KR100373435B1 - Chemical Vapor Deposition Chamber - Google Patents

Abstract

The chemical vapor deposition chamber 10 includes a substrate support member 18 that can be arranged to receive a substrate for processing on the substrate. The support member 18 may be disposed in the chamber 10 by a movable stem 20 extending through the sealing opening 100 at the base of the chamber 10. In order to reduce external heat transfer from the stem 20 of the chamber 10, the stem 20 includes a heat choke 44. In order for the support member 18 to be in the high temperature state present in the chamber 10, a second plate 91 having a high thermal resistance is held in the non-substrate receiving portion of the support member 18. The use of the second plate 91 enables the use of materials for the support member 18 of high thermal conduction but low thermal strength. The chamber 10 also includes a detection system for detecting misaligned, cracked or warped substrates in the chamber 10. The support member 18 preferably includes a plurality of vacuum grooves 77, 78 that firmly attach the substrate 24 to the support member 18 at vacuum pressure during processing. If the vacuum cannot be maintained in the grooves 77 and 78, it is an indication of a misaligned, cracked or warped substrate. When this condition occurs, the controller closes the chamber and indicates the presence of misaligned, cracked or warped substrates. The chamber 10 also provides edge protection of the substrate 24 processed within the chamber. This is provided by forming a purge gas channel 220 about the periphery of the substrate and aligning the edge of the substrate 24, such purge gas being provided about the periphery of the substrate edge.

Description

Chemical vapor deposition chamber

The present invention relates to methods and apparatus for depositing layers of useful materials on substrates used in the manufacture of semiconductor dies. In particular, the present invention relates to apparatus and methods for use in the treatment of substrates, for example by chemical vapor deposition.

Chemical vapor deposition, generally considered "CVD", is used to deposit a thin layer of material on a semiconductor substrate. In order to process the substrate in a CVD process, the vacuum chamber has a support configured to receive the substrate thereon. In a typical CVD chamber of the prior art, the substrate is placed inside the chamber by a robot blade and removed from the chamber. The chamber includes an intermediate substrate positioning assembly in which the substrate is placed when the substrate is disposed within or is to be removed from the chamber. To place the substrate on the support, the support passes through the center of the substrate positioning assembly that lifts the substrate. The support and the substrate are then heated to a temperature of 250 to 650 ° C. When the substrate is placed on the support and heated to an appropriate temperature, the precursor gas is filled into the vacuum chamber through a gas branch mounted on the substrate. The precursor gas reacts with the heated substrate surface to deposit a thin layer of material thereon. As the gases react to form the material layer, volatile byproduct gases are formed, which are blown out of the vacuum chamber through the chamber exhaust system.

The first purpose of processing substrates is to obtain as many dies as possible available from each substrate. Many factors affect substrate processing in a CVD chamber, which affects the maximum yield of die from each substrate processed therein. Such elements include process variables that can affect the uniformity and thickness of the layer of deposition material deposited on the substrate, and contaminants that can adhere to the substrate and contaminate one or more dies on the substrate. These two factors must be controlled to maximize die yield from each substrate in CVD and other processes.

One of the CVD process parameters that affects the uniformity of the deposition material layer is the relative concentration of reacted and unreacted process gas components in the deposition chamber. The exhaust system of the chamber is located on a substrate near its periphery and includes a peripheral exhaust channel through which the reacted process gas is exhausted. However, there is a gap in the peripheral exhaust channel through which the slit valve passes the chamber wall for moving the substrate in and out of the chamber. The exhaust of the reactant gas product from the chamber is less effective near this gap, so that the exhaust of the reaction product becomes uneven in the chamber. This leads to the formation of a non-uniform layer of deposition material on the substrate, since the relative concentration of the reactant gas in the total amount of gas in the chamber changes around the substrate surface due to non-uniform exhaust of the reactant gas product from the chamber.

In addition to the factors described above that affect the uniformity and thickness of the deposition material layer, the CVD process chamber includes a number of particle contamination sources that reduce die yield when received on a substrate. In a CVD process, the first particle contamination source is a deposition material that is deposited on the chamber surface during the process. As the substrate is processed in a CVD chamber, a layer of material is cluttered on all surfaces in the chamber that are in contact with the gas, such as the lamp cover described below. If such chamber surface is later contacted or rubbed, or if the layer of material is loosely attached to the chamber surface and the chamber shakes or vibrates, the particles of the deposited material layer separate from the chamber and contaminate the substrate. In addition, the deposition material layer itself is generally not firmly attached to the edges and undersides of the substrate, and it is known that the layer formed at the substrate location fragments the substrate, resulting in particle contamination.

One method of controlling particle generation in the chamber is to use shadow rings at the edges and underside of the substrate to reduce the occurrence of deposition layers. The shadow ring, which is a masking member, is received in the support to contact the top, outer and peripheral regions of the substrate and limit the access of the deposition gas to the region where the substrate is in contact. However, shadow rings have a number of limitations that contribute to non-uniform processing of the substrate. Volatile deposition gases still tend to move under the lip of the shadow ring so that a layer of material can be deposited on the edges and underside of the substrate and later broken up into pieces. In addition, the combination of the substrate and the shadow ring can form particulates. After all, the shadow ring is a heat sink that draws heat away from the substrate to reduce the temperature of the substrate adjacent to the contact area between the substrate and the shadow ring, and the shadow ring of the deposition material layer in the substrate region adjacent to the shadow ring. Affects the thickness.

An optional one of the shadow rings is disclosed in European Patent Application No. EPO 467 623 A3, issued January 22, 1992. In this application, a lid is provided near the periphery of the substrate. The lid includes a lip over the substrate but not in contact with the substrate. Gas is provided at the bottom of the substrate, and some of this gas flows out between the substrate and the support and into the gap formed between the substrate and the lid. Although the lid forms a peripheral channel in which inert gas can be maintained to mask the edge of the substrate, the structure shown in EPO 467 623 A3 has some disadvantages. First, when the lid is received in the support, no means of aligning the support with the substrate is disclosed. Misalignment between the substrate and the support results in misalignment between the lid and the substrate, and the annular gap formed between the substrate and the lid makes the perimeter of the substrate uneven. This creates different masking gas flows at different locations on the substrate edge. Second, injection of masking gas into the inside of the substrate outer diameter during the process can cause the substrate to float on the support if the chamber pressure and process gas flow are not strictly controlled. The European application, after all, mentions that the disclosed cover masks the upper surface of the substrate to protect the deposit and reduce the effective area of the substrate.

Another substrate particle contamination occurs when a cracked, warped or misaligned substrate is present in the chamber. If the substrate is cracked, warped or misaligned, a significant number of particle contamination can occur as the substrate is moved into the chamber. In addition, if a large segment of substrate is separated from the chamber, it will severely damage the chamber components. As a result, when a cracked, warped or misaligned substrate is processed in the chamber, the top surface and passageway of the support may be exposed to corrosive reactant gases.

The present invention is useful as blanket deposition with improved uniformity and control and as a CVD process apparatus in which selectively deposited tungsten, tungsten silicide, titanium nitride and other deposition materials are deposited. The present invention includes a number of embodiments that can be used individually or simultaneously to control process variables and / or reduce the generation of contaminants on a substrate while performing a process. While embodiments of the present invention have been described with reference to CVD chambers, embodiments of the present invention are applicable to other substrate processing and processing environments.

In a first embodiment of the invention, the apparatus comprises a chamber having a substrate support member on which the substrate is positioned for processing. The substrate is positioned on the substrate support member having positioning means for positioning the substrate on the support member for insertion and removal of the substrate through the chamber slit valve and also positioning the substrate on the surface of the support member for processing. The positioning means position the substrate in part with respect to the movement of the support member and in part separately.

