Supercritical Drying Apparatus for Semiconductor Substrate Throughput
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing supercritical drying processes for semiconductor substrates have low throughput due to the large footprint of process chambers required to maintain high-pressure conditions, which affects the efficiency of substrate treatment and can cause fine circuit patterns to collapse during the drying process.
Innovation Solution
A compact substrate treatment apparatus with a process chamber design that includes a housing with a door mechanism and pressing members to maintain high pressure efficiently, allowing for vertical stacking of multiple chambers and improved spatial efficiency, using supercritical fluids like carbon dioxide for drying to prevent pattern collapse.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a conventional process chamber is used to maintain high-pressure supercritical state, then the supercritical drying process can be performed, but the footprint becomes large and substrate throughput decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from a horizontal footprint-oriented chamber design to a vertical stacking configuration. Multiple process chambers are arranged vertically along a transfer chamber, utilizing the vertical dimension to increase processing capacity without expanding the horizontal footprint. This dimensional change allows more substrates to be processed simultaneously while maintaining compact spatial efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The system is divided into multiple independent process chambers (first process chamber, second process chamber, etc.) that can operate simultaneously. Each chamber handles a specific processing step, allowing parallel processing of multiple substrates. This segmentation increases throughput by enabling concurrent operations while keeping each individual chamber compact.
2Area of stationary object
If a compact process chamber is used to reduce footprint, then spatial efficiency improves, but maintaining high-pressure conditions becomes more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces traditional mechanical pressure maintenance systems with a fluid-based pressure equalization mechanism. A pressure equalization chamber is introduced that allows pressure to be balanced across multiple chambers through fluid communication. This substitution reduces the mechanical complexity of maintaining high pressure in compact chambers while ensuring stable pressure conditions for supercritical processing.
Solution Approach 2:
The pressure equalization chamber acts as an intermediary between multiple process chambers. It mediates pressure distribution across the system, allowing each compact process chamber to maintain high-pressure conditions without requiring large individual chamber volumes. The intermediary chamber balances pressure fluctuations and ensures stable supercritical conditions in all process chambers simultaneously.
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 apparatus enhances substrate treatment throughput and prevents pattern collapse by maintaining high-pressure conditions within a compact footprint, enabling efficient supercritical drying of semiconductor substrates with reduced spatial requirements and improved processing efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
a housing with an entrance in a predetermined surface and providing a space for performing a high pressure process
Implementation Method 2
as a drying process, the use of a supercritical drying process increases, in which a supercritical fluid is used to dry semiconductor devices
Implementation Method 3
Supercritical fluids mean any substance being at a temperature and pressure above its critical point and having both the gas and liquid properties
Implementation Method 4
a door actuator configured to move the door
Implementation Method 5
a link having an end coupled to the housing and the other end coupled to the door for guiding movement of the door
Data Source
AI summary
Provided are an apparatus and method for treating a substrate. More particularly, an apparatus and method for treating a substrate through a supercritical process are provided. The apparatus includes: a housing having an entrance in a predetermined surface thereof and providing a space for performing a high pressure process; a support member disposed in the housing to support a substrate; a door for opening and closing the entrance; and a pressing member configured to apply a force to the door so as to close the housing during the high pressure process.