The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Dec. 02, 2025
Filed:
Apr. 22, 2022
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd., Hsinchu, TW;
Liang Yu Chen, Hsinchu, TW;
Yu-Chi Lin, Hsinchu, TW;
Yu Hsi Tang, Hsinchu, TW;
Chih-Teng Liao, Hsinchu, TW;
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd., Hsinchu, TW;
Abstract
Some implementations described herein provide techniques and apparatuses for improving a uniformity of a flow of a gas across a semiconductor substrate in an etch tool. The etch tool includes an exhaust port located at a bottom center of a chamber of the etch tool. The etch tool further includes a flow-control subsystem that includes an impeller and a thermal component. As a result of the flow-control subsystem varying a rotational velocity of the impeller, and/or an amount of heat transferred from the thermal component, the uniformity of the flow of the gas across the semiconductor substrate may be improved. In this way, a uniformity of an etching rate may be increased and contamination defects due to a clustering of particulates may be decreased, resulting in an increase in a yield of semiconductor product fabricated using the etch tool.