Substrate Support Mesa Height Modulation for Film Thickness Uniformity
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Solution Overview
Problem
Semiconductor manufacturing processes face challenges in achieving uniform film deposition across substrates due to temperature and gas flow non-uniformities, leading to radial non-uniformity issues and variations in film thickness.
Innovation Solution
The introduction of substrate support assemblies with depressed regions, such as annular grooves, which increase the gap between the substrate and the support surface, allowing for better heat absorption and dissipation of plasma-generated heat, thereby reducing deposition rates and enhancing uniformity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If a regular pattern of features is used to promote symmetry and uniformity, then uniformity of material delivery is improved, but the ability to tune recipes for on-wafer adjustments is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The substrate support surface incorporates regions with different properties (depressed regions vs. non-depressed regions) to create local variations in the substrate-to-support gap. This allows different areas of the substrate to experience different thermal and deposition conditions, enabling on-wafer thickness uniformity control while maintaining overall symmetry through the patterned arrangement of these regions.
2Ease of manufacture
If the substrate support surface is flat, then manufacturing simplicity is maintained, but temperature variations and radial non-uniformity issues occur
Solution Approach 1:
The substrate support surface is segmented into multiple regions with different gap characteristics (depressed regions creating larger gaps, non-depressed regions maintaining smaller gaps). This segmentation allows independent control of thermal and deposition conditions in different areas, correcting radial non-uniformity while keeping the overall structure relatively simple and manufacturable.
3Ease of manufacture
If the gap between substrate and support surface is uniform, then manufacturing simplicity is maintained, but heat dissipation and deposition rate control are insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The gap between the substrate and support surface is varied locally by creating depressed regions in the substrate support surface. These depressed regions increase the gap size in specific areas, enhancing heat dissipation and reducing deposition rates where needed, while maintaining a relatively uniform gap structure overall for manufacturing simplicity.
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 solution effectively reduces temperature variations and deposition rates at specific substrate regions, resulting in more uniform film thickness across the substrate, addressing radial non-uniformity issues and improving the quality of semiconductor devices.
Implementation Method 1
allowing for better heat absorption and dissipation of plasma-generated heat, thereby reducing deposition rates and enhancing uniformity
Implementation Method 2
dissipation of plasma-generated heat
Implementation Method 3
Mesa height modulation for thickness correction
Data Source
AI summary
Exemplary substrate support assemblies may include a chuck body defining a substrate support surface. The substrate support surface may define a plurality of protrusions that extend upward from the substrate support surface. The substrate support surface may define an annular groove and/or ridge. A subset of the plurality of protrusions may be disposed within the annular groove and/or ridge. The substrate support assemblies may include a support stem coupled with the chuck body.