Conveying Robot Preheating for Faster Substrate Processing
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current substrate processing apparatuses require significant time to heat substrates to a predetermined temperature, which prolongs the semiconductor manufacturing process and hinders production efficiency.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating a pre-heating means in the conveying robot and/or loadlock chamber, utilizing both contact and non-contact heating methods to pre-heat substrates before processing, thereby reducing the time needed for the process chamber to reach the target temperature.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If a heater embedded in the electrostatic chuck is used to heat the substrate, then the substrate can be heated to a predetermined temperature, but the process time becomes excessively long
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-heating the substrate in the conveying robot before the substrate enters the process chamber. The pre-heating means includes a heater that heats the substrate to a predetermined temperature (e.g., 100°C to 200°C) during the conveying process, so that when the substrate reaches the process chamber, it is already at a higher temperature, reducing the time required for the process chamber heater to reach the target processing temperature.
Solution Approach 2:
The heating process is segmented into two stages: pre-heating in the conveying robot and final heating in the process chamber. The conveying robot is divided into a conveying unit and a pre-heating unit, allowing the heating function to be separated from the processing function. This segmentation enables parallel operations where heating occurs during transport rather than waiting in sequence.
2Stability of the object's composition
If the substrate is heated slowly to ensure uniform temperature distribution, then temperature uniformity is improved, but the process time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by positioning the heater in close proximity to the substrate surface in the conveying robot. The pre-heating means includes a heater that directly contacts or closely approaches the substrate, providing localized intense heating on the substrate surface. This localized heating approach quickly raises the substrate temperature without requiring long-duration uniform heating throughout the entire substrate thickness.
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 significantly shortens the time required to heat substrates to a target temperature, thereby reducing the overall process time and enhancing production efficiency in substrate processing.
Implementation Method 1
the hand pre-heats the substrate in the state before processing by a contact heating method using the heater
Implementation Method 2
the hand pre-heats the substrate in the state before processing by a non-contact heating method using the heating lamp member
Implementation Method 3
supplies DC power to a DC electrode embedded in an electrostatic chuck (ESC) to electrostatically adsorb a substrate to the electrostatic chuck
Implementation Method 4
the process chamber forms plasma in a reaction space of the chamber by supplying high-frequency bias power to the ESC
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates to a substrate processing apparatus capable of shortening a process time, and the substrate processing apparatus according to the present invention comprises an index chamber having a transfer robot loading/unloading a substrate; a process chamber having a heating means heating the substrate and processing the substrate; a loadlock chamber disposed between the index chamber and the process chamber; and a conveying chamber having a conveying robot conveying the substrate between the process chamber and the loadlock chamber, wherein a pre-heating means is provided in the conveying robot to pre-heat the substrate in a state before processing.