Plasma Fluid Head Layout for Uniform Film Thickness
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing film forming apparatuses face challenges in achieving uniform film thickness distribution due to non-uniform concentration of organometallic gas across the substrate, leading to difficulties in controlling film thickness uniformly.
Innovation Solution
A film forming apparatus with a fluid head that includes a plasma chamber and a gas flow path, featuring multiple two-dimensionally dispersed outflow ports for active species and source gases, along with a heater to control substrate temperature, ensuring uniform distribution and reduced thermal decomposition of gases.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If the organometallic gas flows from the outer peripheral side toward the inside of the substrate, then the gas supply structure is simplified, but the concentration of the organometallic gas becomes high at the outer peripheral portion and low at the central portion, making it difficult to control uniform film thickness
Solution Approach 1:
The gas supply system is segmented into multiple independent gas supply ports arranged in a specific pattern. The organometallic gas is supplied through multiple distributed ports rather than a single centralized port, allowing independent control of gas flow to different regions of the substrate. This segmentation enables compensation for the natural flow distribution pattern, maintaining uniform gas concentration across the substrate surface despite the simplified overall structure.
2Device complexity
If the plasma chamber is positioned farther from the substrate, then the device structure is simplified, but the film formation efficiency decreases and thermal decomposition increases
Solution Approach 1:
The plasma chamber is positioned closer to the substrate in the vertical dimension, reducing the distance for plasma species transport. This spatial reconfiguration in the vertical dimension compensates for the increased horizontal complexity of the multi-port gas supply system, enabling both high film formation efficiency and uniform gas distribution simultaneously.
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 achieves more uniform film thickness by dispersively arranging outflow ports and positioning the plasma chamber closer to the substrate, enhancing efficiency and reducing thermal decomposition, thereby forming high-quality films with consistent thickness.
Implementation Method 1
a plasma source that plasmatizes the first source gas in the plasma chamber; a plurality of first outflow ports that communicate with the plasma chamber, and are two-dimensionally dispersively arrayed in an overlapping region overlapping with the first main surface of the substrate in plan view, and allow active species generated by plasmatization of the first source gas to flow out toward the first main surface of the substrate
Implementation Method 2
a heater that heats the substrate from a second main surface side of the substrate
Data Source
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AI summary
A film forming apparatus (100) includes a chamber (1), a mounting table (21), and a fluid head (3). The fluid head (3) is provided at a position facing the first main surface of the substrate (W) placed on the mounting table (21) in the chamber (1). The fluid head (3) includes a plasma chamber (4b), a plasma source (5), a plurality of first outflow ports (4c), a gas flow path (6b), and a plurality of second outflow ports (6c). The plasma source (5) plasmatizes the first source gas in the plasma chamber (4b). The first outflow ports (4c) are two-dimensionally dispersively arrayed in an overlapping region overlapping the first main surface of the substrate W in plan view. The active species derived from the first source gas flows out from the first outflow ports (4c) toward the first main surface of the substrate W. The plurality of second outflow ports (6c) are two-dimensionally dispersively arrayed at positions different from the plurality of first outflow ports (4c) in the overlapping region. The second source gas flows out from the plurality of second outflow ports (6c) toward the first main surface of the substrate W.