WO2018119959A1

WO2018119959A1 - Dry etching apparatus

Info

Publication number: WO2018119959A1
Application number: PCT/CN2016/113297
Authority: WO
Inventors: 王雪刚
Original assignee: 深圳市柔宇科技有限公司
Priority date: 2016-12-29
Filing date: 2016-12-29
Publication date: 2018-07-05
Also published as: CN107995994A

Abstract

A dry etching apparatus, used to perform etching on a film disposed on a substrate 200. The dry etching apparatus comprises support cylinders 10, pressure sensors 20, and a controller 30. The multiple support cylinders 10 are used to support the substrate 200. The multiple pressure sensors 20 are used to sense pressures applied by the substrate 200 on corresponding support cylinders 10, respectively. The controller 30 is used to process outputs of the pressure sensors 20 to decide whether the substrate 200 is broken. By employing the pressure sensors 20 to detect whether the substrate is broken on the basis of the pressures applied on the corresponding support cylinders 10 by the substrate 200, and employing the controller 30 to timely change an operational state of related apparatus components to prevent the apparatus components in contact with the substrate from being damaged, the present invention improves a service life of the dry etching apparatus.

Description

Dry etching equipment

Technical field

The present invention relates to the field of display device manufacturing, and in particular to a dry etching device.

Background technique

In the automatic dry etching, the film is disposed on the substrate for the etching process. However, during the etching process, the substrate may be broken, and if the subsequent process is continued, the device components in contact with the substrate may be damaged.

Summary of the invention

The present invention aims to solve at least one of the technical problems in the related art to some extent. To this end, the present invention proposes a dry etching apparatus.

A dry etching apparatus for performing etching processing on a film disposed on a substrate, the dry etching apparatus comprising:

a plurality of support columns for supporting different positions of the substrate;

a plurality of pressure sensors respectively for sensing a pressure applied by the substrate to the corresponding support post; and

A controller for processing the output of the pressure sensor to determine whether the substrate is broken.

In the embodiment of the present invention, the pressure sensor can effectively monitor whether the substrate is damaged by the pressure applied to the corresponding support column by the substrate, and timely change the working state of the related device components through the controller to avoid damage to the device components that are in basic contact, and prolong the dryness. The service life of the etching equipment.

In certain embodiments, the plurality of support columns support the substrate vertically.

In some embodiments, the substrate has a rectangular shape, and the plurality of support columns respectively support an edge and a central portion of the substrate.

In some embodiments, the dry etching apparatus includes a lower electrode plate, and the plurality of support columns are vertically disposed on a surface of the lower electrode plate.

The controller is configured to control the support column to rise when the substrate is picked up and lowered to lift the substrate away from the lower electrode plate and to control the support column to descend during an etching process to place the substrate On the lower electrode plate.

In some embodiments, the controller is further configured to detect the pressure sensor signal and control the support column to stop lifting when the pressure sensor signal is detected to be abnormal.

In some embodiments, the support post is disposed perpendicular to the lower electrode plate.

In some embodiments, the support post includes an upper segment that is separated from the lower electrode plate when raised, and the upper segment is made of an insulating material.

In certain embodiments, the support column includes a lower section that is coupled to the upper section and the lower section is supported by stainless steel.

In some embodiments, the dry etching apparatus includes a lifting platform, the support column is disposed on the lifting platform, and the pressure sensor is disposed on the corresponding supporting column and the lifting platform, the control The device is configured to control the lifting platform to lift and lower the support column.

In some embodiments, the dry etching apparatus includes a lower electrode plate and an upper electrode plate opposite to the lower electrode plate, the upper electrode plate is provided with a vent hole for the dry Etching gas is introduced into the etching device,

The controller is configured to detect the pressure sensor signal and control the vent to close when the pressure sensor signal is abnormal.

In certain embodiments, the dry etching apparatus includes a robot for carrying the substrate into and out of the reaction chamber.

In some embodiments, a reaction chamber is formed between the upper electrode plate and the lower electrode plate, the dry etching apparatus including a plurality of the reaction chambers, the plurality of reaction chambers being independent of each other.

The additional aspects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows.

DRAWINGS

The above and/or additional aspects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent and readily understood from

1 is a schematic side view of a dry etching apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 2 is an enlarged schematic view of Figure 1 at I.

3 is a schematic plan view of a dry etching apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

4 is another schematic plan view of a dry etching apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is another schematic plan view of a dry etching apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

detailed description

Embodiments of the present invention will be further described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. The same or similar reference numerals in the drawings denote the same or similar elements or elements having the same or similar functions.

