Substrate Placing Table Temperature Control for Processing Cycle Time
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional substrate processing apparatuses require significant time to elevate and lower substrate temperatures, leading to reduced productivity due to the need for temperature changes at the same processing position, which increases the time between substrate processing cycles.
Innovation Solution
A substrate processing apparatus with separate temperature elevating and lowering parts, each equipped with a substrate placing table and temperature control system, allowing for pre-heating or pre-cooling of the substrate before placement to reduce temperature adjustment time, thereby improving processing efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If substrate processing is performed at high temperature (500-2000 degrees C.), then processing quality is improved, but the time for elevating and lowering substrate temperature is increased
Solution Approach 1:
The process chamber is divided into two distinct zones: a high-temperature processing zone for substrate processing and a low-temperature loading/unloading zone for substrate transfer. This spatial segmentation allows simultaneous high-temperature processing while enabling rapid temperature adjustment during substrate transfer, resolving the contradiction between maintaining high processing temperature and reducing temperature adjustment time
Solution Approach 2:
Substrates are pre-cooled in the loading zone before being transferred to the processing zone, and are allowed to cool naturally or with assistance after processing. This preliminary temperature preparation reduces the time required for temperature adjustment during the processing cycle, allowing the processing zone to maintain high temperature continuously
2Device complexity
If the same position in the process chamber is used for both substrate processing and temperature adjustment, then device complexity is reduced, but productivity is decreased
Solution Approach 1:
The process chamber is segmented into a processing region and a loading/unloading region with distinct temperature zones. The processing region maintains high temperature for continuous processing, while the loading/unloading region operates at low temperature for rapid substrate temperature adjustment. This spatial division enables simultaneous processing and temperature adjustment operations, improving productivity without significantly increasing device complexity
Solution Approach 2:
A substrate transfer mechanism acts as an intermediary between the high-temperature processing zone and the low-temperature loading/unloading zone. This intermediary enables efficient substrate transfer and temperature adjustment without requiring the entire chamber to be cooled, thus maintaining processing productivity while reducing temperature adjustment time
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 significantly reduces the time needed for temperature adjustments, enhancing substrate processing productivity and minimizing the time between processing cycles by allowing simultaneous temperature elevation and lowering operations.
Implementation Method 1
a substrate placing table which is provided to at least one of the temperature elevating part and the temperature lowering part, and which causes heat-transfer to occur with the substrate placed on a placing surface
Data Source
AI summary
There is provided a substrate processing apparatus, comprising: a substrate placing table which is provided to at least one of the temperature elevating part and the temperature lowering part formed in a container, and which causes heat-transfer to occur with the substrate placed on a placing surface; and a temperature control part which controls a temperature of the substrate placing table, wherein the temperature control part is configured to: control the temperature of the substrate placing table so that the temperature of the substrate to be loaded into the processing part is elevated to a predetermined temperature, before the substrate is placed on the substrate placing table, when the substrate placing table is provided to the temperature elevating part; and control the temperature of the substrate placing table so that the temperature of the processed substrate unloaded from the processing part is lowered to a predetermined temperature, before the substrate is placed on the substrate placing table, when the substrate placing table is provided to the temperature lowering part.