Substrate Support Assembly for Concurrent Chamber Cleaning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing semiconductor process chambers face challenges in increasing throughput and reducing downtime due to frequent cleaning, which affects production efficiency and costs.
Innovation Solution
The process chamber design includes a substrate support assembly that moves to different positions, sealing off regions for separate operations, allowing simultaneous cooling and cleaning processes, enabling substrate exchange during cleaning, and using materials with varying thermal conductivities to optimize temperature control.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If the process chamber is cleaned frequently to improve deposition results, then the quality of deposition is improved, but the throughput and production efficiency deteriorate due to chamber downtime
Solution Approach 1:
The process chamber is divided into two distinct regions: a processing region for substrate deposition and a cleaning region for chamber maintenance. This segmentation allows cleaning operations to be performed in the cleaning region while substrate processing continues in the processing region, eliminating the need to stop production for cleaning and thereby maintaining both deposition quality and high throughput
Solution Approach 2:
A partition structure acts as an intermediary element separating the processing region from the cleaning region. This partition allows independent operation of each region, enabling cleaning gases to be introduced into the cleaning region without affecting the substrate processing in the processing region, thus resolving the contradiction between cleaning frequency and production efficiency
2Adaptability or versatility
If the substrate support assembly is designed with multiple plates and rings for region separation, then the ability to perform simultaneous cleaning and processing is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The substrate support assembly is designed with multi-functional components that serve multiple purposes: the upper and lower plates not only support the substrate but also act as sealing surfaces for region division; the rings provide both structural support and gas distribution functions. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate dedicated components, managing complexity while enabling simultaneous cleaning and processing operations
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 design enhances throughput by allowing continuous processing while cleaning, reduces downtime, and improves temperature control efficiency, leading to faster processing times and lower costs.
Implementation Method 1
The substrate support assembly moves to different positions, sealing off regions for separate operations
Implementation Method 2
cooling a substrate on a substrate support of the substrate support assembly during the introducing of the one or more cleaning gases
Implementation Method 3
introducing one or more cleaning gases to a first portion of an interior volume of a process chamber
Data Source
AI summary
A process chamber is provided including a chamber body enclosing an interior volume and a substrate support assembly in the interior volume. The substrate support assembly includes a substrate support having a substrate receiving surface, an upper plate, and a lower plate, the upper plate positioned over the substrate support. The substrate support is positioned over and spaced apart from the lower plate.