Raw Material Supply Apparatus Stabilizing Sublimation Efficiency
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
The existing raw material supply systems for semiconductor manufacturing face instability in sublimation efficiency due to temperature changes within the raw material vessel, leading to fluctuations in the supply of solid raw materials, which affects the uniformity and thickness of thin films, resulting in reduced yield.
Innovation Solution
A method and apparatus that involve sublimating a solid raw material, trapping the sublimated material with a carrier gas, measuring trapped amounts over time, calculating the trapping rate and refilling based on these measurements to stabilize the supply, ensuring consistent delivery to the consumption area.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the solid raw material is continuously supplied and heated in the raw material vessel, then the sublimation rate increases, but the temperature fluctuates causing instability in sublimation efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The raw material supply system is divided into two separate vessels: a first raw material vessel for storing solid raw material and a second raw material vessel for supplying sublimated raw material to the reaction chamber. This segmentation allows independent temperature control and supply rate regulation, stabilizing sublimation efficiency while maintaining productivity.
Solution Approach 2:
A carrier gas is introduced as an intermediary medium to transport the sublimated raw material from the first vessel to the second vessel. The carrier gas flow rate is independently controllable, allowing stable transport conditions that compensate for temperature fluctuations in the sublimation zone, thereby maintaining reliable supply.
2Reliability
If the carrier gas flow rate is increased to maintain supply stability, then the raw material supply becomes more stable, but the temperature distribution in the raw material vessel changes causing sublimation efficiency to decrease
Solution Approach 1:
The system employs dynamic control of carrier gas flow rate based on real-time monitoring of raw material supply conditions. The flow rate is adjusted within a predetermined range to maintain supply stability without causing excessive temperature changes that would reduce sublimation efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The system independently controls multiple parameters including carrier gas flow rate, heating temperature, and vessel pressure. By optimizing these parameters together, the system achieves stable raw material supply while maintaining high sublimation efficiency through coordinated parameter adjustment rather than relying on single parameter changes.
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
This approach stabilizes the flow rate of the raw material supply, enhancing the uniformity of thin film quality and increasing yield by maintaining consistent sublimation efficiency and supply stability.
Implementation Method 1
heating means configured to heat the solid raw material to sublimate the solid raw material
Implementation Method 2
supply a sublimated gas together with the carrier gas into a process chamber through a gas supply path
Data Source
AI summary
A method includes: transmitting a sublimated raw material together with a carrier gas to a raw material trapping part where the raw material is temporarily trapped; calculating a difference between trapped amounts of the raw material trapped in the raw material trapping part during a predetermined period of time as an increase in trapped amount; obtaining at least one of a period of time required to reach the trapped amount to a target value and a trapping rate of the raw material, based on the increase, a period of trapping time, and a trapped amount measured at the time of completing trapping the raw material; refilling the raw material into the raw material trapping part based on the at least one of the period of refilling time and the trapping rate; and sublimating the raw material and supplying the same together with the carrier gas to a consumption area.