Wafer Lock Chamber Cooling Plate for High-Temperature Transfer
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing vacuum processing apparatus faces inefficiencies in wafer transport and processing due to uneven operations, high-temperature wafer handling, and corrosion issues from halogen gas residues, leading to reduced productivity and wafer damage.
Innovation Solution
The apparatus includes an atmosphere transport chamber, vacuum transport chambers, a lock chamber with a pusher arm and cooling plate for precise wafer handling and temperature control, and a controller for optimizing transport operations, ensuring efficient processing and storage of wafers.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If wafers are transported and processed in parallel between lock chamber and vacuum processing chamber, then productivity is improved, but high-temperature wafers cause bottlenecks in the lock chamber
Solution Approach 1:
The lock chamber is divided into a first lock chamber and a second lock chamber that operate independently. The first lock chamber handles wafer transport between the atmosphere transport chamber and vacuum transport chamber, while the second lock chamber handles wafer transport between the atmosphere transport chamber and vacuum processing chamber. This segmentation allows parallel processing of multiple wafers without mutual interference, resolving the bottleneck problem.
Solution Approach 2:
A transfer chamber is introduced as an intermediary between the lock chambers and vacuum processing chamber. This transfer chamber receives processed wafers from the vacuum processing chamber and transfers them to the second lock chamber, enabling the lock chamber to prepare for the next wafer while the previous wafer is being processed, thus eliminating waiting time and bottlenecks.
2Productivity
If halogen gas is used for etching process, then processing capability is improved, but gas residues cause corrosion of wafer and damage to membrane structure
Solution Approach 1:
A gas residue removal unit is provided that includes a heating unit and a cooling unit. The heating unit heats the wafer to desorb halogen gas residues from the wafer surface and chamber walls, while the cooling unit cools the wafer after heating. This extraction and removal of harmful gas residues prevents corrosion and damage to the wafer and membrane structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The gas residue removal process is performed as a preliminary action before the wafer is transferred to the atmosphere transport chamber. By removing gas residues while the wafer is still in the vacuum environment, the wafer is protected from corrosion when exposed to atmospheric moisture, preventing damage to the membrane structure.
3Productivity
If wafer transport control is optimized, then processing efficiency is improved, but uneven operations in different units create waiting time
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple lock chambers and vacuum transport chambers are configured to operate in parallel, allowing continuous wafer processing without idle waiting time. While one lock chamber is transferring a wafer, another can be loading or processing, ensuring that the system continuously performs useful actions without interruption or bottleneck.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically assigns wafers to different lock chambers and transport paths based on real-time operational status. The controller monitors the state of each unit and dynamically adjusts the transport path and timing to balance the workload across all units, preventing any single unit from becoming a bottleneck and eliminating waiting time.
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 configuration enhances productivity and processing efficiency by minimizing wafer damage and corrosion, while optimizing the handling and storage of high-temperature wafers, thereby improving the overall performance of the vacuum processing apparatus.
Implementation Method 1
a cooling plate disposed in a bottom portion of the at least one lock chamber for cooling the wafer
Data Source
AI summary
A vacuum processing apparatus with improved processing efficiency, which includes a pusher arm to support the wafer on a beam portion, or deliver the supported wafer, and a cooling plate disposed on a bottom in the lock chamber for cooling the wafer and placed on tip ends of multiple support pins. The pusher arm includes four pusher pins disposed around a center of the wafer to be placed on the horizontally extending beam portion, and a drive unit connected to the proximal part for vertically moving the beam portion. The cooling plate includes a recess portion in its center, into which the beam portion of the pusher arm which has been moved downward is stored. The support pins are positioned closer to an outer circumference side of the wafer on the cooling plate with respect to the center than the pusher pins of the pusher arm.