift pin, and the other of the pair is provided at the bottom portion of the reaction chamber.

13. The semiconductor processing apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the other of the pair contains a magnet covered with a ceramic material or fluorine plastic.

14. The semiconductor processing apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the one of the pair contains a magnetic material embedded in the lower end of the lift pin.

15. The semiconductor processing apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the bottom portion of the reaction chamber is provided with a bottom plate made of ceramics on which the other of the pair is affixed.

16. The semiconductor processing apparatus according to claim 12, further comprising a drive which moves the susceptor in its axial direction.

17. The semiconductor processing apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the susceptor further comprises ceramic hollow columns inserted therein which form the respective through-holes.

18. The semiconductor processing apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the susceptor further comprises ceramic hollow columns inserted therein which form the respective through-holes.

19. The semiconductor processing apparatus according to claim 18, wherein each ceramic hollow column has an inner portion having an inside diameter which is smaller than that of the remaining inner portion which is not in contact with the lift pins.

20. The semiconductor processing apparatus according to claim 19, wherein the inner portion is arranged at upper and lower ends.

21. The semiconductor processing apparatus according to claim 19, wherein the inner portion has an inner surface having a surface roughness of about 0.8 μm or less.

22. A semiconductor processing apparatus comprising: a reaction chamber;a susceptor disposed in the reaction chamber for placing a substrate thereon, said susceptor comprises ceramic hollow columns inserted therein which form respective through-holes; andlift pins slidably disposed in the respective through-holes for lifting the substrate over the susceptor.

23. The semiconductor processing apparatus according to claim 22, wherein each ceramic hollow column has an inner portion having an inside diameter which is smaller than that of the remaining inner portion which is not in contact with the lift pins.

24. The semiconductor processing apparatus according to claim 23, wherein the inner portion has an inner surface having a surface roughness of about 0.8 μm or less.

25. The semiconductor processing apparatus according to claim 22, wherein the lift pins have free lower ends and are suspended in the through-holes by supporting upper ends of the lift pins at an upper surface of the susceptor.

26. A susceptor configured to be disposed in a reaction chamber for placing a substrate thereon, comprising a susceptor body and ceramic hollow columns inserted in the susceptor body, said ceramic hollow columns forming through-holes through which respective lift pins are inserted.

27. The susceptor according to claim 26, wherein each ceramic hollow column has an inner portion having an inside diameter which is smaller than that of the remaining inner portion which is not in contact with the lift pins.

28. The susceptor according to claim 27, wherein the inner portion is arranged at upper and lower ends.

29. The susceptor according to claim 27, wherein the inner portion has an inner surface having a surface roughness of about 0.8 μm or less.

30. The susceptor according to claim 26, wherein the susceptor body is comprised of a susceptor plate and a susceptor heater, and an upper end of each ceramic hollow column has a flange which is affixed between the susceptor plate and the susceptor heater.

31. A lift pin configured to be slidably disposed in a through-hole of a susceptor for lifting a substrate, wherein the lift pin comprises a magnetic material embedded in a lower end which is to be attached to a bottom portion of a reaction chamber provided with another magnetic material, wherein the magnetic material and the other magnetic material are magnetically attracted to each other.