Angled Gas Injectors for Uniform Wafer Coverage
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Solution Overview
Problem
In batch wafer processing, achieving uniform and complete gas coverage over vertically stacked wafers is challenging due to the need for gas injection from outside the wafer stack, leading to uneven distribution and reduced manufacturing efficiency.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of a vertical arrangement of wafers with strategically angled and positioned gas injectors, including multiple injectors and rectification wings, to disperse gas evenly across the wafers, ensuring even coverage by directing gas parallel to the wafer plane and optimizing the injector openings to enhance gas dispersion.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If gas is injected from outside the wafer stack in batch processing, then the injection structure is simplified, but gas coverage becomes uneven with gaps in coverage
Solution Approach 1:
The injection system is segmented into multiple injectors positioned at different locations and angles around the wafer stack. Each injector targets specific regions, collectively achieving complete and uniform coverage without requiring complex centralized injection structures.
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the wafer stack receive gas injection optimized for their specific needs. Edge-targeted injectors provide enhanced coverage at wafer perimeters, while central regions receive appropriate gas flow from positioned injectors, creating locally optimized injection patterns that achieve global uniformity.
2Manufacturing precision
If multiple injectors are used to improve gas coverage, then gas distribution uniformity improves, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Injectors are positioned asymmetrically around the wafer stack with different angles and orientations. This asymmetric arrangement allows each injector to cover specific zones effectively, achieving uniform overall coverage while avoiding the need for symmetrically complex multi-injector configurations.
Solution Approach 2:
The injection system utilizes three-dimensional positioning and angular orientation of injectors around the vertical wafer stack. By introducing spatial dimensionality and angular variation, the system achieves comprehensive coverage with a manageable number of injectors rather than requiring numerous planar injectors.
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 approach ensures more even and complete gas coverage over the wafers, improving manufacturing uniformity and efficiency in batch processing, which is critical for high-volume semiconductor production.
Implementation Method 1
the gas projected from the opening is dispersed substantially evenly proximate to an edge of the first wafer
Data Source
AI summary
A method and apparatus to evenly distribute gas over a wafer in batch processing. Several techniques are disclosed, such as, but not limited to, angling an injector to distribute gas towards a proximate edge of the wafer, and/or reducing the amount of overlap in the center of the wafer of gas from subsequent gas injections.