Wafer Load-Lock Gas Diffuser for Uniform Thermal Cycling
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Solution Overview
Problem
In semiconductor manufacturing, existing wafer cooling and heating systems face inefficiencies due to temperature gradients across wafers during the cooling or heating process, leading to increased cycle times and reduced throughput.
Innovation Solution
A wafer cooling/heating system with a load-lock utilizing a level stream design, featuring a diffuser positioned on a side surface to direct gas flow parallel to the wafers through nozzles, and a thermo module capable of adjusting gas temperature from -50°C to 50°C, with exhaust lines for controlled gas removal and malfunction detection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If conventional cooling/heating systems are used, then wafers can be cooled or heated, but temperature gradients across wafers occur leading to increased cycle times
Solution Approach 1:
The diffuser is divided into multiple nozzles arranged in a specific pattern, with each nozzle directing gas flow to a specific region of the wafer. This segmentation allows different regions of the wafer to receive optimized gas flow, eliminating temperature gradients and reducing cooling/heating cycle time while maintaining uniform temperature distribution.
Solution Approach 2:
Different nozzles are configured with different spray angles and flow rates tailored to specific wafer regions. This local optimization ensures that each area of the wafer receives the appropriate amount of cooling or heating gas, preventing temperature gradients and reducing overall cycle time.
2Productivity
If conventional cooling/heating systems are used, then cooling or heating can be performed, but throughput is reduced due to inefficiencies
Solution Approach 1:
The system incorporates adjustable nozzle configurations that can be dynamically optimized for different wafer sizes, materials, and processing requirements. This dynamic adaptability allows the system to maintain high throughput across various production scenarios while managing complexity through programmable control rather than multiple fixed systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The diffuser design with multiple adjustable nozzles serves multiple functions: cooling, heating, and uniform temperature distribution, all within a single integrated component. This multi-functionality increases throughput by eliminating the need for separate systems while the modular design keeps complexity manageable.
3Speed
If gas flow is increased to reduce cooling time, then cooling speed improves, but temperature uniformity across wafers deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The gas flow is segmented into multiple directed streams from different nozzles, each targeting specific regions of the wafer. This allows high overall flow rates for fast cooling while maintaining uniform distribution across the wafer surface, preventing hot spots and ensuring temperature uniformity even at high cooling rates.
Solution Approach 2:
Each nozzle is configured with specific spray angles and flow rates optimized for its target region, allowing the system to achieve high cooling rates overall while maintaining local temperature uniformity across different areas of the wafer.
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
This solution reduces wafer cooling/heating time by 82% and improves throughput by 45%, ensuring uniform temperature across wafers and optimizing the cooling/heating process.
Implementation Method 1
a gas diffuser with one or more nozzles... to direct gas flow parallel to the wafers
Implementation Method 2
a thermo module capable of adjusting gas temperature from -50°C to 50°C
Implementation Method 3
a thermo module capable of adjusting gas temperature from -50°C to 50°C
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure describes a wafer cooling/heating system that includes a load-lock and a thermo module. The load-lock uses a level stream design to improve temperature uniformity across one or more wafers during a cooling/heating process. The load-lock can include (i) a wafer holder configured to receive wafers at a front side of the load-lock; (ii) a gas diffuser with one or more nozzles along a back side of the load-lock, a side surface of the load-lock, or a combination thereof; and (iii) one or more exhaust lines. Further, the thermo module can be configured to control a temperature of a gas provided to the load-lock.