Ceramic Heater Thermal Conductive Member for Uniform Wafer Heating
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing semiconductor wafer heating devices with ceramic heaters suffer from inadequate uniformity in heating performance due to low thermal conductivity materials and insufficient heat dissipation, leading to non-uniform surface temperatures, which affects manufacturing yield.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating a thermal conductive member with higher thermal conductivity than the ceramic base between the heating surface and the resistance heating body, allowing for enhanced heat diffusion and uniform temperature distribution across the wafer.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If a bulk-like heat sink is attached to the ceramic base to dissipate heat rapidly, then local temperature rise is suppressed and heating uniformity is improved, but the bonding materials (silicon resin or aluminum alloy) have low thermal conductivity and high temperature resistance, limiting the overall heating uniformity and temperature maintenance
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a composite structure combining ceramic base material with embedded metal foil layers having different thermal conductivities. The ceramic base provides electrical insulation and structural support, while the metal foil layers (with thermal conductivity of 10-100 W/m·K) provide controlled heat diffusion paths, creating a composite heating device that achieves both heating uniformity and temperature control
Solution Approach 2:
The patent embeds metal foil layers at specific locations within the ceramic base rather than using a uniform structure throughout. The heating elements are selectively positioned on these foil layers to create localized heating zones that collectively achieve uniform overall heating, addressing the specific need for controlled heat distribution without requiring the entire structure to have high thermal conductivity
2Productivity
If the incoming heat amount to the resistance heating body is increased to improve heating efficiency, then productivity is improved, but the heating uniformity deteriorates when the ceramic base has low thermal conductivity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces metal foil layers as intermediary heat transfer elements between the resistance heating body and the ceramic base structure. These foil layers act as thermal mediators that distribute the incoming heat more uniformly across the heating surface, preventing direct concentration of heat at the heating element locations while still allowing high heating power input
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
The solution significantly improves the uniform heating performance, reducing temperature variations on the wafer surface, thereby enhancing the manufacturing yield of semiconductor devices.
Implementation Method 1
a resistance heating body embedded in the ceramic base. Electric power is supplied to the resistance heating body, whereby the resistance heating body allows the heating surface to generate heat
Implementation Method 2
a thermal conductive member disposed between the heating surface and the heating body in the ceramic base, wherein thermal conductivity of the thermal conductive member is higher than thermal conductivity of the ceramic base
Data Source
AI summary
A heating device has a ceramic base with a heating surface, and a heating body embedded in the ceramic base. The heating device includes a thermal conductive member positioned between the heating surface and the heating body in the ceramic base. The thermal conductive member has a thermal conductivity that is higher than the ceramic base and as such, the heating device achieves superior temperature uniformity of a heated object particularly in a semiconductor device manufacturing process.