Cooled Gas Injector Tube for Low-Deposition Semiconductor Processing
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Gas injectors in semiconductor processing apparatuses face issues with deposition inside the injector, leading to particle contamination, cracking, and reduced maintenance cycles, which decrease process throughput.
Innovation Solution
A gas injector design with a cooling fluid conduit to cool the injector tube, reducing film deposition on inner walls, thereby extending the injector's lifetime, reducing particle formation, and minimizing the need for cleaning or etching.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Duration of action of stationary object
If the gas injector is used without cooling, then the structure is simple, but film deposition occurs on inner walls leading to cracking and reduced lifetime
Solution Approach 1:
The gas injector is divided into functional segments: an injector tube for gas delivery and a separate cooling fluid conduit system. This segmentation allows the cooling function to be added without fundamentally redesigning the injector tube structure, thereby extending lifetime while controlling complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
A cooling fluid conduit is introduced as an intermediary element between the injector tube and the cooling fluid. This intermediary carries cooling fluid around the injector tube to remove heat, preventing film deposition and cracking without requiring direct modification of the injector tube itself.
2Productivity
If the gas injector operates at high temperature, then the deposition process is efficient, but film deposition on inner walls causes particle contamination and cracking
Solution Approach 1:
Different temperature zones are created: the process chamber maintains high temperature for efficient deposition, while the injector tube is actively cooled to a lower temperature. This local quality difference prevents film deposition on the injector inner walls, eliminating particle contamination and cracking sources while preserving deposition efficiency in the chamber.
Solution Approach 2:
The cooling system converts the harmful effect of high temperature (which causes unwanted deposition on injector walls) into a benefit by selectively cooling the injector tube. This allows the system to maintain high process temperature for efficiency while preventing the harmful deposition that would otherwise occur.
3Reliability
If the gas injector is frequently replaced due to failure, then reliability is maintained, but process throughput is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling fluid conduit performs preliminary cooling action on the injector tube before film deposition can occur. By continuously removing heat during operation, the system prevents the formation of problematic deposited films that would lead to injector failure, thereby maintaining reliability without requiring frequent replacements and preserving process throughput.
4Loss of substance
If the injector tube is cooled, then film deposition rate decreases, but additional cooling system components are required
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling system utilizes hydraulic principles by circulating cooling fluid through a conduit that contacts the injector tube. This fluid-based cooling approach efficiently removes heat and prevents film deposition with a relatively simple implementation, avoiding the need for complex mechanical or electrical cooling systems.
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 cooling system prolongs the gas injector's maintenance cycle, enhances process performance, and reduces the risk of cracking and particle formation, improving process throughput and substrate layer uniformity.
Implementation Method 1
a cooling fluid conduit constructed to cool the injector tube
Data Source
AI summary
A gas injector and a semiconductor processing apparatus comprising the gas injector is disclosed. Embodiments of the presently described gas injector comprise an injector tube to inject a process gas to a process chamber of the semiconductor processing apparatus. The gas injector further comprises a cooling fluid conduit constructed and arranged to cool the injector tube.