In a second embodiment of the present invention, the substrate edge protection system of the chamber includes a branch tube that extends around the edge of the substrate when the substrate is received in the support member. The branch pipe disperses the gas near the edge of the substrate. An alignment member may also be provided to align the channel with the substrate edge. Since the substrate is not in contact with the shadow ring bottom, particle generation is reduced, the uniformity of the deposition material layer is increased, and the effective area of the substrate is also increased.

In order to secure the substrate to the receiving plate during the process, depressions may be provided on the upper surface of the plate and ported to a vacuum source. In another embodiment of the invention, a pressure sensor disposed in the vacuum line supplies a vacuum to the depression and monitors the pressure change of the vacuum line corresponding to the presence of cracked, warped or misaligned substrates on the support member. do.

In another embodiment of the present invention, the purge gas circulates under the chamber to protect the mechanical components of the chamber from corrosive damage and to reduce the formation of deposits on the interior surface of the chamber. In another embodiment of the present invention, the chamber includes an extended pumping plate extending around the periphery of the chamber near the substrate edge and connecting the gap of the exhaust channel to uniformly pump the volatile gas reacted from the chamber.

In another embodiment of the present invention, a substrate edge protection system is provided in the chamber to limit deposition of the material layer at the substrate edge during the process. The edge protection system includes a ring received on the substrate support member and extending to the top of the substrate adjacent the substrate edge. An alignment member is provided that aligns the substrate with the ring, minimizes contact between the ring and the substrate and provides a minimum gap between the edge of the substrate and the adjacent area of the ring.

The invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description of the embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings.

1 is a partial cross-sectional view of a process chamber of the present invention showing the concept of a substrate on a substrate support member.

2 is a cross-sectional view of a process chamber of the present invention disposed to receive a substrate for processing.

3 is an additional cross-sectional view of a process chamber including an optional embodiment of a substrate edge protection system positioned to process a substrate.

4 is a top view of a heater plate disposed in the chamber of FIG.

5 is an additional top view of the heater plate of FIG. 5 with a substrate.

6 is a partial cross-sectional view of the heater plate and substrate edge protection system in 6-6 of FIG.

7 is a partial cross-sectional view of the heater plate of FIG. 3 showing details of the optional edge protection system.

Detailed Description of the Examples

The process chamber 10 of the present invention includes a number of features and embodiments and provides improvements in structure and operation of substrate processing, either individually or simultaneously. Referring to FIG. 1, the cooperation and interaction of many of these features is shown: a substrate edge protection system 30 in the form of a substrate support member or heater plate 18, purge gas channel 220 that is internally heated, The substrate alignment member 32 in the form of a plurality of alignment pins 224 and an improved exhaust system 300 on the top surface of the heater plate 18.

The heater plate 18 may move upwards in the chamber 10 to receive the substrate thereon for processing and downward in the chamber 10 to position the substrate 24 to remove the substrate from the chamber 10. Can move. In order to position the substrate 24 on the heater plate 18, a plurality of support pins 25 are provided. This support pin 25 may extend from the heater plate 18 to receive the substrate 24 positioned in the chamber 10 by the robot blade through the body of the heater plate 18. The heater plate 18 removes the substrate 24 from the chamber 10 upwards relative to the support pins 25 and by the robot blade to place the substrate 24 on the heater plate 18 for processing. May be moved downwards relative to the support pins 25 to place the substrate 24 on the heater plate 18 for the purpose. For ease of explanation, the support pin 25 is shown sinking to the heater plate 18 in FIG. 1. However, it will be appreciated that as the substrate is received on the heater plate 18, the support pins 25 and the substrate 24 are fixed, and the heater plate 18 actually moves upward.

In order to reduce deposition layer generation on the substrate bottom and edges, the heater plate 18 is preferably configured near the edge 27 of the substrate 24 when the substrate 24 is received on the heater plate 18. An edge protection system 130 in the form of a purge gas channel 220 is surrounded by the elements. When the substrate 24 is positioned on the heater plate 18 and the process starts, a continuous flow of purge gas is not desired, or immediately adjacent to the edge of the edge 27 of the substrate 24. ) Is provided in the channel 220 near the edge 27 of the substrate 24 to ensure that little or no deposition occurs on the underside.

In order to fully utilize the purge gas channel 220, the positioning of the substrate on the heater plate 18 is important as the overall misalignment is located at the edge of the substrate 24 at the position blocking the channel 220. Therefore, the heater plate 18 includes a substrate alignment member 32 that includes a plurality of tapered guide pins 224 provided on the channel 220 along the periphery that guides the substrate 24 on the heater plate 18. Include. The eccentric and / or misaligned substrate 24 is coupled with one or more guide pins 24 as the substrate 24 is received in the heater plate 18. When the heater plate 18 reaches the substrate 24 supported on the heater plate 18 on the support pin 25, the substrate 24 is at the edge 27 of the substrate 24 in contact with the guide pin 224. At a portion of the heater plate 18 is directed toward the center. This allows the substrate (at a suitable location for the purge gas channel 220 to ensure passage of purge gas on the entire edge 27 of the substrate 24 except for the very small area where the edge 27 contacts the fin 224). Align the entire perimeter of 24).

During the process, the substrate 24 is generally maintained at an elevated temperature. To establish and maintain this temperature, the heater plate 18 of the present invention includes a resistive heater element. The heater plate 18 heats the substrate 24 to enter the chamber, generally at a lower temperature than the heater plate 18. As the substrate 24 is heated to the process temperature, the substrate edge 27 is loaded against one or more guide pins 224, and later, if significant thermal expansion occurs, the substrate edge 27 will break. To address this problem, chamber pressure is maintained in the plurality of vacuum grooves 77, 78 provided on the heater plate upper surface 26 that secures the substrate 24 to the chuck against the heater plate 18 during the process. Can be. Optionally, gas is injected to reduce virtual adhesion of the substrate 24 of the heater plate upper surface 26 such that the substrate 24 expands from the guide pins 224 when the substrate 24 is thermally expanded. .

In order to increase the uniformity of the exhaust of the reacted gas product in the chamber 10, the exhaust branch 23 of the chamber contains a pumping plate 308 comprising a series of spaced openings 29. The openings 29 are evenly spaced near the entire periphery of the branch pipe 23, and the plate 308 is slit valve 11 in the chamber wall 12 to increase the uniformity of the reaction of the gas product removal from the chamber. The gap of the branch pipes 23 formed by the presence of a) is connected.

These and other additional features of the invention described herein may be used to provide for improved substrate processing in the chamber, individually or simultaneously.

Process chamber

2 and 3, a number of improvements and features of the chamber 10 in accordance with the present invention are shown in a CVD process apparatus. In FIGS. 2 and 3, the chamber 10 is shown partially cut away to illustrate the interaction and interconnections of the chamber 10 and its features. In FIG. 2, the chamber 10 shows the heater plate 18 in a retracted position, with the substrate 24 positioned on the head of the support pin 25 extending from the top surface of the heater plate 18. Can be removed or removed. In FIG. 3, the apparatus is in a heater plater 18 in an extended position with support pins 25 immersed in the heater plate 18 to position the substrate 24 on the heater plate 18 for processing. Is shown. Although the features and improvements of the chamber 10 are shown in FIG. 2 or FIG. 3, the discussion of these features may include other drawings needed to show detailed description of the features and improvements.

The CVD process apparatus of FIGS. 2 and 3 generally comprises a chamber 10 having an outer wall 12, a cover 14, and a base 16 forming an evacuable enclosure 13, the chamber 10 being perpendicular to the chamber. A heater plate 18 is arranged to receive the substrate that is movable into the furnace. The heater plate 18 is movable within the enclosure 13 for positioning the substrate 24 over for processing. The heater plate 18 preferably includes an integrated substrate edge protection system 30.