In addition, the embodiments of the present invention described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings are merely illustrative of the embodiments of the invention, and are not to be construed as limiting.

Referring to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, a dry etching apparatus 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention is used for etching a film (not shown) disposed on a substrate 200. The dry etching apparatus 100 includes a plurality of support columns 10, a plurality of pressure sensors 20, and a controller 30. A plurality of support columns 10 are used to support different locations of the substrate 200. A plurality of pressure sensors 20 are used to sense the pressure applied by the substrate 200 to the corresponding support column 10, respectively. The controller 30 is for processing the output of the pressure sensor 20 to determine whether the substrate 200 is broken.

Dry etching is mostly used in TFT-LCD (liquid crystal panel) process reactions, and the substrate 200 used in the TFT-LCD process reaction is usually glass, and the thickness is only 0.3-0.7 mm, which is prone to breakage or other during dry etching. damage.

It can be understood that if the substrate 200 is not broken, the pressure applied by the substrate 200 to each of the support columns 10 should be measurable and fixed. For example, if the substrate 200 is laid flat, the pressure applied to each of the support columns 10 is substantially the same, The record can be measured as the default pressure. If the pressure measured by the pressure sensor 20 is substantially the same as the default pressure, the controller 30 can determine the substrate 200. The whole is not broken, and if the pressure measured by the pressure sensor 20 differs greatly from the default pressure, the controller 30 can judge that the substrate 200 is broken.

Therefore, in the dry etching apparatus 100 of the embodiment of the present invention, the pressure sensor 20 can effectively monitor whether the substrate 200 is damaged by the pressure applied to the corresponding support column 10 by the substrate 200, and timely change the working state of the related device components through the controller 30 to avoid Damage to the substantially contacted device components extends the useful life of the dry etching apparatus 100.

The film is disposed on the substrate 200 and covers the surface of the substrate 200. The thickness of the film is only a few microns. The surface of the film is provided with a photoresist. The dry etching of the film is the reaction of the active group in the plasma formed by the electric field under the action of the electric field to react with the surface of the film that is not blocked by the photoresist to form a volatile substance and Walk to achieve the etching of the surface of the film or the wiring of the line.

Dry etching is simple and consumes less water, which saves energy and reduces the manufacturing cost of the display or semiconductor. At the same time, dry etching can achieve anisotropic etching, thereby ensuring the fidelity of the fine pattern transfer on the substrate 200 film.

In some embodiments, the plurality of support columns 10 vertically support the substrate 200.

In this way, the pressure applied by the substrate 200 to the support column 10 is equal to the gravity of the substrate 200, and the pressure sensor 20 directly measures the pressure to determine whether the substrate 200 is damaged, without performing other conversion on the measured pressure value, simplifying the pressure. The program of the sensor 20 improves the response speed of the pressure sensor 20, and ensures that the pressure sensor 20 can be found in time after the substrate 200 is damaged.

Of course, in other embodiments, the support post 10 may also be disposed as needed so that the support post 10 forms an angle with the substrate 200.

Specifically, the portion where the support post 10 and the substrate 200 are in contact may be provided in a zigzag shape.

Thus, the friction between the support post 10 and the substrate 200 is greatly increased, and the support post 10 supports the substrate 200 to be less likely to be displaced or tilted, which improves the stability of the substrate 200 disposed on the support post 10, and ensures that the etching reaction can be stably performed.

In some embodiments, the substrate 200 has a rectangular shape, and the plurality of support columns 10 respectively support the edge and the central portion of the substrate 200.

In this way, the support column 10 can provide stable support for the substrate 200, and at the same time, the number of the support columns 10 can be saved, and the processing cost can be reduced. Of course, the reduction in the number of support posts 10 also optimizes the space within the dry etch apparatus 100, making the structure of the dry etch apparatus 100 simpler and easier to manufacture.

The number of support columns 10 can be ten.

Specifically, two support columns 10 are disposed on each side of the rectangular substrate 200, and two support columns 10 are disposed in the intermediate portion of the rectangular substrate 200.

As such, the support post 10 can provide a more secure support for the substrate 200.

Of course, the number of support columns 10 is not limited to the embodiments discussed above. In the dry etching operation, the number of support columns 10 can be replaced according to the quality and size of the conventional substrate 200.

In some embodiments, the dry etching apparatus 100 includes a lower electrode plate 40, and a plurality of support columns 10 are vertically disposed on the surface of the lower electrode plate 40.

