Sputtering Chamber Shield Cooling to Reduce Wafer Whisker Defects

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Solution Overview

Problem

The rapid temperature rise and heat dissipation inefficiency in sputtering reaction chambers during aluminum thin film deposition lead to whisker defects and contamination, affecting product yield in semiconductor manufacturing.

Innovation Solution

A sputtering reaction chamber with an integrated shield and cover ring member featuring a cooling channel system, including first and second channels, and a labyrinth channel design to enhance cooling efficiency and reduce heat radiation and impurities.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Manufacturing precision

If sputtering time increases to complete deposition, then film quality improves, but temperature of members continues to rise and causes contamination and whisker defects

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvefilm qualityVSAvoidcontamination and whisker defects
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The cooling channels are pre-configured in both the shield and cover ring, with coolant flow paths established before sputtering begins. The deposition ring is pre-positioned to form the labyrinth channel structure. This preliminary setup ensures that temperature control is active from the start of sputtering, preventing temperature rise-related contamination and whisker defects throughout the entire deposition process while maintaining film quality.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

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 integrated cooling system effectively reduces heat radiation and impurities, minimizing whisker defects and improving product yield while maintaining a clean process environment.

Implementation Method 1

the cooling channel is arranged in the cover ring member and the body member configured to cool the cover ring member and the body member by transferring coolant

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectConvection: Convection

Implementation Method 2

the cooling channel is arranged in the cover ring member and the body member configured to cool the cover ring member and the body member by transferring coolant

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectThermal conduction: Conduction (thermal)

Implementation Method 3

the first surface and the second surface being two concave-convex surfaces cooperated with each other to form a labyrinth channel between the two concave-convex surfaces

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectThermal radiation: Thermal Radiation

Data Source

PatentEP4108802B1Sputtering reaction chamber processing component and sputtering reaction chamber
Publication Date: 2025.11.12 BEIJING NAURA MICROELECTRONICS EQUIP CO LTD
  • EP4108802B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP4108802B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4A
  • EP4108802B1 patent drawingFigure 4B~4C

AI summary

The present disclosure provides a sputtering reaction chamber and a process assembly of the sputtering reaction chamber. The process assembly includes a shield, and the shield includes an integrally formed body member and a cover ring member, wherein the body member may be in a ring shape. The cover ring member may extend from a bottom of the body member to an inner side of the body member and may be configured to press an edge of a to-be-processed workpiece when a process is performed. A cooling channel may be arranged in the cover ring member and the body member and may be configured to cool the cover ring member and the body member by transferring coolant. The process assembly of the sputtering reaction chamber and the sputtering reaction chamber provided by the present disclosure can reduce heat radiation of the process assembly to the to-be-processed workpiece and released gases and impurities to effectively reduce a whisker defect and improve a product yield.