A Study of Structural Design for Enhancing Surface Temperature Uniformity of Aluminum Heaters Used in Plasma-Enhanced Chemical Vapor Deposition Processes

This study proposes a structural design approach to address the surface temperature nonuniformity issue caused by the structural deformation of aluminum (Al) heaters used in plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PE-CVD) processes. Repetitive thermal cycles and prolonged operation induce downward deflection at the heater edge regions, adversely affecting the plasma density distribution and thin-film uniformity. To mitigate this issue, a dummy mass-attachment design was applied to the lower edgesof the heater. Finite element method-based thermal simulations were conducted, and experimental validation was performed by fabricating actual heater specimens and measuring the surface temperature using thermocouple wafers. The results indicate that applying dummy masses improved the surface temperature uniformity of the heater from 8.5% to 3.2%, with an accordance rate of over 90% between the simulated and experimental temperature distributions. This study presents a practical structural design solution capable of simultaneously enhancing the mechanical stability and enabling precise thermal control of Al heaters, contributing to improved thin-film quality and equipment reliability in PE-CVD processes.