Heater Plate and Stem Assemblies

The heater plate 18 is movable vertically in the enclosure 13 by a stem 20 connected to the underside of the heater plate 18, and the base of the enclosure 13 connected to the drive system 22. It extends outward through 16. The system 22 is preferably a circular, tubular aluminum member having an exposed top end 40 and a bottom end 42 finished with a cover plate 43 in contact with and supported by the bottom of the heater plate 18. The stem lower end 42 is received in a cup-shaped sleeve 96 that forms a connection between the drive system 22 and the stem 20. In order to provide a connection from the outside of the chamber to the heater plate 18, the cover plate 43 and the sleeve 96 have a plurality of aligned openings therein, and the heater plate 18 connection has a plurality of aligned openings. Is maintained through. The stem 20 mechanically positions the heater plate 18 in the enclosure 13 and also defines an outer passage through which a plurality of heater plate connections extend.

The heater plate 18 is configured to provide heat to the substrate 24 contained in the upper surface 26 while minimizing heat transfer along the stem 20. The heater play 18 is preferably a solid aluminum member. , The upper end 40 of the stem 20. Preferably, the heater plate 18 is heated by a resistive heater element located therein to provide sufficient heat to maintain the top surface 26 of the heater plate 18 at an increased process temperature of 250 to 650 degrees Celsius. do. The heater element is preferably a tubular member that extends around in a groove formed in the heater plate 18 and is sealed by a constant channel covering the groove and the heater element. Optionally, the element may be cast on the plate or otherwise provided in a sealed environment within the heater plate. Preferably, the area around the heater element is not kept in vacuum. In order to power the heater element, the element preferably comprises a tubular portion 63 projecting downwards and terminates with a blistered conductor 64 in the cover plate 43. The matching blade conductor 62 is disposed in the sleeve 96, paired with the conductor 64 of the cover plate 43, and supplies power to the conductor 64 of the cover plate 43.

Heater Plate Thermocouple Connection

According to FIG. 2, a thermocouple 56 is provided to the heater plate 18 to monitor the temperature. The heater plate 18 includes a bore 50 extending therein, but internally terminating adjacent to the heater plate upper surface 26. This bore 50 provides a pilot therein to accommodate the end of the thermocouple 56 and also provides an opening for receiving purge gas to supply vacuum to the heater plate 18. The bore is preferably formed by drilling a through hole in the heater plate upper surface 26, and the bore plug 51 and the connector housing 53 extend. The top surface of the bore 50 may be slightly recessed from the top surface 26 of the heater plate 18, or may be grounded or otherwise configured to provide a continuous heater plate top surface 26. The connector housing 53 and the plug 51 may be formed as individual elements or as one continuous element. Thermocouple 56 extends through a pair of openings aligned with cover plate 43 and sleeve 96 and within bore 50 in contact with the solid mass of heater plate 18 and / or connector housing 53. It is configured as a rigid rod that terminates. The lower end of the rigid rod includes a bracket 59 that is loosely attached to the outside of the sleeve 96 to hold the thermocouple 56 in place of the heater plate bore 50. Preferably, the bracket is held outside of the sleeve 96 by a number of screws, but other attachment means such as clamps or spring clips may be substituted for the screws. Thermocouple 56 is connected to an amplifier and a filter for temperature display and over temperature protection. In order to allow air to be present in the bore 50, the rigid rod may be slightly smaller in diameter than the opening aligned with the cover plate 43 and the sleeve 96. Thus, the heater plate 18 to increase heat transfer between the mass of the heater plate 18 and the thermocouple 56 such that ambient air passes through an opening aligned with the thermocouple 56 to increase the accuracy and response time of the thermocouple. In the thermocouple 56 in the bore 50.

Purification and vacuum supply

Referring to FIG. 2, a purge gas supply for supplying a protective gas to the substrate edge protection system 30 is shown. The purge gas pipe 52 extends through the stem 20 from the cover plate 43 to the connector housing 53 in the heater plate 18. The connector housing 53 includes a plurality of bores therein, which represent a purge gas and a vacuum bore of the heater plate 18. The purge gas bore 70 extends into the heater plate 18 and supplies purge gas from the connector housing 53 to the upper surface 26 of the heater plate 18 corresponding to the connector housing 53. In a preferred substrate edge protection system, the bore 50 is ported into a plurality of purge gas openings 234 extending through the top surface of the heater plate 18 into the channel 220 as shown in more detail in FIG. The purge gas is supplied to the branch pipe 218 to be used.

With reference to FIGS. 3 and 4, a vacuum supply to the heater pipe 18 is shown. The vacuum pipe 48 passes through the stem 20 from the cover plate 43 on the lower end 42 of the stem to the top 40 of the stem and through the connector housing 53 in the heater plate 18. It is connected with a plurality of vacuum ports 76 extending into the individual plurality of vacuum grooves 77, 78 on the upper surface 26 of the plate 18. In order to supply the vacuum port 76, a plurality of cross bores 75 are drilled in the heater plate 18 just below the upper surface 26, which cross bores 75 correspond to the connector housing 53. Are aligned with the bore. The vacuum pipe 48 is terminated with a corresponding bore in the connector housing 53 and a vacuum is transferred through the vacuum pipe 48 into the grooves 77 and 78.

The cover plate 43 and the sleeve 96 include openings arranged to supply purge gas, and vacuum is supplied into the purge gas pipe 52 and the vacuum pipe 48 in the stem 20, and additionally The opening extends through the thermocouple 56 and the heater element connection. The purge gas supply and the vacuum are preferably supplied to the sleeve 96 via bellows tubing and connected to fittings screwed into suitable openings in the sleeve 96. In order to prevent leakage of vacuum or purge gas at the interface between cover plate 43 and sleeve 96, peripheral grooves are provided near the interface of the aligned openings through which the vacuum and purge gas supply is maintained. The groove is preferably disposed near the outlet of the opening from the top of the sleeve 96 and the O-ring seal is disposed in the groove to seal the gap between the cover plate 43 and the sleeve 96 of the aligned opening. The use of an O-ring to seal the gas and vacuum openings in connection with the use of a blade connector 64 to connect the heater element to a power source and the use of a rigid rod as a thermocouple is relatively simple of the sleeve 96 from the stem 20. Allow disassembly.

Heater Plate Positioning Assembly

The heater plate positioning assembly 34 for positioning the heater plate at a plurality of locations within the chamber enclosure includes a stem 20 connected to each other in the drive system 22. The stem 20 is connected to the bottom of the heater plate 18 and extends out of the base 16 connected to the drive system 22. The drive system 22 includes a reduction gearing assembly 82 suspended under the closure 13 and connected with a suitable coupling and lead screw assembly 86 with a drive belt 84. The transfer housing 88 houses the lead screw assembly 86 and is guided up and down to withstand rotation by the linear slide 90. The delivery housing 88 extends around the stem 20 and is attached to the lower distal end 42 through the end of the sleeve 96 to move and support the stem 20 and the heater plate 18. The motor operates the lead screw assembly 86 to move the stem 20 and the heater plate 18. A sealing ring 126 is provided in the groove of the stem 20 to seal the outer surface of the lower end 42 of the stem 20 in the sleeve 96.

