Dual-Surface Electromagnetic Heating for Gas Phase Deposition
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing gas phase deposition systems face challenges such as uncontrollable desorption of gases, parasitic coatings, thermal stress, high energy consumption, and reduced throughput due to one-sided substrate heating and mechanical stress, leading to inefficiencies and increased costs.
Innovation Solution
A system that applies heat to both surfaces of a substrate without physical contact using a heater positioned at a distance, with independently controlled temperatures and gas flow directions to each surface, allowing for efficient heat distribution and reduced parasitic reactions, and utilizing a twin electromagnetic heater for rapid temperature control.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If one-sided substrate heating is used, then device complexity is reduced, but thermal stress and substrate bending occur
Solution Approach 1:
The heating system is segmented into two independent heating zones: a first heater positioned to heat the first surface of the substrate and a second heater positioned to heat the second surface. This segmentation allows independent temperature control of each surface, enabling thermal stress compensation while maintaining relatively simple device architecture.
Solution Approach 2:
The heating system employs asymmetric heating configuration where the first heater and second heater can be positioned at different distances from their respective substrate surfaces and operated at different temperatures. This asymmetric arrangement enables precise control over the temperature gradient across the substrate thickness, allowing thermal stress to be minimized or eliminated.
2Productivity
If close coupled shower head is used, then precursor utilization efficiency increases, but parasitic coating on shower head occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The harmful effect of parasitic coating on the shower head is extracted and isolated by positioning the shower head away from the substrate and using a carrier with pockets to contain the substrate. The carrier acts as a barrier that prevents precursor material deposited on the shower head from directly contaminating the substrate, while still allowing sufficient precursor transport to achieve high utilization efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The carrier with pockets serves as an intermediary between the shower head and the substrate. It receives the precursor material from the shower head, processes it through the pocket structure, and delivers it to the substrate surface. This intermediary structure enables high precursor utilization while preventing direct parasitic coating on the substrate.
3Object-generated harmful factors
If increased distance between shower head and substrate is used, then parasitic coating is reduced, but precursor utilization efficiency drops
Solution Approach 1:
The system employs a nested structure where the substrate is positioned within pockets of the carrier, which itself is positioned within the reactor chamber near the shower head. This nesting arrangement allows the carrier to be positioned close to the shower head for high precursor utilization while the substrate remains protected within the carrier pockets, preventing direct parasitic coating.
4Use of energy by moving object
If substrate heating from one side only is used, then energy consumption is reduced, but temperature uniformity deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The heating system applies local quality control by allowing different temperatures to be applied to different surfaces of the substrate. The first heater and second heater can be independently controlled to provide optimal temperature profiles for each surface, achieving superior temperature uniformity across the entire substrate while managing energy consumption through targeted heating zones.
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 minimizes thermal stress, extends heater lifetime, reduces energy consumption, and enhances deposition uniformity and throughput by enabling precise temperature control and reduced parasitic coating issues, while maintaining high layer quality.
Implementation Method 1
a heater to apply energy to the substrate from the side of the first surface and from the side of the second surface of the substrate
Implementation Method 2
utilizing a twin electromagnetic heater for rapid temperature control
Implementation Method 3
the deposition from the gas phase presumes the material transport towards the covering surface by utilizing the free space of pipes, channels and reactor volume
Implementation Method 4
due to the heat-(energy) and mass-transfer in the reactor, during the deposition process
Implementation Method 5
it is a challenge to keep the surrounding environment completely unaffected from the above mentioned phenomenon. This leads to uncontrollable desorption of gases and parasitic coatings in the reactor
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
AI summary
System and method for gas phase deposition of at least one material to a substrate having a first and a second surface opposite to the first surface. The system comprises a holding member configured to hold the substrate, a deposition member configured to apply the at least one material to the substrate from at least one direction and a heater located at a distance from the substrate and being configured to apply heat to the substrate from the side of the first surface and from the side of the second surface of the substrate.