Reduced volume processing chamber

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11133174-B2
Application number	US-201916352631-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 13, 2019
Priority date	Oct 4, 2015
Publication date	Sep 28, 2021
Grant date	Sep 28, 2021

Abstract

Embodiments described herein generally relate to a processing chamber having a reduced volume for performing supercritical drying processes or other phase transition processes. The chamber includes a substrate support moveably disposed on a first track and a door moveably disposed on a second track. The substrate support and door may be configured to move independently of one another and the chamber may be configured to minimize vertical movement of the substrate within the chamber.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A processing chamber, comprising:
a chamber body;
a first track extending in a first direction;
one or more second tracks extending in the first direction;
a door coupled to one or more slider assemblies that are slidably interfaced with and movable on the one or more second tracks, the door comprising:
a first portion extending in a first plane perpendicular to the first direction; and
two second portions disposed proximate to opposite ends of the first portion and extending therefrom in a second plane parallel to the first direction;

a liner disposed inside of the chamber body, wherein the liner and the chamber body collectively define a processing volume;
a substrate support assembly coupled to a bracket, which is slidably interfaced and movable on the first track, the substrate support assembly comprising a substrate support having a support surface to support a to be processed substrate disposed in a horizontal position, wherein the substrate support assembly is configured to move the to be processed substrate disposed on the support surface into and out of the processing volume through a slit shaped opening formed in a wall of the chamber body independently of the door;
a motor coupled to the bracket, wherein the motor coordinates movement of the bracket along the first track; and
one or more insulating elements interposed between the liner and the chamber body, wherein at least one of the one or more insulating elements is disposed between a heating element of the substrate support and the chamber body when the substrate support is in the processing volume.

2. The processing chamber of claim 1 , wherein the liner has a thickness of 2 mm to 5 mm.

3. The processing chamber of claim 1 , wherein the substrate support is operable to move laterally into and out of the processing volume and the door is operable to move laterally towards and away of the chamber body.

4. The processing chamber of claim 1 , wherein a distance spanning the processing volume between the liner is less than 5 cm.

5. The processing chamber of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the one or more insulation elements has a thickness between 0.1 inches and 1.0 inch.

6. The processing chamber of claim 5 , wherein at least one of the one or more insulation elements is ceramic.

7. The processing chamber of claim 1 , wherein the processing volume defined by the liner and the chamber body is less than 2 L.

8. The processing chamber of claim 7 , further comprising a baffle plate horizontally disposed within the processing volume and coupled to an actuator operable to move the baffle plate within the processing volume towards or away from the substrate support when the substrate support is in the processing volume.

9. The processing chamber of claim 1 , wherein one or more coupling elements respectively extend from each of the two second portions of the door.

10. The processing chamber of claim 9 , wherein one or more coupling bodies are fixedly coupled to the chamber body, wherein each of the one or more coupling bodies are configured to receive a corresponding coupling element.

11. A processing chamber, comprising:
a chamber body having a slit shaped opening formed therein for ingress and egress from a processing volume defined by a liner of the chamber body;
a baffle plate disposed within the processing volume and coupled to an actuator to move the baffle plate within the processing volume;
a door slidably coupled to the chamber body, wherein the door is configured to translate between an open position and a closed position in a first direction;
a substrate support coupled to the door, the door comprising a first portion extending in a plane perpendicular to the first direction, and two second portions disposed proximate to opposite ends of the first portion and extending therefrom in a second plane parallel to the first direction, wherein the substrate support is configured to translate independently of the door between a first position outside of the processing volume and a second position inside the processing volume, and wherein the baffle plate is moveable independently of the substrate support, and wherein the substrate support remains in the second position during substrate processing;
a bracket coupled to the substrate support and slidably disposed on a first track; and
a motor coupled to the bracket, wherein the motor coordinates movement of the bracket along the first track, wherein the door is coupled to one or more second tracks.

12. The processing chamber of claim 11 , wherein the liner has a thickness of 2 mm to 5 mm.

13. The processing chamber of claim 11 , wherein the chamber body comprises an insulation element with a thickness between 0.1 inches and 1.0 inch, wherein the insulation element is positioned to insulate the liner from the chamber body.

14. The processing chamber of claim 13 , wherein the insulation element is ceramic.

15. The processing chamber of claim 11 , wherein the processing volume defined by the liner and the chamber body is less than 2 L.

16. A processing chamber, comprising:
a chamber body having a slit shaped opening formed therein for ingress and egress from a processing volume defined by a liner of the chamber body;
a door slidably coupled to the chamber body, wherein the door is configured to translate between an open position and a closed position in a first direction;
a substrate support coupled to the door, the door comprising a first portion extending in a plane perpendicular to the first direction, and two second portions disposed proximate to opposite ends of the first portion and extending therefrom in a second plane parallel to the first direction, wherein the substrate support is configured to translate independently of the door between a first position outside of the processing volume and a second position inside the processing volume;
a baffle plate disposed within the processing volume and coupled to an actuator to move the baffle plate within the processing volume, wherein the actuator is operable to selectively move the baffle plate between a processing position adjacent to the substrate support and a raised position away from the substrate support, wherein the baffle plate is moveable independently of the substrate support, and wherein the substrate support remains in the second position during substrate processing;
a bracket coupled to the substrate support and slidably disposed on a first track; and
a motor coupled to the bracket, wherein the motor coordinates movement of the bracket along the first track, wherein the door is coupled to one or more second tracks.

17. The processing chamber of claim 16 , further comprising a pressure closure operable to urge the door against the chamber body.

18. The processing chamber of claim 17 , wherein the pressure closure comprises the actuator.

Assignees

• Applied Materials Inc

Inventors

• Gouk Roman
• Chen Han-Wen
• Verhaverbeke Steven
• Delmas Jean

Classifications

• H10P70/80

  Cleaning only by supercritical fluids · CPC title

• H10P70/23

  during, before or after processing of insulating materials · CPC title

• H10P70/20

  Cleaning during device manufacture · CPC title

• H10P72/0462 Primary

  characterised by the construction of the processing chambers, e.g. modular processing chambers · CPC title

• H10P72/0411

  for wet cleaning or washing · CPC title