The heater plate 18 may be lowered or tilted along the outer edge to the high temperature used in the CVD process. In order to reduce such things as mechanical deformation in high temperature CVD processes, a support sleeve 18 is provided to support the heater plate 18 radially. The sleeve 18 preferably comprises a lower tubular portion 83 formed of aluminum and received in a ledge 85 of the stem 20. The shelf 85 can be machined, for example, by placing a snap ring of a groove in the stem 20 projecting radially from the stem 20 adjacent the stem lower distal end 42, or by processing the peripheral protrusion of the stem 20. It can be formed by. A spring 87 is received on the shelf 85 which receives the base of the lower tubular portion 83 upward of the bias sleeve 81. The upper end of the sleeve 81 terminates outside of the radial support flange 89 and houses the support ring 91, preferably a ceramic ring having high resistance to sagging at elevated temperatures. The flange 89 includes an inner annular alignment protrusion 93 and a lip 95 extending outwardly. The protrusion 93 extends into the central opening in the ring 91 to align the ring 91 on the protrusion 93. The support ring 91 is supported on the lip 95 to minimize the contact area between the support ring 91 and the sleeve 81. In addition, a number of openings extend through the lip 95 so that gas is trapped inside the sleeve 81 which exits outward along the underside of the support ring 91. The support ring 91 is pressed against the lower ring 21 of the heater plate 18 and is kept in contact with it by the upward bias of the spring 87. The ceramic does not lose strength at high process temperatures, and the ring 91 supports the heater plate 18 against sagging.

In order to protect the stem 20 and maintain a vacuum, the lid 94 extends downwardly relative to the stem from the bottom of the chamber base and terminates in the bottom sleeve 96. The lid 94 extending below the opening 100 and the outer surface of the stem 20 form an annular portion 127 therebetween. The annular portion 127 communicates with the interior of the enclosure 13 through the opening 100 and is maintained at the same vacuum pressure as the enclosure 13. The cover 94 includes a pair of bellows 98, 99 and a transfer ring 102 that seals the area from the atmosphere to the outer peripheral surface of the stem 20. Each bellows 98, 99 terminates in the support rings 106a-d. Each support ring 106a-d is a circular member that generally includes a support 112 that projects outward. On the support rings 106a-d, a sealing ring is disposed on the support 112 which protrudes to seal the annular portion 127 in the support rings 106a-c. The lower end of the annular portion 127 is sealed by the interconnection of the sleeve 96 and the delivery housing 88. Sealing ring 126 disposed at stem distal end 42 seals the base of stem 20 to sleeve 96 and performs sealing of annular portion 127 from the atmosphere.

When the substrate is processed in the chamber 10, the volatile reactant gas moves to the bottom of the enclosure 13 and moves down through the opening 100 to produce the bellows 98, 99, the transfer ring 102 and the support. Contact with rings 106a through d. The heat generated by the electrically resistive heater element heating the heater plate 18 for substrate processing is the stem for the bellows 98, 99, the support rings 106a-d, the drive system 22 and the transfer ring 102. 20 is conducted through to heat. Heat Radiated by the Stem 20 The conducted heat forms a corrosive environment for the support rings 106a-d, the transfer rings 102, and the bellows 98, 99 with respect to the presence of the reactant gas.

Chamber parts protection system

In order to reduce the heat of the stem 20 by the heater element in the heater plate 18, the stem 20 is made from a single material, preferably an aluminum alloy such as 5086 or 5083 aluminum, and the heater plate 18 is pure Aluminum, preferably 1100 aluminum, or other aluminum material having at least 99% Al and no more than .05% Mg. 1100 aluminum can be used in CVD environments and does not need to be anodized. The aluminum material of the stem 20 has a smaller thermal conductivity coefficient than the heater plate 18, so that heat from the heater plate 18 is transferred less effectively than the stem of pure aluminum. In addition, a heat choke 44 having a reduced cross section and preferably a length of 4 "is provided on the stem 20 adjacent to the heater plate 18, so that a sufficient degree of thermal gradient is applied to the heater plate 18. And between the lower distal end of the stem 20, Low-cost fluoroelastomer materials such as can be used for the sealing ring 126.

In order to reduce the temperature of the parts under the enclosure 13 which are raised by the heat transferred below the stem 20 via the heat choke 44 and to quickly reduce the temperature of the entire assembly when service is required, Water may be provided in the cooling passage provided in the sleeve 96. Optionally, a water jacket may be disposed around the sleeve 96 or transfer case 88 and transfer ring 102 to assist in cooling of these components during and after processing the substrate 24. In addition, cooling fans can be used to allow air to pass over the components to increase heat transfer.

In order to limit the injection of reactant gas into the annular portion 127 for the stem 20 and the lid 94, a sleeve 96 is formed in the interior of the sleeve 96 and in the lower support ring 106d such as argon. A purge gas branch 97 may be provided for purge gas supply. The purge gas is a plurality of holes, preferably 8, spaced from the branch pipe and around the branch pipe 97 to maintain a gas barrier against entry of the reactant gas through the opening 100 into the annulus 127. It flows outward from the twelve holes and flows upward through the annular portion 127. The flow of purge gas through the branch pipe 97 is preferably maintained at a flow rate that maintains a plug laminar flow of purge gas upward of the annular portion 127. By maintaining this state, the downward diffusion of the reaction gas through the opening 100 is almost eliminated. Additionally, the purge gas passes through through opening 100 and near the outer edge of heater plate 18 to minimize the passage of the reaction gas down near the heater plate 18 side during the process. The amount of unwanted material deposition that occurs on a surface, such as the bottom of the heater plate 18, is reduced to reduce the amount of reactant gas that reaches the inner surface of the structural components of the chamber.

Board Positioning Assembly

The stem 20 moves the heater plate 18 to receive the substrate 24 thereon and, after treatment, moves the heater plate 18 to a position where the substrate is removed from the enclosure 13 by the robot blade. To move up and down through the opening 100 of the base 16 of the closure 13 to. In order to selectively support the substrate at a position above the heater plate 18, the substrate positioning assembly 140 supports the substrate 24 at a position to be placed in the enclosure 13, or the enclosure 13. And a plurality of support pins 25 that move to support the substrate 24 removed from the substrate 24 and to position the substrate 24 on the heater plate 18. The support pin 25 is received in the sleeve of the bore 130 disposed vertically through the heater plate 18. Each pin 25 includes a cylindrical shaft 132 terminating at the lower spherical portion 134 and a truncated upper conical head 36 formed as an outer extension of the shaft 132. The bore 130 includes an upper conical portion 138 sized to receive the enlarged head 136 when the fin 25 is fully received in the heater plate 18, the head 136 having the heater plate 18. Does not extend over the surface of the

Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, the support pin 25 moves in part and in relation to the heater plate 18 as the heater plate 18 moves in the enclosure 13. do. The support pins 25 must extend from the heater plate 18 so that the robot blade removes the substrate 24 from the enclosure 13, but the support pin 25 rests on the upper surface 26 of the heater plate 18. The heater plater 18 must be lowered to the heater plate 18 to be positioned. In order to provide such positioning, the substrate positioning assembly 140 is biased upward into the enclosure 13, but the stem 20 moves to operate the heater plate 18 downward of the enclosure 13. Accordingly it is movable downward by the stem 20.

The substrate positioning assembly 140 selectively selects the support pins 25 in accordance with the position of the annular pin support 142 configured to engage the lower spherical portion 134 of the support pins 25 and the heater plate 18 in the chamber. And a drive member 144 for positioning the pin support 142 to engage with it. The pin support 142 preferably comprises an upper pin support ring 146 made of ceramic, which is the lower perimeter of the heater plate 18 to selectively engage the lower spherical portion 134 of the support pin 25. And the sleeve portion 150 extends downwardly from the pin support ring 146 through the opening 100 terminating on the transfer ring 102. The delivery ring 102 is disposed around the stem 20 and secured to the slide 90 to prevent rotation.

