Wave-Shaped Shutter Disc for PVD Heat and Particle Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
In physical vapor deposition (PVD) tools, particulates deposited or transferred onto substrate support components during conditioning processes can cause chucking errors and reduce semiconductor substrate yield, while the shutter disc used to prevent this is prone to thermal stress and cracking, leading to increased maintenance and downtime.
Innovation Solution
A shutter disc with a cross-sectional wave shape is designed to reduce heat transfer and thermal stresses, and its diameter and width are configured to minimize contamination and mechanical interference, thereby enhancing its effectiveness in preventing particulate deposition and extending its operational life.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If a shutter disc is used to prevent particulate deposition on substrate support components, then contamination is reduced, but the shutter disc is prone to thermal stress and cracking
Solution Approach 1:
The shutter disc incorporates a wave shape with curved surfaces instead of flat surfaces. This curvature distributes thermal stress more evenly across the disc structure, reducing the likelihood of cracking while maintaining the shielding function against particulate contamination during PVD conditioning processes.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the geometric parameters of the shutter disc by introducing a wave shape with specific amplitude and wavelength. This parameter modification alters the thermal stress distribution pattern, allowing the disc to withstand thermal cycling without cracking while continuing to prevent particulate deposition on substrate support components.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If the shutter disc diameter is increased to improve coverage, then contamination prevention is enhanced, but mechanical interference and heat transfer increase
Solution Approach 1:
The wave shape with curved surfaces reduces the effective heat transfer area compared to a flat disc of the same diameter. The curvature creates air gaps and reduces thermal contact, allowing a larger diameter disc to provide enhanced contamination coverage while limiting heat transfer to acceptable levels.
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 wave-shaped shutter disc effectively prevents particulate contamination of substrate support components, reduces the likelihood of cracking, and increases the operational efficiency and throughput of PVD tools, while also reducing maintenance costs and extending the time between maintenance operations.
Implementation Method 1
a body including an approximately circular shape. The shutter disc includes a top surface of the body, where the top surface includes a plurality of concentric wave shapes
Implementation Method 2
a gas (e.g., argon or another chemically inert gas) is supplied and ignited to form a plasma of ions of the gas. The ions in the plasma are accelerated toward a cathode formed of the material to be deposited
Implementation Method 3
The ions in the plasma are accelerated toward a cathode formed of the material to be deposited, which causes the ions to bombard the cathode and release particles of the material
Data Source
AI summary
Some implementations described herein provide a shutter disc for use during a conditioning process within a processing chamber of a deposition tool. The shutter disc described herein includes a material having a wave-shaped section to reduce heat transfer to the shutter disc and to provide relief from thermal stresses. Furthermore, the shutter disc includes a deposition of a thin-film material on a backside of the shutter disc, where a diameter of the shutter disc causes a spacing between an inner edge of the thin-film material and an outer edge of a substrate support component. The spacing prevents an accumulation of material between the thin film material and the substrate support component, reduces tilting of the shutter disc due to a placement error, and reduces heat transfer to the shutter disc.