Substrate Sublimation Drying Control to Prevent Pattern Collapse
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing substrate processing methods face challenges in supplying an appropriate amount of a solution containing a substance that sublimes, leading to potential pattern collapse due to insufficient thickness in concavities or increased costs and processing time with excessive amounts.
Innovation Solution
A substrate processing apparatus with a substrate holder, processing liquid supply, and a trained model that utilizes machine learning to optimize the sublimation drying process by adjusting parameters such as rotation speed and liquid supply based on substrate and processing liquid attributes, ensuring proper drying without pattern collapse.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a solution containing a substance that sublimes is supplied to fill concavities in the substrate, then pattern collapse is prevented, but the amount of solution is difficult to control leading to either insufficient thickness or excessive cost and processing time
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the physical state parameter of the substance from liquid solution to solid particles. By controlling the size, shape, and packing density of solid particles, the invention achieves precise control over the amount of sublimable material deposited in concavities, eliminating the difficulty of controlling solution amount while preventing pattern collapse
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes phase transition by employing solid particles that sublime directly from solid to gas phase. This phase transition mechanism allows the substance to be supplied in a controlled solid state and then removed completely through sublimation, solving both the quantity control problem and the pattern collapse prevention requirement
2Loss of time
If too little solution containing the substance that sublimes is supplied, then processing time is reduced, but the thickness of the substance is insufficient causing pattern collapse
Solution Approach 1:
By changing from liquid solution to solid particles, the invention enables precise control of deposited thickness through particle size and concentration parameters. This allows achieving sufficient thickness for pattern collapse prevention with optimized, reduced processing time
3Reliability
If too much solution containing the substance that sublimes is supplied, then pattern collapse is prevented, but cost and processing time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the state of matter from liquid to solid particles, enabling precise dosage control through particle concentration and size parameters. This eliminates waste from excessive solution supply while ensuring sufficient material for pattern collapse prevention, thereby improving productivity and reducing cost
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 apparatus effectively dries substrates while preventing pattern collapse, optimizing processing conditions through machine learning to achieve efficient and cost-effective results.
Implementation Method 1
The processing liquid contains a solvent and a substance to sublime... The substrate is subsequently heated to a temperature higher than a sublimation temperature of the substance that sublimes, in order to sublimate the substance that sublimes
Data Source
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AI summary
A substrate processing apparatus (100) includes a substrate holder (120), a processing liquid supply section (160), an input information acquiring section (22a), a sublimation drying process condition information acquiring section (22b), and a controller (22). The input information acquiring section (22a) acquires input information including at least one of substrate information and processing liquid information. The sublimation drying process condition information acquiring section (22b) acquires, from a trained model based on the input information, sublimation drying process condition information indicating a sublimation drying process condition on a processing target substrate. The controller (22) controls the substrate holder (120) and the processing liquid supply section (160) to perform a sublimation drying process on the process target substrate based on the sublimation drying process condition acquired in the sublimation drying process condition information acquiring section (22b).