Substrate Supporting Unit for Polishing and Cleaning
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Solution Overview
Problem
In semiconductor manufacturing, the uneven surface of wafers due to multi-layer structures and increased height differences causes defocusing issues in photo processes, necessitating effective surface planarization techniques to maintain substrate flatness during polishing and cleaning processes.
Innovation Solution
A substrate supporting unit with a vacuum plate, supporting plate, and driving member that uses magnetic repulsive forces and elastic members to securely hold and move the substrate during polishing and cleaning, allowing for sequential polishing and post-cleaning processes in a single chamber, ensuring uniform substrate support and preventing detachment or deformation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a single substrate processing method is used for both polishing and cleaning, then processing efficiency is improved, but substrate support stability may deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The substrate supporting unit employs a dynamic design where the vacuum plate and supporting plate can move relative to each other vertically. The vacuum plate is movable by a driving member to adjust its position relative to the supporting plate, allowing the system to adapt between polishing and cleaning modes while maintaining stable substrate support throughout the process
Solution Approach 2:
The substrate supporting unit is designed with multi-functionality to perform both polishing and cleaning operations on the same substrate within a single processing chamber. The vacuum plate can hold the substrate during polishing, then the supporting plate with chucking members takes over for cleaning, allowing one system to fulfill multiple processing functions
2Reliability
If magnetic repulsive force is used to hold the substrate, then substrate detachment is prevented, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces traditional mechanical contact-based holding mechanisms with magnetic repulsive force. The driving member uses magnetic fields to move and position the vacuum plate and supporting plate, eliminating the need for complex mechanical linkages, gears, or direct physical contact mechanisms, thus reducing overall device complexity while improving reliability
3Manufacturing precision
If chucking members are used to clamp the substrate, then substrate positioning precision is improved, but substrate deformation risk increases
Solution Approach 1:
The supporting plate acts as an intermediary between the chucking members and the substrate. The chucking members clamp the substrate indirectly through the supporting plate structure, which distributes the clamping force evenly across the substrate surface, preventing localized stress concentrations that could cause deformation while still achieving precise positioning
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
Enables efficient planarization of substrate surfaces by maintaining uniform substrate flatness during polishing and cleaning, preventing defocusing issues and ensuring high-quality semiconductor device production.
Implementation Method 1
a vacuum plate to which a substrate is attached by vacuum suction
Implementation Method 2
upper and lower magnet members vertically arranged under the supporting plate to face each other, the upper and lower magnet members being oriented with opposing poles thereof facing each other such that a magnetic repulsive force acts between the upper and lower magnet members
Implementation Method 3
the substrate supporting unit may further include an elastic member configured to exert an elastic repulsive force between the supporting plate and the upper magnet member
Data Source
AI summary
Provided are a substrate supporting unit and a single type substrate polishing apparatus using the substrate supporting unit. During a polishing process, the bottom surface of a substrate is attached to the substrate supporting unit by vacuum suction, and during a post-cleaning process, the substrate is supported by the substrate supporting unit at a position spaced apart from the substrate supporting unit for cleaning the bottom surface of the substrate. Therefore, according to the substrate supporting unit and the substrate polishing apparatus using the substrate supporting unit, in a state where the substrate is supported by the single type substrate supporting unit, a process for polishing the top surface of the substrate and a post-process for cleaning the top and bottom surfaces of the substrate can be sequentially performed.