Process Chamber Gas Manifold Sealing for Uniform Deposition
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing gas supply equipment in process chambers struggles to maintain deposition uniformity over time, particularly in semiconductor devices with shrinking component sizes, due to gas diffusion in angular directions causing unintended deposits and corrosion.
Innovation Solution
A sealed connection system is implemented using liners and connectors within the process chamber to prevent gas diffusion, ensuring precise control of gas concentrations over the substrate, comprising a gas manifold, inlet channels, connectors, and seals to maintain uniform gas flow.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If gas is provided from the side through a gas injector assembly, then the gas can be directed along a horizontal path over the substrate support, but gas diffusion occurs in angular directions causing unintended deposits and corrosion
Solution Approach 1:
The gas delivery system is segmented into discrete components: a gas injector assembly with multiple nozzles arranged in specific patterns, separate from the substrate support and chamber walls. This segmentation allows precise control of gas delivery paths while preventing angular diffusion by isolating the gas flow path from other chamber surfaces.
Solution Approach 2:
A carefully designed gas flow path acts as an intermediary between the gas source and the substrate, directing gas along a controlled horizontal path. The gas flow path includes defined inlet and outlet regions that prevent direct angular diffusion to unintended areas, serving as a mediator that controls gas distribution.
2Manufacturing precision
If gas injector assemblies are used to achieve high levels of deposition uniformity, then deposition uniformity can be improved, but the uniformity is difficult to maintain over time
Solution Approach 1:
The gas injector assembly is pre-configured with multiple nozzles arranged in specific patterns and orientations before operation. This preliminary arrangement ensures that gas is delivered uniformly across the substrate from the start, and the fixed geometry maintains this uniformity throughout the process duration without requiring adjustments.
Solution Approach 2:
The system controls gas flow parameters (flow rate, distribution pattern) through the gas injector assembly design to achieve uniform deposition. By optimizing these parameters in the gas delivery mechanism, the system maintains consistent deposition uniformity over time without degradation.
3Productivity
If component sizes in semiconductor devices are reduced, then device density is increased, but maintaining process goals becomes more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The gas injector assembly employs local quality by directing gas flow with different characteristics to different regions of the substrate. The nozzle arrangement and gas flow parameters are optimized to provide appropriate gas distribution for small components, ensuring uniform deposition even as device size decreases and component density increases.
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 enhances process uniformity by preventing gas diffusion, reducing unintended deposits and corrosion, and maintaining targeted deposition thickness across the substrate.
Implementation Method 1
Gases are provided to the interior of process chambers to perform processes (e.g., depositions or etching processes) on substrates
Data Source
AI summary
A process chamber is provided including: a chamber body and one or more liners disposed around an interior volume; a gas manifold including a plurality of inlet portions and a plurality of outlet portions, each inlet portion fluidly coupled to one of the outlet portions; a plurality of gas inlet channels, each gas inlet channel formed by one or surfaces of the one or more liners and each gas inlet channel fluidly coupled to the interior volume; a plurality of connectors, each connector extending from one of the gas inlet channels into one of the outlet portions of the gas manifold; and a seal positioned around each connector at a location inside one of the outlet portions of the gas manifold.