Magnetic susceptor to baseplate seal

• US 10,600,673 B2
• Filed: 07/07/2015
• Issued: 03/24/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 07/07/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ASM IP Holding B.V. (ASM International NV)
• Original Assignee: ASM IP Holding B.V. (ASM International NV)
• Inventors: Schmotzer, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Lund, Jeffrie R
• Application Number:
  US14/793,323
• Publication Number:
  US 20170011950A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,722 Days
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/458 characterised by the method used for supporting substrates in the reaction chamber
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/4583 the substrate being supported substantially horizontally
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/4584 the substrate being rotated
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/4585 Devices at or outside the perimeter of the substrate support, e.g. clamping rings, shrouds
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/4586 Elements in the interior of the support, e.g. electrodes, heating or cooling devices
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/6719 characterized by the construction of the processing chambers, e.g. modular processing chambers
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/68742 characterised by a lifting arrangement, e.g. lift pins
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/68757 characterised by a coating or a hardness or a material
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/68785 characterised by the mechanical construction of the susceptor, stage or support

Abstract

A reaction system for processing semiconductor substrates is disclosed. In particular, the invention discloses an arrangement of a susceptor and a baseplate for when a substrate is placed into a reaction region. Magnets are embedded into the susceptor and the baseplate in order to create a gap between the two. As a result of the gap, the invention prevents an accumulation of gaseous materials that would exist in prior art systems as well as particle generation due to physical contact between parts.

Claims

1. A reaction system for processing substrates comprising:

a susceptor configured to hold a substrate to be processed in the reaction system, the susceptor comprising a susceptor upper surface, a susceptor lower surface, and a susceptor radial surface spanning between the susceptor upper surface and the susceptor lower surface;

a movement element to move the subsector from a substrate loading region to a reaction region of the reaction chamber;

a baseplate that separates the reaction region from a substrate loading region, the baseplate comprising a baseplate upper surface, a baseplate lower surface, and a baseplate radial surface there between;

at least one susceptor magnet embedded within the susceptor; and

at least one baseplate magnet embedded within the baseplate;

wherein an interaction of the at least one susceptor magnet and the at least one baseplate magnet creates a repelling force to maintain a gap defined as a space between the susceptor and the baseplate and between the reaction region and a loading region, and

wherein the gap includes a space between the susceptor radial surface and the baseplate radial surface,

the reaction system further comprising a monitoring system comprising a force gauge, the at least one susceptor magnet, and the at least one baseplate magnet, wherein the force gauge measures the repelling force, wherein the monitoring system and the movement element are configured to maintain a size of the gap between the susceptor and the baseplate,

wherein a size of the gap can be adjusted to tune a process for processing the substrates.

2. The reaction system of claim 1, wherein the at least one susceptor magnet comprises at least one of the following materials:

Samarium Cobalt and Neodymium.

3. The reaction system of claim 1, wherein the at least one susceptor magnet comprises a magnetic material able to withstand high temperatures.

4. The reaction system of claim 1, wherein the at least one baseplate magnet comprises at least one of the following materials:

Samarium Cobalt and Neodymium.

5. The reaction system of claim 1, wherein the at least one baseplate magnet comprises a magnetic material able to withstand high temperatures.

6. The reaction system of claim 1, further comprising a showerhead distribution system.

7. The reaction system of claim 1, wherein the susceptor is configured to rotate continuously.

8. The reaction system of claim 1, wherein the at least one susceptor magnet comprises two susceptor magnets spaced apart radially, and wherein the two susceptor magnets interact with the at least one baseplate magnet.

9. The reaction system of claim 1, wherein the at least one susceptor magnet comprises a first susceptor magnet opposing a positive pole of the at least one baseplate magnet and a second susceptor magnet opposing a negative pole of the at least one baseplate magnet.

10. The reaction system of claim 1, wherein the at least one susceptor magnet comprises a ring magnet embedded within the susceptor.

11. The reaction system of claim 8, wherein the two susceptor magnets comprise ring magnets embedded within the susceptor.

12. The reaction system of claim 1, wherein the at least one susceptor magnet and the at least one baseplate magnet are disposed at a diagonal angle from the susceptor surface.

13. A reaction system for processing substrates comprising:

a reaction region;

a substrate loading region;

a susceptor configured to hold a substrate;

a movement element for moving the susceptor and the substrate between the substrate loading region and the reaction region;

a showerhead distribution system within the reaction region for passing at least one reactant over the substrate;

a baseplate of the reaction region, the baseplate interacting with the susceptor at a periphery of the susceptor;

a first susceptor magnet embedded within the susceptor;

a first baseplate magnet embedded within the baseplate;

wherein an interaction of the first susceptor magnet and the first baseplate magnet generates a first repelling force to maintain a first gap between the susceptor and the baseplate, and

wherein the first gap and a second gap define a space between the baseplate and the susceptor and between the reaction region and the substrate loading region; and

the reaction system further comprising a monitoring system comprising the first susceptor magnet and the first baseplate magnet, wherein the monitoring system is configured to monitor the first repelling force, wherein the monitoring system and the movement element are configured to maintain a size of the first gap and the second gap,

wherein a size of the gap can be adjusted to tune a process for processing the substrates.

14. The reaction system of claim 13, wherein the first susceptor magnet and the first baseplate magnet comprise at least one of the following materials:

Samarium Cobalt and Neodymium.

15. The reaction system of claim 13, further comprising a second susceptor magnet embedded within the susceptor.

16. The reaction system of claim 13, wherein an interaction of the second susceptor magnet and the first baseplate magnet generates a second repelling force to maintain the second gap between the susceptor and the baseplate.

17. The reaction system of claim 13, wherein the first susceptor magnet and the first baseplate magnet are disposed at a diagonal angle from a first susceptor surface.