Liquid-Cooled GaN Power Amplifiers for Compact Substrate Heating
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional solid-state power amplifiers (SSPAs) and traveling wave tube amplifiers used in substrate processing chambers are large, consume high power, and generate significant noise and heat, limiting their efficiency and practicality in applications like chip packaging.
Innovation Solution
The integration of compact high-power SSPAs with gallium nitride (GaN) or gallium arsenide (GaAs) transistors and a liquid cooling system, which includes a cooling plate to manage heat and reduce noise, enabling efficient substrate processing with low power consumption.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Power
If conventional SSPAs and TWTAs are used for substrate processing, then amplification capability is achieved, but device size becomes large and physical footprint increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the material parameter of the transistor from conventional materials to wide bandgap materials (GaN, GaAs), which enables higher power density and smaller device size for the same amplification capability. This material parameter change directly resolves the contradiction by reducing physical footprint while maintaining power output.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent converts the harmful effect of heat generation into a manageable parameter by implementing an integrated cooling system. The cooling channels are designed to efficiently remove heat, and the removed heat is even utilized for substrate heating, thus converting a disadvantage (heat generation) into a beneficial feature (substrate heating capability).
2Power
If conventional SSPAs and TWTAs are used for substrate processing, then amplification capability is achieved, but power consumption becomes high
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the material parameter to wide bandgap materials (GaN, GaAs) which have higher electron mobility and breakdown fields, enabling the amplifier to achieve the same output power with lower input power consumption. This material parameter change improves energy efficiency while maintaining amplification capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent converts the waste heat energy into a useful resource by implementing a heat recovery system that directs cooling fluid to heat the substrate. This energy recovery approach reduces overall power consumption by utilizing waste heat for substrate heating, thus improving energy efficiency.
3Power
If conventional SSPAs and TWTAs are used for substrate processing, then amplification capability is achieved, but heat generation becomes excessive
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the amplifier cooling system with the substrate heating system into a single integrated thermal management system. The cooling fluid that removes heat from the amplifier is directed to heat the substrate, combining two separate functions (amplifier cooling and substrate heating) into one unified system, thus reducing heat generation issues while maintaining amplification capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent converts the harmful heat generation of the amplifier into a beneficial heating source for the substrate. By implementing heat exchange between the amplifier cooling fluid and the substrate, the waste heat is utilized to heat the substrate to processing temperatures, thus eliminating the heat generation problem while providing substrate heating capability.
4Power
If conventional SSPAs and TWTAs are used for substrate processing, then amplification capability is achieved, but noise generation becomes significant
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the material parameter to wide bandgap materials (GaN, GaAs) which have lower noise figures and higher efficiency, thereby reducing noise generation while maintaining amplification capability. This material parameter change directly addresses the noise issue by using superior materials with inherently lower noise characteristics.
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 configuration results in a compact, low-noise, and low-heat solution for substrate processing, suitable for applications like three-dimensional chip packaging, with improved throughput and reduced physical footprint.
Implementation Method 1
a cooling plate configured to receive a coolant for cooling the amplifier during operation
Implementation Method 2
configured to amplify a power level of an input signal received from the power source for heating a substrate in a process volume
Data Source
AI summary
Methods and apparatus for processing a substrate. For example, a processing chamber can include a power source, an amplifier connected to the power source, comprising at least one of a gallium nitride (GaN) transistor or a gallium arsenide (GaAs) transistor, and configured to amplify a power level of an input signal received from the power source to heat a substrate in a process volume, and a cooling plate configured to receive a coolant to cool the amplifier during operation.