Substrate Tray with Annular Rim for Uniform Heating and Rapid Transfer
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing substrate supporting/trays in semiconductor manufacturing fail to heat substrates uniformly and hinder efficient transfer processes, as they require substrates to cool down before being removed from the treatment chamber, leading to inefficiencies in processing multiple substrates sequentially.
Innovation Solution
A substrate supporting/tray design featuring a disc-shaped substrate supporting portion with a cylindrical lateral wall extending from the peripheral edge and an optional annular portion radially outward, allowing for uniform heating and easy removal using a transfer robot without waiting for temperature reduction, facilitating sequential processing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If the substrate supporting/transferring tray is designed with only a substrate supporting portion, then the substrate can be heated uniformly, but the transfer robot cannot support the tray for removal until the substrate cools down
Solution Approach 1:
The tray is divided into distinct functional zones: a substrate supporting portion for uniform heating and a separate annular portion for transfer robot support. This segmentation allows the substrate to be heated uniformly while providing a dedicated area for robotic manipulation without thermal interference.
Solution Approach 2:
The annular portion extends radially outward from the substrate supporting portion, utilizing the radial dimension to create a thermally isolated support area. This dimensional extension allows the transfer robot to access and support the tray periphery without interfering with the substrate heating process.
2Ease of operation
If the outer peripheral edge of the tray is diametrically larger than the substrate supporting member, then the transfer robot can support and remove the tray, but heat is radiated from the tray causing non-uniform substrate heating
Solution Approach 1:
The tray features localized functional zones with different thermal characteristics: the substrate supporting portion is optimized for uniform heat distribution, while the annular portion serves as a thermal buffer and robotic interface. This local quality differentiation resolves the conflict between ease of operation and heating uniformity.
3Temperature
If the substrate must cool down before removal from the treatment chamber, then uniform heating is maintained, but processing efficiency for multiple substrates is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The annular portion acts as a thermal intermediary between the heated substrate and the external environment/transfer robot. It provides a thermally isolated interface that allows robotic manipulation without requiring the substrate to cool down, thereby maintaining both temperature control and processing efficiency.
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
Ensures uniform heating of substrates and enables efficient transfer and processing of multiple substrates in sequence without waiting for temperature cooldown, reducing temperature differences and improving processing efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
a substrate supporting member 2 that incorporates a heating means 4 therein for heating the semiconductor substrate
Implementation Method 2
heat is radiated from the outer peripheral edge side 18c of the substrate supporting/transferring tray 18a
Data Source
AI summary
To provide a substrate supporting/transferring tray, which can be placed on a substrate supporting part arranged in a treatment chamber in which the heat treatment is performed to a substrate, especially on a substrate supporting part having a built-in heating means for heating the substrate, and on an upper side of which, the substrate is placed. At the time of heat-treating the substrate, the substrate can be more uniformly heated, and when the heat treatment is completed, the tray can be easily removed from the substrate supporting part without waiting for the temperature of the substrate to be reduced, and can transfer the substrate to other parts from the treatment chamber in which the heat treatment is performed. The substrate supporting/transferring tray, which has the disc-shaped substrate supporting part on an upper plane side, and is provided with a cylindrical side wall part extending from a periphery of the disc-shaped substrate supporting part to a lower side, and an annular part extending from a lower end side of the cylindrical side wall part to an outer side in a diameter direction.