Flash Lamp Susceptor Slit Design for Thermal Stress
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Solution Overview
Problem
Heat treatment susceptors for semiconductor wafers using flash lamps face challenges in preventing deformation and breakage due to rapid thermal expansion, leading to substrate warping and potential breakage during flash irradiation.
Innovation Solution
A heat treatment susceptor design featuring a holding plate with slits around substrate support pins, allowing for deflection and absorption of increased load during substrate deformation, thereby reducing stress and preventing breakage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If flash lamp irradiation is used for rapid thermal annealing, then annealing speed and precision are improved, but substrate deformation and breakage occur due to rapid thermal expansion
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a cushioning structure consisting of elastic members (springs or rubber) between the susceptor and the substrate support pins. This cushioning structure is designed in advance to absorb the impact forces generated during flash lamp irradiation, preventing substrate breakage while maintaining the rapid annealing process
2Manufacturing precision
If rigid support structure is used to hold substrate, then positioning precision is improved, but stress concentration occurs during thermal expansion leading to breakage
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the mechanical parameters of the support structure by introducing elastic members that can dynamically adjust their stiffness. The elastic members have a designed elasticity that allows them to be rigid enough for precise positioning but flexible enough to absorb thermal expansion stresses, resolving the contradiction between positioning precision and stress resistance
3Device complexity
If simple susceptor structure is used, then device complexity is reduced, but ability to absorb deformation stress is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the susceptor structure into distinct functional components: the holding plate, multiple substrate support pins, and elastic members. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently - the holding plate provides structural support, the pins provide positioning, and the elastic members provide stress absorption, achieving reliable stress absorption without excessive overall complexity
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 susceptor effectively absorbs deformation-induced stress, preventing substrate breakage and maintaining stability during flash irradiation with a simple configuration.
Implementation Method 1
The flash lamp instantaneously emits a flash of light having extremely large energy to a front surface of the semiconductor wafer, thus a temperature of the front surface of the semiconductor wafer rapidly increases, however, a temperature of a back surface of the semiconductor wafer does not increase so much. Thus, rapid thermal expansion occurs only in the front surface of the semiconductor wafer
Implementation Method 2
at least one slit is formed around a position where at least one of the substrate support bodies is mounted upright in the holding plate, and the slit includes at least one bending portion or one corner portion... a portion surrounded by the slit is deflected, thus the load on the substrate support body is absorbed
Data Source
AI summary
A heat treatment susceptor holds a substrate when the substrate is irradiated with a flash of light from flash lamps to perform a heat treatment on the substrate. The heat treatment susceptor includes: a holding plate having a planar holding surface; and a plurality of substrate support bodies mounted upright on the holding surface, wherein a slit is formed around a position where at least one of the substrate support bodies is mounted upright in the holding plate, and the slit includes at least one bending portion or a corner portion.