ALD Apparatus Photon Shader for Deposition Rate
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Solution Overview
Problem
Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD) techniques face a slow growth rate, which limits the efficiency of material deposition on substrates.
Innovation Solution
A deposition method involving a channel with a shader that alternates photon exposure and shade periods to facilitate the reaction of precursor species with the substrate surface, allowing for self-saturative growth without purge periods, thereby enhancing the deposition rate.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If conventional ALD methods are used, then thin films with high density and uniformity are achieved, but the growth rate is slow
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements periodic photon exposure and shade periods within the channel, creating alternating activation and deactivation cycles that enable continuous self-saturative growth without purge periods. The shader alternates between blocking and allowing photon access to different substrate areas, maintaining reaction kinetics while enabling faster deposition
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces dynamic control of photon exposure through a movable shader that can selectively block or allow photons to reach different areas of the substrate. This dynamic adjustment enables continuous growth by keeping reactive sites available while maintaining self-saturative conditions, thereby increasing growth rate without sacrificing film quality
2Productivity
If purge periods are included in ALD cycles, then complete removal of excess precursor is achieved, but processing time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the purge period from the traditional ALD cycle by implementing self-saturative growth conditions where excess precursor naturally desorbs or reacts during the photon shade periods. This elimination of dedicated purge steps simplifies the process cycle while maintaining complete precursor removal through the alternating photon exposure scheme
Solution Approach 2:
The patent achieves continuous useful action by eliminating idle purge periods and replacing them with productive photon shade periods where precursor species continue to react and saturate surface sites. The continuous alternating pattern ensures that every period contributes to film growth, maximizing deposition rate without compromising precursor removal
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This method achieves a faster deposition rate and allows for precise control of material growth, maintaining the density and uniformity of thin films while reducing processing temperature and simplifying chemical usage.
Implementation Method 1
exposing the substrate to the precursor vapor and to alternating photon exposure and shade periods within the channel, the shader having photon permeable areas and photon impermeable areas shading the substrate surface beneath the shader so that the photon permeable areas provide the photon exposure periods for areas of the substrate beneath the photon permeable areas and that the photon impermeable areas provide the photon shade periods for areas of the substrate beneath the photon impermeable areas
Implementation Method 2
The growth mechanism of ALD relies on the bond strength differences between chemical adsorption (chemisorption) and physical adsorption (physisorption). ALD utilizes chemisorption and eliminates physisorption during the deposition process. During chemisorption a strong chemical bond is formed between atom(s) of a solid phase surface and a molecule that is arriving from the gas phase.
Data Source
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AI summary
A deposition method, comprising providing a horizontal channel formed by a bottom part (255) and a top part ( 250) through a deposition apparatus, feeding precursor vapor (211) into the channel, and depositing material from the precursor vapor onto a substrate on its way through the deposition apparatus. The substrate is exposed to the precursor vapor and to alternating photon exposure and shade periods within the channel. The invention also relates to an apparatus, which includes a photon source (240) with impermeable areas (251) and non-shaded areas (262). Objects of the invention are to achieve a fast atomic layer deposition and a lowered required processing temperature.