Substrate Placing Table Thermal Control for Wafer Uniformity
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Solution Overview
Problem
Miniaturization of substrate processing containers for semiconductor wafers leads to challenges in uniform temperature adjustment across the wafer surface due to heat radiation issues from support structures, causing temperature discrepancies during chemical oxide removal processes.
Innovation Solution
A substrate placing table with a stage, a support table, and a temperature adjusting plate that minimizes heat radiation by using heat medium flow channels and strategically formed gaps to control temperature, ensuring uniform heat distribution and management.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of stationary object
If the placing table is miniaturized to reduce processing container size, then the processing container volume is reduced, but the temperature uniformity of the wafer deteriorates due to heat radiation from support structures
Solution Approach 1:
A temperature adjusting plate is introduced as an intermediary component between the support table and the stage. This plate actively manages heat transfer by providing a controlled thermal interface, preventing harmful heat radiation from the support table while maintaining necessary thermal conditions for uniform wafer processing.
Solution Approach 2:
The temperature of the heat radiation portion is actively adjusted and controlled. By changing the thermal parameters of the interface between support structures and the stage, the system maintains temperature uniformity across the wafer surface despite the miniaturized container geometry that would otherwise cause heat concentration.
2Length of moving object
If the stage diameter is reduced to match wafer diameter for miniaturization, then the processing container size is reduced, but heat radiation from bolts and support table causes temperature differences on the stage
Solution Approach 1:
The temperature adjusting plate serves as a thermal intermediary between the support table and the stage, decoupling the heat radiation path from the support structures. This mediator prevents direct heat transfer from bolts and support table to the stage, ensuring uniform temperature distribution even when the stage diameter is minimized to match the wafer size.
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 allows for precise temperature control of the substrate placing table, reducing temperature variations and enabling consistent substrate processing even with reduced container sizes, thus improving processing efficiency and throughput.
Implementation Method 1
a heat medium flow channel is formed in a stage 30 to circulate a heat medium of a predetermined temperature through the stage 30
Implementation Method 2
including a temperature adjusting mechanism configured to adjust a temperature of a heat radiation portion at which heat is radiated between the stage and the support table
Data Source
AI summary
A substrate placing table, which is installed inside a processing container for processing a wafer, includes: a stage configured to place a wafer on an upper surface thereof and including an inner peripheral flow channel and an outer peripheral flow channel formed therein to circulate a heat medium of a predetermined temperature therethrough; a support table configured to support the stage; and a temperature adjusting plate installed between the stage and the support table, and including a temperature adjusting mechanism configured to adjust a temperature of a heat radiation portion at which heat is radiated between the stage and the support table.