The sleeve portion 150 includes a lower cylindrical portion 149 and an radially extending support 151 that receives and supports the pin support 146. The radial support 151 has a top with a peripheral alignment wall 153 aligned with the inner diameter of the annular pin support 146 and a plurality of upward support ribs 155 supporting the bottom of the pin support ring 146. And generally flat top surfaces. While the chamber 10 is in operation, gas may trip inside the cylindrical portion 149, resulting in damage to the chamber components. To mitigate this gas, a plurality of gaps 157 are formed near the support ribs 155, and a plurality of holes 159 are formed through the lower cylindrical portion 149. Holes 159 and gaps 157 allow free flow of gas from inside the sleeve 150 to the outside.

The pin drive member 144 is disposed below the enclosure 13 to control the movement of the sleeve 150 relative to the heater plate 18 and provides a transfer ring to provide an upward bias to the transfer ring 102. A spring assembly 156 connected to the sleeve 150 to apply upward force to the support pin 25 via 102 and the heater plate 18 to bias the pin support ring 146 upward, and the heater plate 18. Stem 20 selectively engageable with sleeve 150 to move sleeve portion 150 and pin support ring 146 attached to the bottom thereof after the. ) A snap ring or shelf (85). The spring assembly 156 includes a housing 158 having a slot 160, which is attached to the underside of the closure 13 adjacent the opening 100. The spring loaded finger 154 extends through the slot 160 and is biased upward by the spring 164 of the housing 158. Finger 154 is firmly connected to delivery ring 102 to upwardly bias sleeve 150 attached to the delivery ring. The upper end of the housing 158 limits the upward movement of the finger 154. The delivery ring 102 also includes a downwardly extending tubular portion that is rigidly connected to the support ring 106c and terminates in an inwardly extending flange 173. The shelf 85 supporting the sleeve 81 on the stem 20 can also be engaged with the flange 173 as the stem 20 moves downward.

If the heater plate 18 extends completely upwards from the closure 13 for the process, the fingers 154 are fully actuated relative to the upper end of the housing 158 and the lower spherical portion 134 of the support pin 25. The pin support ring 146 is disposed under the heater plate 18 so that the constant distance between the fin support ring 146 is maintained. When the process is complete, the stem 20 moves downward to move the heater plate 18 below the seal 13. As this movement continues, the lower spherical portion 134 of the pin is coupled to the pin support ring 146. At this time, the finger 154 is biased with respect to the upper portion of the housing, and the finger 154 and the pin support ring 146 coupled to the finger are kept stationary. Thus, once the lower spherical portion 134 is engaged with the pin support ring 146, the support pin 25 remains stationary, and the substrate is in the rest position in the chamber as the heater plate 18 moves continuously downward. Support 24. After the heater plate 18 has moved by a predetermined amount, the shelf 85 on the stem 20 is engaged with the flange 173, which is fixed by the sleeve 150 to the stem 20 to heat the heater plate 18. And the pin support ring 146 is moved downward all at once. Once the shelf 85 is engaged with the flange 173, the support pins 25 remain stationary relative to the heater plate 18, and both elements move downward in the enclosure 13. If the substrate 24 suspended on the heater plate 18 and the support pin 25 is in the proper position, the robot blade enters through the slit valve 11, removes the substrate 24, and the support pin ( Place a new substrate 24 on 25. The stem 20 then moves to move the sleeve 150 and the heater plate 18 upwards. When the finger 154 is coupled to the top of the housing 158, the sleeve 150 stops, while the shelf 85 moves from the flange 173 when the stem 20 moves continuously upwards, Continuous movement of the heater plate 18 lowers the support pin 25 to position the substrate 24 over for processing. By moving the support pins 25 in part and in relation to the heater plate 18, the overall length of the support pins 25 can be minimized and supported with the heater plate 81 during processing. The length of the pin shaft 132 exposed under the ring 91 is the heater in which the substrate 24 is positioned when the substrate 24 is adjusted on the support pin 25 and from the support pin 25 by the robot blade. Equal to the spacing from plate 18. Thus, the minimum surface area of the support pins 25 is exposed during processing and minimal deposition on the support pins 25 occurs.

Vacuum clamping system

3 and 4, the vacuum clamping mechanism of the present invention is shown. The upper surface 26 of the heater plate 18 comprises a plurality of concentric grooves 78 and a plurality of radial grooves 77 Intersect with). A number of vacuum ports 76, preferably three vacuum ports 76 per radial groove 77, are located between the base of each radial groove 77 disposed in the heater plate 18 and the annular vacuum branch 75. It is arranged to communicate with. The vacuum pipe 48 communicates with the branch pipe 75 to supply a vacuum.

The vacuum ports 76 and grooves 77, 78 allow the substrate 24 to be in a low pressure environment to secure the substrate 24 to the heater plate top 26. During the process, the seal 13 can be maintained at about 80 torr. To attach the substrate to the heater plate upper surface 26 during the process, a vacuum of 1.5 torr to 60 torr is introduced through the vacuum pipe 48 and into the grooves 77 and 78 through the port 76. The pressure difference between 20 torr and 78 torr between the grooves 77 and 78 and the enclosure 13 may increase the heat transfer from the heater plate 18 to the substrate 24 so that the substrate 24 has a heater plate upper surface ( 26). After the process, the grooves 77, 78 can maintain a pressure lower than the pressure present in the enclosure 13 and can firmly attach the substrate 24 to the heater plate upper surface 26. In this case, the support pin 25 may damage the substrate 24 because the support plate 25 is forcibly pushed out of the heater plate 18. In order to make the pressure present in the grooves 77, 78 equal to the pressure present in the enclosure 13, a bypass line may be provided between the inlet of the vacuum pipe 48 and the chamber slit valve 11. Can be. When the heater plate operates to remove the substrate 24 from the chamber 10, the bypass line opens to allow communication between the grooves 77 and 78 and the closure 13. The heater plate upper surface 26 may comprise a groove, or a plurality of grooves, disposed near its outer periphery without being connected to a vacuum. These grooves reduce the area of contact between the substrate 24 and the heater plate 18, thereby reducing heat transfer to the substrate edge 27 to reduce the film thickness deposited on the substrate edge 27.

During sequential processing of the substrate, the substrate 24 may be sufficiently misaligned with respect to the chamber components, and the substrate 24 may be tipped with respect to the heater plate upper surface 26. In addition, the substrate 24 may crack or bend. At this time, the continuous processing of the substrate 24 may affect the preservation of the heater plate 18, may produce particles, or may cause the portion of the broken substrate to be moved in the chamber so that it can move in the chamber. The inner region and the processing gas may come into contact. At this time, it is desirable to immediately stop the process of removing the substrate 24 before the chamber damage occurs. With the substrate 24 misaligned, broken, or pinched, the vacuum pressure at the inlet of the vacuum pump that maintains the vacuum pressure in the grooves 77, 78 of the heater plate 18 is flat, complete and preferably It changes from the pressure present when the placed substrate is on the heater plate 18. A pressure sensor (not shown) is placed in the vacuum line of the vacuum pump inlet to signal to the closing controller, which closes the chamber operation when the vacuum pressure breaks and indicates a wet or misaligned substrate. If the substrate is preferably received on the heater plate 18 and the enclosure is maintained at about 80 torr, the pressure at the vacuum pump inlet and sensor can be 1 to 2 torr. If a misaligned, broken or swollen substrate 24 is received on the top surface 26, the sensor pressure will be less than 5 torr. With a broken substrate, the pressure ranges from 10 torr to chamber pressure.

