Multi-step system and method for curing a dielectric film

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10068765-B2
Application number	US-201615204279-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 7, 2016
Priority date	Nov 9, 2005
Publication date	Sep 4, 2018
Grant date	Sep 4, 2018

Abstract

A multi-step system and method for curing a dielectric film in which the system includes a drying system configured to reduce the amount of contaminants, such as moisture, in the dielectric film. The system further includes a curing system coupled to the drying system, and configured to treat the dielectric film with ultraviolet (UV) radiation and infrared (IR) radiation in order to cure the dielectric film.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A processing system for treating a substrate, comprising:
a chamber configured to facilitate processing of a substrate;
a substrate holder arranged within the chamber and configured to support the substrate, the substrate holder including one or more resistive heating elements embedded within the substrate holder, wherein the one or more resistive heating elements are coupled to a power source and a temperature control system;
a radiation source coupled to the chamber and configured to expose the substrate to electromagnetic (EM) radiation, the radiation source including two or more lasers each dedicated to a different radiation wave-band and disposed to face a same side of the substrate such that the two or more lasers can scan the same side of the substrate; and
a controller configured to control said two or more lasers to expose the substrate to said different radiation wave-bands of the EM radiation to control said temperature control system such that the one or more resistive heating elements heat the substrate simultaneously with at least a portion of said exposure of the substrate to said EM radiation during treatment of the substrate,
wherein said two or more lasers comprise an IR laser and a UV laser, and said controller is configured to control the IR laser and UV laser to deliver IR radiation and UV radiation to the substrate, and
wherein said controller is configured to control the IR laser to deliver IR radiation at an IR wavelength ranging from 1 to 25 μm.

2. The processing system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to vary delivery of the specific radiation wave-band energies to said substrate.

3. The processing system of claim 1 , wherein said controller is configured to control said two or more lasers to affect two or more treating mechanisms selected from a group consisting of generation of cross-link initiators, burn-out of porogens, decomposition of porogens and film cross-linking mechanisms for treating a dielectric film on said substrate.

4. The processing system of claim 1 , wherein said controller is configured to control said two or more lasers to affect a first treating mechanism selected from a group consisting of generation of cross-link initiators and porogen burn-out.

5. The processing system of claim 1 , wherein said controller is configured to control said IR laser to deliver IR radiation to said substrate at an energy level which corresponds to a main absorption peak of a dielectric film on said substrate.

6. The processing system of claim 1 , wherein said controller is configured to control said IR laser to deliver IR radiation of approximately 9 microns to said substrate.

7. The processing system of claim 1 , wherein said controller is configured to control said two or more lasers to deliver different wavelengths of radiation to said substrate.

8. The processing system of claim 7 , wherein said controller is configured to control said two or more lasers to simultaneously deliver said different wavelengths of radiation to said substrate.

9. The processing system of claim 7 , wherein said controller is configured to control said two or more lasers to sequentially deliver said different wavelengths of radiation to said substrate.

10. The processing system of claim 9 , wherein said controller is configured to control said two or more lasers to deliver IR radiation to said substrate, and subsequently deliver UV radiation to said substrate.

11. The processing system of claim 1 , wherein said controller is configured to control the UV laser to deliver UV radiation at a UV wavelength ranging from about 100 nm to about 600 nm.

12. The processing system of claim 11 , wherein said controller is configured to control the UV laser to deliver UV radiation at a UV wavelength ranging from about 200 nm to about 400 nm.

13. A processing system for treating a substrate, comprising:
a chamber configured to facilitate processing of a substrate;
a substrate holder arranged within the chamber and configured to support the substrate, the substrate holder including one or more resistive heating elements embedded within the substrate holder, wherein the one or more resistive heating elements are coupled to a power source and a temperature control system;
a radiation source coupled to the chamber and configured to expose the substrate to electromagnetic (EM) radiation, the radiation source including two or more lasers each dedicated to a different radiation wave-band and disposed to face a same side of the substrate such that the two or more lasers can scan the same side of the substrate; and
a controller configured to control said two or more lasers to expose the substrate to said different radiation wave-bands of the EM radiation to control said temperature control system such that the one or more resistive heating elements heat the substrate simultaneously with at least a portion of said exposure of the substrate to said EM radiation during treatment of the substrate,
wherein said controller is configured to control said two or more lasers to deliver different wavelengths of radiation to said substrate, and
wherein said controller is configured to control said two or more lasers to deliver a first wavelength of between 100-600 nm of radiation to affect a first treating mechanism of a dielectric film on said substrate, and to deliver a second wavelength of between 1-25 μm to affect a second treating mechanism of the dielectric film on said substrate.

14. The processing system of claim 13 , wherein said controller is configured to control said two or more lasers to deliver said first wavelength of radiation to affect a first treating mechanism of generating of cross-link initiators in a dielectric film on the substrate, and to deliver said second wavelength of radiation to affect a second treating mechanism of cross-linking the dielectric film on said substrate.

15. The processing system of claim 7 , wherein said controller is configured to control said two or more lasers to deliver said different wavelengths of radiation for improving at least one of a Young's modulus, film harness, and fracture toughness of a dielectric film on said substrate.

16. The processing system of claim 1 , further comprising controlling said temperature control system to heat said substrate to be approximately 500° C. or less using said heating element.

Assignees

• Tokyo Electron Ltd

Inventors

• Liu Junjun
• Lee Eric M
• Toma Dorel I

Classifications

• H10P72/0468

  comprising a chamber adapted to a particular process · CPC title

• H10P72/0436 Primary

  mainly by radiation · CPC title

• H10P72/0408 Primary

  for drying · CPC title

• H10P14/6538 Primary

  by exposure to UV light · CPC title

• H10P95/90

  Thermal treatments, e.g. annealing or sintering · CPC title