Plasma Annealing Backside Substrate Heating Uniformity
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing semiconductor manufacturing methods face challenges in performing uniform thermal treatment of substrates using plasma, leading to potential damage from electromagnetic fields and heating unevenness, which affects the performance and integrity of semiconductor devices.
Innovation Solution
A semiconductor manufacturing method and apparatus that irradiate the opposite surface of the substrate with plasma while moving the substrate relative to a plasma generating apparatus, using a substrate holder and movement mechanism to ensure the opposite surface faces the plasma generating apparatus, thereby minimizing electromagnetic damage and achieving uniform heating.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the substrate is irradiated with plasma from the front surface (where devices are formed), then the annealing process can be performed, but the semiconductor devices may be damaged by strong electromagnetic fields
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies inversion by irradiating the back surface (opposite surface) of the substrate with plasma instead of the front surface where devices are formed. This reverses the conventional approach and allows the electromagnetic fields to act on the substrate from the back, preventing direct exposure of devices to harmful fields while still achieving the desired annealing effect through thermal conduction from the substrate.
2Speed
If laser is used to heat the substrate for short period annealing, then heating speed is improved, but heating unevenness occurs across different portions of the substrate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from point-by-point laser heating to area-wide plasma heating by irradiating the entire back surface of the substrate simultaneously. This dimensional change from linear scanning to surface-wide treatment eliminates heating unevenness while maintaining fast heating speed, as the plasma covers the entire substrate area in one treatment cycle.
3Manufacturing precision
If the substrate is moved relative to the plasma generating apparatus, then uniform heating across the substrate is achieved, but the complexity of the apparatus increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent simplifies the system by inverting the approach: instead of moving the substrate or using complex multi-position plasma sources, it achieves uniform heating by irradiating the entire back surface of the substrate with plasma simultaneously. This eliminates the need for relative movement mechanisms while maintaining heating uniformity across the substrate.
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 effectively suppresses electrostatic damage to semiconductor devices and ensures uniform thermal treatment, resulting in high-performance semiconductor devices with reduced defects from heating unevenness.
Implementation Method 1
generates plasma by allowing electromagnetic fields to act on a plasma gas
Implementation Method 2
irradiating a second surface of the substrate with plasma of the plasma generating apparatus
Data Source
AI summary
In a semiconductor manufacturing method for performing thermal treatment of a substrate with plasma while moving the substrate on which devices are formed relatively to a plasma generating apparatus which generates the plasma by allowing electromagnetic fields to act on a plasma gas, a second surface of the substrate is irradiated with the plasma of the plasma generating apparatus in a state where the second surface of the substrate which is the opposite side of a first surface of the substrate on which the devices are formed faces the plasma generating apparatus.