The controller 30 is configured to control the support post 10 to rise when the substrate 200 is picked up and lowered to lift the substrate 200 away from the lower electrode plate 40 and to control the support post 10 to descend during the etching process to place the substrate 200 on the lower electrode plate 40.

In the embodiment of the present invention, after the substrate 200 is placed on the support pillar 10, the support pillar 10 drives the substrate 200 to descend. Thus, the distance between the substrate 200 and the upper electrode in the dry etching apparatus 100 is increased, so that the dry etching apparatus 100 can accommodate More process gases, and more plasma generated etching of the film on the substrate 200, improves the efficiency of dry etching. After the film on the substrate 200 is etched, the support column 10 drives the substrate 200 to rise, and the substrate 200 is separated from the surface of the lower electrode plate 40. Thus, it is convenient to take the substrate 200 out of the dry etching apparatus 100 without damaging the lower electrode plate 40. The entry and exit of the substrate 200 further extends the useful life of the dry etching apparatus 100.

Specifically, the lower electrode surface is provided with a through hole, and the support post 10 is disposed on the lower electrode plate 40 through the through hole, and the support post 10 and the through hole are closely connected.

In this way, the support column 10 can be freely raised and lowered through the through hole, and the process gas in the dry etching apparatus 100 can be prevented from leaking from the through hole, causing corrosion of the device or threatening human health.

Further, the ascending and descending of the support column 10 can be completed by a drive motor disposed at the bottom of the support column 10.

Thus, the rise and fall of the support column 10 is easy to implement, and the manufacturing cost of the drive motor is low, and maintenance and replacement are also convenient.

In some embodiments, the controller 30 is further configured to detect the pressure sensor 20 signal and control the support column 10 to stop lifting when a signal abnormality of the pressure sensor 20 is detected.

In this way, the support column 10 can be prevented from continuing to work after the substrate 200 is damaged, thereby damaging other equipment components, and prolonging the service life of the dry etching apparatus 100.

The pressure sensor 20 can employ a piezoresistive pressure sensor. The piezoresistive pressure sensor is fabricated using a piezoresistive effect of a single crystal silicon material and integrated circuit technology for applying a substrate 200 to a pressure transition electrical signal of the support column 10 to monitor the damage of the substrate 200.

Specifically, the piezoresistive pressure sensor adopts an integrated process to integrate the resistor strip on the single crystal silicon diaphragm to form a silicon piezoresistive chip, and fixes the periphery of the silicon piezoresistive chip to lead the electrode lead. The piezoresistive pressure sensor senses the measured pressure directly through the silicon diaphragm. One side of the silicon diaphragm is a high pressure chamber that communicates with the support column 10, and the other side is a low pressure chamber that communicates with the atmosphere. The electrode lead converts the pressure data measured by the piezoresistive pressure sensor 20 into an electrical signal for transmission to the controller 30.

As such, the frequency response of the pressure sensor 20 is high, the dynamic measurement is accurate, and the volume of the pressure sensor 20 is small, and it is easy to achieve miniaturization, and the space occupied by the dry etching apparatus 100 is small. At the same time, the piezoresistive pressure sensor 20 has high sensitivity and the measurement result is relatively accurate. The piezoresistive pressure sensor 20 does not include moving parts, and has high reliability, and slight vibration collision does not affect measurement accuracy.

Further, an amplifier can be added to the pressure sensor 20.

As such, the pressure applied to the pressure sensor 20 by the substrate 200 can be more accurately sensed by the pressure sensor 20, and the damage of the substrate 200 is more easily found, further avoiding the damage of the other device components after the substrate 200 is damaged.

In some embodiments, the support post 10 is disposed perpendicular to the lower electrode plate 40.

As such, the support post 10 can be stably disposed on the lower electrode plate 40 to provide a stable support for the substrate 200. At the same time, the pressure applied by the substrate 200 measured by the pressure sensor 20 is the gravity of the substrate 200, and the controller 30 is not required to perform further conversion, which reduces the burden on the controller 30 and makes the controller 30 react more quickly.

In some embodiments, the support post 10 includes an upper section that is separated from the lower electrode plate 40 when raised, and the upper section is made of an insulating material.

Since the upper portion of the support column 10 and the plasma in the etching space are in contact with the etching process, the insulating material is used to prevent the plasma in the support column 10 and the etching space from reacting, so that the height of the supporting column 10 is inconsistent. 200 can not be placed stably.

Specifically, the insulating material includes ceramic.

