Method for decreasing cool down time with heated system for semiconductor manufacturing equipment

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11728187-B2
Application number	US-201816229572-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 21, 2018
Priority date	Dec 21, 2018
Publication date	Aug 15, 2023
Grant date	Aug 15, 2023

Abstract

A system, method, and apparatus for heating and cooling a component in chamber enclosing a chamber volume. Vacuum and purge gas ports are in fluid communication with the chamber volume. A heater apparatus selectively heats the heated apparatus to a process temperature. A vacuum valve provides selective fluid communication between a vacuum source and the vacuum port. A purge gas valve provides selective fluid communication between a purge gas source for a purge gas and the purge gas port. A controller controls the heater apparatus, vacuum and purge gas valves and to selectively flow the purge gas to the chamber volume when an equipment-safe temperature is reached. When an operator-safe temperature is reached, access to the chamber volume through an access port by an operator is permitted.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A workpiece processing system, comprising:
a chamber generally defining a chamber volume;
a purge gas port in fluid communication with the chamber volume;
a purge gas source having a purge gas associated therewith;
a purge gas valve configured to provide selective fluid communication between the purge gas source and the purge gas port;
a vacuum port in fluid communication with the chamber volume;
a vacuum source;
a vacuum valve configured to provide selective fluid communication between the vacuum source and the vacuum port;
a heated apparatus positioned within the chamber;
a heater apparatus configured to selectively heat the heated apparatus to a process temperature based, at least in part, on a power input to the heater apparatus;
a temperature sensor configured to determine a temperature of the heated apparatus; and
a controller configured to control a cooling of the heated apparatus from a process temperature to a personnel-safe temperature, wherein the control is at least based on the power input to the heater apparatus, the temperature of the heated apparatus, and an equipment-safe temperature that is between the process temperature and the personnel-safe temperature, wherein the controller is configured to increase a rate of the cooling of the heated apparatus from the equipment-safe temperature to the personnel-safe temperature based on a position of the purge gas valve, wherein the controller is configured to control the purge gas valve to be closed concurrent with cooling of the heated apparatus from the process temperature to the equipment-safe temperature, and wherein the controller is configured to control the purge gas valve to be open concurrent with cooling from the equipment-safe temperature to the personnel-safe temperature.

2. The workpiece processing system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to selectively decrease the power input to the heater apparatus from a first power associated with the process temperature to a second power associated with the equipment-safe temperature concurrent with the cooling of the heated apparatus from the process temperature to the equipment-safe temperature.

3. The workpiece processing system of claim 2 , wherein the first power generally maintains the process temperature of the heated apparatus, and wherein the second power comprises approximately zero power input to the heater apparatus.

4. The workpiece processing system of claim 2 , wherein the controller is configured to decrease of the power input to the heater apparatus from the first power to the second power based, at least in part, on the temperature of the heated apparatus.

5. The workpiece processing system of claim 2 , wherein the cooling of the heated apparatus from the process temperature to the equipment-safe temperature is predominantly based on thermal radiation to the chamber, and wherein the cooling of the heated apparatus from the equipment-safe temperature to the personnel-safe temperature is predominantly based on thermal conduction and convection to the purge gas.

6. The workpiece processing system of claim 1 , wherein the chamber further comprises an access port selectively configured in one of a closed position and an open position, wherein in the closed position, the access port generally isolates the chamber volume from an external environment, and wherein in the open position, the access port exposes the chamber volume to the external environment, wherein the controller is further configured to selectively control an operation of the access port to be in the closed position and open position based, at least in part, on the temperature of a workpiece support.

7. The workpiece processing system of claim 6 , further comprising a lockout apparatus, wherein the controller is configured to selectively prevent the access port from being configured in the open position via the lockout apparatus when the temperature of the workpiece support is greater than an operator-safe temperature.

8. The workpiece processing system of claim 6 , wherein the access port is configured to provide access to an operator to physically contact the heated apparatus within the chamber volume from the external environment when the access port is in the open position.

9. The workpiece processing system of claim 1 , wherein the purge gas valve comprises an automated valve, wherein the controller is configured to open the purge gas valve once the temperature is less than or equal to the equipment-safe temperature, thereby flowing the purge gas into the chamber volume.

10. The workpiece processing system of claim 9 , wherein the controller is further configured to selectively vary the flow of the purge gas based on the temperature of the heated apparatus.

11. The workpiece processing system of claim 1 , wherein the purge gas valve comprises a manual valve, wherein the controller is configured to provide an indicator to an operator that the temperature is less than or equal to the equipment-safe temperature.

12. The workpiece processing system of claim 1 , wherein the process temperature ranges between approximately 200 C and approximately 1500 C, wherein the equipment-safe temperature is approximately 200 C, and wherein the personal-safe temperature is approximately 60 C.

13. The workpiece processing system of claim 1 , further comprising an ion implantation system, wherein the chamber comprises one of a load lock chamber and a process chamber, and wherein the heated apparatus comprises a workpiece support configured to selectively support and heat a workpiece.

14. The workpiece processing system of claim 13 , wherein the workpiece support comprises an electrostatic chuck.

15. The workpiece processing system of claim 1 , wherein the temperature sensor comprises one or more of a thermocouple and an RTD.

16. The workpiece processing system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to selectively vary a flow of the purge gas from the purge gas port based on the temperature of the heated apparatus.

Assignees

• Axcelis Tech Inc

Inventors

• Baggett John
• Ferrara Joseph

Classifications

• H10P72/722

  Details of electrostatic chucks · CPC title

• H10P72/0602

  Temperature monitoring · CPC title

• H10P30/20

  into semiconductor materials, e.g. for doping · CPC title

• H10P72/0431 Primary

  Apparatus for thermal treatment · CPC title

• H10P72/0432

  mainly by conduction · CPC title