Substrate Support Assembly for Plasma Temperature Uniformity
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Solution Overview
Problem
Substrate temperature control during plasma processing is challenging due to overheating by plasma, leading to paused processing operations and temperature gradients that affect uniformity and throughput.
Innovation Solution
A substrate support assembly with a shaft, platen, and cooling plate, including a thermal choke layer with adjustable thermal conductivity, allows for simultaneous heating and cooling to maintain desired substrate temperatures and uniformity during plasma processing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If plasma processing is performed continuously, then productivity is improved, but substrate temperature increases causing overheating
Solution Approach 1:
The substrate support assembly is segmented into multiple functional layers including a cooling plate with coolant channels, a thermal choke layer with adjustable thermal conductivity, and a substrate support layer. This segmentation allows independent control of heat removal and substrate positioning, enabling continuous plasma processing while maintaining temperature control.
Solution Approach 2:
A thermal choke layer is introduced as an intermediary between the cooling plate and the substrate support. This layer has adjustable thermal conductivity that acts as a mediator to control heat flow from the substrate to the cooling plate, allowing optimization of temperature control while maintaining processing throughput.
2Manufacturing precision
If substrate temperature is controlled by pausing processing, then temperature uniformity is improved, but productivity deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling system is designed to operate continuously during plasma processing rather than requiring pauses. Coolant flows continuously through channels in the cooling plate, and the thermal choke layer continuously regulates heat flow, maintaining temperature uniformity without interrupting the processing operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The thermal conductivity of the thermal choke layer is adjusted as a controllable parameter to optimize temperature uniformity. By changing the thermal conductivity parameter of this intermediate layer, the system achieves precise temperature control while maintaining continuous processing operation.
3Temperature
If cooling is applied to control temperature, then substrate temperature is reduced, but temperature gradients increase
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling plate is designed with localized coolant channels that provide distributed cooling across the substrate support area. The thermal choke layer also has spatially varying properties that create local thermal management zones, ensuring uniform temperature distribution while effectively removing heat.
Solution Approach 2:
The thermal choke layer provides dynamic thermal management by adjusting heat flow in response to processing conditions. The system adapts to changing thermal loads during plasma processing, maintaining temperature uniformity through active regulation rather than static cooling.
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 enables continuous plasma processing with controlled substrate temperature, reducing processing duration and improving uniformity of substance deposition, thus enhancing the quality and efficiency of the process.
Implementation Method 1
The cooling plate includes a coolant channel fluidically coupled to the plurality of coolant conduits
Implementation Method 2
A thermal conductivity of the thermal choke material corresponds to the desired thermal conductivity
Data Source
AI summary
A substrate support assembly includes a shaft with a platen extending perpendicularly from the shaft at an upper end of the shaft. The shaft includes an electric line and a plurality of coolant conduits. A cooling plate including a coolant channel fluidically coupled to the coolant conduits is mounted to the platen, and extends beyond an outer rim of the platen. A puck assembly including a heater is mounted to the cooling plate. A simultaneous operation of the heater and a flow of coolant through the coolant channel regulates a temperature gradient across the puck assembly during a substrate processing operation.