Plasma Processing Substrate Supporter with Peripheral Pin Relocation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional plasma etching apparatuses face challenges in securely supporting substrates during processing, leading to arc discharges, substrate damage, and increased defect rates due to gaps between the substrate and the supporter, which affects the yield and reliability of semiconductor and flat panel display devices.
Innovation Solution
A substrate supporter with equiangular arms and a supporting ring that includes protrusions to securely position the substrate, combined with a plasma processing apparatus using separate electrodes to control gas discharge and plasma formation, minimizing arc discharges and ensuring stable substrate mounting.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a lift pin is employed to support a substrate in the processing region, then the substrate can be supported during etching, but arc discharge is induced and the substrate can be damaged
Solution Approach 1:
The substrate support structure is extracted from the processing region and relocated to a non-processing region. The support pins are positioned at the periphery of the substrate, outside the plasma etching zone, thereby removing the source of arc discharge while maintaining substrate support functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
A separate support structure consisting of multiple support pins is introduced as an intermediary element. These pins are distributed at the substrate periphery and serve as mediators to hold the substrate stable without interfering with the central plasma processing region, thus preventing arc discharge.
2Reliability
If multiple lift pins are used to support the substrate, then the substrate can be securely mounted, but the supported portions are not etched requiring separate etching processes
Solution Approach 1:
The etching process is applied locally to the entire substrate surface including the periphery, by positioning the support pins at the extreme edge and using a plasma source that can reach the entire substrate area. This ensures uniform etching quality across all regions while maintaining secure substrate mounting.
Solution Approach 2:
The support structure is moved from a central vertical support configuration to a peripheral distributed support configuration. By placing support pins at the substrate periphery in a different spatial arrangement, the plasma can uniformly access the entire substrate surface for etching while maintaining mechanical stability.
3Device complexity
If the substrate is supported by only a lower pin, then the structure is simple, but it is difficult to ensure stable mounting and the substrate may separate during vibration
Solution Approach 1:
The single support point is segmented into multiple distributed support pins located at the substrate periphery. This segmentation provides multiple contact points that collectively ensure stable substrate mounting and prevent separation during vibration, while keeping each individual support element simple in structure.
Solution Approach 2:
Multiple support pins are combined to work together as a unified support system. The collective action of several pins distributed around the substrate periphery provides enhanced stability and vibration resistance compared to a single pin, while maintaining structural simplicity.
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 solution enables expeditious etching with reduced fabrication costs, prevents environmentally harmful waste, and increases the yield and reliability of final products by effectively protecting unetched surfaces and stabilizing substrate mounting.
Implementation Method 1
Conversely, when dry etching using plasma is employed to remove thin films or particles on and under a substrate
Implementation Method 2
reactive gas is discharged into the space defined between a plate and the front surface of a wafer, and etching is performed with plasma formed at a rear surface of the wafer
Implementation Method 3
because substrate supporters that support substrates typically employ electrostatic power or negative pressure to mount a substrate
Data Source
AI summary
There is provided a substrate supporter capable of securely supporting a substrate such as a wafer on which a device having a predetermined thin film pattern is formed to remove various impurities formed on the rear surface of the substrate, and a plasma processing apparatus having the same. The plasma processing apparatus includes: at least one arm; and a supporting portion extending from the arm toward a substrate seating position of the substrate, so that the plasma processing apparatus can reduce the likelihood of arc discharges compared with conventional dry etching to increase process yield and product reliability, and ensure stable mounting of a substrate.