Rotating Plasma Needle Cleaning for Semiconductor Substrate Bevels
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing substrate processing systems face challenges in effectively cleaning deposits from the bevel and backside regions of semiconductor substrates, leading to issues like defocusing during lithography and stress in the bevel region due to unwanted film deposition and particle accumulation.
Innovation Solution
A system featuring plasma needles or edge electrodes around the substrate support, which generate plasma using reactive gases and an RF bias to etch and remove deposits, combined with a rotating substrate support for controlled exposure to plasma, ensuring efficient cleaning of the bevel regions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If conventional substrate processing systems are used, then deposition of film on substrate can be performed, but cleaning of deposits from bevel and backside regions is ineffective
Solution Approach 1:
The substrate support is segmented into multiple independent plasma needles arranged around its perimeter, each capable of generating plasma at specific locations. This segmentation allows targeted cleaning of different regions (bevel, backside, edge) with independent plasma sources, overcoming the limitation of conventional single-source systems that cannot effectively reach all problematic areas.
Solution Approach 2:
A rotating substrate support acts as an intermediary mechanism that brings different regions of the substrate sequentially past the plasma needles. This rotation enables areas initially shielded from direct plasma exposure (such as backside and bevel regions) to receive plasma treatment, thereby eliminating deposit accumulation in previously inaccessible zones.
2Manufacturing precision
If plasma cleaning is applied to bevel regions, then deposit removal is improved, but uniform exposure of all bevel portions to plasma is difficult to achieve
Solution Approach 1:
The substrate support is designed to rotate during plasma cleaning, dynamically changing the relative position between the substrate and plasma needles. This dynamic rotation ensures that all portions of the bevel region pass through the plasma zone, achieving uniform exposure and consistent cleaning across the entire bevel area, which would be impossible with a static configuration.
Solution Approach 2:
The rotating substrate support creates periodic exposure of different bevel regions to the plasma. By controlling the rotation speed and timing, the system ensures that each portion of the bevel receives the required plasma treatment duration, achieving uniform cleaning through repeated cyclic exposure rather than continuous static exposure.
3Manufacturing precision
If multiple plasma needles are arranged around the substrate support, then cleaning coverage is improved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Each plasma needle is designed as a multi-functional component that can serve multiple cleaning purposes depending on its position and operation timing. The same plasma needle structure is used throughout the system, and by rotating the substrate support, a single needle can effectively clean multiple different regions (edge, bevel, backside) sequentially, reducing the need for numerous specialized components.
Solution Approach 2:
The system controls plasma generation by changing operational parameters (which needles are active, rotation speed, gas flow rates) rather than physically reconfiguring the hardware. This allows flexible adjustment of cleaning coverage and intensity for different substrate types and deposit conditions, achieving high cleaning effectiveness without proportionally increasing physical system complexity.
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 system provides improved cleaning of the edge and bevel regions, reducing unwanted deposition and particle accumulation, thereby enhancing product yields and quality by uniformly exposing the bevel regions to plasma for effective etching and deposition control.
Implementation Method 1
The plasma needles are in fluid communication with a gas delivery system and are configured to supply reactive gases from the gas delivery system to a bevel region of the substrate when the substrate is arranged on the substrate support and electrically couple to the electrode of the substrate support and generate plasma around the bevel region of the substrate
Implementation Method 2
electrically couple to the electrode of the substrate support and generate plasma around the bevel region of the substrate
Implementation Method 3
The substrate support is configured to rotate. The substrate support is configured to rotate to control exposure of different portions of the bevel region to the plasma
Data Source
AI summary
A system for performing a bevel cleaning process on a substrate includes a substrate support including an electrode and a plurality of plasma needles arranged around a perimeter of the substrate support. The plasma needles are in fluid communication with a gas delivery system and are configured to supply reactive gases from the gas delivery system to a bevel region of the substrate when the substrate is arranged on the substrate support and electrically couple to the electrode of the substrate support and generate plasma around the bevel region of the substrate.