Wave-Shaped Shutter Disc for Low-Stress PVD Conditioning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Physical vapor deposition (PVD) tools face issues with particulates contaminating substrate support components during conditioning processes, leading to chucking errors, reduced yield, and increased maintenance needs due to thermal stresses on shutter discs, which can crack and require frequent replacement.
Innovation Solution
A shutter disc with a cross-sectional wave shape and optimized diameter and width is used to reduce heat transfer and prevent contamination, featuring a thin-film material configuration that minimizes contact with the substrate support component, thereby reducing thermal stresses and contamination risks.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If a shutter disc is used during conditioning processes, then particulate contamination of substrate support components is prevented, but thermal stresses cause the shutter disc to crack and require frequent replacement
Solution Approach 1:
The shutter disc is divided into multiple segments or sections that can independently manage thermal stress. The segmented structure allows each section to expand and contract separately during thermal cycling, preventing crack propagation across the entire disc while maintaining the shielding function against particulate contamination.
Solution Approach 2:
The material properties of the shutter disc are modified to change its thermal response characteristics. By adjusting parameters such as thermal conductivity, heat capacity, or expansion coefficient through material selection or composite construction, the disc can better withstand thermal stresses during conditioning processes without cracking.
2Area of stationary object
If the shutter disc diameter is increased to improve coverage, then heat transfer to the substrate support component increases, but this causes more severe thermal stresses
Solution Approach 1:
The shutter disc design incorporates a third dimension through varied thickness profiles or three-dimensional structural features. This allows the disc to manage heat transfer by creating thermal gradients through the thickness direction rather than solely relying on radial dimensions, reducing thermal stress while maintaining adequate coverage area.
Solution Approach 2:
The shutter disc employs curved or non-planar surfaces instead of flat geometry. The curved design facilitates heat distribution and reduces stress concentration points that would occur at sharp edges or flat interfaces, allowing larger coverage area with reduced thermal stress.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If the shutter disc is positioned closer to the substrate support component, then contamination prevention is improved, but heat transfer and thermal stresses increase
Solution Approach 1:
An intermediary structure or material layer is introduced between the shutter disc and the substrate support component. This intermediary element acts as a thermal barrier that reduces heat transfer to the shutter disc while maintaining the close positioning needed for effective contamination prevention. The intermediary could be a low-conductivity coating, spacer layer, or intermediate structural feature.
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 solution enhances the effectiveness of the conditioning process, reduces chucking errors, increases the time between maintenance operations, and improves the throughput and yield of integrated circuit devices by minimizing shutter disc damage and maintenance costs.
Implementation Method 1
A shutter disc with a cross-sectional wave shape and optimized diameter and width is used to reduce heat transfer and prevent contamination, featuring a thin-film material configuration that minimizes contact with the substrate support component, thereby reducing thermal stresses
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, which causes the ions to bombard the cathode and release particles of the material
Implementation Method 3
A physical vapor deposition (PVD) tool, such as a sputtering tool (or sputter deposition tool) includes a semiconductor processing tool that performs a PVD operation within a processing chamber to deposit material onto a semiconductor substrate
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.