Substrate Chamber Gas Flow Regulator for Film Uniformity
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing substrate processing apparatuses with concentric inner and outer cylinders experience uneven gas flow distribution, leading to non-uniform film formation characteristics on substrates, particularly affecting both inter-plane and in-plane uniformity.
Innovation Solution
Incorporation of a gas flow regulator with multiple slits along the gas flow path from the first region to the exhaust port, including slits A1, A2, and A3, which regulate and guide gas flow to improve uniformity by controlling exhaust gas distribution.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a single exhaust port configuration is used, then the device structure is simple, but gas flow distribution becomes uneven leading to non-uniform film formation
Solution Approach 1:
The single exhaust port is segmented into multiple exhaust ports positioned at different locations. This segmentation allows gas to be exhausted from multiple points, creating more uniform gas flow distribution throughout the processing chamber and preventing localized gas accumulation that causes non-uniform film formation.
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the processing chamber are provided with exhaust ports having different characteristics (positions, sizes) tailored to local gas flow requirements. This ensures that each region of the substrate receives appropriate gas flow control, achieving uniform film formation across the entire substrate surface.
2Volume of moving object
If narrow slit width is used in gas flow regulator, then the device structure is compact, but gas flow velocity concentration increases causing excessive decomposition and deposition
Solution Approach 1:
The single narrow slit is segmented into multiple slits within the gas flow regulator. This segmentation distributes the gas flow across multiple openings, reducing velocity concentration at any single point and preventing excessive gas decomposition and deposition while maintaining a compact overall structure.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of using a single narrow slit with high velocity concentration, the invention changes the parameter of slit configuration to multiple slits with distributed flow. This parameter change reduces the harmful effects of velocity concentration while achieving the same overall flow control function in a compact form.
3Productivity
If gas flow velocity is high in certain regions, then gas discharge efficiency is improved, but uneven flow distribution causes non-uniform film formation characteristics
Solution Approach 1:
The gas discharge function is segmented across multiple exhaust ports positioned at different locations. This allows high gas discharge efficiency to be achieved through multiple streams while distributing the flow velocity more evenly throughout the chamber, preventing localized high-velocity regions that would cause non-uniform film formation.
Solution Approach 2:
The gas flow control is extended from a single-point exhaust to a multi-dimensional arrangement of exhaust ports at different positions and heights. This spatial distribution maintains high overall discharge efficiency while ensuring uniform velocity distribution across the substrate processing area.
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
The implementation of the gas flow regulator enhances both inter-plane and in-plane uniformity of film formation on substrates by suppressing uneven gas flow in the vertical direction and optimizing gas distribution.
Implementation Method 1
a gas flow regulator including a plurality of slits provided from an upstream side toward a downstream side in a flow direction of the gas in a flow path of the gas from the first region to the exhaust port
Data Source
AI summary
A substrate processing apparatus includes: an inner cylinder having a first region formed inside the inner cylinder to accommodate a substrate; an outer cylinder provided outside the inner cylinder with a second region interposed between the inner cylinder and the outer cylinder and including an exhaust port formed in an end portion of a sidewall of the outer cylinder; a nozzle configured to discharge a gas to the first region; and a gas flow regulator including a plurality of slits provided from an upstream side toward a downstream side in a flow direction of the gas in a flow path of the gas from the first region to the exhaust port.