Porous Ceramic Substrate Supporting Member for Vacuum Sealing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional substrate supporting members used in semiconductor manufacturing processes face challenges in maintaining high vacuum conditions due to porosity issues and thermal expansion coefficient differences, leading to gas leakage and sealing performance degradation.
Innovation Solution
A substrate supporting member is designed with a plate-shaped ceramic body, a composite material body made of porous ceramic with metal-filled pores, and a metallic plate, all joined with specific joint materials to minimize porosity and match thermal expansion coefficients, ensuring effective sealing and reduced warping.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If a base body made of porous ceramic and filler metal is used, then thermal conductivity is improved, but gas leakage occurs through remaining pores
Solution Approach 1:
The invention uses porous ceramic as the base body material which inherently provides good thermal conductivity. The porous structure allows for efficient heat dissipation while maintaining mechanical integrity. However, the pores create gas leakage pathways that must be addressed through additional sealing measures.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention combines porous ceramic with filler metal to create a composite base body that achieves both high thermal conductivity and improved sealing. The metal fills some of the pores to block gas leakage paths while the ceramic matrix maintains the porous structure for thermal management. This composite approach resolves the contradiction between thermal performance and sealing reliability.
2Reliability
If sealing means such as O-rings are used in the periphery, then sealing is achieved, but pores exposed in the surface communicate with the sealing surface
Solution Approach 1:
The invention segments the base body structure by distinguishing between the porous ceramic interior and the sealed periphery. The sealing means is positioned at the peripheral edge where it can effectively seal without being compromised by pores in the central loading area. This segmentation allows the porous structure to maintain thermal conductivity while the sealed periphery prevents gas leakage into the processing chamber.
Solution Approach 2:
The sealing means (O-ring or equivalent) acts as an intermediary element between the base body and the processing chamber wall. It creates a sealed interface that prevents gas flow paths from the porous base body to the chamber interior. The sealing means mediates the interaction between the porous structure and the vacuum environment, blocking harmful gas flow while allowing thermal conduction through the base body.
3Strength
If ceramic body and base body are joined, then structural integrity is improved, but difference in thermal expansion coefficient causes warp
Solution Approach 1:
The invention carefully selects and adjusts the material composition and thermal expansion coefficients of both the ceramic body and the porous ceramic base body to minimize the difference between them. By controlling material parameters such as ceramic grain size, porosity, and filler metal content, the thermal expansion mismatch is reduced, thereby minimizing warping during temperature cycles while maintaining strong structural integrity through the joined configuration.
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 maintains high vacuum conditions in processing chambers, enhances sealing performance, and reduces warping, thereby stabilizing processing conditions for semiconductor devices.
Implementation Method 1
a plate-shaped composite material body which is joined to a surface of the ceramic body opposite to the substrate supporting surface with a joint material interposed therebetween and made of porous ceramic with pores filled with metal
Implementation Method 2
a plate-shaped ceramic body having a surface serving as a substrate supporting surface; a plate-shaped composite material body which is joined to a surface of the ceramic body opposite to the substrate supporting surface with a joint material interposed therebetween
Data Source
AI summary
A substrate supporting member includes: a plate-shaped ceramic body having a surface serving as a substrate supporting surface; a plate-shaped composite material body which is joined to a surface of the ceramic body opposite to the substrate supporting surface with a joint material interposed therebetween and the plate-shaped composite material body made of porous ceramic with pores filled with metal, the composite material body having a porosity of more than 0% and not more than 5%; and a metallic plate which is joined to a surface of the composite material body opposite to the surface joined to the ceramic body with a joint material interposed therebetween.