Variable Size Opening Pumping Liner for Uniform Gas Flow
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional pumping liners in electronic device manufacturing equipment face challenges in optimizing gas flow uniformity due to numerous degrees of freedom in baffle configuration, leading to non-uniform gas delivery to substrates, which is time-consuming and limited by space constraints.
Innovation Solution
A pumping liner with a main body surrounding the substrate support, featuring a plurality of openings of varying sizes to achieve uniform radial gas flow distribution, eliminating the need for baffles and optimizing gas flow rate within ±5% of a target mass flow rate, thereby reducing the size of the process chamber and enhancing manufacturability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If baffles are used to tune gas flow uniformity, then deposition uniformity is improved, but device complexity and manufacturing time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The pumping liner employs openings of non-uniform sizes distributed across its surface, where each opening's size is locally optimized to compensate for position-dependent pressure variations. This local quality variation eliminates the need for baffles while achieving uniform gas delivery, as openings farther from the gas inlet (experiencing lower pressure) are larger, and those closer to the inlet (experiencing higher pressure) are smaller.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the geometric parameter of the openings from uniform size to non-uniform size distribution. By varying the opening size parameter across the pumping liner surface according to a predetermined pattern, the system achieves uniform mass flow rate distribution without requiring additional baffles, thereby reducing device complexity while maintaining deposition uniformity.
2Manufacturing precision
If baffles are used to optimize gas flow, then deposition uniformity is improved, but manufacturing time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The pumping liner is manufactured with openings of non-uniform sizes already integrated into its structure during the initial manufacturing process. This preliminary action of pre-configuring the opening size distribution eliminates the need for subsequent empirical tuning with baffles, as the uniform gas delivery pattern is built-in from the start, significantly reducing manufacturing time.
Solution Approach 2:
By changing the opening size parameter from uniform to non-uniform distribution during manufacturing, the system achieves deposition uniformity without requiring time-consuming empirical tuning processes. The predetermined pattern of opening sizes is established during fabrication, eliminating iterative testing and adjustment phases.
3Ease of manufacture
If uniform hole sizes are used in pumping liners, then manufacturing simplicity is maintained, but gas flow uniformity deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The pumping liner employs openings of non-uniform sizes distributed across its surface, where each opening's size is locally optimized to compensate for position-dependent pressure variations. This local quality variation eliminates the need for baffles while achieving uniform gas delivery, as openings farther from the gas inlet (experiencing lower pressure) are larger, and those closer to the inlet (experiencing higher pressure) are smaller.
4Volume of moving object
If space constraints limit baffle usage, then device size is reduced, but gas flow uniformity deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts and eliminates the baffles from the system by incorporating the flow control function directly into the pumping liner's opening structure. By using non-uniform opening sizes that inherently compensate for pressure variations, the system achieves uniform gas delivery without requiring additional baffle components, thereby maintaining compact device size while improving gas flow uniformity.
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 variable size opening pumping liner achieves improved gas flow rate uniformity, reduces the size of the process chamber, and requires fewer design iterations, resulting in more efficient and uniform gas delivery to substrates during processing.
Implementation Method 1
a pressurized gas is introduced above the substrate and flows out radially and downward onto the substrate to deposit a film
Implementation Method 2
a gas outlet configured to evacuate from the pumping liner at least one of the unreacted process gas or the reacted process gas byproducts received via the plurality of openings
Implementation Method 3
a pressurized gas is introduced above the substrate and flows out radially and downward onto the substrate to deposit a film
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed herein is a pumping liner, having a gas inlet configured to receive a process gas; openings in communication with the gas inlet, the openings configured to surround a substrate support and to direct the process gas onto the substrate support. At least a portion of the openings each has a different size. Each of the openings is configured to provide a gas mass flow rate that is within ±5% of a target gas mass flow rate. The pumping liner further includes a gas outlet configured to receive unreacted process gas and reacted process gas byproducts.