Substrate Support Recess for Plasma Uniformity
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing plasma processing apparatuses face challenges in achieving uniform plasma density across semiconductor substrates due to asymmetrical chamber designs, leading to non-uniform processing and limited flexibility for future hardware enhancements, which increases manufacturing costs and reduces flexibility for minor chamber part replacements.
Innovation Solution
The apparatus features a substrate support with a recess and cavity design that allows for improved electrical, gas flow, and thermal symmetry, providing additional space for future hardware retrofitting and uniformity enhancements, including adjustable heating elements, cooling systems, and RF ground paths, which enhances edge profile control and temperature/gas distribution profiles.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If the plasma chamber design is asymmetrical, then the chamber can be manufactured with simpler structure, but the plasma density uniformity across the substrate surface deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent intentionally introduces asymmetrical elements (such as offset ground paths, non-uniform spacing of components) into an otherwise symmetrical chamber design to compensate for natural symmetrical skews. This controlled asymmetry counteracts the inherent asymmetrical effects in plasma distribution, allowing the chamber to maintain both manufacturing simplicity and plasma uniformity.
2Manufacturing precision
If additional hardware sets are added to improve uniformity control, then the plasma processing uniformity improves, but the device complexity and manufacturing cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent designs multi-functional components that serve multiple purposes: ground paths that also provide structural support, mounting plates that integrate electrical connections and mechanical positioning, and recesses that accommodate various uniformity control hardware. This universality allows uniformity improvement without proportionally increasing overall system complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The chamber is pre-configured with recesses, mounting plates, and ground paths during initial manufacturing, creating ready-made interfaces for future uniformity control hardware. This preliminary preparation allows easy retrofitting of uniformity enhancement devices without requiring complex redesign or additional structural modifications later.
3Ease of manufacture
If the chamber is designed with fixed configuration, then the manufacturing cost is reduced, but the flexibility for future hardware enhancement and retrofit is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The chamber design segments functional areas into modular components: separate mounting plates, distinct recess regions, and divided ground path sections. This segmentation allows individual components to be independently manufactured at low cost while enabling flexible reconfiguration and retrofitting by assembling or replacing specific modules without redesigning the entire chamber.
Data Source
AI summary
Embodiments of the present invention generally provide an apparatus with a recess and a cavity formed therein for future hardware retrofit and uniformity enhancement and methods for controlling the same. In one embodiment, a substrate support includes a supporting body having an outer wall, a ground path disposed against and bounding the outer wall of the supporting body, a mounting plate coupled to a lower surface of the supporting body, wherein the mounting plate includes a lip extending outward from the mounting plate defining an upper surface; and a recess formed at a perimeter of the supporting body above the upper surface of the lip of the mounting plate, the recess lining on the ground path extending at least partially to the mounting plate.