Semiconductor processing system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11749555-B2
Application number	US-201916706115-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 6, 2019
Priority date	Dec 7, 2018
Publication date	Sep 5, 2023
Grant date	Sep 5, 2023

Abstract

Embodiments of the disclosure relate to an apparatus and method for processing semiconductor substrates. In one embodiment, a processing system is disclosed. The processing system includes an outer chamber that surrounds an inner chamber. The inner chamber includes a substrate support upon which a substrate is positioned during processing. The inner chamber is configured to have an internal volume that, when isolated from an internal volume of the outer chamber, is changeable such that the pressure within the internal volume of the inner chamber may be varied.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A substrate processing system comprising:
an inner chamber having a substrate access port and an inner chamber internal volume;
an outer chamber surrounding the inner chamber, the outer chamber having an outer chamber internal volume, a slit valve door and a slit valve opening aligned with the substrate access port configured to allow egress of a substrate utilizing a single motion of a robot blade extending through the slit valve opening into the substrate access port, the outer chamber configured to operate at a pressure between about 1 mTorr to about 600 Torr, the inner chamber internal volume configured that, when isolated from the outer chamber internal volume, is changeable such that the pressure within the inner chamber internal volume may be varied while the outer chamber is maintained under vacuum;
a substrate support disposed in the inner chamber internal volume upon which the substrate is positioned during processing; and wherein
the inner chamber internal volume having an upper volume defined above the substrate support and a lower volume defined below the substrate support, wherein the upper volume and lower volume are fluidly isolated when the substrate is in a raised processing position and in a lowered transfer position, and wherein substrate access port is adjacent with the upper volume when the substrate support is in the lowered transfer position and adjacent with the lower volume when the substrate support is in the raised processing position.

2. The substrate processing system of claim 1 wherein
the upper volume is fluidly connected to the outer chamber through the substrate access port when the substrate support is in the lowered transfer position, and the lower volume is fluidly connected to the outer chamber through the substrate access port when the substrate support is in the raised process position.

3. The substrate processing system of claim 2 further comprising:
a pneumatic or hydraulic external cylinder outside of the inner chamber internal volume, the pneumatic or hydraulic cylinder coupled to the substrate support and configured to move the substrate support between the raised process position reducing the upper volume and the lowered transfer position increasing the upper volume.

4. The substrate processing system of claim 3 wherein a force provided by the external cylinder results in between about 5 bar and about 100 bar acting on the substrate support.

5. The substrate processing system of claim 2 further comprising:
a lift disposed in the inner volume, the lift coupled to the substrate support and configured to move the substrate support between the raised process position and the lowered transfer position.

6. The substrate processing system of claim 5 wherein the lift is one of a hydraulic or pneumatic actuator, a linear actuator, a lead screw, or other actuator suitable of generating a large force sufficient to maintain the position of the substrate support in a high pressure environment.

7. The substrate processing system of claim 5 wherein the lift has sufficient stroke and force to move the substrate support to generate and hold high pressures within the upper volume exceeding about 5 bar.

8. A substrate processing system comprising:
an outer chamber having an internal volume, a slit valve door, and a slit valve opening, the outer chamber configured to operate at a pressure of between about 1 mTorr to about 600 Torr;
an inner chamber disposed within the internal volume of the outer chamber, the inner chamber having sidewalls an inner volume, and a substrate access port aligned with the slit valve door configured to allow egress of the substrate utilizing a single motion of a robot blade extending through the slit valve opening into the substrate access port, the inner volume is changeable such that the pressure within the inner volume may be varied while the outer chamber is maintained under vacuum;
a substrate support having an outer wall, the substrate support disposed in the inner volume and moveable between an top position and a bottom position; wherein
the inner chamber internal volume having an upper volume defined above the substrate support and a lower volume defined below the substrate support, wherein the upper volume and lower volume are fluidly isolated when the substrate is in the top position and in the bottom position, and wherein substrate access port is adjacent with the upper volume when the substrate support is in the bottom position and adjacent with the lower volume when the substrate support is in the top position; and
a seal disposed between the outer wall and the sidewall wherein the pressure differential across the seal is greater than 1 Bar when the substrate support is in the top position.

9. The substrate processing system of claim 8 wherein
the upper volume is fluidly connected to the outer chamber through the substrate access port when the substrate support is in the bottom position, and the lower volume is fluidly connected to the outer chamber through the substrate access port when the substrate support is in the top position.

10. The substrate processing system of claim 9 further comprising:
a pneumatic or hydraulic external cylinder outside of the inner volume, the pneumatic or hydraulic cylinder coupled to the substrate support and configured to move the substrate support between the top position reducing the upper volume and the bottom position increasing the upper volume.

11. The substrate processing system of claim 10 wherein a force provided by the external cylinder that results in between about 5 bar and about 100 bar acting on the substrate support.

12. The substrate processing system of claim 9 further comprising:
a lift disposed in the inner volume, the lift coupled to the substrate support and configured to move the substrate support between the top position and the bottom position.

13. The substrate processing system of claim 12 wherein the lift is one of a hydraulic or pneumatic actuator, a linear actuator, a lead screw, or other actuator suitable of generating a large force sufficient to maintain the position of the substrate support in a high pressure environment.

14. The substrate processing system of claim 12 wherein the lift has sufficient stroke and force to move the substrate support to generate and hold high pressures within the upper volume.

15. The substrate processing system of claim 14 wherein high pressures within the upper volume results from 100 bar acting on the substrate support.

Assignees

• Applied Materials Inc

Inventors

• Malik Sultan
• Nemani Srinivas D
• Liang Qiwei
• Khan Adib M

Classifications

• H10P72/1926

  characterised by the presence of atmosphere modifying elements inside or attached to the closed carrier · CPC title

• H10P72/1916

  characterised by sealing arrangements · CPC title

• H10P72/7612 Primary

  characterised by lifting arrangements, e.g. lift pins · CPC title

• H10P72/7624

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

• 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