Wafer Carrier Heat-Insulating Structure for Uniform Epitaxy Heating
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional wafer carriers experience uneven temperature distribution during high-temperature epitaxial processes due to direct contact between the wafer carrier and the shaft, leading to poor epitaxy quality.
Innovation Solution
A wafer carrier design incorporating a disc body with an accommodating groove and strategically positioned heat insulators between the wafer and the shaft, which reduces thermal energy transfer and dissipations, ensuring uniform temperature distribution.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If the wafer carrier directly contacts the shaft for structural support, then the mechanical stability is improved, but the temperature distribution uniformity deteriorates due to rapid thermal energy dissipation at the connection point
Solution Approach 1:
A heat insulator is introduced as an intermediary component between the wafer carrier and the shaft. This heat insulator serves dual functions: it provides mechanical support (maintaining stability) while simultaneously reducing thermal energy dissipation (improving temperature distribution uniformity). The heat insulator acts as a mediator that decouples the thermal and mechanical functions.
Solution Approach 2:
The connection structure is segmented into multiple components: the wafer carrier, the heat insulator, and the shaft. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function optimally - the wafer carrier holds the wafer, the heat insulator provides thermal isolation while maintaining mechanical support, and the shaft provides structural support. The segmentation enables independent optimization of thermal and mechanical properties.
2Productivity
If heating is applied during epitaxial growth, then the deposition process is enabled, but thermal energy rapidly dissipates through the shaft connection point causing poor epitaxy quality
Solution Approach 1:
The heat insulator serves as a thermal barrier that prevents excessive heat loss through the shaft connection. This allows the epitaxial growth process to proceed at required high temperatures while minimizing parasitic heat dissipation, thereby improving epitaxy quality without sacrificing productivity.
Solution Approach 2:
The shaft connection, which originally causes harmful heat dissipation, is transformed into a beneficial structure by introducing the heat insulator. The insulated connection now serves as a controlled thermal path that maintains mechanical support while preventing unwanted heat loss, converting a harmful effect into a beneficial one.
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 solution enhances the uniformity of temperature distribution across the wafer carrier, ensuring even heating and improved epitaxy quality by minimizing thermal energy transfer to the shaft.
Implementation Method 1
the at least one heat insulator is positioned between the wafer and the shaft
Data Source
AI summary
A wafer carrier with a bottom for connecting to a shaft includes a disc body and at least one heat insulator. The disc body has an accommodating groove for accommodating a wafer, and the disc body has a first surface and a second surface opposing each other. A groove bottom of the accommodating groove has the first surface. The at least one heat insulator is disposed on either the first surface or the second surface. When the wafer is accommodated in the accommodating groove, the at least one heat insulator is positioned between the wafer and the shaft.