Semiconductor Substrate Support Slope Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Long-term operation of substrate processing apparatuses leads to fatigue and misalignment of substrate support units, resulting in uneven thin film uniformity and increased defect rates in semiconductor devices due to periodic movements and thermal deformation.
Innovation Solution
A substrate processing apparatus design that includes a substrate support unit with a first slope and a flow control ring with a second slope, where the reaction space and lower space are connected through a gap, allowing gas to flow downstream and suppressing inflow from the lower space, maintaining a constant gap and alignment to ensure uniform gas distribution and prevent contamination.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the substrate support unit is operated for long-term use to improve productivity, then the productivity increases, but the centering position of the substrate support unit becomes distorted due to fatigue and thermal deformation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the physical state of the substrate support unit by heating it to a specific temperature (e.g., 150°C to 250°C) to induce thermal expansion that compensates for the distortion caused by long-term operation. This temperature parameter adjustment restores the centering position and maintains manufacturing precision while allowing continued productivity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements periodic heating cycles of the substrate support unit during operation. By periodically applying heat to induce thermal expansion and then allowing cooling, the system compensates for accumulated distortion over time, maintaining centering accuracy without stopping production.
2Manufacturing precision
If the gap between the substrate support unit and flow control ring is reduced to improve gas flow control, then the gas distribution uniformity improves, but the risk of contamination from the lower space increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a flow control ring as an intermediary component between the reaction space and lower space. This ring with controlled gaps allows gas to flow through defined paths, maintaining uniform gas distribution while preventing direct contamination from the lower space through the gap.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates different gap sizes at different locations of the flow control ring. The gap is smaller in regions where contamination prevention is critical and larger in regions where gas flow distribution is needed, achieving both uniform gas distribution and contamination prevention through localized gap optimization.
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
The solution improves thin film uniformity by maintaining a constant gap and alignment between the substrate support unit and the flow control ring, reducing defects and enhancing the productivity of semiconductor devices by ensuring consistent gas flow and pressure balance.
Implementation Method 1
due to thermal deformation caused by a high temperature process, the centering position of a substrate support unit may be distorted
Implementation Method 2
gas is supplied by the processing unit during a processing operation... the reaction space and the lower space are connected to each other through the gap
Data Source
AI summary
A substrate processing apparatus capable of improving the uniformity of thin films on a substrate includes: a substrate support unit having a first slope; and a flow control ring arranged to surround the substrate support unit and having a second slope, wherein, during alignment, as the substrate support unit moves in a first direction, the first slope and the second slope contact each other, and due to the contact, the flow control ring slides in a second direction that is different from the first direction.