Substrate Processing Gas Flow Control for Uniform Critical Dimensions
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Solution Overview
Problem
In substrate processing, achieving uniform critical dimensions across a substrate surface is challenging due to variations in processing gas flow rates, which affect the precision and consistency of processes like plasma etching.
Innovation Solution
A substrate processing apparatus with a gas supply system that divides the facing surface into regions, allowing for independent adjustment of processing gas flow rates using a prediction model to calculate target flow rates for each region, ensuring that critical dimensions meet predetermined conditions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If the gas supply system divides the facing surface into regions with independent flow rate control, then the manufacturing precision of critical dimensions is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The facing surface of the substrate is divided into multiple regions, with each region having an independently controllable gas supply. This segmentation allows different flow rates to be supplied to different regions, enabling precise control of critical dimensions across the substrate surface while managing system complexity through modular region-based control.
Solution Approach 2:
Different flow rates of processing gas are supplied to different regions of the substrate based on local requirements. The gas supply system adjusts the flow rate for each region individually, providing local quality control that optimizes critical dimension uniformity across the entire substrate surface.
2Manufacturing precision
If the flow rate of processing gas is adjusted for each divided region, then the manufacturing precision is improved, but the ease of operation deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system pre-calculates optimal flow rates for each region based on the desired critical dimension specifications before actual substrate processing begins. This preliminary action stores the calculated flow rate settings, eliminating the need for manual adjustment during operation and maintaining ease of use while achieving high precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The system measures actual critical dimensions from processed substrates and uses this feedback to adjust flow rate settings for subsequent processing. This automated feedback loop maintains manufacturing precision while simplifying operation, as the system self-adjusts based on measurement data without requiring manual intervention.
Data Source
AI summary
An upper electrode is disposed in a processing container to face a wafer and configured to adjust a flow rate of a processing gas for each of divided regions obtained by dividing a facing surface that faces the wafer. A calculator calculates a target flow rate of the processing gas of each of the divided regions where a critical dimension (CD) of a measurement point satisfies a predetermined condition using a prediction model for predicting the CD at a predetermined measurement point of the wafer when plasma etching is performed on the wafer using the flow rate of the processing gas in each of the divided regions as a parameter. A flow rate controller performs a flow rate control such that the flow rate of the processing gas supplied from each of the divided regions of the upper electrode becomes the calculated target flow rate.