Movable Reflecting Members for Semiconductor Heating Uniformity
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional heating apparatuses for semiconductor device manufacturing have low thermal response and fail to effectively reduce surface variations on substrates during processing, leading to inefficiencies in temperature control and throughput.
Innovation Solution
A heating apparatus with movable reflecting members that adjust their angle based on temperature differences between the center and edge of the substrate, using a moving mechanism to optimize heat reflection and distribution, thereby minimizing surface variations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If a large amount of thermally insulating materials is used in the heating apparatus, then the heaters can be used in middle and high temperature ranges, but the temperature increase and decrease response becomes slow
Solution Approach 1:
The heating apparatus is divided into multiple heating zones with independent heating elements and insulating structures. Each zone can be controlled separately, allowing temperature adjustment in specific regions without requiring the entire apparatus to heat or cool uniformly, thus improving response speed while maintaining high temperature capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The insulating materials are designed with dynamic adjustment capabilities, allowing the insulation level to be modified during operation. This enables the system to switch between high insulation mode (for high temperature ranges) and low insulation mode (for rapid temperature changes), resolving the contradiction between temperature range capability and response speed.
2Manufacturing precision
If reflector mirrors are fixed in position to reflect and concentrate heat at the center of wafers, then surface variations can be reduced, but separate temperature adjustment at the center is not achieved
Solution Approach 1:
The reflector mirrors are made movable rather than fixed, allowing their position and angle to be adjusted dynamically. This enables independent temperature control at the center of the wafer while maintaining surface uniformity, as the mirrors can be positioned to concentrate heat precisely where needed without being constrained by a fixed configuration.
Solution Approach 2:
The heating system provides different thermal conditions at different locations on the wafer surface. By making the reflector mirrors adjustable, the system can create localized heat concentration at the center while maintaining appropriate temperature distribution across the entire surface, achieving both surface uniformity and localized temperature control.
3Reliability
If conventional heating apparatus structure is used, then heating can be performed, but throughput is low due to slow temperature increase and decrease response
Solution Approach 1:
The heating apparatus uses multiple independent heating zones that can operate simultaneously with different temperature profiles. This allows different processing steps to occur in parallel across different zones, significantly improving throughput while maintaining reliable heating functionality in each zone.
Solution Approach 2:
The system maintains continuous heating operation across multiple zones with optimized thermal management. By eliminating the need to heat and cool the entire apparatus uniformly, the system can continuously process multiple wafers in parallel, maintaining productive operation without idle time for temperature adjustment.
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 solution enhances thermal response and uniformity of substrate processing, improving throughput and reducing temperature variations across the substrate surface.
Implementation Method 1
reflecting members for reflecting the heat emitted from the heating element
Data Source
AI summary
A heating apparatus comprises a wall for surrounding and defining a heating space, a heating element mounted on the inner side of the wall, reflecting members for reflecting the heat emitted from the heating element. Also, a moving unit joined to one end of each of the reflecting members for moving the reflecting members. Moreover, pivotal members joined to the reflecting members beside more their respective other side than one side of the reflecting members for controlling as pivots the movement of the reflecting member driven by the moving unit.