Purging of porogen from UV cure chamber

• US 10,121,682 B2
• Filed: 06/03/2016
• Issued: 11/06/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 04/26/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Novellus Systems Incorporated (Lam Research Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Novellus Systems Incorporated (Lam Research Corporation)
• Inventors: Smargiassi, Eugene, Lau, Stephen Yu-Hong, Kamian, George D., Xi, Ming
• Primary Examiner(s): Olsen, Allan
• Application Number:
  US15/172,599
• Publication Number:
  US 20160284574A1
• Time in Patent Office: 886 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02041 Cleaning
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02203 the layer being porous
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02348 treatment by exposure to UV light
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67017 Apparatus for fluid treatment H01L21/67126, H01L21/6715 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67115 mainly by radiation
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/6719 characterized by the construction of the processing chambers, e.g. modular processing chambers
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67207 comprising a chamber adapted to a particular process

Abstract

A purge ring for providing a gas to a wafer processing chamber includes an inlet ring wall defining a ring hole space. An outer perimeter of the inlet ring wall is elliptical. An outer perimeter of the ring hole space is circular. The inlet ring wall is a continuous structure surrounding the ring hole space. An inlet baffle formed within the inlet ring wall surrounds at least 180 degrees of the outer perimeter of the ring hole space. An inlet plenum arranged in a first end of the inlet ring wall provides the gas to the ring hole space through the inlet baffle. An exhaust channel is formed within the inlet ring wall in a second end of the inlet ring wall. An exhaust outlet hole arranged in the second end of the inlet ring wall exhausts the gas out of the ring hole space via the exhaust channel.

Claims

1. A method for removing chemical species from a substrate, comprising:

arranging a purge ring in a chamber above (i) a pedestal and (ii) a purge space defined above the pedestal, the purge ring including

an inlet ring wall defining a ring hole space above the purge space, wherein the inlet ring wall corresponds to a continuous structure surrounding the ring hole space, and

an inlet baffle formed within the inlet ring wall and surrounding at least 180 degrees of an outer perimeter of the ring hole space;

supplying gas, received via a gas inlet hole, to an inlet plenum, wherein the inlet plenum is arranged in a first end of the inlet ring wall, the inlet plenum arranged to provide the gas to the ring hole space through the inlet baffle surrounding at least 180 degrees of the outer perimeter of the ring hole space;

conveying the gas from the inlet plenum into the ring hole space using the inlet baffle surrounding at least 180 degrees of the outer perimeter of the ring hole space;

exhausting the gas and other matter out of the ring hole space using an exhaust channel formed within a second end of the inlet ring wall and an exhaust outlet hole arranged in the second end of the inlet ring wall; and

inhibiting deposition of material evolved from the substrate during curing using the purge ring.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein supplying the gas to the inlet plenum includes supplying the gas to the inlet plenum in a first direction, conveying the gas from the inlet plenum into the ring hole space includes conveying the gas in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, and exhausting the gas and other matter out of the ring hole space includes exhausting the gas and other matter out of the exhaust outlet hole in the first direction.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the inlet baffle surrounds at least 270 degrees of the outer perimeter of the ring hole space.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein a width of the inlet plenum increases from the gas inlet hole to the inlet baffle.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein a width of the exhaust channel decreases from the ring hole space to the exhaust outlet hole.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the inlet baffle includes a continuous slit surrounding at least 180 degrees of the outer perimeter of the ring hole space.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the inlet baffle includes a slit that fluidly connects the inlet plenum to the ring hole space.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the slit slants upward from the inlet plenum to the ring hole space.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the inlet baffle includes a plurality of slots surrounding at least 180 degrees of the outer perimeter of the ring hole space.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the purge ring further comprises:

a lower part including separate first and second recessed portions; and

an upper part including the gas inlet hole and the exhaust outlet hole,

wherein the upper part is arranged on top of the lower part, the first recessed portion and the upper part define the inlet plenum, and the second recessed portion and the upper part define the exhaust channel.