Ambient laminar gas flow distribution in laser processing systems

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9557111-B2
Application number	US-201113204068-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 5, 2011
Priority date	Feb 21, 2011
Publication date	Jan 31, 2017
Grant date	Jan 31, 2017

Abstract

A method and apparatus for annealing semiconductor substrates is disclosed. The apparatus has an annealing energy source and a substrate support, with a shield member disposed between the annealing energy source and the substrate support. The shield member is a substantially flat member having a dimension larger than a substrate processed on the substrate support, with a window covering a central opening in the substantially flat member. The central opening has a gas inlet portal and a gas outlet portal, each in fluid communication with a gas inlet plenum and gas outlet plenum, respectively. A connection member is disposed around the central opening and holds the window over the central opening. Connection openings in the connection member are in fluid communication with the gas inlet plenum and gas outlet plenum, respectively, through a gas inlet conduit and a gas outlet conduit formed through the connection member.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A shield for a thermal annealing apparatus, comprising:
a substantially flat member having:
a central opening through the substantially flat member, the central opening having a wall with a gas inlet portal and a plurality of gas outlet portals, the gas inlet portal in fluid communication with a gas inlet conduit and a gas inlet plenum formed in the substantially flat member, and the gas outlet portals in fluid communication with a gas outlet conduit and a gas outlet plenum formed in the substantially flat member, wherein the central opening has a first end at a first surface of the substantially flat member and a second end at a second surface of the substantially flat member opposite the first surface that together define an axis substantially perpendicular to the substantially flat member, and wherein the gas inlet portal is positioned proximate the first end of the central opening and the gas outlet portals are spaced apart from the first and second ends of the central opening and are spaced apart from the gas inlet portal along the axis.

2. The shield of claim 1 , further comprising a window covering the central opening, wherein the substantially flat member comprises a first plate and a second plate, the window covers the central opening at the first plate, and the gas inlet and outlet conduits extend to openings in the first plate, wherein dividers are disposed between the openings.

3. The shield of claim 2 , wherein:
the gas inlet portal is connected by the gas inlet plenum formed between the first plate and an annular connection member that attaches the window to the first plate, wherein the annular connection member is plastic or ceramic, and
the plurality of gas outlet portals are connected by the gas outlet plenum formed between the first plate and the second plate.

4. The shield of claim 1 , further comprising an annular connection member attached to the substantially flat member in a coaxial relationship, and a window disposed between the substantially flat member and the annular connection member and covering the central opening.

5. The shield of claim 3 , wherein the plurality of gas outlet portals are substantially coplanar.

6. The shield of claim 5 , wherein the gas inlet portal is in fluid communication with the gas inlet plenum disposed around the central opening, and the gas outlet portals are in fluid communication with the gas outlet plenum disposed around the central opening, and wherein the gas outlet plenum has a larger circumference than the gas inlet plenum.

7. An apparatus for annealing a semiconductor substrate, comprising:
an annealing energy source;
a substrate support having a substrate receiving surface facing the annealing energy source; and
a shield member between the annealing energy source and the substrate receiving surface, the shield member comprising a substantially flat member having a central opening through the substantially flat member, a wall around the central opening with a gas inlet portal and a plurality of gas outlet portals in the wall, the gas inlet portal in fluid communication with a gas inlet conduit and a gas inlet plenum formed in the substantially flat member, the gas outlet portals in fluid communication with a gas outlet conduit and a gas inlet plenum formed in the substantially flat member, wherein the central opening has a first end and a second end that together define an axis substantially perpendicular to the substantially flat member, and wherein the gas inlet portal is positioned proximate the first end of the central opening and the gas outlet portals are spaced apart from the first and second ends of the central opening and are spaced apart from the gas inlet portal along the axis.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the central opening is covered by a window, and wherein the central opening, window, and substrate receiving surface cooperatively define a processing volume.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the substantially flat member comprises a first plate and a second plate, each plate having grooves that cooperatively define thermal control fluid conduits.

10. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the shield member has a dimension larger than a dimension of the substrate receiving surface.

11. The apparatus of claim 7 , further comprising an annular connection member attached to the substantially flat member in a coaxial relationship, and a window disposed between the substantially flat member and the annular connection member and covering the central opening.

12. An apparatus for annealing a semiconductor substrate, comprising:
an annealing energy source;
a substrate support having a substrate receiving surface facing the annealing energy source;
a shield member between the annealing energy source and the substrate receiving surface, the shield member comprising:
a substantially flat member having a dimension larger than the substrate receiving surface and a central opening through the substantially flat member, the central opening having a wall with a gas inlet portal and a plurality of gas outlet portals, wherein the central opening has a first end and a second end that together define an axis substantially perpendicular to the substantially flat member, and wherein the gas inlet portal is positioned proximate the first end of the central opening and the gas outlet portals are spaced apart from the first and second ends of the central opening and are spaced apart from the gas inlet portal along the axis;
a gas inlet conduit and a gas inlet plenum formed in the member in fluid communication with the gas inlet portal;
a gas outlet conduit and a gas outlet plenum formed in the member in fluid communication with the gas outlet portals;
an annular connection member attached to the substantially flat member in a coaxial relationship; and
a window disposed between the substantially flat member and the annular connection member, the window covering the central opening.

13. The shield of claim 2 , wherein the openings are formed along an axis angled with respect to a radius drawn through a center of each opening.

14. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the annealing energy source is capable of providing an anneal beam with a circumference smaller than a circumference of the central opening.

15. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein a ratio of a first distance between the window and the substrate receiving surface to a second distance between the substantially flat member and the substrate receiving surface is between a ratio of about 10:1 and a ratio of about 100:1.

16. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the substantially flat member further comprises:
a plurality of purge gas openings in the substantially flat member, comprising a first rank of purge gas openings and a second rank of purge gas openings to maintain a radial outward flow of purge gas toward the periphery of the substantially flat member.

Assignees

• Moffatt Stephen
• Hunter Aaron Muir
• Applied Materials Inc

Inventors

• Moffatt Stephen
• Hunter Aaron Muir

Classifications

• H10P72/0436

  mainly by radiation · CPC title

• H10P95/90 Primary

  Thermal treatments, e.g. annealing or sintering · CPC title

• H10P95/00 Primary

  Generic processes or apparatus for manufacture or treatments not covered by the other groups of this subclass · CPC title

• F27D2021/0078

  against the presence of an undesirable element in the atmosphere of the furnace · CPC title

• F27D21/00 Primary

  Arrangement of monitoring devices; Arrangement of safety devices · CPC title