Multistage Substrate Support Structure for Uniform Film Thickness
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing substrate support systems in semiconductor manufacturing cause local thickness decreases in films near support pillars, leading to non-uniform film thickness across substrates, affecting the uniformity of film formation during the manufacturing process.
Innovation Solution
A substrate processing apparatus with a substrate support system featuring a top plate, bottom plate, and pillars made of metal materials, where the pillars are positioned between the top and bottom plates using spigot structures and are removably fixed, reducing the pillar width to minimize interference with film formation and enhance uniformity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If the support column width is increased to provide sufficient structural strength, then the mechanical strength is improved, but local thickness decrease of the film occurs on portions of substrates in the vicinity of the support column
Solution Approach 1:
The support column is divided into multiple segments (first support column and second support column) that are positioned at different locations. This segmentation allows the structure to maintain mechanical strength through distributed support while reducing the width of individual columns, thereby minimizing their interference with film formation and improving film thickness uniformity across the substrate.
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the substrate are supported by different support columns with optimized positions and dimensions. The first support column supports a first region while the second support column supports a second region, allowing each column to be locally optimized to provide sufficient strength without excessive width that would cause film thickness non-uniformity in specific areas.
2Manufacturing precision
If the support column width is reduced to improve film thickness uniformity, then the film thickness uniformity is improved, but the mechanical strength may be insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of using a single wide support column, the structure is segmented into multiple narrower columns (first and second support columns) positioned at different locations. This segmentation maintains mechanical strength through distributed support points while each individual column has reduced width, minimizing film thickness decrease in vicinal areas and improving overall film uniformity.
Data Source
AI summary
There is provided a technique that includes: a top plate made of a metal material; a bottom plate made of a metal material; and a plurality of pillars made of a metal material and provided between the top plate and the bottom plate, wherein a plurality of substrates are supported in a multistage manner by at least a part of the plurality of pillars, wherein relative locations between the top plate and the plurality of pillars and relative locations between the bottom plate and the plurality of pillars are positioned by a plurality of spigot structures, and wherein each of the plurality of pillars and each of the plurality of pillars are removably fixed to the top plate and the bottom plate, respectively, by using a plurality of fixing structures.