Board Edge Protection System

5 and 6, a preferred embodiment of a substrate edge protection system 30 is shown. When the substrate is placed on the top surface 26 of the heater plate 18, a substrate edge protection system 30 is provided and gas is passed near the periphery of the substrate 24 to prevent material from being deposited on the substrate region. The substrate 24 has a peripheral edge 27 extending near the periphery of the substrate 24, which includes an upper tapered surface 17, a lower tapered surface 19, and a generally flat intermediate peripheral portion 31. . In order to limit the occurrence of substrate 24 defects caused by removing clutter deposits on the substrate 24 edge 27 and underside, while simultaneously maximizing the number of useful dies produced from the substrate 24, the deposition layer is It should be deposited uniformly over the entirety of the edges 27 of the substrate 24, but no deposition takes place on the bottom of the substrate 24, the lower tapered surface 19 or the flat intermediate portion 31, which are removed in contact with other materials. Should not. The substrate edge protection system 30 of the present invention addresses this requirement.

Referring to FIG. 6, the upper surface 26 of the heater plate 18 is configured to provide an integral purge gas channel 220 to supply a relatively constant purge gas near the entire periphery of the substrate 24. . To provide the purge gas channel 220, the heater plate surface 26 terminates at an upwardly protruding guide receptacle 222, which is an annular flat riser, and is disposed from .002 to .005 inches on the top surface 26. do. The purge gas channel 220 is formed as an inwardly extending groove, disposed at an angle of about 135 ° from the upper surface 26 and at the interface of the upper surface 26 and at the base of the inner edge of the guide receiving portion 222. do. The plurality of purge gas holes 234 are disposed between the inner end of the purge gas channel 220 and the purge gas branch pipe 218, and a heater plate for supplying the purge gas from the branch pipe 218 into the channel 220. (18) The uniformly constant spacing is maintained around the vicinity. The number of holes 234 follows the intended spacing between the substrate edge 27 and the bottom of the channel 220. When the distance from the entry point of the hole 234 to the substrate edge 27 into the channel is .060 inch, the number of holes 234 is approximately 240. As the distance from the opening of the hole 234 to the wafer edge 27 increases, it is desired to reduce the number of holes to provide a constant flow of purge gas at the substrate edge 27. When the distance from the opening of the hole 234 to the substrate edge 27 is doubled, the number of holes 234 is approximately half.

Referring again to FIGS. 5 and 6, in order to correctly position the substrate edge 27 adjacent the channel 220 for processing, the preferred substrate alignment member 32 may be a guide receptacle adjacent to the channel 220. And a plurality of ceramic guide pins 224 disposed on 222. Each pin 224 includes a front portion 226 tapered about 12 degrees from vertical. The front portion 226 includes a central portion 230 that extends generally flat so that the central portion 230 extends further into the heater plate upper surface 26 than the tapered side surface 228, and the tapered side surface 228. do. The central portion 230 extends from the guide receiver 222 and above the purge gas channel 220. Each pin 224 also includes a mounting tab 231 extending rearward, which includes a pair of holes for receiving a bolt to secure the pin 224 to the guide receptacle 222.

When the substrate 24 is fully aligned with the center of the heater plate 18, the guide so that the extending center portion 230 of the fin 224 is disposed approximately 5 to 7 inch in the flat middle peripheral portion 31 of the substrate. Fins 224 are disposed on the heater plate 18. Thus, when the substrate 24 is fully aligned, the substrate 24 is in contact with the upper surface 26 without the contact of the pins 224. However, most substrates have a slight degree of eccentricity and the robot blade does not always center the substrate 24 completely on the top surface 26. In this case, the lower tapered surface 19 of the substrate 24 and the flat intermediate peripheral portion 21 are combined with one or more extensions 230 of the guide pin 224 and the edge 27 is purged gas channel. Guide pins 224 align the substrate to locations on top surface 26 so as not to block 220. By positioning the substrate 24 with the guide pins 224, only a portion of the substrate 24 that contacts the alignment mechanism is a small portion of the edge 27 that contacts the guide pin center 230. As the central portion 230 extends radially inwardly from the purge gas channel 220, the substrate edge 27 is disposed at a close distance from the channel 220 and the contact area of the substrate 24 with the central portion 230 is located. The region of the substrate 24 for each side accommodates a smooth supply of purge gas. Although in the preferred embodiment a purge gas is supplied to the substrate edges, the invention contemplates the use of a reactive gas, in particular a masking gas, in addition to the purge gas. By adding reactive species, such as H ₂ , to the reactive gas, deposition of the substrate edges can optionally be enhanced as needed.

When the substrate 24 is first received on the heater plate 18, the temperature of the substrate may be lower than the heater plate 18 temperature. When the substrate 24 comes into contact with the heater plate 18, heat is transferred to the substrate 24 to raise the temperature of the substrate to the process temperature. This increase in temperature causes thermal expansion of the substrate 24 and the edges 27 can be pressed against the alignment pins 224. In addition, the vacuum of the grooves 77, 78 attaches the substrate 24 to the upper surface 26 of the heater plate 18, and the edge 27 of the substrate 24 is compressively loaded against the pins 224. Can be. As a result of this loading, the portion where the substrate 24 contacts the alignment pins 224 may crack or break. To reduce the occurrence of cracking or cracking at the substrate edges 27, the chamber controller can be programmed to maintain the chamber pressure of the vacuum grooves 77, 78 during the period in which the substrate 24 is heated, and the substrate 24 After reaching this stable temperature, the vacuum is withdrawn through the grooves 77 and 78. The presence of the chamber pressure below the substrate 24 allows the substrate to extend away from the area in contact with the alignment pins 224, thereby reducing local compressive stress and reducing the occurrence of compression breaks or cracks on the substrate edges 27. In addition,

The purge gas may be flowed back through the vacuum grooves 77, 78 as the substrate 24 is received on the top surface 26 to help align the substrate 24 and the guide pin 224 may cause the substrate 24 to dislodge. Guided into position may reduce frictional adhesion between support pin 25 and substrate 24, or gas may be transferred from pin 224 to substrate when substrate 24 is received on heater plate upper surface 26. As 24 is thermally inflated to expand it may be countercurrent through grooves 77 and 78.

Another substrate edge protection system

With reference to FIGS. 3-7, another embodiment of a substrate edge protection system 30 of the present invention is shown. The substrate edge protection system 30 of the present invention is preferably made of alumina or A1N, and a ring suspended on the seal 13 on the heater plate 18 of the ring guide 192 with selective bonding on the heater plate 18. 190. When the heater plate 18 operates upward in the closure 13, it passes through the ring guide 192 of the closure 13 to receive the ring 190 thereon. The heater plate 18 includes a ring shelf 194 about its outer periphery, on which the ring is received. The ring 190 has an annular body portion 196 having a radially inwardly shielding portion 198 formed as a thin extension of the body 916 and a protrusion extending from an outer periphery received on the ring guide 192. It includes a support lip 200. When received on the heater plate 18, the shield 198 is suspended so as not to contact the top of the substrate 24.

The ring shelf 194 of the heater plate 18 includes an annular flat portion 202 extending radially outwardly below the top surface of the heater plate 18 along its outer edge, in which a number of peripheral grooves 184 are located. To form an outer annular depression. Groove 184 reduces the area of contact between ring body 196 and heater plate 18, and when ring 190 is received in heater plate 18 or in annular depression 194 and ring 190. The change in temperature in this heater plate 19 or ring 190 reduces the incidence of particulates that may occur when differentially expanding or contracting. The flat portion 202 terminates at an interface with the upper surface 26 of the heater plate 18 in the ported purge gas channel 206. The purge gas channel 206 is disposed peripherally to the heater plate 18 and includes an inner edge 209 of the body 196, a shield 198 below, an outer edge 27 of the substrate 24, and a heater. A purge gas chamber 210 is formed in relation to the inner edge 201 of the annular depression extending between the top surface 26 and the annular depression 194. A plurality of purge gas bores 212 extend into the purge gas chamber 210 and are connected in the bore 70 and the heater plate 18 as shown in FIG. 3, and a purge gas such as argon is applied to the substrate 24. Is supplied by a purge gas pipe 52 extending through the stem 20 into the heater plate 18 so as to be supplied to the purge gas chamber 210 near the periphery.

