Substrate Carrier Gas Purging to Block Nozzle Contamination
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional gas purging methods in semiconductor substrate manufacturing allow external contaminants to enter the purge apparatus when nozzles are disengaged from substrate carriers, compromising substrate quality.
Innovation Solution
The method involves coupling nozzles of a gas purge apparatus to substrate carriers and maintaining their coupling until a second purging session is required, using controller signals to manage the coupling and decoupling of the nozzles.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If nozzles are disengaged from substrate carrier after purging, then ease of operation is improved, but external contaminants enter the purge apparatus compromising substrate quality
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs a second purging session before decoupling the nozzles from the substrate carrier. This preliminary purging action ensures that any external contaminants that may have entered the purge apparatus during the decoupled state are removed, thereby maintaining substrate quality while still allowing nozzle decoupling for operational ease.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses inert gas (such as nitrogen) to create a contaminant-free environment within the purge apparatus. By maintaining this inert atmosphere during nozzle decoupling and through the purging process, external contaminants are prevented from compromising the substrate quality.
2Manufacturing precision
If nozzles remain coupled to substrate carrier between purging sessions, then substrate purity is maintained, but gas wastage increases
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of continuous purging, the system employs periodic purging sessions at specific intervals (first and second purging sessions). This periodic action maintains substrate purity by purging at critical moments while allowing gas flow to be reduced or stopped between sessions, thereby reducing gas wastage.
Solution Approach 2:
The second purging session is performed as a preliminary action before nozzle decoupling. This ensures that the purge lines are cleared of any contaminants that may have entered during the decoupled state, maintaining substrate purity without requiring continuous purging and thus reducing gas consumption.
3Reliability
If second purging session is performed before nozzle decoupling, then contaminant prevention is improved, but processing time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs purging in discrete periodic sessions rather than continuously. The second purging session is timed to occur before nozzle decoupling, providing reliable contaminant prevention only when necessary, thereby optimizing the balance between reliability and processing time.
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 prevents contamination of the purging gas lines and connectors during inactive periods, maintaining substrate purity and reducing gas wastage.
Implementation Method 1
a gas purge apparatus to output a flow of gas through a gas delivery nozzle
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed are implementations for efficient purging of substrate carriers (and content held therein) and preventing external contaminants from entering a gas purge apparatus by coupling the gas purge apparatus to a substrate carrier, performing a first gas purging session of an environment of the substrate carrier, receiving a first signal of a first signal type, responsive to receiving the first signal, keeping the gas purge apparatus coupled to the substrate carrier, performing a second gas purging session of the environment of the substrate carrier, receiving a second signal of a second signal type, and, responsive to receiving the second signal, decoupling the purge apparatus from the substrate carrier.