Gas Flow Adjustment Members for Film Uniformity
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional film forming techniques, such as CVD and ALD, face challenges in achieving in-plane uniformity and coverage performance, particularly for high-k films like HfO2, due to inadequate gas flow distribution in vertical heat treatment apparatuses used in semiconductor manufacturing.
Innovation Solution
A film forming apparatus and method that includes a substrate holding member, a process vessel, a processing gas introduction member with gas discharge holes, and gas flow adjustment members to direct processing gas horizontally from above each substrate, ensuring uniform gas distribution and improved coverage performance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If conventional gas introduction members are used to supply processing gas horizontally to substrates, then the device structure is simple, but film thickness in-plane uniformity deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
A gas flow adjustment member is introduced as an intermediary component between the processing gas introduction member and the substrate. This mediator redirects the horizontally discharged processing gas to flow vertically downward onto the substrate surface, improving film thickness uniformity without requiring complex modifications to the fundamental gas supply system
Solution Approach 2:
The gas flow adjustment member creates locally optimized gas flow conditions at each substrate position. By providing individual gas flow adjustment capability for each substrate, the system achieves uniform film thickness across the substrate surface while maintaining overall system simplicity
2Reliability
If processing gas is discharged horizontally parallel to substrates, then the gas introduction structure is simple, but coverage performance deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The gas flow adjustment member serves as a mediator that transforms the horizontally discharged processing gas into a vertically directed flow. This intermediary component ensures comprehensive gas coverage over the substrate surface, improving deposition reliability without complicating the overall gas introduction architecture
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of directing gas flow parallel to the substrate surface, the system inverts the flow direction to discharge gas vertically downward onto the substrate. This inversion of the conventional gas flow approach significantly improves coverage performance while maintaining structural simplicity through the use of the gas flow adjustment member
3Manufacturing precision
If conventional vertical heat treatment apparatus is used for high-k film formation, then the apparatus structure is established and reliable, but in-plane uniformity and coverage performance are insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The invention applies local quality modification by introducing individual gas flow adjustment members for each substrate position in the vertical heat treatment apparatus. This localized adjustment capability enables precise control of gas flow distribution, achieving superior in-plane uniformity for high-k films while maintaining the established apparatus structure
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the gas flow parameters (direction and distribution) by introducing the gas flow adjustment member, which redirects processing gas from horizontal to vertical flow. This parameter change improves film formation quality without requiring fundamental changes to the apparatus structure, maintaining ease of manufacture
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 apparatus and method significantly enhance film thickness in-plane uniformity and coverage performance by adjusting gas flow to direct processing gas vertically onto the substrate surfaces, effectively addressing the limitations of conventional techniques.
Implementation Method 1
each of the plurality of gas flow adjustment members is configured to adjust a gas flow of the processing gas discharged horizontally above each of the plurality of target substrates to be oriented from above the respective target substrate located below the respective gas flow adjustment member toward the surface of the respective target substrate
Implementation Method 2
in the case where such a vertical heat treatment apparatus is used for a film forming process using a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) method or an atomic layer deposition (ALD) method
Implementation Method 3
in the case where such a vertical heat treatment apparatus is used for a film forming process using a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) method or an atomic layer deposition (ALD) method
Data Source
AI summary
A film forming apparatus includes: a substrate holding member for vertically holding target substrates at predetermined intervals in multiple stages; a process vessel for accommodating the substrate holding member; a processing gas introduction member each having gas discharge holes which discharge a processing gas for film formation in a direction parallel to each target substrate and introduce the processing gas into the process vessel; an exhaust mechanism for exhausting the interior of the process vessel; and a plurality of gas flow adjustment members installed to face the target substrates, respectively. Each of the gas flow adjustment members adjusts a gas flow of the processing gas discharged horizontally above each of the target substrates from the gas discharge holes of the processing gas introduction member, to be directed from above the respective target substrate located below the respective gas flow adjustment member toward the surface of the respective target substrate.