As the heater plate 18 moves upwardly to the enclosure 13 to receive the purge ring 190, a misalignment may exist between the heater plate 18 and the ring 190. If this misalignment remains unremoved, the inner edge of the ring 190 under the shield 198 engages with the edge 201 of the shelf 194, generating contaminating particles. To solve this problem, a number of guide bumpers 203 are provided at the edge 201, and the bumpers have a ring 190 on the heater 18 when severe misalignment is present between the ring 205 and the heater plate 18. ) Extends outward from the edge 201 to provide a specific location for engagement. Each bumper 203 includes a stud portion 205 received in the wall of the edge 201, and generally the spherical head portion 207 forms a constrained bumper portion that engages the ring 190. The head portion 207 and the ring 190 are preferably made of the same material, such as alumina based material. In addition, the spherical head 207 of the bumper 203 allows point contact of the edge of the ring 190 with respect to the bumper 203, so that bumper 203 from potential contaminants may occur when contact occurs. ) And the contact area of the ring 190 is reduced.

The reception of the ring 190 on the substrate 24 may also be misaligned. To eliminate this misalignment, an optional substrate alignment member 32 is provided at the edge of the ring 190 below the shield 198 near the periphery, whereby a plurality of webs 290 are engaged with the outer edge of the substrate 24. ) (Only one is shown). The web 290 is chamfered from the bottom to the top of the ring 190 to engage the outer edge of the substrate 24 as the heater plate 18 pushes the substrate 24 upward through the ring 190. do. Once the substrate 24 and the ring 190 are sufficiently misaligned, the web moves the substrate 24 relative to the ring 190 to center the substrate 24 within the ring 190. The purge gas may pass upward through the vacuum grooves 77 and 78 to reduce frictional resistance between the substrate 24 and the heater plate upper surface 26 again to facilitate substrate 24 alignment, or The chamber pressure can be maintained therein.

The gap between the top of the substrate 24 and the bottom of the lip 192 is on the order of 15 int / 1000 less than one. Additionally, the distance from the adjacent ring 190 to the web 290 relative to the edge of the substrate can be less than 1/15 to 15 inches. Argon or other purge gas is supplied through the bore 212 to maintain pressure into the purge gas chamber 210 above atmospheric pressure in the enclosure 13, and a relatively constant flow of purge gas is applied to the substrate 24 during the process. ) May be held past the upper edge of the substrate 24 to limit the entry of the reactant gas into the edge 27. The nominal gap between the inner surface of the ring 190 and the edge 27 of the substrate 24 is 42 on the entire inner periphery of the ring 19 except where the web 290 contacts the substrate 24. Align the substrate 24 with the ring 190 so as to remain between 45 mils. This ensures that the flow of purge gas exiting the bore 212 through the gap between the substrate 24 and the shield 198 suspended above is sufficiently continuous and balanced. The consistency of the flow region near the periphery is important, as any significant local restriction in the purge gas flow caused by misalignment by the substrate 24, the heater plate 18 and the ring is uneven near the edge of the substrate 24. This is because it may cause non-uniform flow through the gap between shield 198 and substrate 24 to form one deposition layer. Although the purge ring 190 is configured to minimize substrate edge variation, the masking of the top of the substrate 24 at the edge 27 by the ring 190 is a combination of unreacted purge gases that reaches the masked portion. The amount of reactant gas is limited so that the deposition layer is thinner than being deposited on the unmasked portion on the substrate 24. Injection of an inert gas such as argon and a reactant gas such as H ₂ increases deposition on the substrate in the vicinity of the masked portion of the substrate 24, thereby approaching the same masked portion as that deposited on the remainder of the substrate 24. Or to form adjacent layers. H ₂ may be directed to the purge gas pipe 52 for injection through the bore 212 to increase the deposition layer near the masked portion of the substrate 24.

Chamber exhaust system

Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, an improved exhaust system 300 of the present invention is shown. The upper portion 14 of the chamber 10 includes a conventional branching pipe 23 leading to the discharge port 304 of the chamber 40. Suction through the discharge port 304 discharges the chamber gas out of the enclosure 13 to maintain the proper process environment of the enclosure 13. The branch pipe 23 extends near the periphery of the upper portion 14, but the gap is maintained at the portion where the wall 16 is penetrated by the slew valve 11. This gap creates a non-uniform discharge and a non-uniform chamber process gas distribution throughout the enclosure 13. According to the invention, a pumping plate 308 having a plurality of evenly spaced openings 29 is fixed on the branch pipe 23. The openings 29 are spaced apart at a constant interval of approximately 30 °, and the openings 29 are spaced at the ends of each of the branch pipes 23 adjacent to the gaps. The openings in the uniformly spaced pumping plate 308 result in a uniform discharge of the chamber process material used and form a more uniform deposition layer on the substrate 24.

conclusion

The above-described embodiment of the present invention provides a CVD chamber to obtain a more uniform layer of deposition material on the substrate, while at the same time reducing the incidence of particulate generation during processing. By removing the shadow ring that contacts the substrate during the process and instead forming a cover of uniform purge gas near the substrate edge during the process, the overall die yield from the substrate reduces local temperature changes at the substrate edge and the shadow ring It can be increased by erasing the masked edges of the substrate formed by it. In addition, the uniformity of the deposition is increased by the uniform discharge of the reacted product from the enclosure 13.

The structure of the improved CVD chamber also results in reduced particulate generation. Friction of the substrate 24 on the heater plate 18 upper surface 26 reduces frictional adhesion of the substrate 24 and the heater plate 18 when the substrate is received, and between the shadow ring and the substrate 24. By the removal of the contact of, it is also reduced by reducing the amount of deposition material received on the chamber part.

The present invention is not limited to the above specification and the accompanying drawings, and various modifications can be made within the scope of the technical idea of the invention.

Claims (49)

