Showerhead Spray Hole Layout for Uniform Wafer Gas Distribution
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
The uniformity of gas spray on semiconductor wafers is affected by asymmetric chamber and gas pipe structures, leading to non-uniform processing.
Innovation Solution
A showerhead design with specific arrangements of spray holes, including more holes closer to the center and edges, and varying distances from the center to ensure uniform gas distribution across the wafer.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If a conventional showerhead with uniform spray hole distribution is used, then the structure is simple and easy to manufacture, but the gas spray uniformity across the wafer surface deteriorates due to asymmetric chamber and gas pipe structures
Solution Approach 1:
The showerhead plate is designed with non-uniform spray hole distribution where different regions have different numbers of spray holes. Specifically, the first spray hole group has a different number of spray holes than the second spray hole group, creating local variations in gas flow distribution to compensate for asymmetric chamber structures and achieve uniform gas spray across the wafer surface.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention intentionally introduces asymmetric features into the showerhead design by positioning spray hole groups at different distances from the center and giving them different numbers of spray holes. This asymmetric configuration counterbalances the asymmetric chamber and gas pipe structures, thereby achieving uniform gas distribution across the wafer processing area.
2Manufacturing precision
If spray holes are uniformly distributed across the showerhead plate, then the manufacturing process is simple, but the process uniformity of semiconductor wafer deteriorates due to position-dependent gas spray variations
Solution Approach 1:
The spray hole groups are configured with different local characteristics - the first spray hole group has a specific number of holes at a first distance from the center, while the second spray hole group has a different number of holes at a second distance from the center. This local differentiation in spray hole configuration compensates for position-dependent variations in gas spray, achieving uniform process conditions across the wafer surface.
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
Improves process uniformity by uniformly supplying gas to the semiconductor wafer, addressing non-uniformity issues.
Implementation Method 1
a showerhead configured to supply a gas into the chamber, wherein the showerhead includes a plate, a plurality of first spray hole groups in a first row from a center of the plate, and a second spray hole group in a second row outside the first row
Data Source
AI summary
There is provided a semiconductor device capable of improving the performance and reliability of a device. The semiconductor wafer processing device comprising a chamber, and, a showerhead configured to supply a gas into the chamber, wherein the showerhead includes, a plate, a plurality of first spray hole groups in a first row from a center of the plate, and a second spray hole group in a second row outside the first row, wherein each of the first spray hole groups includes a plurality of first spray holes, and when L is an average value of distances from the center of the plate to each spray hole of each of the first spray hole groups, the number of first spray holes where a distance from the center of the plate is smaller than L is more than the number of first spray holes where the distance from the center of the plate is greater than L.