Selective Injection Plate for Uniform Etch Rate Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing dry etch apparatuses struggle to uniformly distribute gases across larger substrates and achieve varying etch rates across different regions, leading to inconsistent thin film formation in liquid crystal display device manufacturing.
Innovation Solution
The apparatus incorporates a selective injection plate with a valve that concentrates gases onto specific areas of the substrate, allowing for varying gas injection rates across the substrate surface, enabling selective treatment of regions and controlled thin film deposition/etching.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If gas is supplied uniformly across the entire upper electrode surface, then the substrate treatment is simplified, but gas distribution uniformity deteriorates on larger substrates leading to inconsistent etch rates
Solution Approach 1:
The upper electrode is divided into multiple regions with separate gas supply channels, allowing independent gas flow control for center and edge portions. This segmentation enables differentiated gas distribution to achieve uniform etch rates across the entire substrate surface.
Solution Approach 2:
Different gas injection rates are applied to different regions of the substrate - the center portion receives one gas flow rate while the edge portion receives another. This local quality approach compensates for the natural gas distribution gradients in larger substrates, ensuring consistent thin film formation across the entire surface.
2Device complexity
If a single gas injection rate is used across the substrate, then the gas supply system is simplified, but etch rate variation between center and edge portions increases
Solution Approach 1:
The gas injection system is made dynamically adjustable with independent control of gas flow rates for different electrode regions. This allows the system to adapt gas distribution to match the specific requirements of center and edge portions, achieving uniform etch rates while maintaining manageable system complexity through modular control.
3Area of stationary object
If the substrate size is increased to meet display demands, then the display capacity is improved, but gas distribution uniformity across the substrate surface deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The gas supply system is segmented into multiple zones corresponding to different substrate regions. Each zone has independent gas flow control, allowing the system to maintain uniform gas distribution and consistent thin film quality even as substrate area increases to meet larger display requirements.
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 solution ensures uniform gas distribution and varying etch rates across the substrate, improving the precision and quality of thin film formation, particularly addressing the challenges of center and edge portion etching in larger substrates.
Implementation Method 1
a selective injection plate above the upper electrode, the selective injection plate including a selective injection valve for selectively concentrating a gas supplied through the gas inlet onto a portion of the upper electrode
Implementation Method 2
a chamber for a plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) apparatus and a chamber for a dry etch apparatus
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus for forming a thin film on a substrate includes a chamber having a gas inlet, an upper electrode in the chamber, the upper electrode having a plurality of nozzles, a lower electrode in the chamber for supporting the substrate thereon, the lower electrode being spaced apart from the upper electrode, and a selective injection plate above the upper electrode, the selective injection plate including a selective injection valve for selectively concentrating a gas supplied through the gas inlet onto a portion of the upper electrode.