Rotating Gas Injector Layout to Avoid Substrate Holder Collisions

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing substrate processing apparatuses face challenges in efficiently supplying processing gases to substrates without the gas injector colliding with the substrate holder pillars during rotation, leading to inefficiencies and potential damage.

Innovation Solution

The design incorporates an injector with a gas supply portion having discharge holes at its leading end, which is connected to a gas introduction portion that can be rotated to avoid collisions with the substrate holder pillars, ensuring efficient gas supply while preventing contact.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If the gas injector is rotated to supply gas to substrates, then gas supply efficiency is improved, but the risk of collision with substrate holder pillars increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvegas supply efficiencyVSAvoidcollision risk

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The gas injector is designed with a rotatable mechanism that allows dynamic adjustment of its angular position. The injector can rotate to different angles to supply gas to substrates at various positions while avoiding collision with substrate holder pillars through controlled movement rather than fixed positioning.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The system performs preliminary positioning of the gas injector to optimal angles before substrate processing begins. The controller pre-positions the injector at safe angles that avoid pillar locations, and adjusts positioning throughout the process to maintain both gas supply efficiency and collision avoidance.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

2Ease of manufacture

If the injector structure is simplified, then manufacturing cost is reduced, but gas supply precision to substrates deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveinjector structure simplicityVSAvoidgas supply precision

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The gas injector is divided into separate functional components: a rotatable support mechanism, a gas supply tube with discharge holes, and a controller. This segmentation allows each component to be manufactured independently with standard processes while maintaining overall precision through modular assembly and controlled rotation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentUS11846023B2Injector and substrate processing apparatus using the same, and substrate processing method

Publication Date: 2023.12.19 TOKYO ELECTRON LTD

AI summary

There is provided an injector that extends in a longitudinal direction, including: a gas introduction part having a circular or a regular polygonal shape in a cross section perpendicular to the longitudinal direction and having no discharge holes; and a gas supply part having a protruded portion in one direction in the cross section perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, and having a plurality of discharge holes formed in a leading end of the protruded portion along the longitudinal direction, wherein a first end of the gas supply part in the longitudinal direction is connected to the gas introduction portion.