Susceptor Inert Gas Port for ALD Mask Adhesion
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing atomic layer deposition devices face challenges in maintaining versatility when substrate sizes change, leading to complex stage design and increased maintenance due to film adhesion on masks, which complicates the handling of different substrate sizes and process conditions.
Innovation Solution
The device incorporates a susceptor with a peripheral edge that has an inert gas supply port and a shower head structure, allowing for controlled inert gas distribution around the substrate to prevent film adhesion on masks, and features a movable mask pin and adhesion preventive members to manage film deposition effectively across various substrate sizes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-generated harmful factors
If a gas supply port is provided in a stage body to enable inert gas purge from the periphery of the susceptor, then film adhesion on the mask back side is suppressed, but the design and manufacture of the stage becomes complicated and versatility is reduced when substrate size changes
Solution Approach 1:
The gas supply function is extracted from the stage body and relocated to the susceptor peripheral edge. This separates the gas supply functionality from the stage structure, allowing the stage to remain simple and versatile while the susceptor handles the gas supply task. The gas supply ports are now part of the susceptor rather than the stage, enabling easy replacement of the susceptor for different substrate sizes without modifying the stage.
Solution Approach 2:
The susceptor peripheral edge is designed with a height lower than the holding surface, creating a dynamic gas flow path that allows inert gas to flow upward and outward from the periphery. This dynamic gas flow structure effectively suppresses film adhesion on the mask back side while maintaining a simple susceptor design that can be easily adapted to different substrate sizes.
2Manufacturing precision
If the mask is used in atomic layer deposition method with high step coverage, then film thickness controllability is improved, but film deposition on the mask back side increases causing particles and increased maintenance frequency
Solution Approach 1:
Inert gas is supplied from the susceptor peripheral edge before and during the film deposition process to create a protective gas barrier. This preliminary anti-action prevents the deposition gas from reaching the mask back side, thereby preventing particle generation while allowing the mask to be used for achieving high step coverage and film thickness controllability.
3Object-generated harmful factors
If the mask surface roughness is increased to reduce film adhesion, then film adhesion is reduced, but the flatness of the mask is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
Inert gas is introduced as an intermediary substance between the deposition environment and the mask surface. This gas mediator prevents direct contact between the deposition gas and the mask back side, eliminating the need to modify the mask surface roughness and preserving the mask's flatness while still reducing film adhesion.
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 configuration reduces film adhesion on masks and susceptor surfaces, enabling easier handling of different substrate sizes and process conditions, thereby decreasing maintenance frequency and improving the device's versatility.
Implementation Method 1
an inert gas supply port that releases gas upward is provided around the holding surface in a surrounding area of the mask
Implementation Method 2
the inert gas supply port has a shower head structure for the inert gas supply path
Data Source
AI summary
A device for atomic layer deposition includes: a film deposition chamber; a stage installed inside the film deposition chamber; a susceptor that holds, on the stage, a substrate; a mask disposed on the substrate, the mask being sized to encompass the substrate; a mask pin that supports the mask; and a mask pin hole bored through the stage and the susceptor vertically, and allows the mask pin to be inserted in a vertically movable manner, wherein the susceptor has a susceptor body having a holding surface of the substrate, and a susceptor peripheral edge located around the susceptor body and having a height lower than the holding surface, the mask pin hole is opened in the susceptor peripheral edge, and in the susceptor peripheral edge, an inert gas supply port that releases gas upward is provided around the holding surface in a surrounding area of the mask.