Sputtering Device Gas Supply Pipe Uniformity
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Solution Overview
Problem
Standard sputtering devices face challenges in forming uniformly thin films due to difficulties in maintaining a constant concentration of reactive gases within the vacuum chamber, leading to non-uniform thin film formation.
Innovation Solution
The sputtering device incorporates a multi-layer gas supply pipe structure with inner pipes made of materials like aluminum oxide, stainless steel, and ceramics, arranged symmetrically to uniformly supply and exhaust gases, ensuring consistent gas concentration between the target and substrate.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If a standard sputtering device uses a single gas supply pipe, then the device structure is simple, but the gas concentration distribution becomes non-uniform leading to non-uniform thin film formation
Solution Approach 1:
The gas supply system is divided into multiple parallel gas supply pipes (first, second, third gas supply pipes) with multiple gas supply holes distributed across different locations. This segmentation allows gas to be supplied from multiple points simultaneously, creating a more uniform gas concentration distribution throughout the chamber, which directly resolves the non-uniform thin film formation problem while maintaining reasonable structural complexity
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the chamber receive gas through locally positioned gas supply holes in the segmented pipes. The gas supply holes are strategically placed at specific locations (e.g., front, center, rear positions) to ensure local gas concentration uniformity, which translates to uniform thin film deposition across the entire substrate area
2Device complexity
If gas supply pipes are arranged asymmetrically, then the device structure is simpler to design, but the gas exhaust becomes non-uniform affecting film quality
Solution Approach 1:
The gas supply pipes are arranged asymmetrically within the chamber, with the first, second, and third gas supply pipes positioned at different locations and orientations. This asymmetric arrangement, combined with strategically placed gas supply holes, creates effective gas flow patterns that achieve uniform gas distribution without requiring symmetric complexity in the overall pipe configuration
Solution Approach 2:
The exhaust pump is positioned to work in conjunction with the asymmetric gas supply arrangement, creating a feedback mechanism where gas flows from multiple supply points and is uniformly exhausted, maintaining consistent gas concentration throughout the chamber despite the asymmetric pipe layout
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 configuration allows for the uniform supply and exhaust of sputtering gases, maintaining a constant reactive gas concentration and resulting in uniformly formed thin films on the substrate.
Implementation Method 1
Sputtering is a method used for forming thin films on a substrate such as a glass substrate or a silicon wafer. A sputtering gas is supplied to the vacuum chamber and a target material is ejected from a target through collision with the sputtering gas
Implementation Method 2
A sputtering gas is supplied to the vacuum chamber
Data Source
AI summary
A sputtering device and a gas supply pipe for a sputter device are disclosed. In one aspect, the sputtering device includes a chamber, a stage located in the chamber and configured to receive a substrate thereon, and a plurality of gas supply pipes arranged substantially parallel to each other. The gas supply pipes have a plurality of gas supply holes and the gas supply pipes are configured to supply gas into the chamber. The sputtering device further includes at least one exhaust pump placed at a side of the chamber, wherein the exhaust pump is substantially symmetrically arranged with respect to a center axis of the side of the chamber.