High temperature substrate pedestal module and components thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016336213-A1
Application number	US-201514710151-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	May 12, 2015
Priority date	May 12, 2015
Publication date	Nov 17, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A semiconductor substrate processing apparatus comprises a vacuum chamber in which a semiconductor substrate may be processed, a showerhead module through which process gas from a process gas source is supplied to a processing zone of the vacuum chamber, and a substrate pedestal module. The substrate pedestal module includes a platen, a stem having a side wall defining a cylindrical interior region thereof, a lower surface, and an upper end that supports the platen, and an adapter having a side wall defining a cylindrical interior region thereof and an upper surface that supports the stem. The lower surface of the stem includes a gas inlet in fluid communication with a respective gas passage located in the side wall of the stem and a gas outlet located in an annular gas channel in the upper surface of the adapter. The upper surface of the adapter includes an inner groove located radially inward of the gas outlet and an outer groove located radially outward of the inner groove. The inner groove and the outer groove have respective O-rings therein so as to form a vacuum seals during processing. The platen includes at least one platen gas passage in fluid communication with a respective gas passage in the side wall of the stem through which backside gas can be supplied to a region below a semiconductor substrate when supported on the upper surface of the platen during processing.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A semiconductor substrate processing apparatus for processing semiconductor substrates including a high temperature substrate pedestal module having a minimized mounting area between a lower surface of a stem and an upper surface of an adapter that supports the stem, the semiconductor substrate processing apparatus comprising:
a vacuum chamber including a processing zone in which a semiconductor substrate may be processed; a showerhead module through which process gas from a process gas source is supplied to the processing zone of the vacuum chamber; and the substrate pedestal module including a platen having an upper surface configured to support a semiconductor substrate thereon during processing, the stem of ceramic material having a side wall defining a cylindrical interior region thereof, a lower surface, and an upper end that supports the platen, and the adapter having a side wall defining a cylindrical interior region thereof and an upper surface that is attached to the lower surface of the stem, the lower surface of the stem including at least one gas inlet in fluid communication with a respective gas passage located in the side wall of the stem, the at least one gas inlet in fluid communication with at least one gas outlet located in an annular gas channel in the upper surface of the adapter, the upper surface of the adapter including an inner groove located radially inward of the at least one gas outlet and an outer groove located radially outward of the inner groove, the inner groove having an inner O-ring therein so as to form an inner vacuum seal between the cylindrical interior region of the adapter and the at least one gas outlet during processing and the outer groove having an outer O-ring therein so as to form an outer vacuum seal between a region surrounding the side wall of the adapter and the at least one gas outlet during processing; wherein the platen includes at least one platen gas passage in fluid communication with a respective gas passage in the side wall of the stem through which backside gas can be supplied to a region below a semiconductor substrate when supported on the upper surface of the platen during processing.

2 . The semiconductor substrate processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the annular gas channel in the upper surface of the adapter is formed in a radially inner portion of the outer groove of the adapter and the outer O-ring is located in a radially outer portion of the outer groove.

3 . The semiconductor substrate processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:
(a) the lower surface of the stem includes an annular gas channel adjacent the annular gas channel in the upper surface of the adapter wherein the at least one gas inlet of the stem is in fluid communication with the annular gas channel in the upper surface of the adapter and the annular gas channel in the lower surface of the stem; (b) the lower surface of the stem includes an inner groove adjacent the inner groove of the adapter wherein a portion of the inner O-ring is in the inner groove of the stem and the lower surface of the stem includes an outer groove adjacent the outer groove of the adapter wherein a portion of the outer O-ring is in the outer groove of the stem; (c) the lower surface of the stem includes an inner groove adjacent the inner groove of the adapter wherein a portion of the inner O-ring is in the inner groove of the stem and the lower surface of the stem includes an outer groove adjacent the outer groove of the adapter wherein a portion of the outer O-ring is in the outer groove of the stem, the lower surface of the stem further including an annular gas channel adjacent the annular gas channel in the upper surface of the adapter wherein the at least one gas inlet of the stem is in the annular gas channel of the stem and the annular gas channel of the stem is in fluid communication with the annular gas channel of the adapter; or (d) the lower surface of the stem includes an inner groove adjacent the inner groove of the adapter wherein a portion of the inner O-ring is in the inner groove of the stem and the lower surface of the stem includes an outer groove adjacent the outer groove of the adapter wherein a portion of the outer O-ring is in the outer groove of the stem, the at least one gas inlet of the stem is located in a radially inner portion of the outer groove of the stem wherein the radially inner portion of the outer groove of the stem forms an annular gas channel that is in fluid communication with the annular gas channel of the adapter and the outer O-ring is in a radially outer portion of the outer groove of the stem.

4 . The semiconductor substrate processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the semiconductor substrate processing apparatus includes:
(a) an RF energy source adapted to energize the process gas into a plasma state in the processing zone; (b) a control system configured to control processes performed by the semiconductor substrate processing apparatus; and/or (c) a non-transitory computer machine-readable medium comprising program instructions for control of the semiconductor substrate processing apparatus.

5 . The semiconductor substrate processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:
(a) the stem includes a lower inner flange extending inwardly from the side wall of the stem such that the thickness of the side wall of the stem above the lower inner flange forms a thermal choke between the platen and the lower surface of the stem during processing; and/or p 1 (b) the stem includes a lower outer flange extending outwardly from the side wall of the stem such that the thickness of the side wall of the stem above the lower outer flange forms a thermal choke between the platen and the lower surface of the stem during processing.

6 . The semiconductor substrate processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:
(a) the thickness of the side wall of the stem is less than the thickness of the side wall of the adapter such that the side wall of the stem forms a thermal choke between the platen and the lower surface of the stem during processing; (b) the thickness of the side wall of the stem above a lower flange of the stem is about 3 mm or less, or about 2 mm or less; (c) the adapter is made of aluminum or an aluminum alloy; and/or (d) exposed surfaces of the platen are made of ceramic material.

7 . The semiconductor substrate processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the high temperature substrate pedestal module further comprises:
(a) at least one electrostatic clamping electrode embedded in the platen; (b) a bottom RF electrode embedded in the platen; (c) a heater embedded in the platen; (d) a carrier ring configured to lower and raise a semiconductor substrate to and from the upper surface of the platen; (e) a plurality of lift pins configured to lower and raise a semiconductor substrate to and from the upper surface of the platen; or (f) a single electrode embedded therein that is operable to serve as an electrostatic clamping electrode and a RF electrode.

8 . The semiconductor substrate processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:
(a) the adapter includes one gas passage in the side wall thereof that is in fluid communication with at least two gas passages in the side wall of the stem via the annular gas channel in the upper surface of the adapter wherein each gas passage in the side wall of the stem is in fluid communication with a respective platen gas passage such that a backside gas may be supplied to a region below a semiconductor substrate when supported on the upper surface of the platen during processing; and/or (b) the adapter includes at least one gas passage in the side wall thereof that is in fluid communication at least one gas passage in the side wall of the s

Assignees

• Lam Res Corp

Inventors

• Gomm Troy Alan
• Thomas Timothy

Classifications

• H10P72/7626

  characterised by the construction of the shaft · CPC title

• H10P72/7616

  characterised by a coating, a hardness or a material · CPC title

• H10P72/0441

  Apparatus for sealing, encapsulating, glassing, decapsulating or the like · CPC title

• H10P72/0432

  mainly by conduction · CPC title

• H10P72/72

  using electrostatic chucks · CPC title