Pre-Cleaning Chamber Collection Assembly for Particle Capture
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing semiconductor pre-cleaning chambers have a poor collection effect on particle impurities, leading to contamination of the inner wall and a high risk of re-contaminating the wafer.
Innovation Solution
A collection assembly comprising a protection plate with through-holes and a collection plate arranged at an interval, where the collection plate captures particle impurities by colliding with the airflow, reducing residue and maintaining chamber cleanliness.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a conventional pre-cleaning chamber design is used, then the pre-cleaning process can be performed, but the collection effect on particle impurities is poor and the inner wall becomes contaminated
Solution Approach 1:
The pre-cleaning chamber is divided into an upper chamber and a lower chamber by a partition plate with through-holes. This segmentation allows particle impurities to be collected in the lower chamber separately from the main processing area, improving the collection effect and preventing inner wall contamination in the upper chamber where wafers are processed.
Solution Approach 2:
A collection plate is introduced as an intermediary component in the lower chamber to capture particle impurities. The collection plate acts as a mediator that intercepts particles carried by gas flow through the partition plate, preventing them from reaching and contaminating the inner wall surfaces of the pre-cleaning chamber.
2Reliability
If particle impurities are not effectively collected, then the chamber structure remains simple, but the risk of re-contaminating the wafer increases
Solution Approach 1:
The chamber is segmented into two functional zones using a partition plate, creating distinct collection and processing areas. This relatively simple segmentation effectively isolates particle impurities without requiring complex collection systems, thereby maintaining wafer cleanliness while avoiding excessive structural complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
Particle impurities are extracted from the main gas flow path by directing them into the lower chamber through the partition plate. This extraction approach removes harmful particles from the wafer processing environment using a straightforward structural modification rather than complex active collection mechanisms.
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
Effectively collects and minimizes particle impurities, preventing inner wall contamination and reducing the risk of wafer re-contamination, with maintainable design for easy cleaning.
Implementation Method 1
the collection plate is located on a side of a gas outlet end of the first through-holes and configured to capture at least a part of the particle impurities in at least part of the semiconductor pre-cleaning chamber passing through the first through-holes
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention provides a collection assembly and a semiconductor pre-cleaning chamber, which relate to the semiconductor processing apparatus field. The collection assembly is configured to collect particle impurities in the semiconductor pre-cleaning chamber, and includes a protection plate and a collection plate arranged at an interval in the semiconductor pre-cleaning chamber. The protection plate is annular. A plurality of first through-holes are arranged at the protection plate and configured for the process gas in the semiconductor pre-cleaning chamber to pass through. The collection plate is located on a side of an air outlet end of the first through-holes and configured to capture at least a part of the particle impurities in the semiconductor precleaning chamber passing through the first through-holes. With the collection assembly of the present disclosure, the particle impurities can be effectively collected, the residual of the particle impurities is relatively few, which is not easy to contaminate an inner wall of the semiconductor pre-cleaning chamber. The risk of the wafer being contaminated again after pre-cleaning is also relatively low.