Component temperature control using a combination of proportional control valves and pulsed valves

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10256123-B2
Application number	US-201213652257-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 15, 2012
Priority date	Oct 27, 2011
Publication date	Apr 9, 2019
Grant date	Apr 9, 2019

Abstract

Methods and systems for controlling temperatures in plasma processing chamber with a combination of proportional and pulsed fluid control valves. A heat transfer fluid loop is thermally coupled to a chamber component, such as a chuck. The heat transfer fluid loop includes a supply line and a return line to each of hot and cold fluid reservoirs. In an embodiment, an analog valve (e.g., in the supply line) is controlled between any of a closed state, a partially open state, and a fully open state based on a temperature control loop while a digital valve (e.g., in the return line) is controlled to either a closed state and a fully open state.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A plasma processing apparatus, comprising:
a process chamber including a temperature controlled component;
a first heat transfer fluid reservoir at a first temperature;
a first heat transfer fluid loop comprising a first supply line and a first return line coupling the first heat transfer fluid reservoir to the temperature controlled component;
a first electronic supply valve in the first supply line and a first electronic return valve in the first return line to control conduction of a first heat transfer fluid between the first heat transfer fluid reservoir and the temperature controlled component, wherein one of the first electronic supply valve and first electronic return valve has a closed state, a fully open state, and a partially open state, and wherein the other of the first electronic supply valve and the first electronic return valve has only a closed and fully open state, wherein the first electronic supply valve is a pulsed valve;
a second heat transfer fluid reservoir at a second temperature;
a second supply line and a second return line coupling the second heat transfer fluid reservoir to the temperature controlled component; and
a second electronic supply valve in the second supply line and a second electronic return valve in the second return line to control conduction of a second heat transfer fluid between the second heat transfer fluid reservoir and the temperature controlled component, wherein one of the second electronic supply valve and second electronic return valve has a closed state, a fully open state, and a partially open state, and wherein the other of the second electronic supply valve and the second electronic return valve has only a closed and a fully open state.

2. The plasma processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first electronic supply valve has a closed state and a plurality of partially open states corresponding to non-zero fluid flow rates.

3. The plasma processing apparatus of claim 2 , further comprising a controller to change the state of the first electronic supply valve based on a feedback or feedforward control loop coupled to the temperature controlled component.

4. The plasma processing apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the controller is to change the state of the first return valve only if the first electronic supply valve is changed either to the closed state or from the closed state.

5. The plasma processing apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the controller is to change the first electronic return valve from an open state to a closed state only if the first electronic supply valve is changed from an open state to the closed state, and is to change the first electronic return valve from the closed state to the open state only if the first electronic supply valve is changed from the closed state to an open state.

6. The plasma processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the temperature controlled component comprises a first and second temperature zone, the first temperature zone having a portion of the first heat transfer fluid loop embedded therein, and the second temperature zone having a portion of a second heat transfer fluid loop embedded therein, wherein the second heat transfer loop comprises the second supply line and the second return line coupling the second heat transfer flush reservoir to the temperature controlled component.

7. The plasma processing apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the second heat transfer fluid loop comprises:
a third supply line and a third return line coupling the first heat transfer fluid reservoir to the temperature controlled component;
a third electronic supply valve in the third supply line and a third electronic return valve in the third return line to control conduction of the first heat transfer fluid between the first heat transfer fluid reservoir and the temperature controlled component, wherein one of the third electronic supply valve and third electronic return valve has a closed state, a fully open state, and a partially open state, and wherein the other of the third electronic supply valve and the third electronic return valve has only a closed and a fully open state.

8. The plasma processing apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the second heat transfer fluid loop further comprises:
a fourth supply line and a fourth return line coupling the second heat transfer fluid reservoir to the temperature controlled component;
a fourth electronic supply valve in the fourth supply line and a fourth electronic return valve in the fourth return line to control conduction of the second heat transfer fluid between the second heat transfer fluid reservoir and the temperature controlled component, wherein one of the fourth electronic supply valve and fourth electronic return valve has a closed state, a fully open state, and a partially open state, and wherein the other of the fourth electronic supply valve and the fourth electronic return valve has only a closed and a fully open state.

9. The plasma processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first temperature is above 50° C. and the second temperature is below 5° C., and wherein the temperature controlled component is at least one of: a chuck configured to support the workpiece during processing, a gas showerhead through which process gases are to be introduced to the process chamber during processing, or a wall of the process chamber.

10. A plasma etch apparatus for processing of microelectronic devices, comprising:
a process chamber including a chuck for supporting a workpiece during processing, the chuck having a first and second temperature zone;
a first heat transfer fluid reservoir at a first temperature;
a first heat transfer fluid loop comprising a first supply line and a first return line thermally coupling the first heat transfer fluid reservoir with the first temperature zone;
a first electronic supply valve in the first supply line and a first electronic return valve in the first return line to control conduction of the first heat transfer fluid between the first heat transfer fluid reservoir and the first temperature zone;
a second heat transfer fluid reservoir at a second temperature;
a second supply line and a second return line thermally coupling the second heat transfer fluid reservoir to the second temperature;
a second electronic supply valve in the second supply line and a second electronic return valve in the second return line to control conduction of the second heat transfer fluid between the second heat transfer fluid reservoir and the second temperature zone,
wherein the first and second electronic supply valves each have a closed state, a partially open state and a fully open state, and wherein the first and second electronic return valves each have only closed and fully open states, wherein the first and second electronic supply valves are pulsed valves.

11. The plasma etch apparatus of claim 10 , further comprising a controller to change the state of the first electronic supply valve based on a feedback or feedforward control loop coupled to the temperature controlled component.

12. The plasma etch apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the controller is to change the state of the first electronic return valve only if the first supply valve is changed either to the closed state or from the closed state.

13. The plasma etch apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the controller is to change the first electronic return valve from the fully open state to the closed state only if the first electronic supply valve is changed from an open state to the closed state, and is to change the first electronic return valve from the closed state to the fully open state only if the first electronic supply valv

Assignees

• Applied Materials Inc

Inventors

• Mahadeswaraswamy Chetan

Classifications

• H10P72/0602

  Temperature monitoring · CPC title

• H10P72/0434 Primary

  mainly by convection · CPC title

• C23C16/463

  Cooling of the substrate · CPC title

• C23C16/46

  characterised by the method used for heating the substrate (C23C16/48, C23C16/50 take precedence) · CPC title

• C23C16/4586

  Elements in the interior of the support, e.g. electrodes, heating or cooling devices · CPC title