Injection Head with Dual Flow Path for Wafer Etching
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional substrate treatment apparatuses face challenges in uniformly etching the edge region of a wafer due to pressure drop and non-uniform flow of chemical solutions, leading to inadequate removal of impurity layers and decreased etching uniformity on the bottom surface.
Innovation Solution
The apparatus features an injection head with a dual flow path system and strategically positioned injection openings, including first and second injection openings, and a gas injection opening to ensure uniform fluid distribution across the wafer surface, enhancing the control of fluid flow and pressure, particularly in the edge region.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If chemical solution is injected through injection openings formed on the outside of the injection member (edge region), then the edge region should be etched, but the internal pressure decreases due to pressure drop making flow and injection pressure control difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The injection member is divided into multiple injection openings positioned at different locations (center region, middle region, and edge region). This segmentation allows the chemical solution to be injected at multiple points along the flow path, distributing the pressure drop across several injection points rather than one, thereby maintaining sufficient injection pressure at the edge region openings while achieving uniform etching across the entire bottom surface.
2Manufacturing precision
If injection openings are positioned distant from the center region (at the edge region), then edge region etching should be improved, but pressure drop makes it difficult to control flow and injection pressure exactly
Solution Approach 1:
The injection member is designed with a predetermined flow path that guides the chemical solution from the center region through the middle region to the edge region. The injection openings are strategically positioned along this pre-planned flow path at specific distances from the center. This preliminary design of the flow path and opening positions ensures that the chemical solution reaches each injection opening with adequate pressure and flow control before being injected onto the respective regions of the bottom surface.
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 design allows for improved etching uniformity across the wafer's bottom surface, effectively removing impurities from the edge region and maintaining consistent etching pressure, thereby enhancing the overall etching process.
Implementation Method 1
The chemical solution injected to the bottom surface of the wafer flows toward the edge region of the wafer due to rotation of the wafer to remove the impurities remaining on the bottom surface of the wafer
Implementation Method 2
The chemical solution injected to the bottom surface of the wafer flows toward the edge region of the wafer due to rotation of the wafer
Data Source
AI summary
Provided are an injection head, and a substrate treatment apparatus and method using the same. The substrate treatment apparatus includes a rotatable spin head supporting a substrate, an injection head installed on the spin head to supply a fluid to a bottom surface of the substrate supported on the spin head, and a fluid supply unit supplying the fluid to the injection head. The injection head includes a body disposed below a center region of the substrate supported on the spin head to receive the fluid from the fluid supply unit and a injection member extending from the body to an edge region of the substrate supported on the spin head to inject the fluid supplied from the body to the bottom surface of the substrate, the injection member having first injection openings injecting the fluid to the edge region of the substrate and second injection openings injecting the fluid to a middle region disposed between the center region and the edge region, and a flow path through which the fluid is supplied to the first injection openings and then to the second injection openings.