Semiconductor Plating Supply Pipe Aperture Ratio Optimization
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing semiconductor device manufacturing methods face challenges in achieving uniform film thickness and quality while maintaining low costs, particularly in electroless Ni plating processes, due to difficulties in ensuring uniform solution flow velocity and increased facility costs associated with complex bath structures.
Innovation Solution
A semiconductor device manufacturing apparatus with a reaction bath and supply pipes featuring ejection holes with varying aperture ratios, where the aperture ratio is higher further from the reservoir bath, ensuring uniform solution flow velocity and improving film thickness and quality uniformity without increasing facility costs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If the capacity of the Ni plating solution bath is increased or outer baths are provided on four sides to ensure uniform solution flow velocity, then film thickness and quality uniformity are improved, but the apparatus size becomes enormous and facility costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The supply pipe is designed with non-uniform hole distribution, where the aperture ratio varies along the longitudinal direction. Specifically, holes closer to the reservoir bath have smaller aperture ratios, while holes farther away have larger aperture ratios. This local variation in hole characteristics compensates for the non-uniform flow distribution, ensuring uniform solution flow velocity across all holes despite their different positions in the bath.
2Manufacturing precision
If a four-sided outer bath structure is provided to suppress air bubble streaks and improve film uniformity, then film quality uniformity is improved, but facility costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the parameter of hole aperture ratio along the longitudinal direction of the supply pipe. By making the aperture ratio vary (smaller near the reservoir, larger farther away), the system achieves uniform flow distribution and suppresses air bubble streaks without requiring the complex four-sided outer bath structure, thereby reducing facility costs while maintaining film quality uniformity.
3Productivity
If the aperture ratio of ejection holes is increased to improve deposition rate and throughput, then productivity is improved, but solution flow velocity uniformity decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The supply pipe implements local quality by varying the aperture ratio of holes at different positions. Holes farther from the reservoir bath have larger aperture ratios to increase local flow rate and deposition rate in that region, while holes closer to the reservoir have smaller aperture ratios. This positional variation maintains overall flow velocity uniformity across all holes while enabling higher productivity through optimized local flow characteristics.
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 uniform Ni plating film thickness and quality on semiconductor wafers with a simple configuration, maintaining productivity and suppressing facility cost increases by optimizing the aperture ratio of ejection holes in the supply pipes.
Implementation Method 1
it is necessary that the flow velocity of the solution in the Ni plating solution bath is made uniform for the purpose of ensuring film thickness and quality uniformity
Implementation Method 2
Electroless Ni plating using a technique referred to generally as a zincate process is used for the formation of Ni plating on an Al alloy electrode surface
Implementation Method 3
substituting a Ni film for the Zn film to form the Ni film by a self deposition reaction
Implementation Method 4
a pump 5, and a supply pipe 4 connected to the pump 5
Data Source
AI summary
There is provided a technique capable of forming a plating film excellent in film thickness and quality uniformity on a to-be-plated surface of a semiconductor wafer while suppressing an increase in costs of facilities. An apparatus for manufacturing a semiconductor device includes: a reaction bath; a supply pipe provided inside the reaction bath and including a plurality of ejection holes for ejecting the reaction solution, the ejecting holes being arranged in a longitudinal direction of the supply pipe; and an outer bath serving as a reservoir bath provided adjacent to the reaction bath on a first end side of the supply pipe and storing therein the reaction solution overflowed the reaction bath. The aperture ratio of part of the ejection holes more distant from the outer bath is at least partially higher than that of part of the ejection holes closer to the outer bath.