Thus, the ceramics are relatively chemically stable and generally do not react with the process gas and do not affect the support of the substrate 200. At the same time, ceramics are cheap and easy to manufacture, reducing the cost of etching.

In certain embodiments, the support column 10 includes a lower section that is coupled to the upper section and a lower section that is supported by stainless steel.

Stainless steel has high hardness and low price, which can provide stable support for the substrate 200 and reduce production costs.

In some embodiments, the dry etching apparatus 100 includes a lifting platform, the support column 10 is disposed on the lifting platform, the pressure sensor 20 is disposed on the corresponding supporting column 10 and the lifting platform, and the controller 30 is configured to control the lifting platform to lift and lower Support column 10.

As such, when the substrate 200 is placed in the dry etching apparatus 100, the controller 30 controls the lifting platform to rise, so that the end of the supporting column 10 contacting the substrate 200 is away from the surface of the lower electrode plate 40, facilitating the placement of the substrate 200; after the substrate 200 is placed in position The controller 30 controls the lifting platform to descend, the support column 10 descends, and the substrate 200 and the lower electrode plate 40 are in surface contact to perform an etching reaction.

Specifically, the lifting platform can adopt a fixed lifting platform.

Thus, the stability of the lifting platform is high, and the support column 10 can provide a relatively stable support for the substrate 200 to ensure the effect of the etching reaction.

In some embodiments, the dry etching apparatus 100 includes a lower electrode plate 40 and an upper electrode plate opposite to the lower electrode plate 40. The upper electrode plate is provided with a vent hole for etching into the dry etching apparatus 100. gas,

The controller 30 is for detecting the pressure sensor 20 signal and controlling the vent closing when the pressure sensor 20 signal is abnormal.

Thus, after the pressure sensor 20 detects that the substrate 200 is damaged, the controller 30 stops the entry of the process gas in time, thereby avoiding waste of the process gas.

Specifically, the process gas is usually a fluoride gas such as carbon tetrafluoride, nitrogen trifluoride, hexafluoroethane, perfluoropropane, trifluoromethane or the like.

Thus, the directionality of the etching is strong, the process control is precise and convenient, and the substrate 200 has no degumming after the etching is completed, and is not damaged or stained.

Further, the vent holes on the upper electrode plate are covered by ceramic.

The vent hole is in contact with the process gas for a long time, and the ceramic vent hole is used to prevent the vent hole from being corroded by the process gas. The life of the upper electrode plate is greatly prolonged, and it is not necessary to replace it frequently, thereby reducing the production cost. At the same time, the size of the vent hole remains unchanged, which also ensures that the amount of process gas passing into the dry etching apparatus 100 is effectively controlled, and the accuracy of the etching result is improved.

Referring to FIG. 3 , in some embodiments, the dry etching apparatus 100 includes a robot 60 for carrying the substrate 200 into and out of the reaction chamber 50 .

In this way, after the pressure sensor 20 detects that the substrate 200 is damaged, the controller 30 controls the robot 60 to stop running, thereby avoiding the damage of the substrate 200 during the process of transporting the substrate 200 by the robot 60, and reading the other undamaged substrate 200 to cause further damage, thereby reducing the substrate. The damage rate of 200 guarantees the production efficiency. At the same time, the use of the robot 60 to grasp the substrate 200 into and out of the reaction chamber 50 is also easy to achieve automated production, improve production efficiency, and thereby increase production benefits.

Referring to FIG. 4, in some embodiments, a reaction chamber 50 is formed between the upper electrode plate and the lower electrode plate 40. The dry etching apparatus 100 includes a plurality of reaction chambers 50, and the plurality of reaction chambers 50 are independent of each other.

As such, when the pressure sensor 20 in one of the reaction chambers 50 detects damage to the substrate 200, After the controller 30 controls the reaction chamber 50 to stop working, the other reaction chambers 50 can continue to work, thereby avoiding the problem that the substrate 200 is damaged and the productivity of the dry etching apparatus 100 is completely stopped, thereby improving the production efficiency and increasing the equipment. The movement of the crop.

Specifically, after the process gas is introduced into the dry etching apparatus 100, it is excited into a plasma by the voltage between the upper electrode plate and the lower electrode plate 40.

In this way, the plasma etches the region of the substrate 200 that is not covered by the photoresist, and the gas generated by the etching is carried away with the airflow, and does not leave marks on the substrate 200, which is convenient and quick.

