Branched Gas Feed Assembly for CVD Chamber Uniformity
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing substrate processing technologies face challenges in achieving uniform gas flow and plasma distribution in process chambers, leading to non-uniform layer deposition on substrates.
Innovation Solution
A branched gas feed assembly with a plurality of plenums and conduits ensures radially symmetric distribution of process gases to an annular plenum, mixing with purge gases before entering the process volume, enhancing gas mixing and distribution within the chamber.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a simple gas feed system is used, then device complexity is reduced, but gas flow uniformity deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The gas feed system is divided into multiple segments: a central gas feed tube, multiple radial conduits, and an annular plenum with multiple inlet ports. This segmentation allows the gas flow to be distributed through multiple pathways, ensuring uniform flow distribution while maintaining a relatively simple overall structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The gas distribution transitions from a one-dimensional linear feed tube to a two-dimensional annular plenum structure. The annular plenum distributes gas radially in multiple directions simultaneously, achieving uniform gas flow across the substrate surface without significantly increasing system complexity.
2Productivity
If gas flow rate is increased to improve processing speed, then productivity is improved, but gas mixing uniformity deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The annular plenum is designed to pre-mix gases before they reach the substrate. The radial conduits introduce process gas into the annular plenum where it mixes with purge gas flowing through the central feed tube. This preliminary mixing action ensures uniform gas composition is achieved before the high-velocity gas reaches the substrate, allowing high processing speeds without sacrificing mixing uniformity.
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 solution results in improved uniformity of substrate processing, ensuring more consistent deposition or etching processes by thoroughly mixing gases before they reach the substrate, thereby enhancing the quality of films deposited on substrates.
Implementation Method 1
Each conduit of a first plurality of conduits has substantially equal flow conductance and is in fluid communication with the gas feed tube
Implementation Method 2
enhancing gas mixing and distribution within the chamber
Data Source
AI summary
Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to apparatus for improving quality of films deposited on a substrate by a CVD process. More specifically, a branched gas feed assembly uniformly distributes a process gas entering an annular plenum. Each conduit of a first plurality of conduits having substantially equal flow conductance is in fluid communication with one or more conduits of a second plurality of conduits having substantially equal flow conductance. Each conduit of the second plurality of conduits terminates at one of a plurality of outlets. Each outlet of the plurality of outlets is in fluid communication with one or more inlet ports of a plurality of inlet ports formed in the annular plenum. Each inlet port of the plurality of inlet ports is spaced equidistant about a central axis of the annular plenum.