Electrostatic Chuck Heater Control After Heater Disconnection
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Solution Overview
Problem
In semiconductor manufacturing, the increased number of divided regions on a placing table for precise temperature control of semiconductor wafers leads to smaller heaters, increasing the risk of disconnection and higher manufacturing costs, as existing auto-correction methods struggle to effectively complement heat loss when multiple adjacent heaters are disconnected.
Innovation Solution
A temperature controlling apparatus with a placing table divided into regions, where heaters are connected in parallel, and a controller determines disconnections by measuring current values, adjusting currents to maintain heat generation when heaters are disconnected by increasing the current through remaining heaters.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If the number of divided regions is increased to improve temperature control precision, then the manufacturing precision is improved, but the area of each heater is reduced and the reliability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The placing table is divided into multiple regions with independently controllable heaters, allowing precise temperature control for each region while maintaining overall system reliability through modular design
Solution Approach 2:
The controller dynamically adjusts the current flowing through each heater based on detected disconnections, changing operational parameters to maintain temperature control precision even when some heaters are disconnected
2Manufacturing precision
If the number of divided regions is increased to suppress temperature distribution unevenness, then the manufacturing precision is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs self-diagnosis by detecting heater disconnections through current measurement and automatically recovers from failures by redistributing current, eliminating the need for complex manual intervention or system replacement
Solution Approach 2:
The controller dynamically changes current distribution parameters across heaters based on real-time detection, enabling adaptive temperature control without requiring complex hardware modifications
3Manufacturing precision
If heaters are made thinner to generate predetermined heat amount in reduced area, then the manufacturing precision is improved, but the reliability deteriorates due to increased disconnection risk
Solution Approach 1:
The system prepares for potential heater failures by implementing detection and current redistribution mechanisms in advance, cushioning against the reliability risks of thin heaters through proactive failure management
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 ensures high accuracy in temperature control of semiconductor wafers even when heaters are disconnected, maintaining process integrity and reducing costs by preventing the need for entire table replacement.
Implementation Method 1
a plurality of heaters 6c embedded in each of the divided regions 6d... controlling a current flowing through each heater 6c embedded in the divided region 6d where a part of the heaters 6c is disconnected to become larger than a current flowing through each heater 6c when none of the heaters 6c is disconnected
Data Source
AI summary
Provided is a temperature controlling apparatus in which the accuracy of the temperature control of a processing target substrate is maintained high even when heaters are disconnected. The temperature controlling apparatus includes an electronic chuck, a plurality of heaters, and a controller. The heaters are embedded inside the electrostatic chuck in each divided region and connected to each other in parallel. The controller determines, for each divided region, whether a part of the heaters embedded in the divided region is disconnected, based on a total value of currents flowing through the heaters embedded in the divided region. When it is determined that a part of the heaters embedded in the divided region is disconnected, the controller controls a current flowing through each heater embedded in the divided region where a part of the heaters is disconnected to become larger than a current flowing through each heater when none of the heaters is disconnected.