Substrate Thermal Treatment With Contact Cooling for Stable ALE
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing substrate treatment systems face challenges in maintaining consistent temperature during thermal processes, leading to overheating and instability in semiconductor manufacturing, particularly in processes like Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD) and Atomic Layer Etching (ALE), which affects process reproducibility and can damage substrates.
Innovation Solution
A substrate treatment system and method utilizing a thermal treatment unit with an upper heat source and a cooling plate to rapidly heat and cool substrates, maintaining temperature within a set range through a contact cooling method, preventing overheating and ensuring consistent process conditions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If air-cooling method is used to cool the substrate, then the cooling structure is simple, but the cooling speed is slow and cooling efficiency is low
Solution Approach 1:
A cooling plate is introduced as an intermediary component between the substrate and the cooling system. The cooling plate makes direct contact with the substrate's lower surface, serving as a mediator to transfer heat away from the substrate rapidly and efficiently, thereby achieving fast cooling without complicating the overall structure.
2Device complexity
If air-cooling method is used to cool the substrate, then the cooling structure is simple, but the cooling efficiency is low
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling plate acts as an efficient thermal intermediary, directly contacting the substrate to facilitate rapid heat transfer. This mediator approach significantly improves cooling efficiency by providing a dedicated thermal pathway, while keeping the overall system structure relatively simple.
3Speed
If upper heat source is used to heat the substrate, then the heating speed is fast, but the substrate temperature becomes unstable during repetitive processes
Solution Approach 1:
A temperature sensing unit continuously monitors the substrate temperature and provides feedback to the control unit. The control unit adjusts the upper heat source and cooling plate operations based on this feedback, maintaining stable substrate temperature during repetitive heating and cooling cycles despite the fast heating rate.
4Productivity
If repetitive heating and cooling processes are performed, then the desired pattern is formed through ALD or ALE, but the substrate and treatment space temperature increase
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling plate serves as a thermal intermediary that actively removes heat from the substrate during and between heating cycles. This prevents cumulative temperature increase in the substrate and treatment space, enabling repetitive ALD or ALE processes to proceed with stable temperature control and consistent process conditions.
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 enhances cooling efficiency, prevents substrate damage, maintains consistent process conditions, and increases etch selectivity by rapidly heating and cooling substrates, thereby stabilizing the temperature and improving process reproducibility.
Implementation Method 1
a desorption process in which the substrate that is surface-treated in the processing unit is heated by an upper heat source in the thermal treatment unit, thereby generating a desorption reaction on the surface of the substrate that is surface-treated
Implementation Method 2
a temperature adjustment process in which the substrate is cooled by a cooling plate in the thermal treatment unit, thereby maintaining a temperature of the substrate at a set temperature range
Data Source
AI summary
Proposed are a substrate treatment method and a substrate treatment system in which a cooling process with an improved cooling speed and an improved cooling efficiency is applied in a substrate treatment process using an upper heat source. A substrate treatment method etching a substrate at an atomic layer level by using a processing unit and a thermal treatment unit may be provided. The substrate treatment method includes a surface treatment process in which a substrate surface is modified in the processing unit, a desorption process in which the substrate surface-treated in the processing unit is heated by the upper heat source in the thermal treatment unit, thereby generating a desorption reaction on the substrate surface, and a temperature adjustment process in which the substrate is cooled by a cooling plate in the thermal treatment unit, thereby maintaining a temperature of the substrate at a set temperature range.