Workpiece processing apparatus with thermal processing systems

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12183558-B2
Application number	US-202318494486-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 25, 2023
Priority date	Dec 14, 2020
Publication date	Dec 31, 2024
Grant date	Dec 31, 2024

Abstract

An apparatus for combining plasma processing and thermal processing of a workpiece is presented. The apparatus includes a processing chamber, a plasma chamber separated from the processing chamber disposed on a first side of the processing chamber, and a plasma source configured to generate a plasma in the plasma chamber. A quartz workpiece support is disposed within the processing chamber, the workpiece support configured to support a workpiece. One or more radiative heat sources configured to heat the workpiece are disposed on a second and opposite side of the first side of the processing chamber. A dielectric window is disposed between the workpiece support and the one or more heat sources. In addition, the apparatus includes a temperature measurement system configured to obtain a temperature measurement indicative of a temperature of the workpiece.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for processing a workpiece in a processing apparatus, the method comprising: placing the workpiece on a workpiece support comprising quartz disposed in a processing chamber; admitting one or more process gases to a plasma chamber disposed on a first side of the processing chamber; generating one or more species from the one or more process gases in a plasma using an inductively coupled plasma source in the plasma chamber; filtering the one or more species to create a filtered mixture containing one or more radicals; exposing the workpiece to the filtered mixture containing one or more radicals; emitting, by one or more radiative heat sources, radiation directed at one or more surfaces of a workpiece to heat at least a portion of a surface of the workpiece, wherein the one or more radiative heating sources comprise are disposed on a second and opposite side of the first side of the processing chamber and are configured to heat the workpiece from a back side of the workpiece; and obtaining a temperature measurement indicative of a temperature of the backside of the workpiece with a temperature measurement system.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising rotating the workpiece in the processing chamber with a rotation shaft at least partially disposed in the processing chamber.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising maintaining a vacuum pressure in the processing chamber.

4. The method of claim 1 , comprising removing gas from the processing chamber using one or more exhaust ports.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising disposing a pumping plate around the workpiece, the pumping plate providing one or more channels for the directing a flow of process gas through the processing chamber.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the process gas comprise an oxygen-containing gas, a hydrogen-containing gas, a nitrogen-containing gas, a hydrocarbon-containing gas, a fluorine-containing gas, or combinations thereof.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein obtaining a temperature measurement indicative of a temperature of the backside of the workpiece, comprises: emitting, by one or more emitters, calibration radiation at one or more surfaces of the workpiece;
measuring, by one or more sensors, a reflected portion of the calibration radiation emitted by the one or more emitters and reflected by the one or more surfaces of the workpiece; and
determining, based at least in part on the reflected portion, a first temperature measurement indicative of a temperature of the workpiece.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the method further comprises: emitting radiation by the one or more emitters at a pulsing frequency; and isolating at least one measurement from the one or more sensors based at least in part on the pulsing frequency.

9. The method of claim 7 , further comprising: blocking, by one or more windows, at least a portion of broadband radiation emitted by one or more heating lamps configured to heat the workpiece from being incident on one or more sensors.

10. The method of claim 1 , comprising alternating exposing the workpiece to the filtered mixture containing one or more radicals and emitting, by one or heat sources, radiation directed at the workpiece to heat the workpiece.

11. The method of claim 1 , comprising cooling one or more separation grids by pumping fluid through one or more cooling channels disposed in the one or more separation grids, the one or more separation grids separating the plasma chamber and the processing chamber.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising admitting a non-process gas through one or more gas injection ports at or below the one or more separation grids.

13. The method of claim 1 , further comprising stopping plasma generation, the flow of process gas, or emitting radiation.

14. The method of claim 1 , further comprising removing the workpiece from the processing chamber.

Assignees

• Beijing E Town Semiconductor Tech Co Ltd
• Mattson Tech Inc

Inventors

• Desai Dixit
• Wansidler Alex
• Hezler Dieter
• Cibere Joseph
• Bremensdorfer Rolf
• Lembesis Pete
• Yang Michael

Classifications

• H10P72/0602

  Temperature monitoring · CPC title

• H10P72/0436

  mainly by radiation · CPC title

• H01J2237/20214

  Rotation · CPC title

• H01J37/32651

  Shields, e.g. dark space shields, Faraday shields · CPC title

• H01J37/32449

  Gas control, e.g. control of the gas flow · CPC title