Photon Beam Surface Texturing for Clean Semiconductor Chamber Parts
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing texturizing methods for semiconductor processing chamber components, such as bead blasting and electromagnetic beams, face challenges including difficulty in controlling uniformity and repeatability, potential for introducing contamination, and high capital costs and size constraints associated with vacuum environments.
Innovation Solution
A method using a beam of photons directed and scanned across the surface of components within a semiconductor processing chamber, forming depressions, protuberances, or combinations thereof, without the need for a vacuum environment, thus avoiding the limitations of bead blasting and electromagnetic beam texturizing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If bead blasting is used to texturize the surface, then surface roughness is improved, but uniformity and repeatability control becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical bead blasting system with an electromagnetic beam system. The electromagnetic beam (electron beam or ion beam) directly modifies the surface through energy deposition, eliminating the need for physical blasting beads and mechanical impact processes. This substitution enables precise control over surface roughness while achieving uniform and repeatable results through beam parameter control (energy, duration, scanning pattern).
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes changes in electromagnetic beam parameters (energy levels, beam current, pulse duration, scanning speed) to precisely control the texturizing process. By adjusting these parameters, the system can achieve desired surface roughness values with high uniformity and repeatability, overcoming the control difficulties inherent in mechanical bead blasting.
2Manufacturing precision
If bead blasting is used to texturize the surface, then surface texture is formed, but contamination is introduced through sharp jagged surfaces and broken tips
Solution Approach 1:
The electromagnetic beam system replaces mechanical impact, eliminating the creation of sharp jagged edges and broken tips that occur during bead blasting. The beam gradually modifies the surface through controlled energy deposition and material removal, producing a smoother transition and reducing contaminant generation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent converts the potentially harmful high-energy electromagnetic beam into a beneficial texturizing tool by controlling its parameters to remove material in a controlled manner. The beam energy is used to selectively remove contaminants and form desirable surface textures without creating new contamination sources, effectively turning a powerful energy source into a precision surface treatment tool.
3Measurement precision
If electromagnetic beam is used to texturize the surface, then uniformity and repeatability are improved, but capital costs and device complexity increase due to vacuum chamber requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs photon beams (ultraviolet or visible light) instead of traditional electron or ion beams, operating at atmospheric pressure rather than requiring vacuum conditions. This parameter change in the electromagnetic spectrum used eliminates the need for expensive vacuum chambers while maintaining the precision and control benefits of electromagnetic beam texturizing.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses photons from conventional light sources (lasers or arc lamps) which are simpler and less expensive than vacuum-based electromagnetic beam systems. The photon beam delivers the necessary energy for texturizing without requiring complex vacuum infrastructure, significantly reducing capital costs and device complexity while maintaining texturizing effectiveness.
4Manufacturing precision
If electromagnetic beam is used to texturize the surface, then texturizing precision is improved, but component size is limited by vacuum chamber dimensions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses photon beams operating at atmospheric pressure, which eliminates the vacuum chamber size constraint. Large components can be texturized in open or ambient environment setups, allowing the treatment area to be limited only by the component dimensions and the light source power, not by vacuum chamber size.
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 approach enables precise control over surface texture formation, reduces contamination risks, and lowers capital and operational costs compared to traditional methods, while maintaining the ability to texturize components of various sizes.
Implementation Method 1
directing a beam of photons through ambient air or nitrogen at the surface of the component; and scanning the beam of photons across a first region of the surface of the component to form a plurality of features on the surface within the first region
Data Source
AI summary
A system to provide a texture to a surface of a component for use in a semiconductor processing chamber is provided. The system includes an enclosure comprising a processing region, a support disposed in the processing region, a photon light source to generate a stream of photons, an optical module operably coupled to the photon light source, and a lens. The optical module includes a beam modulator to create a beam of photons from the stream of photons generated from the photon light source, and a beam scanner to scan the beam of photons across the surface of the component. The lens is used to receive the beam of photons from the beam scanner and distribute the beam of photons at a wavelength in a range between about 345 nm and about 1100 nm across the surface of the component to form a plurality of features on the component.