Susceptor Recess Arrangement for Substrate Processing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing susceptor designs, such as those with a honeycomb-shaped pattern in a concentric hexagonal arrangement, suffer from wasted space at the outer peripheral portion, limiting the number of substrates that can be processed efficiently and affecting product quality due to gas flow disturbances.
Innovation Solution
A susceptor configuration with circular recesses arranged in a closest packed pattern, featuring concentric regular hexagonal recess arrays and an outermost peripheral recess array, where recesses are in point contact to minimize wasteful space, allowing for the maximum number of substrates to be processed simultaneously.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a concentric circular recess arrangement is used, then the susceptor structure is simple, but the number of substrates that can be processed at one time is insufficient and process efficiency is poor
Solution Approach 1:
The susceptor surface is segmented into multiple recess arrays arranged in a closest packed configuration, with each array containing multiple recesses positioned at specific intervals. This segmentation allows maximum substrate placement while maintaining structural organization and gas flow pathways.
2Area of stationary object
If a concentric circular recess arrangement is used, then the design is simple, but there is large wasted space on the susceptor surface
Solution Approach 1:
The recess arrays are positioned at specific locations across the susceptor surface with varying densities and configurations. The outer peripheral recess arrays are specifically designed to maximize edge utilization, ensuring that every portion of the susceptor surface contributes to substrate placement without creating wasted spaces.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If there is a great deal of vacant part in the susceptor surface, then the recess arrangement is simple, but it acts as a resistant force against gas flow and disturbs the gas flow
Solution Approach 1:
Vacant spaces that would otherwise disrupt gas flow are extracted and replaced with additional recess arrays positioned in the peripheral regions. This removal of wasted space eliminates gas flow resistance while the systematic arrangement of recesses maintains uniform gas distribution across all substrate positions.
4Area of stationary object
If a hexagonal closest packed arrangement is used, then wasted space is minimized in the inner portion, but there is wasted space in the outer peripheral portion of the susceptor surface
Solution Approach 1:
The design transitions from a two-dimensional hexagonal pattern to a multi-dimensional closest packed arrangement with recess arrays distributed across the entire susceptor surface including peripheral regions. This dimensional expansion allows recesses to be positioned at vertex positions and along edges, fully utilizing the outer peripheral area for substrate placement.
5Reliability
If the outer peripheral portion of the susceptor surface has wasted space, then the recess arrangement is simpler, but it represents a risk that there are a large number of substrates with poor quality
Solution Approach 1:
The outer peripheral recess arrays are merged with the inner recess arrays in a unified closest packed configuration. All recesses across the entire susceptor surface, including peripheral regions, are positioned to ensure uniform gas flow exposure and consistent processing conditions, eliminating quality variations between center and edge substrates.
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
Figure 5~6
AI summary
A susceptor is provided in which wasteful space is minimized in the outermost peripheral portion and the maximum number of recesses are disposed, by modifying a recess arrangement of an outermost peripheral recess array, which is disposed on an outer peripheral portion of a plurality of recess arrays that are disposed in a closest packed arrangement in a honeycomb-shaped pattern structure. Each of recesses located at vertices of a second recess array (A2), which is the outermost periphery of concentric hexagonal recess arrays (A1) and (A2) in a honeycomb-shaped pattern, is substantially in point contact with two recesses forming the outermost peripheral recess array (A3), and those two recesses are substantially in point contact with each other. The same number of recesses as the number of the recesses disposed between a vertex (B2) and a vertex (B1) of the recess array (A2) are disposed between a recess (M(3)-C) and a recess (M(3)-B) of the outermost peripheral recess array (A3), and the same number of recesses as the number of the recesses disposed between the vertex (B2) and a vertex (B3) of the recess array (A2) are disposed between a recess (M(3)-D) and a recess (M(3)-E) of the outermost peripheral recess array (A3).