Laser-Drilled Gas Delivery Holes for High-Aspect-Ratio Precision
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional methods for fabricating holes with high aspect ratios in substrate components for semiconductor process chambers, such as ultrasonic impact grinding or mechanical drilling, are expensive and inefficient due to the need for slow and precise operations to avoid damage and meet tolerance requirements.
Innovation Solution
The use of laser drilling techniques, including percussion drilling, trepanning, or ablation processes, to form holes with aspect ratios of 1:1 to 50:1 in substrates for process chamber components, utilizing laser drills with pulse durations of 1.0 nanoseconds or less and pulse energies of 1.0 to 8.0 millijoules, which allows for improved precision and consistency while reducing sub-surface damage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If traditional mechanical drilling or ultrasonic impact grinding is used to fabricate holes with high aspect ratios, then the holes can be formed in substrate components, but the process is expensive and inefficient due to slow operation speed and strict tolerance requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces traditional mechanical drilling and ultrasonic impact grinding methods with laser drilling technology. The laser drill uses optical energy to ablate material and form holes, eliminating the need for mechanical contact and tool wear concerns. This substitution enables faster processing speeds while maintaining precise hole dimensions through controlled laser parameters such as pulse duration, pulse energy, and drilling pattern, thereby resolving the contradiction between productivity and manufacturing precision.
2Ease of manufacture
If traditional mechanical drilling is used to form holes with high aspect ratios, then holes can be created, but additional processing steps like chemical etching and polishing are required to meet quality standards
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and eliminates the need for additional post-processing steps by using laser drilling to directly form high-quality holes with the desired specifications. The laser drilling process inherently produces clean hole surfaces and precise dimensions through controlled ablation, removing the requirement for subsequent chemical etching and polishing operations. This reduces the total number of processing steps while maintaining or improving hole quality.
3Reliability
If traditional mechanical methods are used to drill holes through substrates, then holes can be formed, but sub-surface damage and re-deposition occur requiring additional processing
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces mechanical drilling with laser ablation, which uses optical energy to vaporize and eject material without mechanical contact. This eliminates sub-surface damage caused by mechanical stress and tool pressure. The laser parameters (pulse duration of about 1.0 nanosecond or less, pulse energy of about 1.0 to about 8.0 millijoules) are controlled to minimize re-deposition of ablated material, producing clean holes directly without requiring additional processing steps to remove damage or re-deposition.
4Productivity
If laser drilling with longer pulse duration and higher pulse energy is used, then material removal is faster, but sub-surface damage and re-deposition increase reducing hole quality
Solution Approach 1:
The patent optimizes laser drilling parameters to achieve the balance between material removal speed and hole quality. Specifically, the pulse duration is set to about 1.0 nanosecond or less and pulse energy to about 1.0 to about 8.0 millijoules. These parameter changes enable rapid material removal through efficient ablation while minimizing thermal damage and re-deposition, thereby maintaining high hole quality without sacrificing productivity.
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
Laser drilling provides faster and more cost-effective hole formation with improved precision and consistency, eliminating the need for additional processing steps like chemical etching and polishing, and enhances hole quality by minimizing re-deposition and controlling hole shape and dimension.
Implementation Method 1
forming the one or more holes in the substrate with one or more laser drills using at least one of a percussion drilling, a trepanning, or an ablation process
Implementation Method 2
forming the one or more holes in the substrate with one or more laser drills using at least one of a percussion drilling, a trepanning, or an ablation process
Implementation Method 3
forming the one or more holes in the substrate with one or more laser drills using at least one of a percussion drilling, a trepanning, or an ablation process
Implementation Method 4
forming the one or more holes in the substrate with one or more laser drills using at least one of a percussion drilling, a trepanning, or an ablation process
Data Source
AI summary
Embodiments of a method of forming one or more holes in a substrate for use as a process chamber component are provided herein. In some embodiments, a method of forming one or more holes in a substrate for use as a process chamber component include forming the one or more holes in the substrate with one or more laser drills using at least one of a percussion drilling, a trepanning, or an ablation process, wherein each of the one or more holes have an aspect ratio of about 1:1 to about 50:1, and wherein the substrate is a component for gas delivery or fluid delivery.