Inject Insert Segmentation for Epitaxial Gas Uniformity
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional semiconductor processing chambers experience non-uniform gas distribution due to 'crosstalk' between multiple flow zones, leading to degraded uniformity of epitaxially-grown films, especially when increasing process gas flow rates to enhance throughput.
Innovation Solution
An inject insert with a monolithic body and multiple zones of inject ports and inlets, allowing for greater flow control, is designed to connect with a gas delivering device, creating distinct zones for finer tuning of gas flow parameters, including varying widths and configurations of inject inlets to optimize gas distribution.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If multiple flow zones feed into a single gas inlet channel to increase throughput, then gas flow rate increases, but crosstalk between zones causes unpredictable tuning results and non-uniform gas distribution
Solution Approach 1:
The gas inlet system is segmented into multiple independent inlet ports, each serving a specific flow zone. This segmentation prevents crosstalk between zones by providing separate access paths for each zone's process gas, allowing independent tuning of gas flow rates and compositions without interference from adjacent zones.
Solution Approach 2:
Each flow zone is equipped with customized inlet ports and flow control mechanisms tailored to its specific requirements. The system allows different gas types, flow rates, and compositions to be supplied to different zones independently, enabling precise local optimization of deposition conditions across the substrate surface.
2Manufacturing precision
If continuous rotation is employed to minimize flow zone non-uniformity, then gas distribution uniformity improves, but rotation alone is insufficient when higher uniformity requirements are needed
Solution Approach 1:
The chamber is divided into multiple flow zones with independently controllable inlet ports, allowing precise control of gas distribution without relying solely on substrate rotation. This segmentation enables static achievement of uniformity that complements or reduces the need for high-speed rotation.
Solution Approach 2:
The system provides dynamic control capabilities through independently adjustable inlet ports and flow control mechanisms for each zone, allowing real-time optimization of gas distribution patterns to match substrate positions and process requirements, enhancing uniformity beyond what fixed rotation can achieve.
3Productivity
If process gas flow rate is increased to enhance throughput, then productivity improves, but non-uniformity issues are amplified
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple independent inlet ports allow each flow zone to operate at optimized flow rates simultaneously. High total throughput is achieved by summing contributions from all zones, while each zone maintains its own uniformity through independent control, preventing the amplification of non-uniformity that occurs in single-channel systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The system enables independent adjustment of gas flow rates, compositions, and pressures for each flow zone. This parameter control allows optimization of deposition uniformity in each zone while maintaining high overall throughput, and provides tuning capability to compensate for variations in substrate positioning or chamber conditions.
Data Source
AI summary
Embodiments of the present invention provide a liner assembly including an inject insert. The inject insert enables tenability of flow parameters, such as velocity, density, direction and spatial location, across a substrate being processed. The processing gas across the substrate being processed may be specially tailored for individual processes with a liner assembly according to embodiment of the present invention.