Multi-Level Cooling Channel Thermal Management for Substrate Uniformity
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current thermal management systems for substrate processing chambers face challenges in maintaining tight temperature control across multiple substrates during processing, particularly in clustered processing environments where heat loss and thermal uniformity issues arise, leading to inefficiencies and increased costs due to variations in deposition or etch rates.
Innovation Solution
A thermal management system featuring a cooling channel with parallel flow paths extending across multiple levels, allowing for efficient coolant distribution and heat transfer, which includes a cooling manifold connecting a heat exchanger with multiple flow paths to maintain uniform conductive and radiative heat transfer, ensuring temperature stability across substrates.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If multiple substrates are processed in the same chamber simultaneously, then processing throughput is improved, but temperature uniformity deteriorates due to heat loss and thermal variations
Solution Approach 1:
The thermal management system divides the cooling function into multiple independent cooling channels, each serving specific substrate processing regions. This segmentation allows independent temperature control for each channel, enabling simultaneous processing of multiple substrates while maintaining temperature uniformity across all regions by preventing thermal interference between adjacent processing zones.
2Manufacturing precision
If tight temperature control is implemented across multiple substrate regions, then manufacturing precision is improved, but device complexity increases due to multiple cooling channels and flow paths
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling system employs a nested hierarchical structure where a main cooling manifold branches into multiple cooling channels, which further divide into sub-channels and flow paths. This nested design allows centralized control at the manifold level while providing distributed temperature control at the channel level, achieving tight temperature control across multiple substrate regions without requiring completely independent control systems for each zone.
Solution Approach 2:
The cooling manifold and thermal mass structure serve multiple functions simultaneously: they distribute coolant to multiple cooling channels, provide thermal inertia for temperature stability, and act as structural support for the substrate processing chamber. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate dedicated components, thereby controlling device complexity while maintaining precise temperature control across multiple regions.
3Productivity
If clustered processing chambers are used to increase throughput, then productivity is improved, but heat loss increases due to multiple chamber transfers and vacuum breaking
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple substrate processing functions into a single vacuum chamber, eliminating the need for multiple separate chambers and substrate transfers. By integrating multiple processing regions within one chamber environment, the system maintains vacuum continuity and prevents repeated heating/cooling cycles associated with chamber transfers, thereby reducing heat loss while maintaining high throughput.
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 achieves temperature variations of less than 0.5°C across substrates, enhancing processing efficiency and throughput by maintaining uniform heat transfer and reducing assembly and service complexities.
Implementation Method 1
maintain uniform conductive and radiative heat transfer
Implementation Method 2
flowing a coolant through a cooling channel
Implementation Method 3
a first thermal mass, The plurality of first flow paths are in fluid communication with a plurality of parallel second flow paths extending along a second level in a second thermal mass
Implementation Method 4
The inlet is configured to connect a heat exchanger with a plurality of parallel first flow paths
Implementation Method 5
maintain uniform conductive and radiative heat transfer
Data Source
AI summary
A thermal management system comprising a fluid channel with a plurality of parallel first flow paths extending along a first level in a first thermal mass and a plurality of parallel second flow paths extending along a second level in a second thermal mass are described. Methods for controlling the temperature of a substrate or heater surface and fluid manifolds are also described.