Plasma Cleaning Nozzle With Deflector Cooling for Chamber Hardware
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Solution Overview
Problem
In semiconductor wafer processing, the high-velocity, high-temperature plasma used for remote plasma cleaning can cause damage to hardware components like rotational indexers due to overheating and thermal expansion issues, as traditional indexers with solid central hubs are not effective for newer kinematic linkage systems.
Innovation Solution
A nozzle with a deflector structure is designed to disperse the plasma flow, reducing its velocity and heat concentration on hardware components, featuring a conical frustum surface and elongate supports with cooling passages to manage heat effectively.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If high-velocity plasma is used for remote plasma cleaning, then cleaning efficiency is improved, but hardware components like rotational indexers are damaged due to overheating and thermal expansion
Solution Approach 1:
A deflector structure is introduced as an intermediary component between the plasma source and the rotational indexer. This deflector intercepts the high-velocity plasma flow and redirects it, preventing direct impingement on the rotational indexer while still allowing plasma to contact the chamber walls for cleaning. The deflector structure with its cooling passages acts as a thermal buffer, absorbing and dissipating heat away from sensitive hardware components.
Solution Approach 2:
The plasma flow path is segmented by introducing the deflector structure that divides the single high-velocity plasma stream into multiple lower-velocity flows. The cooling passages within the deflector structure further segment the thermal load by distributing heat dissipation across multiple cooling channels, preventing concentration of thermal energy at any single point on the rotational indexer.
2Productivity
If plasma flow velocity is increased to improve cleaning effectiveness, then cleaning performance is enhanced, but thermal expansion and overheating of components worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The deflector structure serves as a thermal intermediary that decouples the high-velocity plasma generation from the sensitive rotational indexer. By positioning the deflector in the plasma path, it absorbs the thermal energy from high-velocity plasma and dissipates it through cooling passages, allowing high plasma velocity for cleaning effectiveness while maintaining low temperatures on hardware components.
Solution Approach 2:
A cooling fluid is circulated through the cooling passages in the deflector structure via hydraulic flow. This fluid acts as a heat transfer medium, absorbing thermal energy from the deflector structure that is exposed to high-velocity plasma, and carrying it away to a cooling system, thereby maintaining the deflector and underlying components at safe operating temperatures.
3Strength
If traditional solid central hub indexers are used, then structural strength is maintained, but they are incompatible with newer kinematic linkage systems requiring different geometry
Solution Approach 1:
The deflector structure is designed with locally optimized geometry that addresses specific functional requirements rather than using a uniform design. The conical frustum shape with varying thickness and the strategically positioned cooling passages create local variations in structural properties and plasma interaction characteristics, allowing adaptation to kinematic linkage systems while maintaining necessary strength where required.
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 nozzle effectively reduces the risk of hardware damage during plasma cleaning by dispersing the plasma flow and maintaining the nozzle's temperature within safe limits, ensuring efficient chamber cleaning while protecting sensitive components.
Implementation Method 1
a first cooling passage may extend through at least one of the one or more elongate supports, a second cooling passage may extend through at least one of the one or more elongate supports, and the deflector structure may have one or more hollow interior regions that are fluidically connected with, and fluidically interposed between, the first cooling passage and the second cooling passage
Implementation Method 2
The nozzle may be fluidically connected with a gas source and a plasma generator, the plasma generator fluidically interposed between the gas source and the nozzle
Data Source
AI summary
Nozzles for providing gas into a semiconductor wafer process chamber are disclosed. The nozzles may include a deflector structure that has a surface facing the nozzle outlet so as to redirect gas as it enters a chamber. The nozzles may also have a cooling system to remove heat provided to the deflector structure through the flow of plasma through the nozzle. The deflector structure may be used to distribute the plasma flowed therethrough in a more evenly distributed manner, thereby protecting hardware within the process chamber from potential hotspots. This has the further effect of redirecting gases more efficiently throughout the chamber.