Method of isolating the chamber volume to process volume with internal wafer transfer capability

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12567565-B2
Application number	US-202117486616-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 27, 2021
Priority date	Sep 27, 2021
Publication date	Mar 3, 2026
Grant date	Mar 3, 2026

Abstract

Exemplary substrate processing systems may include a chamber body defining a transfer region. The systems may include a lid plate seated on the chamber body. The lid plate may define a plurality of apertures. The systems may include a plurality of lid stacks. The systems may include a plurality of substrate supports. The systems may include a plurality of peripheral valves. Each peripheral valve may be disposed in one of the processing regions. Each peripheral valve may include a bottom plate coupled with the chamber body. The peripheral valve may include a bellow. The bellow may be coupled with the bottom plate. The peripheral valve may include a sealing ring having a body defining a central aperture. A bottom surface of the body may be coupled with the bellow. The body may define a recess having a diameter greater than that of a support plate of a substrate support.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A substrate processing system, comprising:
a chamber body defining a transfer region; a lid plate seated on the chamber body, wherein the lid plate defines a plurality of apertures through the lid plate; and a plurality of lid stacks equal to a number of apertures of the plurality of apertures defined through the lid plate, wherein the plurality of lid stacks at least partially define a plurality of processing regions vertically offset from the transfer region, wherein each of the plurality of lid stacks comprises:
a choke plate seated on the lid plate along a first surface of the choke plate, the choke plate comprising an inner portion that extends inward of an inner surface of the chamber body; and
a pumping liner seated atop the choke plate, the pumping liner defining at least a portion of a gas exhaust path of the chamber body;
a plurality of substrate support assemblies equal to the number of apertures defined through the lid plate, each substrate support assembly of the plurality of substrate support assemblies being disposed in a respective one of the plurality of processing regions, wherein each substrate support assembly of the plurality of substrate support assemblies comprises a support plate and a shaft that is coupled with a bottom of the support plate; a plurality of peripheral valves equal to the number of apertures defined through the lid plate, each peripheral valve of the plurality of peripheral valves being disposed in a respective one of the plurality of processing regions below a respective one of the plurality of substrate support assemblies, wherein each peripheral valve of the plurality of peripheral valves comprises:
a bottom plate coupled with a lower end of the chamber body, wherein the bottom plate is aligned with a respective one of the plurality of apertures;
a chamber sealing bellow characterized by a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface, wherein the first surface of the sealing bellow is coupled with a top surface of the bottom plate; and
a sealing ring having a body defining a central aperture that is sized to receive the shaft of a respective one of the plurality of substrate support assemblies, wherein:
an upper surface of the body defines an upper recess having a diameter that is greater than a diameter of the support plate of the respective one of the plurality of substrate support assemblies;
an inner protrusion extending from an inner wall of the body into the central aperture, wherein the second surface of the chamber sealing bellow is fastened to a lower surface of the inner protrusion, and an upper surface of the inner protrusion and the inner wall of the body define the upper recess;
the sealing ring is vertically translatable within the respective one of the plurality of processing regions, wherein in a highest position at least a portion of the sealing ring contacts a surface of the choke plate; and
a compressible sealing element disposed on a top surface of the upper surface, wherein in the highest position, the compressible sealing element is compressed between the surface of the choke plate and the upper surface of the sealing ring.

2 . The substrate processing system of claim 1 , wherein:
each peripheral valve of the plurality of peripheral valves comprises an impact dampening mechanism.

3 . The substrate processing system of claim 2 , wherein:
the impact dampening mechanism comprises a spring.

4 . The substrate processing system of claim 1 , wherein:
the sealing ring comprises at least one hard stop disposed above a top surface of the sealing ring.

5 . The substrate processing system of claim 1 , wherein:
each peripheral valve of the plurality of peripheral valves comprises a lift mechanism disposed beneath the bottom plate.

6 . The substrate processing system of claim 1 , wherein:
a top edge of the sealing ring is vertically aligned with at least a portion of the inner portion of the choke plate.

7 . The substrate processing system of claim 1 , wherein:
each substrate support assembly is vertically translatable within a respective one of the plurality of processing regions; and a raised position of the substrate support assembly is higher than a raised position of a respective one of the plurality of peripheral valves.

8 . The substrate processing system of claim 1 , wherein:
the chamber sealing bellow is extendable and contractible along a vertical axis of the chamber sealing bellow.

9 . The substrate processing system of claim 1 , wherein the sealing ring, the chamber sealing bellow, and the bottom plate seal a process volume from a chamber volume, when the sealing ring is in the highest position.

10 . A substrate processing chamber, comprising:
a chamber body that defines a processing region; a bottom plate coupled with a lower end of the chamber body, the bottom plate defining a central opening; a substrate support disposed within the chamber body, the substrate support comprising:
a support plate comprising a heater;
a shaft that is coupled with a bottom of the support plate and that extends through the central opening of the bottom plate;
a peripheral valve disposed in the processing region below the substrate support, wherein the peripheral valve comprises:
a chamber sealing bellow characterized by a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface, wherein the first surface of the sealing bellow is coupled with a top surface of the bottom plate; and
a sealing ring having a body defining a central aperture that is sized to receive the shaft of the substrate support, wherein:
the sealing ring comprises a plurality of upward protrusions that extend above a top surface of the sealing ring and are configured to serve as hard stops for the sealing ring;
an upper surface of the body defines an upper recess having a diameter that is greater than a diameter of the support plate of the substrate support;
an inner protrusion extending from an inner wall of the body into the central aperture, wherein the second surface of the chamber sealing bellow is fastened to a lower surface of the inner protrusion, and an upper surface of the inner protrusion and the inner wall of the body define the upper recess;
the sealing ring is vertically translatable within the processing region.

11 . The substrate processing chamber of claim 10 , wherein:
the peripheral valve comprises a plurality of atmospheric sealing bellows that are coupled with a bottom surface of the bottom plate.

12 . The substrate processing chamber of claim 10 , wherein:
the plurality of upward protrusions each comprise a polymeric material.

13 . The substrate processing chamber of claim 10 , further comprising:
a choke plate disposed above the chamber body, the choke plate comprising an inner portion that extends inward of an inner surface of the chamber body and downward alongside the inner surface of the chamber body.

14 . The substrate processing chamber of claim 13 , wherein:
at least a portion of the sealing ring contacts a bottom portion of the inner portion of the choke plate when the peripheral valve is in a raised position.

15 . The substrate processing chamber of claim 14 , wherein:
the peripheral valve comprises an impact dampening mechanism.

16 . The substrate processing chamber of claim 15 , wherein:
the impact dampening mechanism comprises a ball stud joint.

Assignees

• Applied Materials Inc

Inventors

• Natarajan Saravanakumar
• Pakulski Ryan

Classifications

• H10P50/283

  by chemical means · CPC title

• H10P50/267

  using plasmas · CPC title

• H10P50/242

  of Group IV materials · 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

• H01J2237/334

  Etching · CPC title