Substrate Holder Segmentation for Thermal Equalization
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current semiconductor manufacturing apparatuses face challenges in processing multiple types of substrates with small lot sizes, requiring improved integration density and quality while maintaining short Turn Around Time (TAT) for customer device development, and are unable to efficiently handle batch processing of diverse film types.
Innovation Solution
A substrate processing apparatus configuration that includes a substrate holder for both product and dummy substrates, a transfer mechanism, and a controller to manage substrate transfer data, ensuring efficient processing by separating dummy and product substrates into specific regions on the holder, optimizing heat equalization and processing efficiency across multiple process modules.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If dummy substrates are mixed with product substrates on the substrate holder, then the substrate holder can be fully utilized, but heat equalization cannot be achieved in certain regions and processing quality deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The substrate holder is divided into a heat equalization region and a non-heat equalization region. Dummy substrates are placed in the non-heat equalization region while product substrates are placed in the heat equalization region, allowing full utilization of the substrate holder while ensuring proper heat equalization for product substrates.
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the substrate holder are assigned different functions: the heat equalization region is optimized for thermal processing of product substrates, while the non-heat equalization region is designated for dummy substrates that do not require heat equalization, thereby achieving both full utilization and processing quality.
2Productivity
If multiple types of substrates with small lot sizes are processed, then customer device development speed increases, but batch processing efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
Dummy substrates are prepared and placed on the substrate holder in advance in the non-heat equalization region. This preliminary arrangement allows product substrates to be quickly loaded into the heat equalization region without disrupting the overall batch processing workflow, thereby reducing Turn Around Time while maintaining batch processing efficiency.
3Productivity
If the substrate holder is fully loaded with product substrates, then batch processing efficiency improves, but heat equalization cannot be achieved in end regions
Solution Approach 1:
Dummy substrates serve as intermediaries placed in the non-heat equalization region at the ends of the substrate holder. These dummy substrates occupy the end positions that would otherwise prevent heat equalization, allowing product substrates in the central heat equalization region to receive proper thermal treatment while maintaining high batch processing efficiency.
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 configuration enables efficient processing of multiple substrate types with small lot sizes, enhancing integration density and quality, and reducing TAT by optimizing substrate placement and processing within the apparatus, thereby addressing the limitations of existing technologies.
Implementation Method 1
a boat as a substrate holder, on which wafers as substrates are loaded, is loaded into a furnace heated to a predetermined temperature by a heater as a heating means
Implementation Method 2
the interior of the furnace becomes a vacuum state
Data Source
AI summary
There is provided an apparatus including a substrate holder to hold substrates including a product substrate and a dummy substrate, a transfer mechanism that loads the substrates into the substrate holder, a storage part to store a device parameter including at least the number of substrates that can be loaded on the substrate holder and the number of product substrates to be loaded on the substrate holder, and a controller to: (1) create substrate transfer data, which includes information indicating an order for transferring the substrates, transfer source information, and transfer destination information, according to the device parameter, (2) read the created substrate transfer data, (3) by transferring the substrates to the transfer mechanism based on the read substrate transfer data, transfer the dummy substrate to a substrate holding region except for a heat equalization region, and transfer the product substrate to the heat equalization region on the substrate holder.