In the description of the present invention, it is to be understood that the terms "center", "longitudinal", "transverse", "length", "width", "thickness", "upper", "lower", "front", " After, "Left", "Right", "Vertical", "Horizontal", "Top", "Bottom", "Inside", "Outside", "Clockwise", "Counterclockwise", "Axial", The orientation or positional relationship of the "radial", "circumferential" and the like is based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the drawings, and is merely for convenience of description of the present invention and simplified description, and does not indicate or imply the indicated device or component. It must be constructed and operated in a particular orientation, and is not to be construed as limiting the invention.

Moreover, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and are not to be construed as indicating or implying a relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of technical features indicated. Thus, features defining "first" and "second" may include one or more of the features either explicitly or implicitly. In the description of the present invention, the meaning of "a plurality" is two or more unless specifically and specifically defined.

In the present invention, the terms "installation", "connected", "connected", "fixed" and the like shall be understood broadly, and may be either a fixed connection or a detachable connection, unless explicitly stated and defined otherwise. , or integrated; can be mechanical connection, or can be electrical connection; can be directly connected, or can be indirectly connected through an intermediate medium, can be the internal communication of two elements or the interaction of two elements. For those skilled in the art, the specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention can be understood on a case-by-case basis.

In the present invention, the first feature "on" or "under" the second feature may be a direct contact of the first and second features, or the first and second features may be indirectly through an intermediate medium, unless otherwise explicitly stated and defined. contact. Moreover, the first feature "above", "above" and "above" the second feature may be the first feature Immediately above or obliquely above the second feature, or simply indicating that the first feature is at a higher level than the second feature. The first feature "below", "below" and "below" the second feature may be that the first feature is directly below or obliquely below the second feature, or merely that the first feature level is less than the second feature.

In the description of the present specification, the description with reference to the terms "one embodiment", "some embodiments", "example", "specific example", or "some examples" and the like means a specific feature described in connection with the embodiment or example. A structure, material or feature is included in at least one embodiment or example of the invention. In the present specification, the schematic representation of the above terms is not necessarily directed to the same embodiment or example. Furthermore, the particular features, structures, materials, or characteristics described may be combined in a suitable manner in any one or more embodiments or examples. In addition, various embodiments or examples described in the specification, as well as features of various embodiments or examples, may be combined and combined.

Although the embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, it is understood that the above-described embodiments are illustrative and are not to be construed as limiting the scope of the invention. The embodiments are subject to variations, modifications, substitutions and variations.

Claims

A dry etching apparatus for etching a film disposed on a substrate, wherein the dry etching apparatus comprises:

a plurality of support columns for supporting different positions of the substrate;

a plurality of pressure sensors respectively for sensing a pressure applied by the substrate to the corresponding support post; and

A controller for processing the output of the pressure sensor to determine whether the substrate is broken.
The dry etching apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said plurality of support columns vertically support said substrate.
The dry etching apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said substrate has a rectangular shape, and said plurality of support columns respectively support an edge and a central portion of said substrate.
The dry etching apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the dry etching apparatus comprises a lower electrode plate, and the plurality of support columns are vertically disposed on a surface of the lower electrode plate,

The controller is configured to control the support column to rise when the substrate is picked up and lowered to lift the substrate away from the lower electrode plate and to control the support column to descend during an etching process to place the substrate On the lower electrode plate.
The dry etching apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said controller is further configured to detect said pressure sensor signal and control said support column to stop rising and falling when said pressure sensor signal is abnormal.
The dry etching apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said support post is disposed perpendicular to said lower electrode plate.
A dry etching apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said support post comprises an upper section separated from said lower electrode plate when raised, said upper section being made of an insulating material.
The dry etching apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said support post comprises a lower section connected to said upper section, said lower section being supported by stainless steel.
The dry etching apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said dry etching apparatus comprises a lifting platform, said support column is disposed on said lifting platform, and said pressure sensor is disposed at said corresponding supporting column and said On the lifting platform, the controller is configured to control the lifting platform to lift and lower the support column.
A dry etching apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said dry etching apparatus comprises a lower electrode plate and an upper electrode plate opposed to said lower electrode plate, said upper electrode plate being provided with a vent hole for said vent hole Etching gas into the dry etching apparatus,

The controller is configured to detect the pressure sensor signal and control the vent to close when the pressure sensor signal is abnormal.
A dry etching apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said dry etching apparatus comprises a robot for carrying said substrate into and out of said reaction chamber.
A dry etching apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a reaction chamber is formed between said upper electrode plate and said lower electrode plate, said dry etching apparatus comprising a plurality of said reaction chambers, said plurality of reactions The cavities are independent of each other.