Apparatus, system, and method for non-contact temperature monitoring of substrate supports

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11749542-B2
Application number	US-202016939629-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 27, 2020
Priority date	Jul 27, 2020
Publication date	Sep 5, 2023
Grant date	Sep 5, 2023

Abstract

Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to apparatus, systems and methods for substrate processing. A detachable substrate support is disposed within a processing volume of a processing chamber and the substrate support includes a substrate interfacing surface and a back surface. The pedestal hub has a supporting surface removably coupled to the substrate support. A hub volume of the pedestal hub includes temperature measuring assembly disposed therein positioned to receive electromagnetic energy emitted from the back surface of the substrate support. The temperature measuring assembly measures an intensity of the electromagnetic energy entering the assembly and generates intensity signals. An apparent temperature of the substrate is determined based on the intensity signals.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A substrate processing apparatus, comprising:
a thermal processing chamber defining a processing volume;
a substrate support within the processing volume, the substrate support comprising a substrate interfacing surface and a back surface;
a pedestal hub removably coupled to the substrate support and defining at least a portion of a hub volume, wherein:
the pedestal hub comprises a set of contact pins disposed on a top surface of the pedestal hub,
the back surface of the substrate support comprises a set of contact terminals configured to be detachable from the contact pins, and
one or more of the contact terminals and the contact pins comprise a detachable connection region that is configured to align the substrate support to the pedestal hub when the contact terminals of the substrate support are disposed on the contact pins of the pedestal hub:
a viewport coupled to the pedestal hub;
a sensor disposed within the hub volume, the sensor having an input end positioned to receive electromagnetic energy emitted from the back surface of the substrate support through the viewport of the pedestal hub, wherein the substrate support is decoupled from and is positionable in a first direction relative to the sensor and the pedestal hub, wherein the sensor is configured to measure an intensity of the electromagnetic energy entering the sensor and to generate intensity signals;
a processor communicatively coupled to the sensor configured to determine an apparent substrate temperature based on the intensity signals; and
wherein a temperature of the sensor is managed by a cooled housing that surrounds the sensor disposed within the hub volume and a temperature of the viewport is managed using a pressurized gas provided from a gas source.

2. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the sensor comprises an infrared sensor, wherein the infrared sensor has a spectral range of about 2 microns to about 14 microns.

3. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a collector lens and a confocal lens disposed between the input end of the sensor and the viewport.

4. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to determine an emissivity of the back surface of the substrate based on the intensity signals.

5. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the contact pins and contact terminals are made from different material.

6. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the pedestal hub is open to atmospheric pressure.

7. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the substrate support is comprised of aluminum nitride, aluminum oxide, boron oxide, silicon carbide, stainless steel or any combination thereof.

8. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the back surface of the substrate support is comprised of a metal.

9. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the metal is further comprised of a metal nitride, metal oxide, or any combination thereof.

10. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the sensor is an IR sensor.

11. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the IR sensor has an optical resolution of about 20:1 to about 24:1.

12. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the IR sensor has an optical resolution of 22:1.

Assignees

• Applied Materials Inc

Inventors

• Prasad Bhaskar
• Savandaiah Kirankumar Neelasandra
• Brezoczky Thomas
• Yedla Srinivasa Rao

Classifications

• H10P72/722

  Details of electrostatic chucks · CPC title

• H10P74/203

  Structural properties, e.g. testing or measuring thicknesses, line widths, warpage, bond strengths or physical defects · CPC title

• H10P72/0602 Primary

  Temperature monitoring · CPC title

• H10P72/7624 Primary

  characterised by the mechanical construction of the susceptor, stage or support · CPC title

• H10P72/72

  using electrostatic chucks · CPC title