Shielding Mechanism for Substrate Carrier Protection
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Solution Overview
Problem
During the cleaning process of thin-film deposition equipment, pollutants removed from the chamber can contaminate the substrate carrier, requiring a mechanism to isolate the reaction space and prevent pollution.
Innovation Solution
A shielding mechanism with a drive arm and guide unit moves a shield between a storage and shielding state to cover the substrate carrier, using a foldable or stretchable robotic arm to ensure stable and durable protection against plasma and pollutants during cleaning.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If the substrate carrier is extracted or kept out during cleaning, then the substrate carrier is protected from pollution, but the cleaning process becomes more complex and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
A shield is introduced as an intermediary component between the substrate carrier and the cleaning plasma source. The shield moves into position during cleaning to block plasma ions from reaching the substrate carrier, allowing in-situ cleaning without extraction while preventing pollution. This mediator enables the cleaning process to proceed independently of substrate carrier positioning.
Solution Approach 2:
The shield is designed with movable capabilities, transitioning between different positions (in-chamber and out-of-chamber) based on operational mode. During cleaning, the shield moves into the reaction chamber to provide protection; during deposition, it moves out to allow substrate processing. This dynamic positioning enables a single chamber design to support both cleaning and deposition functions.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If a thick and heavy shield is used, then the shield provides better protection against plasma and pollutants, but the shield becomes more difficult to move and control
Solution Approach 1:
The shield structure is divided into multiple segments or panels that can move independently or in coordination. This segmentation reduces the weight and inertia of each individual component while maintaining the overall protective function when all segments are in position. The segmented design also allows for more flexible actuation and control mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The shield positioning system replaces heavy mechanical movement with lighter actuation mechanisms, such as magnetic actuators, pneumatic cylinders, or motorized linear actuators. These mechanisms provide sufficient force to move the shield while enabling precise positioning and easier control compared to pure mechanical systems. The actuation system is integrated with the chamber's existing vacuum and control infrastructure.
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure is a substrate-processing chamber with a shielding mechanism, which includes a reaction chamber, a substrate carrier, a storage chamber and a shielding mechanism. The reaction chamber is connected to the storage chamber, the substrate carrier is within the reaction chamber. The shielding mechanism includes at least one guide unit, at least one connecting seat, a shield and at least one drive arm. The drive arm is connected to the shield for driving the shield to move between the storage chamber and the reaction chamber. During a deposition process, the drive arm drives the shield to move into the storage space. During a cleaning process, the drive arm moves the shield to move into the reaction chamber for prevent pollution to the substrate carrier.