Susceptor heater and method of heating a substrate

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9299595-B2
Application number	US-201414563044-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 8, 2014
Priority date	Jun 27, 2012
Publication date	Mar 29, 2016
Grant date	Mar 29, 2016

Abstract

A wafer processing apparatus may include a susceptor having a top side and a backside, a susceptor heater having a spacing member and a heating member, a shim removably mounted between the susceptor and the susceptor heater, a cavity formed by the susceptor backside, the susceptor heater, and the shim, a fluid inlet communicating with the cavity, and a plurality of fluid outlets communicating with the cavity.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A susceptor heater assembly comprising:
a heating member having a top surface;
a fluid manifold connected to the heating member;
a shim removably mounted on the heating member;
a susceptor having a bottom surface, the susceptor connected to the shim;
a fluid line inlet traversing the heating member;
a fluid line in fluid communication with a cavity between the bottom surface and the top surface; and
a heat conductive fluid introduced through the fluid line inlet to provide heat conductive fluid to the cavity.

2. The susceptor heater of claim 1 , wherein the fluid manifold comprises an inlet port and at least one outlet port.

3. The susceptor heater of claim 2 , wherein the at least one manifold outlet port is positioned at an angle between 90 degrees and 180 degrees from the inlet port.

4. The susceptor heater of claim 2 , wherein the at least one outlet port is three outlet ports positioned about 120 degrees apart from each other.

5. The susceptor heater of claim 1 , wherein the fluid manifold positions a susceptor on the susceptor heater.

6. The susceptor heater of claim 1 , further comprising a spacing portion.

7. The susceptor heater of claim 1 , wherein the cavity further comprises a variable cross-sectional area.

8. The susceptor heater of claim 1 , wherein the heat conductive fluid is selected from the group consisting of helium, nitrogen, and hydrogen.

9. The susceptor heater of claim 1 , further comprising at least one fluid line exit positioned radially outside of the fluid line inlet.

10. The susceptor heater of claim 9 , wherein each of the at least one fluid line exits surrounds a wafer lift pin.

11. The susceptor heater of claim 1 , wherein each of the at least one fluid line exits is in fluid communication with a slot in the heating member.

12. The susceptor heater of claim 11 , wherein the slot is in fluid communication with an outlet port.

13. The susceptor heater of claim 1 , further comprising a heating element disposed within the heating member radially inward from the shim.

14. A wafer processing apparatus comprising:
a susceptor having a top side and a backside;
a susceptor heater having a heating member;
a shim removably mounted between the susceptor and the susceptor heater;
a cavity formed by the susceptor backside, the susceptor heater, and the shim;
a fluid inlet communicating with the cavity, the fluid line configured to provide heat-conductive fluid to the cavity; and
at least one fluid outlet communicating with the cavity.

15. The wafer processing apparatus of claim 14 , further comprising a heat conducting fluid flowing through the fluid inlet, the cavity, and the at least one fluid outlet.

16. The wafer processing apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the heat conducting fluid is selected from the group consisting of helium, nitrogen, and hydrogen.

17. The wafer processing apparatus of claim 15 , wherein a heating element is disposed within the susceptor heater and provides thermal energy to the heat conducting fluid.

18. The wafer processing apparatus of claim 14 , wherein a fluid flows radially outward from the fluid inlet to the plurality of fluid outlets through the cavity.

19. A method of heating a susceptor in a wafer processing chamber comprising the method of:
providing a susceptor having a top side and a backside, a susceptor heater having a heating member, a shim removably mounted between the susceptor and the susceptor heater, a cavity formed by the susceptor backside, the susceptor heater, and the shim, and a fluid inlet communicating with the cavity;
heating the heating element; and,
flowing a heat conductive fluid through the fluid inlet, the cavity, and at least one fluid outlet.

20. The method of claim 19 , wherein the heat conductive fluid is selected from the group consisting of helium, nitrogen, and hydrogen.

21. The method of claim 19 , wherein the fluid inlet orients the fluid flow within the cavity.

22. The method of claim 19 , wherein the heat conductive fluid is cooled prior to the flowing step to reduce the susceptor temperature.

Assignees

• Asm Ip Holding Bv

Inventors

• Dunn Todd
• Alokozai Fred
• Winkler Jerry
• Halpin Michael

Classifications

• H10P72/7612

  characterised by lifting arrangements, e.g. lift pins · CPC title

• H10P72/7604

  the wafers being placed on a susceptor, stage or support · CPC title

• H10P72/0434 Primary

  mainly by convection · CPC title

• H10P72/0432 Primary

  mainly by conduction · CPC title

• F28D15/00

  Heat-exchange apparatus with the intermediate heat-transfer medium in closed tubes passing into or through the conduit walls {; Heat-exchange apparatus employing intermediate heat-transfer medium or bodies (F28D17/00, F28D19/00, F28D20/00 take precedence)} · CPC title