Radial Gas Supply and Gap Holding for Substrate Uniformity
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional substrate processing apparatuses face challenges in uniformly supplying gases to substrates, leading to insufficient exposure and reduced throughput due to gas diffusion in spacious areas and inefficient gas flow management.
Innovation Solution
A substrate processing apparatus with a rotatable substrate mounting table and line-shaped gas supply parts extending radially, combined with a gap holding member to create a predetermined gap for efficient gas passage, ensuring uniform gas exposure and high throughput by optimizing gas flow and exposure levels.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If gases are supplied from one end of a region and exhausted through the other end, then the exposure level of gases is sufficient at the supply end, but the exposure level becomes insufficient at the exhaust end
Solution Approach 1:
The gas supply part is divided into multiple line-shaped opening portions arranged in the radial direction of the substrate mounting table. This segmentation allows gas to be supplied from multiple locations simultaneously, ensuring uniform distribution across the substrate surface and eliminating the exposure gradient that occurs with single-point supply.
2Ease of operation
If an upper space of the substrate is made spacious, then the substrate can be easily accessed, but the gases become diffused and it becomes difficult to secure a high gas flow velocity
Solution Approach 1:
The gas supply transitions from a single-point source to a line-shaped distribution system extending in the radial direction. This dimensional change allows gas to be delivered along a linear path that spans the substrate radius, maintaining high flow velocity while covering the entire substrate surface uniformly.
3Device complexity
If conventional gas supply methods are used, then the system structure is simple, but it takes a long time to spread gases throughout the substrate surface or to supply/exhaust gases
Solution Approach 1:
The gas supply system is segmented into multiple line-shaped opening portions distributed radially across the processing region. This segmentation enables parallel gas delivery to multiple substrate locations simultaneously, dramatically reducing the time required for gas to reach the entire substrate surface compared to sequential propagation from a single point.
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 uniform high-level gas exposure and efficient processing, reducing the time required for gas supply and exhaust, thereby enhancing the throughput of the film forming process.
Implementation Method 1
a line-shaped opening portion extending in a radial direction of the substrate mounting table and configured to supply a gas from the opening portion into the at least one region
Implementation Method 2
gases may be diffused due to the spacious area, which may result in difficulty in securing a high gas flow velocity
Data Source
AI summary
A substrate processing apparatus, including: a processing chamber having a first and a second processing regions; a substrate mounting table rotatably installed in the processing chamber on which a substrate is mounted, and a rotation instrument configured to rotate the substrate mounting table such that the substrate passes through the first processing region and the second processing region in this order, at least one of the first and the second processing regions including: a gas supply part including a line-shaped opening portion extending in a radial direction of the substrate mounting table and configured to supply a gas from the opening portion into the region; and a gap holding member protruding from a ceiling of the processing chamber opposing the substrate, around the opening portion, toward the substrate such that a space on the substrate has a predetermined gap to serve as a passage of the supplied gas.