Maglev Air Guide Gap Control for Warped Wafer Coating
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Solution Overview
Problem
The issue of uneven thin film thickness due to wafer warpage during the coating process in semiconductor manufacturing is addressed.
Innovation Solution
A wafer processing apparatus with a magnetic levitation control system adjusts the distance between a base and an air guide device using magnets to maintain a consistent gap for uniform reactive gas distribution, ensuring even film thickness.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If the wafer surface is uneven due to warping, then the thin film thickness at the edge becomes abnormal, but adjusting the air guide device distance to compensate for warpage increases device complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The air guide device is made dynamically adjustable through a magnetic levitation system that can change the distance between the air guide device and wafer surface in real-time based on detected warpage conditions, allowing the system to adapt to uneven surfaces without mechanical contact
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces traditional mechanical adjustment mechanisms with a magnetic levitation control system that uses magnetic fields to position the air guide device, eliminating complex mechanical linkages and enabling precise, contactless distance control to compensate for wafer warpage
2Manufacturing precision
If magnetic levitation control is implemented to adjust air guide device distance, then thin film thickness uniformity improves, but control system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system incorporates sensors to detect wafer surface topography and warpage conditions, feeding this information back to the magnetic levitation control system which automatically adjusts the air guide device position to maintain optimal spacing, creating a closed-loop control system that self-corrects for surface variations
Solution Approach 2:
The magnetic levitation control system serves multiple functions: it positions the air guide device, compensates for wafer warpage, and maintains optimal reaction conditions throughout the coating process, consolidating several control functions into a single integrated system
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 ensures uniform thin film thickness by controlling the reactive gas flow around the wafer surface, addressing the warpage-induced thickness variations.
Implementation Method 1
a magnetic levitation control system electrically connected to the first magnet and controlling a magnetic force between the first magnet and the second magnet
Implementation Method 2
the base includes a heater configured to heat the wafer
Implementation Method 3
the vacuum port is located on the carrying plane and configured to generate a low-pressure area between the wafer and the vacuum port
Implementation Method 4
Chemical vapor deposition (CVD) is an important process step in the semiconductor manufacturing process. A reactive gas is transferred into a vacuum chamber and reacted on a substrate to form a thin film
Data Source
AI summary
The invention provides a wafer processing apparatus configured to interact with a wafer using a reactive gas. The wafer processing apparatus includes: a base having a carrying plane configured to carry the wafer, and the wafer has a first height and a second height; an air guide device disposed circumferentially above the base, there is a space between the base and the air guide device so that the reactive gas flows in the space; a first magnet disposed at a periphery of the base; a second magnet disposed at a periphery of the air guide device and opposite to the first magnet; a magnetic levitation control system electrically connected to the first magnet and controlling a magnetic force between the first magnet and the second magnet according to a difference of the second height and the first height to change a distance between the base and the air guide device.