Plasma preclean system for cluster tool

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2025285846-A1
Application number	US-202519216181-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	May 22, 2025
Priority date	Jun 9, 2022
Publication date	Sep 11, 2025
Grant date	—

Abstract

A plasma processing system for cleaning a substrate is provided. The plasma processing system includes a process chamber that includes: a chamber body enclosing an interior volume; and a substrate support disposed in the interior volume. The plasma processing system includes a vacuum pump; a first exhaust line fluidly coupled between the interior volume of the process chamber and the vacuum pump; and a second exhaust line fluidly coupled between the interior volume of the process chamber and the vacuum pump. The first exhaust line and the second exhaust line are arranged to provide alternative paths for the exhaust between the interior volume and the vacuum pump, and the first exhaust line has an internal diameter that is at least 50% smaller than the internal diameter of the second exhaust line.

First claim

1 . A method of processing a substrate comprising:
positioning a substrate on a substrate support in an interior volume of a chamber; reducing a pressure in the interior volume by exhausting the interior volume of the chamber through a first exhaust line without exhausting the interior volume through a second exhaust line, wherein the exhausting the interior volume through the first exhaust line is performed until a first exhaust pressure in the interior volume is reached when the substrate is on the substrate support, and the first exhaust pressure is greater than 400 Torr; exhausting the interior volume of the chamber through the second exhaust line without exhausting the interior volume through the first exhaust line to further reduce the pressure in the interior volume, wherein the exhausting the interior volume through the first exhaust line is performed until a second exhaust pressure in the interior volume is reached when the substrate is on the substrate support; providing gas to the interior volume through a first supply line without providing the gas through a second supply line to raise the pressure in the interior volume, wherein the providing the gas to the interior volume through the first supply line is performed until a first supply pressure in the interior volume is reached when the substrate is on the substrate support, and the first supply pressure is less than 300 Torr; and providing gas to the interior volume through the second supply line without providing the gas through the first supply line to further raise the pressure in the interior volume, wherein the providing the gas to the interior volume through the second supply line is performed until a second supply pressure in the interior volume is reached when the substrate is on the substrate support.

2 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising removing the substrate from the interior volume of the chamber after the second supply pressure is reached.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the second exhaust pressure is less than 50 Torr.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the interior volume is at atmospheric pressure when the substrate is positioned on the substrate support.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first exhaust line has an internal diameter that is at least 50% smaller than the internal diameter of the second exhaust line.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first supply line has an internal diameter that is at least 50% smaller than an internal diameter of the second supply line.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the pressure in the interior volume is reduced at a faster rate when gas is exhausted from the interior volume through the second exhaust line than when gas is exhausted from the interior volume through the first exhaust line.

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the pressure in the interior volume is increased at a faster rate when gas is provided to the interior volume through the second supply line than when gas is provided to the interior volume through the first supply line.

9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the second supply pressure is greater than 600 Torr.

10 . A method of processing a substrate comprising:
performing a process on the substrate disposed on a substrate support in an interior volume of a chamber; providing gas to the interior volume through a first supply line without providing the gas through a second supply line to raise a pressure in the interior volume, wherein the providing the gas to the interior volume through the first supply line is performed until a first supply pressure in the interior volume is reached when the substrate is on the substrate support, and the first supply pressure is less than 300 Torr; and providing gas to the interior volume through the second supply line without providing the gas through the first supply line to further raise the pressure in the interior volume, wherein the providing the gas to the interior volume through the second supply line is performed until a second supply pressure in the interior volume is reached when the substrate is on the substrate support.

11 . The method of claim 10 , further comprising removing the substrate from the interior volume of the chamber after the second supply pressure is reached.

12 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the interior volume is at atmospheric pressure when the substrate is removed from the interior volume.

13 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the second supply pressure is greater than 600 Torr.

14 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the pressure in the interior volume is increased at a faster rate when gas is provided to the interior volume through the second supply line than when gas is provided to the interior volume through the first supply line.

15 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the first supply line has an internal diameter that is at least 50% smaller than an internal diameter of the second supply line.

16 . A method of processing a substrate comprising:
providing gas to an interior volume of a chamber through a first supply line without providing the gas through a second supply line to raise a pressure in the interior volume, wherein the providing the gas to the interior volume through the first supply line is performed until a first supply pressure in the interior volume is reached when the substrate is on a substrate support in the interior volume, and the first supply pressure is less than 300 Torr; and providing gas to the interior volume through the second supply line without providing the gas through the first supply line to further raise the pressure in the interior volume, wherein
the providing the gas to the interior volume through the second supply line is performed until a second supply pressure in the interior volume is reached when the substrate is on the substrate support, and
the pressure in the interior volume is increased at a faster rate when gas is provided to the interior volume through the second supply line than when gas is provided to the interior volume through the first supply line.

17 . The method of claim 16 , further comprising removing the substrate from the interior volume of the chamber after the second supply pressure is reached.

18 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the interior volume is at atmospheric pressure when the substrate is removed from the interior volume.

19 . The method of claim 16 , wherein the first supply line has an internal diameter that is at least 50% smaller than an internal diameter of the second supply line.

20 . The method of claim 16 , wherein the second supply pressure is greater than 600 Torr.

Assignees

• Applied Materials Inc

Inventors

• Lee Songjae
• Ishii Masato
• Truemper Martin
• Collins Richard O
• Salinas Martin Jeffrey
• Zheng Yong
• Zhao Anita
• Mariadass Adele
• Marcadal Christophe
• Barandica Henry
• Ulloa Ernesto J

Classifications

• H10P72/0462

  characterised by the construction of the processing chambers, e.g. modular processing chambers · CPC title

• H10P72/0402

  Apparatus for fluid treatment (H10P72/0441, H10P72/0448 take precedence) · CPC title

• H01J37/3244

  Gas supply means · CPC title

• H01J37/32825

  Working under atmospheric pressure or higher · CPC title

• H01J37/32899

  Multiple chambers, e.g. cluster tools · CPC title