Shower Plate Through Hole Grain Protrusion for Particle Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional shower plates in semiconductor manufacturing apparatuses suffer from particle pollution due to micro cracks on the inner surfaces of through holes, which are formed by machine work, leading to grain removal and particle generation during the use of corrosive gases.
Innovation Solution
A shower plate with a ceramic sintered body featuring through holes with protruding crystal grains that exceed the exposed grain boundary phases, reducing contact between the corrosive gas and these phases, thereby minimizing corrosion and particle generation, is developed. The manufacturing method involves granulating ceramic powder, molding, and firing without machine work on the inner surfaces to create the protruding crystal grains.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If machine work (boring with drill or machine work) is applied to form through holes in the shower plate, then the through holes can be formed with required dimensions and positions, but micro cracks are generated on the inner surfaces causing particle pollution
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts and eliminates the harmful machine work process from the through hole formation. Instead of using drills or machine work that create micro cracks, the patent forms through holes directly during the ceramic sintering process by creating a green body with through holes and sintering it without applying machine work to the inner surfaces, thereby removing the source of particle pollution.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention performs preliminary action by forming the through holes in the green body (unfired state) before sintering. The green body is prepared with through holes using molding techniques, and then the entire structure is sintered in one process without subsequent machine work on the inner surfaces, preventing micro crack formation before it can occur.
2Ease of manufacture
If machine work is applied to the inner surfaces of through holes, then the through holes can be formed, but grain removal occurs leading to particle generation
Solution Approach 1:
The invention removes the machine work step from the manufacturing process entirely. Through holes are formed in the green body using molding methods, and the inner surfaces are left as-fired without any mechanical machining, thereby eliminating the grain removal mechanism that causes particle generation.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the manufacturing parameters by forming through holes in the green body at lower density before sintering, rather than attempting to machine hardened ceramic. The sintering process then densifies the material while maintaining the through hole structure, achieving manufacturability without the harmful effects of post-sintering machine work.
3Ease of operation
If conventional shower plates with machine-worked through holes are used, then the apparatus can operate, but particle pollution occurs during corrosive gas introduction
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts and eliminates the source of particle pollution (machine-worked inner surfaces with micro cracks) while maintaining the shower plate's operational function. The through holes are formed cleanly during sintering without machine work, allowing corrosive gas introduction to proceed normally without generating particles.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention uses a ceramic composite structure where the through hole inner surfaces consist of sintered ceramic material with protruding crystal grains rather than mechanically worked surfaces. This composite structure maintains chemical resistance to corrosive gases while eliminating the micro crack network that generates particles.
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 solution effectively suppresses the generation of particles from the shower plate's inner surfaces, reducing errors in wafer treatment and improving the reliability of semiconductor manufacturing processes by maintaining the structural integrity of the ceramic sintered body.
Implementation Method 1
the first molded body is fired to obtain a ceramic sintered body
Data Source
AI summary
A shower plate according to the present disclosure includes a ceramic sintered body, the ceramic sintered body comprising a first surface, a second surface facing the first surface, and a through hole positioned between the first surface and the second surface. An inner surface of the through hole includes a protruding crystal grain which protrudes more than an exposed part of a grain boundary phase existing between crystal grains. In addition, a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to the present disclosure includes the shower plate mentioned above.