Electrode Fixing Assembly with Hard-Soft Materials for Particle Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
In dry etching devices, friction between the electrode fixing holder and the device body leads to surface wear, generating particles that contaminate the reaction chamber and result in poor etching, decreased product yield, and increased production costs.
Innovation Solution
An electrode fixing assembly with a first fixing element made of a harder material than the second fixing element, arranged to contact the device body, reduces wear and particle generation by using materials like iron or tungsten alloys for the first element and aluminum for the second, with a protective yttrium oxide layer on the second element.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a single-material electrode fixing holder is used, then the device structure is simple, but surface wear occurs easily generating particles that contaminate the reaction chamber
Solution Approach 1:
The electrode fixing holder is divided into two distinct elements: a first fixing element in contact with the device body and a second fixing element in contact with the upper electrode. This segmentation allows each element to be made of materials optimized for its specific function, preventing wear-induced particle generation while maintaining structural integrity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs composite material construction where the first fixing element uses a wear-resistant material and the second fixing element uses a different material suitable for electrode contact. This composite approach combines the advantages of different materials to eliminate particle generation from wear while keeping the overall structure manageable.
2Strength
If a harder material is used for the first fixing element, then wear resistance is improved, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by using a harder, more wear-resistant material specifically for the first fixing element that contacts the device body, while the second fixing element uses a different material. This localized material selection optimizes wear resistance where needed without unnecessarily complicating the entire structure.
Solution Approach 2:
By segmenting the fixing holder into two elements with different material properties, the patent achieves localized wear resistance without requiring the entire structure to be made of difficult-to-manufacture hard materials, thus balancing wear resistance with manufacturability.
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 assembly effectively prevents particle generation, improving product yield and reducing production costs by minimizing wear and corrosion, ensuring stable etching processes.
Implementation Method 1
a material to be etched on the substrate is removed by plasma discharge for etching
Implementation Method 2
a voltage is applied to the upper electrode and the lower electrode to form a potential difference between them, thereby promoting plasma to move towards the substrate
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure provides an electrode fixing assembly and a dry etching device. The electrode fixing assembly includes a first fixing element and a second fixing element, wherein a hardness of a material of the first fixing element is greater than a hardness of a material of the second fixing element. The electrode fixing assembly is configured to be arranged in the dry etching device to fix an upper electrode on a device body, a generation of particles is reduced or eliminated, and then problems such as poor etching or the like caused by a substrate to be etched covered by the particles are avoided.