Sloped Pin Substrate Chuck for Drying Uniformity
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Solution Overview
Problem
Advanced semiconductor integrated circuits (ICs) face challenges in complete cleaning and drying due to the shrinking geometry sizes and increasing complexity, leading to issues like capillary action that can result in residual water and particle defects, as well as pattern collapse, especially in features like FinFET devices with high aspect ratios.
Innovation Solution
A substrate processing apparatus with a spin chuck and holding members featuring sloped pins to reduce capillary action, ensuring uniform treatment fluid distribution and effective drying, utilizing a combination of de-ionized water and isopropyl alcohol with nitrogen gas, and heating to vaporize remaining fluids, thereby maintaining fluid thickness and preventing thinning at the substrate edges.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If wet solvent is used to clean features of advanced ICs, then cleaning effectiveness is improved, but complete flow into and out of features is hindered due to capillary action causing residual water and pattern collapse
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the physical parameters of the drying process by controlling substrate rotation speed and heater temperature to manage fluid evaporation and removal. By adjusting these parameters, the system achieves complete drying without pattern collapse, resolving the contradiction between cleaning effectiveness and residual water prevention
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes phase transition of the wet solvent from liquid to vapor through controlled heating. The heater vaporizes the liquid solvent, and the substrate rotation distributes the vapor for uniform removal, effectively eliminating residual water while maintaining feature integrity
2Manufacturing precision
If substrate rotation speed is increased to improve drying uniformity, then fluid distribution is improved, but fluid thinning at substrate edges occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs dynamic control of substrate rotation speed to balance centrifugal forces. By optimizing the rotation speed, the system achieves uniform fluid distribution across the substrate surface without excessive thinning at edges, maintaining both drying uniformity and fluid thickness
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 provides a more uniformly cleaned and dried substrate with reduced pattern collapse and defects, ensuring better processing uniformity and effectiveness in removing residues and particles from complex IC features.
Implementation Method 1
a spin chuck and treatment fluid delivery apparatus disposed over the spin chuck
Implementation Method 2
heating to vaporize remaining fluids
Implementation Method 3
heating to vaporize remaining fluids
Implementation Method 4
holding members featuring sloped pins to reduce capillary action
Data Source
AI summary
A method of processing a semiconductor substrate is provided. The semiconductor substrate may be placed on a spin chuck with a plurality of holding members, each holding member including a pin having a sloped portion to provide a gap between an upper edge of the substrate and the pin. Thereafter, one or more treatment fluids may be dispensed over the substrate.