Ashing Device Metal Surface Path Stabilizes Rate
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
The ashing rate in existing plasma ashing devices decreases over time due to metal atoms scattering from the substrate and bonding with oxygen radicals, leading to unstable processing efficiency when processing multiple substrates with exposed metals.
Innovation Solution
The ashing device is designed with surfaces in the path of oxygen radicals formed from the same metal as the exposed substrate, ensuring that metal atoms collected during processing do not significantly deactivate oxygen radicals, maintaining a consistent ashing rate by matching the metal exposure area before and after collection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of substance
If metal atoms are collected on chamber walls during ashing, then metal removal function is achieved, but oxygen radicals are deactivated and ashing rate decreases
Solution Approach 1:
A metal layer is introduced as an intermediary component on the chamber wall to capture scattered metal atoms from the substrate. This intermediary layer prevents the deactivation of oxygen radicals by providing a dedicated metal collection surface, thereby maintaining ashing efficiency while still achieving metal removal functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The harmful effect of metal atom scattering that deactivates oxygen radicals is converted into a beneficial process by directing these scattered metal atoms to deposit on a designated metal layer. This transforms the harmful side effect into a controlled deposition process that maintains plasma reactivity while achieving metal removal.
2Duration of action of stationary object
If ashing process is continued over time, then metal collection on walls increases, but ashing rate becomes unstable
Solution Approach 1:
The metal layer acts as a stable intermediary that consistently captures metal atoms throughout continuous processing. This intermediary structure ensures that oxygen radical deactivation is managed in a predictable manner, maintaining ashing rate stability over extended processing durations.
Solution Approach 2:
The introduction of a controlled metal layer changes the physical parameters of the chamber wall surface, creating a consistent interface for metal atom deposition. This parameter change stabilizes the interaction between scattered metal atoms and chamber walls, ensuring reliable ashing performance over time.
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 design stabilizes the ashing rate across multiple substrates, maintaining a consistent processing efficiency with minimal decrease, even after processing a large number of substrates, and ensures in-plane uniformity of the ashing process.
Implementation Method 1
a dry processing method for ashing (incinerating) the resist film using the plasma of reactive gas, mainly oxygen plasma
Implementation Method 2
The gas containing oxygen radicals flows through the through holes of the shower plate 3 and reaches the substrate W. The gas flowing outward from the shower plate 3 is guided by the diffusion prevention wall 5 towards the substrate W. A resist film (not shown) formed on the upper surface of the substrate W is decomposed and vaporized by the oxygen radicals contained in the gas
Implementation Method 3
the exposed metal material is sputtered by chemical reactions or physical reactions. This scatters metal atoms, and the metal atoms collect on the inner walls of the chamber 1
Data Source
AI summary
An ashing device that prevents the ashing rate from changing over time. The ashing device ashes organic material on a substrate including an exposed metal in a processing chamber. The ashing device includes a path, which is formed in the processing chamber and through which active species supplied to the processing chamber pass. The path is defined by a surface on which the metal scattered from the substrate by the active species is collectible, with the surface being formed so as to expose a metal that is of the same kind.