Methods Of Operating A Spatial Deposition Tool

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2020066572-A1
Application number	US-201916664406-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Oct 25, 2019
Priority date	Oct 27, 2017
Publication date	Feb 27, 2020
Grant date	—

Abstract

Apparatus and methods to process one or more wafers are described. A spatial deposition tool comprises a plurality of substrate support surfaces on a substrate support assembly and a plurality of spatially separated and isolated processing stations. The spatially separated isolated processing stations have independently controlled temperature, processing gas types, and gas flows. In some embodiments, the processing gases on one or multiple processing stations are activated using plasma sources. The operation of the spatial tool comprises rotating the substrate assembly in a first direction, and rotating the substrate assembly in a second direction, and repeating the rotations in the first direction and the second direction until a predetermined thickness is deposited on the substrate surface(s).

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method comprising:
providing a processing chamber comprising x number of spatially separated isolated processing stations, the processing chamber having a processing chamber temperature and each processing station independently having a processing station temperature, the processing chamber temperature different from the processing station temperatures; rotating a substrate support assembly having a plurality of substrate support surfaces aligned with the x number of spatially separated isolated processing stations rx so that each substrate support surface rotates (360/x) degrees in a first direction to an adjacent substrate support surface, r being a whole number greater than or equal to 1; and rotating the substrate support assembly rx times so that each substrate support surface rotates (360/x) degrees in a second direction to the adjacent substrate support surface.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein x is an integer in a range of from 2 to 10.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein r is in the range of 1 to 10.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein r is 1, 2, 3 or 4.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of substrate support surfaces are substantially coplanar.

6 . The method of claim 5 , wherein the plurality of substrate support surfaces comprise heaters.

7 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising controlling one or more of the processing chamber temperature or the processing station temperatures.

8 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising controlling the speed of rotation of the plurality of substrate support assembly.

9 . A method comprising:
providing a processing chamber comprising x number of spatially separated isolated processing stations, the processing chamber having a processing chamber temperature and each processing station independently having a processing station temperature, the processing chamber temperature different from the processing station temperatures; rotating a substrate support assembly having a plurality of substrate support surfaces aligned with the x number of spatially separated isolated processing stations (360/x) degrees in a first direction to an adjacent substrate support surface; rotating the substrate support assembly (360/x) degrees in a second direction to the adjacent substrate support surface, wherein the rotations in the first direction and the rotations in the second direction are repeated n times, with n being a whole number greater than or equal to 1; rotating the substrate support assembly (360/x) degrees in a first direction two times; rotating the substrate support assembly (360/x) degrees in the first direction and then rotating the substrate support assembly (360/x) degrees in the second direction, the rotations in the first direction and the second direction are repeated m times, with m being a whole number greater than or equal to 1; and rotating the substrate support assembly (360/x) degrees in the second direction.

10 . The method of claim 9 , wherein x is an integer in a range of from 2 to 10.

11 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the plurality of substrate support surfaces are substantially coplanar.

12 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the plurality of substrate support surfaces comprise heaters.

13 . The method of claim 9 , further comprising controlling one or more of the processing chamber temperature or the processing station temperatures.

14 . The method of claim 9 , further comprising controlling the speed of rotation of the plurality of substrate support assembly.

15 . A method of forming a film, the method comprising:
loading at least one wafer onto x number of substrate support surfaces in a substrate support assembly, each of the substrate support surfaces aligned with x number of spatially separated isolated processing stations; rotating the substrate support assembly rx so each substrate support surface rotates (360/x) degrees in a first direction to an adjacent substrate support surface, r being a whole number greater than or equal to 1; rotating the substrate support assembly rx times so that each substrate support surface rotates (360/x) degrees in a second direction to the adjacent substrate support surface; and at each processing station, exposing a top surface of the at least one wafer to a process condition to form a film having a substantially uniform thickness.

16 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the at least one wafer is stationary when the film is formed.

17 . The method of claim 15 , wherein x is an integer in a range of from 2 to 10.

18 . The method of claim 15 , wherein r is in the range of 1 to 10.

19 . The method of claim 15 , wherein r is 1, 2, 3 or 4.

20 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the substrate support surfaces comprise one or more of heaters or electrostatic chucks.

Assignees

• Applied Materials Inc

Inventors

• Aubuchon Joseph
• Baluja Sanjeev
• Rice Michael
• Dan Arkaprava
• Chen Hanhong

Classifications

• H10P14/6339

  deposition by cyclic CVD, e.g. ALD, ALE or pulsed CVD · CPC title

• H10P14/40

  of conductive or resistive materials · CPC title

• H10P14/24

  using chemical vapour deposition [CVD] · CPC title

• H10P14/00

  Formation of materials, e.g. in the shape of layers or pillars · CPC title

• H10P72/7618 Primary

  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