Substrate Carrier Gas Inlet Thermal Homogenization
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Solution Overview
Problem
Temperature gradients on substrate wafers during semiconductor chip production lead to inhomogeneous In inclusion in GaN-based light-emitting diode structures, resulting in varying emission wavelengths and defects like pits, which existing rotation-based and temperature equalization methods fail to fully address.
Innovation Solution
A substrate carrier arrangement with gas inlets of different thermal conductivities positioned at varying distances from the center, creating a gas cushion with varying thermal conductivity to homogenize the temperature distribution across the substrate, allowing for flexible adjustment of the radial temperature distribution.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If a rotating wafer support is used to homogenize temperature distribution, then radial temperature inhomogeneities are reduced, but radial temperature gradients cannot be completely prevented
Solution Approach 1:
The gas cushion thickness is varied locally across the wafer support surface, creating different thermal conductivity regions. The gas cushion is thinner at the center and thicker at the periphery, allowing different thermal management strategies for different zones of the wafer during semiconductor layer growth.
Solution Approach 2:
A gas cushion acts as an intermediary thermal management layer between the wafer support and the wafer. This gas cushion mediates heat transfer, with its variable thickness providing different thermal resistance levels to control the temperature distribution and eliminate radial temperature gradients.
2Manufacturing precision
If a fixed temperature equalization structure is provided on the wafer support, then one layer can be optimized, but other layers cannot be optimized simultaneously
Solution Approach 1:
The gas cushion thickness is made variable rather than fixed, allowing dynamic adjustment of thermal conductivity across different radial positions. This enables the system to adapt to different layer requirements by modifying the gas flow distribution, thereby optimizing multiple layers with different thermal needs.
Solution Approach 2:
The thermal conductivity of the gas cushion is changed as a variable parameter by adjusting gas flow rates and cushion thickness. This allows the thermal management characteristics to be modified according to the specific requirements of different semiconductor layers being grown.
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 approach enables optimal temperature homogeneity for semiconductor layer growth, reducing wavelength inhomogeneity and defects, and allows for consistent emission properties across the substrate.
Implementation Method 1
a gas cushion is formed between the support surface and the substrate support, on which gas cushion the substrate support is arranged spaced apart from the support surface, the gas cushion having a varying thermal conductivity in dependence upon a distance from the center of the support surface
Data Source
AI summary
A substrate carrier arrangement (10, 11) for a coating system (12) is provided, comprising a carrier (1) which comprises at least one support region (3) having a support surface (30), on which a substrate support (2) is arranged, and which support region comprises in the support surface (30) at least one first and one second gas inlet (4, 5), wherein the first gas inlet (4) is at a smaller distance from a center (M) of the support surface (30) than the second gas inlet (5) and wherein the first and second gas inlet (4, 5) comprise mutually independent gas feeds (40, 50) which are arranged to supply gases having mutually different thermal conductivities. A coating system comprising a substrate carrier arrangement and a method for performing a coating process are also provided.