Apparatus and methods for isolating a reaction chamber from a loading chamber resulting in reduced contamination

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11626313-B2
Application number	US-202017126812-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 18, 2020
Priority date	Nov 3, 2017
Publication date	Apr 11, 2023
Grant date	Apr 11, 2023

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a semiconductor processing apparatus having a reaction chamber which can include a baseplate having an opening; a moveable substrate support configured to support a substrate; a movement element configured to move a substrate held on the substrate support towards the opening of the baseplate; a plurality of gas inlets positioned above and configured to direct gas downwardly towards the substrate support; and a sealing element configured to form a seal between the baseplate and the substrate support, the seal positioned at a greater radial distance from a center of the substrate support than an outer edge of the substrate support. In some embodiments, the sealing element can also include a plurality of apertures extend through the sealing element, the apertures configured to provide a flow path between a position below the sealing element to a position above the sealing element.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A semiconductor processing apparatus comprising:
a reaction chamber comprising a baseplate including an opening, wherein the baseplate comprises a surface having an apex;
a moveable substrate support configured to support a substrate and configured to move towards the opening of the baseplate;
a plurality of gas inlets positioned above and configured to direct gas downwardly towards the substrate support;
a sealing ring configured to form a seal between the apex and the sealing ring; and
a plurality of apertures extending through the sealing ring, the apertures extending radially across the apex and configured to provide a flow path between a position below the sealing ring and a position above the sealing ring.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the seal is positioned at a greater radial distance from a center of the substrate support than an outer edge of the substrate support.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the seal comprises a metal to metal contact between the sealing ring and at least one of the baseplate and the substrate support.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising an exhaust port, wherein at least one of the apertures and the seal is positioned at a radial distance that is less than or equal to the exhaust port, relative to a center of the substrate support.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 , further comprising a gap extending radially between the substrate support and the baseplate, wherein the apertures are arranged at a greater radial distance from the center of the substrate support than the gap.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the seal is formed without a substantial vertical gap between the substrate support and the baseplate.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the exhaust port is located at a greater radial distance from the center of the substrate support than the plurality of gas inlets.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the exhaust port comprises an exhaust ring extending around the substrate support.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the sealing element comprises a flexible diaphragm coating.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the apertures are configured to allow about 50 sccm to about 200 sccm of flow through the sealing ring when the seal is formed between the baseplate and the substrate support.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of apertures are spaced around an outer edge of the sealing element.

12. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the surface comprises a curved surface, and the total circumference where the curved surface contacts the sealing ring is greater than the total circumference of the apertures.

13. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the sealing ring is pneumatically actuated.

14. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the baseplate does not include bellows.

15. A semiconductor processing apparatus comprising:
a baseplate comprising a curved surface and forming at least a partial radial boundary of a loading chamber;
a moveable substrate support generally separating the loading chamber from a reaction chamber above the loading chamber, the substrate support configured to support a substrate thereon; and
a sealing ring configured to couple with the curved surface of the baseplate to form a seal between the loading chamber and the reaction chamber, wherein the sealing element comprises a plurality of apertures configured to provide a flow path between the loading chamber and the reaction chamber.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 , further comprising a plurality of gas inlets positioned above and configured to direct gas downwardly towards the substrate portion.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein each of the plurality of gas inlets is located radially inward of the seal.

18. The apparatus of claim 17 , wherein the plurality of gas inlets is further configured to direct gas substantially perpendicular to a substantially planar upper surface of the substrate support.

19. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the plurality of apertures are spaced around an outer edge of the sealing ring.

20. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the is seal is disposed at a first radial distance from a center of the substrate support that is at least 30% greater than a second radial distance from the center of the substrate to an outer edge of a recess of the substrate support.

21. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the sealing ring comprises a flexible diaphragm comprising at least one of an austenitic nickel-chromium-molybdenum-tungsten alloy, a nickel-chromium-cobalt alloy comprising more than 50% nickel and 20% chromium, or Grade 2 titanium.

22. The apparatus of claim 15 , further comprising an exhaust port, wherein at least one of the apertures and the seal is positioned at a radial distance that is less than or equal to the exhaust port, relative to a center of the substrate support.

23. The apparatus of claim 22 , further comprising a gap extending radially between the substrate support and the baseplate, wherein the apertures are arranged at a greater radial distance from the center of the substrate support than the gap.

24. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the seal is formed without a substantial vertical gap between the substrate support and the baseplate.

25. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the apertures are configured to allow about 50 sccm to about 200 sccm of flow through the sealing ring when the seal is formed between the baseplate and the substrate support.

26. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the substrate support comprises an upper portion and a lower portion, wherein the sealing ring is affixed to an underside of the upper portion of the substrate support.

27. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the total circumference where the surface contacts the sealing ring is greater than the total circumference of the apertures.

28. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the sealing ring comprises a first sealing ring, further comprising a second sealing ring stacked with the first sealing ring.

29. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein a first portion of the sealing ring forms a first contact seal with the baseplate, and a second portion of the sealing ring forms a second contact seal with the substrate support.

Assignees

• Asm Ip Holding Bv

Inventors

• White Carl Louis
• Fondurulia Kyle
• Shugrue John Kevin

Classifications

• H10P72/7618

  characterised by a movable susceptor, stage or support, others than those only rotating on their own vertical axis, e.g. susceptors on a rotating carrousel · CPC title

• H10P72/0462

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

• H10P72/0441

  Apparatus for sealing, encapsulating, glassing, decapsulating or the like · CPC title

• H10P72/7611 Primary

  characterised by edge profile or support profile · CPC title

• C23C16/4409

  characterised by sealing means · CPC title