Wafer Spin Cleaning with Variable Rotation for Deep Pattern Penetration
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing substrate cleaning processes face challenges in penetrating chemical liquids deeply into the gaps between patterns on a wafer, especially as patterns become finer, leading to incomplete impurity removal and potential pattern damage.
Innovation Solution
A substrate processing apparatus and method that utilizes varying rotation speeds of the substrate support to generate inertial behavior of the chemical liquid, allowing it to penetrate deeply into the gaps between patterns without damaging the substrate.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If the chemical liquid is sprayed onto the substrate and flows under centrifugal force, then the cleaning process can be performed, but the penetration depth of the chemical liquid is limited due to increasing resistance
Solution Approach 1:
The substrate support rotates at variable speeds during the chemical liquid coating process. The rotation speed is dynamically adjusted to generate inertial behavior that enhances chemical liquid penetration into pattern gaps while managing flow resistance through controlled motion changes.
Solution Approach 2:
The substrate support alternates between different rotation speeds in a periodic manner during the cleaning process. This periodic variation in rotation speed creates repeated inertial effects that facilitate deeper chemical liquid penetration into the pattern gaps throughout the cleaning cycle.
2Productivity
If the spacing between patterns is reduced or hole patterns are formed, then device density increases, but impurity removal becomes more difficult due to limited chemical liquid penetration
Solution Approach 1:
By dynamically varying the rotation speed of the substrate support, the system generates inertial forces that propel the chemical liquid deeper into narrower spacing between patterns and hole patterns, enabling effective impurity removal in high-density device configurations.
Solution Approach 2:
The rotation speed parameter of the substrate support is changed during the cleaning process to optimize chemical liquid penetration. By adjusting this parameter, the system adapts to different pattern geometries and spacing, ensuring effective cleaning regardless of device density.
3Manufacturing precision
If the chemical liquid penetrates deeply into pattern gaps, then impurity removal improves, but pattern damage risk increases due to physical or chemical schemes
Solution Approach 1:
The dynamic rotation speed variation creates controlled inertial behavior that enhances chemical liquid penetration while limiting excessive forces. The periodic acceleration and deceleration cycles allow deep penetration during acceleration phases while reducing damage risk during deceleration phases.
Solution Approach 2:
The periodic alternation between different rotation speeds creates repeated cycles of enhanced penetration and reduced stress on patterns. This periodic action allows the chemical liquid to penetrate deeply during high-speed phases while providing recovery periods during low-speed phases that reduce cumulative pattern damage.
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
Enhances cleaning efficiency by ensuring thorough impurity removal at the bottom of patterns, reducing pattern damage, and improving substrate quality and production yield.
Implementation Method 1
generate an inertial behavior of the chemical liquid coated on the substrate due to change in a rotation speed of the substrate support
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed are a substrate processing apparatus that allow a chemical liquid to penetrate deeply into a gap between patterns of a substrate. The substrate processing apparatus includes a housing having a processing space defined therein in which a substrate is processed; a substrate support installed in the processing space so as to be rotatable about a rotation axis and configured to support the substrate; a chemical liquid supply disposed on top of the substrate support and configured to spray a chemical liquid toward an upper surface of the substrate supported on the substrate support; and a controller configured to repeatedly apply a first rotation control signal and a second rotation control signal indicating different rotation speeds to the substrate support so as to generate an inertial behavior of the chemical liquid coated on the substrate.