Heating Apparatus With Notched Elements And Extending Members
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional heating apparatuses for semiconductor device manufacturing have low thermal response and throughput due to the use of large amounts of thermally insulating materials, which hinder rapid temperature increase and decrease of substrates during processes like Cu annealing.
Innovation Solution
A novel heating apparatus with heating elements arranged in a sheet form and having notches or through holes, surrounded by an electrically conductive side wall member with holding members and extending members that inhibit displacement, allowing for improved thermal response and throughput by maintaining the heating elements away from the side wall and utilizing fast cooling pipes for efficient cooling.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If thermally insulating materials are used to permit use of heaters in middle and high temperature ranges, then heating capability is improved, but thermal response becomes slow and throughput decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The heating apparatus is divided into distinct functional zones: a heating zone with heating elements for temperature processing, and a cooling zone with cooling plates for rapid cooling. This segmentation allows each zone to be optimized independently - the heating zone can use insulating materials for effective heating, while the cooling zone uses conductive materials for rapid heat dissipation, thereby improving both heating capability and thermal response speed
Solution Approach 2:
A thermal isolation structure is introduced as an intermediary between the heating elements and the cooling plates. This thermal isolation member prevents heat from the heating elements from directly transferring to the cooling plates, allowing the heating elements to effectively heat the substrate while the cooling plates remain at lower temperatures ready for rapid cooling, thus improving thermal response without sacrificing heating capability
2Device complexity
If heating elements are positioned close to side wall for compact design, then device size is reduced, but heating element displacement occurs affecting manufacturing precision
Solution Approach 1:
The heating elements are pre-positioned and fixed to the bottom surface of the processing chamber using adhesive or welding before the side walls are installed. This preliminary positioning action ensures that the heating elements are securely held in place at the desired location, preventing displacement during operation while allowing the side walls to be positioned close to the heating elements for compact design
Solution Approach 2:
The bottom surface is designed with a specific thermal conductivity characteristic that is copied or replicated in the side wall material selection. By using materials with matched thermal properties, the heating elements maintain stable thermal contact with the chamber structure without requiring excessive clearance, achieving compact design while preventing displacement through thermal bonding
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 enhances thermal response and throughput by reducing heat capacity of the side wall and preventing heating element displacement, enabling faster temperature adjustments and processing times in semiconductor device manufacturing.
Implementation Method 1
heating elements arranged of a sheet form and having notches or through holes provided therein
Implementation Method 2
projected portions arranged to project at both, front and back, sides of the heating element from the extending-through portion in a direction, which is orthogonal to the extending direction of the extending-through portion, thus to inhibit the displacement of the heating elements along the extending direction
Data Source
AI summary
A heating apparatus comprises heating elements arranged of a sheet form and having notches or through holes provided therein, a side wall member made of an electrically conductive material and arranged to surround and define the heating space, and holding members disposed at the heating space side of the side wall member for holding at one end the heating elements. Also, extending members are provided, each member comprising an extending-through portion arranged to project from the heating space side of the side wall member and extend through the notch or through hole between both ends in the heating element and projected portions arranged to project at both, front and back, sides of the heating element from the extending-through portion in a direction, which is orthogonal to the extending direction of the extending-through portion, thus to inhibit the displacement of the heating elements along the extending direction.