Exhaust Buffer Chamber Cleaning via Dedicated Gas Supply Pipe

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional substrate processing apparatuses fail to adequately clean the exhaust buffer chamber, leading to unintentional reactions and the formation of poor-quality films due to residual gases, which can delaminate and affect substrate film quality and yield.

Innovation Solution

A substrate processing apparatus with a cleaning gas supply pipe connected between the communication hole and the gas flow blocking wall of the exhaust buffer chamber, allowing direct and uniform cleaning gas supply to the exhaust buffer chamber, preventing gas deactivation and ensuring thorough cleaning.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If cleaning gas is supplied via shower head into processing space, then cleaning process is performed on processing space, but cleaning process is not sufficiently performed on exhaust buffer chamber

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecleaning processVSAvoidcleaning effectiveness on exhaust buffer chamber

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The cleaning gas supply system is segmented into multiple paths: one through the shower head for the processing space and another through a dedicated cleaning gas supply pipe directly into the exhaust buffer chamber. This segmentation allows independent optimization of cleaning for each component, ensuring the exhaust buffer chamber receives adequate cleaning gas flow without relying on the shower head path.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

A dedicated cleaning gas supply pipe acts as an intermediary component that directly delivers cleaning gas to the exhaust buffer chamber. This intermediary bypasses the processing space and shower head, ensuring cleaning gas reaches the exhaust buffer chamber with sufficient concentration and flow rate to effectively remove deposits.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Productivity

If source gas and reactive gas are alternately supplied into processing space, then film forming process is performed, but unintentional reaction occurs in exhaust buffer chamber causing deposit adhesion

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefilm forming processVSAvoidunintentional reaction and deposit adhesion

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The system converts the potentially harmful residual gases in the exhaust buffer chamber into a benefit by using them to drive the cleaning gas flow through the exhaust buffer chamber during cleaning cycles. The cleaning gas utilizes the pressure differential created by the gas exhaust system to effectively flush out and remove deposits from the exhaust buffer chamber.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #22Blessing in disguise (Convert harm into benefit)

Solution Approach 2:

The system changes the physical parameters (pressure, flow rate) of the cleaning gas to optimize cleaning effectiveness. By controlling the cleaning gas supply rate and timing, the system creates sufficient pressure differential to flush residual gases and deposits from the exhaust buffer chamber without interfering with the film forming process in the processing space.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

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 solution effectively removes deposits from the exhaust buffer chamber, preventing film delamination and maintaining operational efficiency by ensuring a satisfactory cleaning process without manual intervention, thus enhancing film quality and reducing downtime.

Implementation Method 1

a cleaning gas supply pipe configured to supply a cleaning gas into the exhaust buffer chamber

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectGas flow: Convection

Implementation Method 2

a gas flow blocking wall extending in a blocking direction of the gases flowing through the communication hole

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectGas flow blocking: Pressure Gradient

Data Source

PatentUS9028648B1Substrate processing apparatus, method of manufacturing semiconductor device and non-transitory computer-readable recording medium

Publication Date: 2015.05.12 KOKUSAI DENKI KK

AI summary

Provided are a substrate processing apparatus and a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device, which perform a cleaning process on the inside of an exhaust buffer chamber even if gases are exhausted using the exhaust buffer chamber. The substrate processing apparatus includes a processing space to process a substrate on a substrate placing surface, a gas supply system to supply gases into the processing space through a side facing the substrate placing surface, an exhaust buffer chamber including a communication hole communicating with the processing space at least at a side portion of the processing space and a gas flow blocking wall extending in a blocking direction of the gases flowing through the communication hole, a gas exhaust system configured to exhaust the gases supplied into the exhaust buffer chamber, and a cleaning gas supply pipe configured to supply a cleaning gas into the exhaust buffer chamber.