Stackable Reagent Trays for Uniform CVD Vaporization
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Solution Overview
Problem
In chemical vapor deposition (CVD), atomic layer deposition (ALD), and ion implantation processes, existing vaporization systems face challenges in uniformly heating source reagent materials with varying boiling points and sublimation temperatures, leading to non-uniform vapor flow, thermal degradation, and difficulties in handling large batches, which complicates the efficient generation and filtration of reagent vapor for batch wafer deposition or implantation.
Innovation Solution
A vaporizer vessel system with vertically stackable reagent support trays featuring gas flow openings and channels that redirect gas flow to ensure uniform heating and interaction with source reagent materials, combined with a particle suppression device using parallel filters to filter out unwanted particles, enabling efficient vapor generation and filtration for batch processing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a larger vaporizer vessel and larger support structures are used to accommodate large batches of source reagent material, then greater flow of reagent vapor can be generated for batch deposition, but it becomes more difficult to uniformly heat the source reagent material and efficiently entrain the reagent vapor in the carrier gas
Solution Approach 1:
The vaporizer vessel is divided into multiple heating zones with separate heating elements, allowing independent temperature control for different regions. This segmentation enables uniform heating across large batches of source reagent material while maintaining high vapor generation capacity for batch deposition processes.
2Productivity
If a larger quantity of source reagent material is heated to generate greater reagent vapor flow, then batch deposition requirements are met, but thermal decomposition increases producing greater quantities of unwanted particles
Solution Approach 1:
The system employs precise temperature control with multiple heating zones to maintain optimal heating parameters across the entire batch of source reagent material. By controlling the temperature distribution and heating rate parameters, the system generates sufficient reagent vapor while minimizing thermal decomposition and particle formation.
3Productivity
If the source reagent material is heated at temperatures close to sublimation temperatures to achieve efficient vaporization, then vapor generation is improved, but thermal disassociation occurs yielding thermal degradation by-products
Solution Approach 1:
Different regions of the vaporizer vessel are equipped with heating elements operating at different temperature levels tailored to the specific sublimation characteristics of the source reagent material. This local quality approach ensures efficient vaporization in each zone while preventing thermal disassociation and degradation by-product formation.
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 system achieves consistent and controlled reagent vapor production for batch wafer deposition or implantation, reducing thermal degradation and particle contamination, while facilitating efficient vaporization and filtration, even with large batches of source materials.
Implementation Method 1
The reagent material may be heated to form source reagent vapor that is delivered to process equipment for deposition or implantation
Implementation Method 2
Solid source reagents are particularly difficult to control in volatilization applications where sublimation temperatures are close to temperatures at which thermal disassociation occurs
Implementation Method 3
It is also desirable to circulate carrier gas among the source reagent material and the reagent vapor generated to mix the carrier gas and the source reagent vapor generated by the source reagent material
Implementation Method 4
circulate carrier gas among the source reagent material and the reagent vapor generated to mix the carrier gas and the source reagent vapor generated by the source reagent material
Implementation Method 5
In producing reagent vapor, such as for single wafer deposition or implantation, it is important to uniformly heat the source reagent material
Data Source
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AI summary
Systems, reagent support trays, particle suppression devices, and methods are disclosed. In one aspect, a system includes a vaporizer vessel having one or more interior walls enclosing an interior volume and a plurality of reagent support trays configured to be vertically stackable within the interior volume. Each of the plurality of reagent support trays is configured to be vertically stackable within the interior volume to form a stack of reagent support trays. One or more of the plurality of reagent support trays is configured to redirect a flow of a gas passing between adjacent reagent support trays in the stack of reagent support trays to cause the flow of gas to interact with the source reagent material in a particular reagent support tray before passing into a next of the plurality of reagent support trays in the stack of reagent support trays.