In the apparatus for supporting the substrate 24 in the substrate processing chamber 10, A first plate 18 having a surface in contact with the substrate and an opposing surface 21; And a second plate (91) having a greater resistance to thermal deformation than said first plate and contacting said opposing surface during processing of the substrate in said chamber (10). The method of claim 1, The first plate is internally heated. The method of claim 1, A stem 20 connected to the opposing surface 21, And a drive member (88) connected to the step (20) for exchanging the position of the stem (20) and the first plate (18) with respect to the chamber (10) wall. The method of claim 1, A stem 20 connected to the opposing surface, And a support sleeve 81 disposed around the stem 20 and having a first end connectable to the stem 20 and a second end connected to the second plate 91. Device. The method of claim 4, wherein And a spring disposed between said stem (20) and said support sleeve (81). The method of claim 4, wherein And the second plate (91) is ceramic. The method of claim 6, The support sleeve (81) is characterized in that the aluminum. The method of claim 4, wherein And at least one opening extending through said support sleeve (81). In the apparatus for supporting the substrate of the substrate processing chamber 10, A support member 18 having a substrate receiving surface and a stem mount, A stem 20 extending from the stem mount to the outside of the chamber 10 through a sealing connection 126 and having a thermal choke 44 disposed between the support member 18 and the sealing connection 126. Apparatus comprising a). The method of claim 9, And the thermal choke portion (44) is a reduced diameter portion of the stem (20). The method of claim 9, And the seal connection (126) comprises a low temperature resistance seal. The method of claim 9, The support member 18 is composed of a first material having a first coefficient of thermal conductivity, And said stem (20) is made of a material having a second coefficient of thermal conductivity higher than said first material. The method of claim 9, A lid which extends from the chamber and forms a space between the stem 20 at the sealing connection 126 that is received around the stem 20 and terminates near an end of the stem located out of the chamber ( 94), And a purge gas supply (97) ported to said space between said stem (20) and said lid (94). In the apparatus for supporting the substrate 24 in the process chamber 10, A first member 18 having a substrate receiving portion formed thereon, A support surface comprising a plurality of grooves 77 and 78 disposed thereon and ported to a vacuum sink 48; And a bypass line ported to said plurality of grooves (77, 78) to selectively provide gas to said grooves to increase pressure in said grooves. In the apparatus for detecting misaligned or broken substrates in the process chamber 10, A first member 18 having a substrate receiving portion formed thereon, A support surface comprising a plurality of grooves 77 and 78 disposed thereon and ported to a vacuum sink 48, wherein the grooves 77 and 78 have broken or misaligned substrates on the support member 18; When at least partially exposed to the chamber environment, A pressure sensor 49 connected to the grooves 77 and 78, And a closing controller configured to be connected to the pressure sensor 49 to stop the process in the chamber 10 when the pressure in the grooves 77 and 78 reaches the chamber pressure. . In the apparatus for aligning the substrate 24 on the substrate receiving surface of the support member 18, A plurality of pins 224 disposed near the periphery of the substrate receptacle, each pin comprising an generally tapered, generally flat extension 230 terminated in the vicinity of the substrate receptacle. Device. The method of claim 16, And a purge gas channel (200) extending into the support member (18) near the periphery of the substrate receptacle. The method of claim 17, And an end of said extension (230) adjacent said substrate receiving surface is radially inside said purge gas channel (200) position. The method of claim 18, The apparatus further comprises a purge gas supply ported to the purge gas channel (200). The method of claim 18, The distal end of the extension 230 adjacent the substrate receiving surface forms a circular periphery, The circular peripheral diameter exceeds the diameter of the substrate (24) when received on the support member (18). In the method of disposing the substrate 24 on the support member 18, Providing a generally planar substrate receiving surface on the support member 18; Providing an alignment member 224 adjacent the substrate receiving surface; Positioning the substrate 24 adjacent and generally parallel to the substrate receiving surface; Moving the substrate 24 in the direction of the substrate receiving surface; Contacting the alignment member 224 with the edge of the substrate 24 when the substrate 24 is misaligned with respect to the substrate receiving surface; Supplying gas to an area between the substrate 24 and the substrate receiving surface as the substrate 24 reaches and contacts the substrate receiving surface; Securing the substrate (24) to the support member (18) after the substrate (24) is completely received on the substrate receiving surface. The method of claim 21, Providing at least one groove 77, 78 on the substrate receiving surface; Porting the grooves 77, 78 with a vacuum sink, Further comprising communicating the vacuum sink and the grooves 77, 78 to provide a vacuum to secure the substrate to the support member after the substrate 24 is received on the support member 18. How to feature. An apparatus for providing an edge protective gas around a substrate contained on a support member, the apparatus comprising: A substrate receiving portion; An annular recess extending around the periphery of the substrate receiving portion; And a substrate perimeter shield 190 that can be received on the annular recess of the support member 18, the shield 190 having a lip extending inwardly, a peripheral wall portion and multiple alignments. And a web (290). The method of claim 23, The shield 190 may be received on the support member 18 after the substrate 24 is disposed on the support member 18, And the web (290) aligns the substrate (24) with a peripheral wall portion to provide a fixed minimum gap between the edge of the substrate and the peripheral wall. The method of claim 23, Wherein the lip is received at a distance from the top surface of the substrate when the substrate is disposed on the support member. The method of claim 24, Positioned so as to be adjacent to the recess 194 and engage with the peripheral wall 201 when the shield is misaligned with respect to the support member 18 when received on the support member 18. Apparatus further comprising as many bumpers (203) as possible. The method of claim 23, The recess includes a base for receiving the shield 190, And the base includes at least one groove (184) therein. The method of claim 27, And the groove (184) extends around the substrate receptacle. The method of claim 23, And a gas supply port which is ported into the recess and in communication with the space between the shield section and the substrate receiving section. The method of claim 23, And the shield (190) provides a minimum gap around an edge of the substrate (24). The method of claim 30, And a mixture of purge gas and reactant gas passes through the gap during substrate processing. The method of claim 23, And at least one gas bore (212) terminating in said recess. The method of claim 32, The gas bore (212) supplies a purge gas to the recess. The method of claim 33, wherein The gas bore (212) provides a mixture of purge and reactant gas in the recess. In the method of aligning a substrate on a support member, Providing the support member 18, Disposing the substrate 24 on the support member 18; Providing a shield ring 190 adjacent said support member 18 and having at least one alignment member 290 thereon; Bringing the support member (18) into contact with the shield ring (190); Aligning the substrate 24 on the support member 18 with the alignment member 290 when the shield ring 190 is positioned in contact with the support member 18. . 36. The method of claim 35 wherein And the alignment member (290) is a tapered web. 36. The method of claim 35 wherein Providing a shield ring alignment member 201, Aligning the shielding ring with the support member 18 having the shielding ring alignment member 201 when the shielding ring 190 is received on the support member 18. Way. The method of claim 34, wherein Providing a fixed gap between the edge of the substrate and the shield ring (190). In the apparatus for depositing a layer on the substrate (24), A chamber 10 having a closure therein for receiving and processing the substrate, A movable substrate support member 18 disposed in the enclosure; A stem 40 extending out through the enclosure and interconnected to the substrate support member 18 for moving the substrate support member 18 in the enclosure, Receive a substrate for processing in the enclosure, and selectively move with the stem to support the substrate 24 on the substrate support member 18 during a partial movement of the substrate support member 18 of the enclosure. And a substrate that selectively stops in the enclosure while a portion of the substrate support member 18 in the enclosure moves to position the substrate 24 on the substrate support member 18 for processing. Positioning assembly, Interconnected to the stem 40 and the substrate positioning assembly 140, relative to the stem 40 when the stem 40 is moved to position the substrate support member 18 within the enclosure. And a drive member (144) for controlling the position of the substrate positioning assembly (140). The method of claim 39, And said substrate positioning assembly (140) comprises a plurality of pins (25) received through said substrate support member (18) movable relative to said substrate support member (18). The method of claim 40, The pin 25 includes an end 134 extending below the substrate support member 18, and the substrate positioning assembly 140 is positioned at a different position relative to the substrate support member 18. And a pin actuating member (142) for selectively engaging the end portion (134) for positioning (6). 42. The method of claim 41 wherein The pin actuating device 142 includes a sleeve 150 received around the stem portion, wherein the stem portion selectively selects the sleeve 150 to position the pin linear device with respect to the substrate support member 18. And a coupling member (102) for engaging. A method for protecting internal components of a substrate processing chamber 10, Providing a seal having a substrate support member 18 for receiving a substrate 24 thereon during the process; Providing a stem 40 in contact with the substrate support member 18 extending out of the enclosure; Providing a protective gas branch adjacent the stem; Directing the protective gas through the branch pipe to maintain a plug flow of the protective gas near the stem. The method of claim 43, And a lid (94) disposed near the periphery of the stem (20) out of the enclosure. The method of claim 44, The opening (100) in the closure further through the stem (20). The method of claim 45, The cover (94) and the stem (20) form an annular space in communication with the closure, and the protective gas flows into the enclosure through the annular space and the opening. The method of claim 43, And providing a heat limiting member (44) to limit heat transfer from the closure along the stem (20). The method of claim 47, And the heat limiting member (44) is a reduced area portion of the stem (20). In the method of removing a substrate from a substrate support member, Providing at least one groove (77, 78) in the substrate receiving portion of the substrate support member (18); Changing the pressure of the grooves 77, 78 after the substrate 24 has been processed in the chamber 10; Lifting the substrate (24) from the substrate support member (18) after the pressure of the groove (77, 78) is changed.