Variable-Thickness Gas Injector to Reduce Chamber Deposition
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing injectors in substrate processing apparatuses experience clogging and breakage due to deposition of reaction gases, which affects the efficiency and longevity of the apparatus.
Innovation Solution
The injector is designed with a varying thickness along its axis, an oval-shaped internal gas conduction channel, and a tapered end to reduce deposition and stress, using materials with matching thermal expansion to the deposited layers, and incorporating a gas exhaust system to manage pressure and flow.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the injector has a constant wall thickness, then the manufacturing is simple, but deposition causes clogging and breakage
Solution Approach 1:
The injector wall thickness varies along its length, with the first end having a greater thickness than the second end. This local variation in geometry addresses the deposition problem specifically at the first end where clogging occurs, while maintaining a simpler overall structure compared to completely complex designs.
Solution Approach 2:
The wall thickness parameter of the injector is changed along its length, transitioning from a constant thickness design to a variable thickness design. This parameter modification prevents deposition-induced clogging and breakage, thereby improving reliability without requiring entirely new injector architectures.
2Reliability
If the injector is positioned away from the wafer, then deposition on the injector is reduced, but gas distribution uniformity deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The injector employs different wall thicknesses at different locations (greater at the first end, smaller at the second end) to locally compensate for deposition effects. This allows the injector to maintain structural integrity and functional performance even when positioned optimally for gas distribution, resolving the conflict between reliability and precision.
3Reliability
If the injector wall is thin, then the injector is less prone to breakage from stress, but deposition occurs more readily causing clogging
Solution Approach 1:
The injector uses location-specific wall thicknesses where the first end (prone to deposition) has greater thickness for resistance to clogging, while the second end has smaller thickness. This local differentiation resolves the contradiction between deposition resistance and stress resistance by optimizing each region for its primary challenge.
Solution Approach 2:
The solution moves from a uniform one-dimensional thickness parameter to a two-dimensional thickness distribution along the injector length. This dimensional approach allows simultaneous optimization for both deposition resistance (at the first end) and stress resistance (at the second end), resolving the apparent contradiction.
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to an injector configured for arrangement within a reaction chamber of a substrate processing apparatus to inject gas in the reaction chamber. The injector may be elongated along a first axis and configured with an internal gas conduction channel extending along the first axis and provided with at least one gas entrance opening and at least one gas exit opening. The injector may have a width extending along a second axis perpendicular to the first axis substantially larger than a depth of the injector extending along a third axis perpendicular to the first and second axis. The wall of the injector may have a varying thickness.