Substrate Carrier Gas Purging Without Nozzle Contamination
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional gas purging methods in semiconductor substrate manufacturing allow contaminants to diffuse into gas purge apparatus nozzles during periods of inactivity, compromising substrate quality when the nozzles re-engage with substrate carriers.
Innovation Solution
The nozzles of the gas purge apparatus remain coupled to the substrate carrier ports until an indication is received that further purging is needed, preventing disengagement and subsequent contamination, and are only decoupled when processing is complete or no further purging sessions are required.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the nozzles are decoupled from the substrate carrier during periods of inactivity, then the device complexity is reduced and ease of operation is improved, but contaminants diffuse into the nozzles causing loss of purity
Solution Approach 1:
The nozzle maintains coupling with the substrate carrier in advance before any potential purging operation is needed. This preliminary coupling ensures that the nozzle is always ready to deliver inert gas without being exposed to external contaminants during idle periods, thus preventing contamination while maintaining operational readiness.
Solution Approach 2:
The nozzle remains continuously coupled to the substrate carrier throughout the entire processing cycle, including periods of inactivity. This continuous coupling ensures uninterrupted protection of the substrate carrier environment and prevents any exposure to external contaminants, maintaining continuous useful action of contamination prevention.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If the nozzles remain coupled to the substrate carrier continuously, then contamination is prevented, but device complexity increases and gas loss occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses the existing coupling mechanism between the nozzle and substrate carrier, which is already part of the purging apparatus design. The nozzle leverages this existing interface to maintain continuous coupling without requiring additional complex components or mechanisms, thus preventing contamination while avoiding excessive device complexity.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If the nozzles remain coupled to the substrate carrier continuously, then contamination is prevented, but gas loss increases
Solution Approach 1:
Inert gas is supplied through the coupled nozzle in periodic pulses rather than continuous flow. The gas flow is activated only when purging operations are needed and deactivated during idle periods, even though the nozzle remains physically coupled. This periodic gas supply maintains contamination prevention while significantly reducing inert gas consumption and loss.
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 method effectively prevents contamination of the purging gas lines and connectors, maintaining substrate purity by ensuring continuous inert gas flow and reducing gas loss, thereby enhancing the quality of substrates during processing.
Implementation Method 1
a gas purge apparatus to output a flow of gas through a gas delivery nozzle
Implementation Method 2
preventing disengagement and subsequent contamination, maintaining substrate purity by ensuring continuous inert gas flow
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.