Wafer Load-Lock Level Stream Design for Uniform Cooling Temperature
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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, particularly in load-lock designs with downstream gas flow configurations.
Innovation Solution
A wafer cooling and heating system utilizing a level stream design with a diffuser positioned on a side surface of the load-lock for parallel gas flow and a thermo module capable of adjusting gas temperature from -50°C to 50°C, along with exhaust lines for controlled gas removal and nozzle malfunction detection, to enhance temperature uniformity and efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If downstream gas flow configuration is used in load-lock, then system simplicity is maintained, but temperature uniformity across wafers deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent inverts the conventional downstream gas flow configuration by implementing a level stream (parallel) flow configuration where gas flows horizontally across the wafer surface rather than vertically downstream. This inversion resolves the contradiction by achieving both temperature uniformity and reasonable system complexity through the parallel flow arrangement that eliminates temperature gradients while maintaining structural simplicity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from vertical downstream gas flow to horizontal parallel gas flow, changing the flow dimension from vertical to horizontal. This dimensional change allows the gas to flow parallel to the wafer surface, creating uniform temperature distribution across the wafer while maintaining system simplicity through the straightforward parallel flow configuration.
2Reliability
If conventional cooling/heating systems are used, then basic cooling function is provided, but cooling time and cycle time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the gas flow parameters from vertical downstream flow to horizontal parallel flow, fundamentally altering the cooling mechanism. This parameter change enables simultaneous cooling of multiple wafers with uniform temperature distribution, reducing cooling time by approximately 82% while maintaining reliable cooling function.
Solution Approach 2:
The level stream configuration enables continuous and uniform gas flow across all wafers simultaneously, ensuring that cooling action is applied continuously and uniformly to all wafers in the load-lock. This continuous useful action eliminates the temperature gradients that cause extended cooling times in conventional systems.
3Device complexity
If downstream gas flow is used, then system structure is simplified, but throughput is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
By inverting the conventional downstream flow configuration to a level stream parallel flow configuration, the patent achieves both simplified system structure and improved throughput. The parallel flow design allows simultaneous uniform cooling of multiple wafers, increasing throughput by approximately 45% while maintaining structural simplicity.
Solution Approach 2:
The transition from vertical to horizontal gas flow dimension enables more efficient utilization of the load-lock space and faster cooling cycles. This dimensional change allows parallel processing of multiple wafers with uniform temperature distribution, thereby increasing throughput without complicating the system structure.
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 system reduces wafer cooling or heating time by approximately 82% and improves throughput by about 45%, ensuring more uniform temperature distribution across wafers and optimizing the cooling or heating process.
Implementation Method 1
flow a gas in a direction parallel to a surface of the one or more wafers
Implementation Method 2
one or more exhaust lines in the load-lock...activating one or more of the exhaust lines
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.