Processing system and method for treating a substrate

• US 20050269030A1
• Filed: 06/04/2004
• Published: 12/08/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/04/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
• Original Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
• Inventors: Hamelin, Thomas, Wallace, Jay, Kent, Martin, Laflamme, Arthur H. Jr.
• Granted Patent: US 7,651,583 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 156/345.310
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67178 vertical arrangement
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/6719 characterized by the construction of the processing chambers, e.g. modular processing chambers
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67751 vertical transfer of a single workpiece

Abstract

A processing system and method for chemical oxide removal, wherein the processing system includes a process chamber having a lower chamber portion configured to chemically treat a substrate and an upper chamber portion configured to thermally treat the substrate, and a substrate lifting assembly configured to transport the substrate between the lower chamber portion and the upper chamber portion. The lower chamber portion includes a chemical treatment environment that provides a temperature controlled substrate holder for supporting the substrate for chemical treatment. The substrate is exposed to a gaseous chemistry, such as HF/NH₃, under controlled conditions including surface temperature and gas pressure. The upper chamber portion includes a thermal treatment environment that provides a heating assembly configured to elevate the temperature of the substrate.

Claims

1. A processing system for trimming a feature on a substrate comprising:

a process chamber having a lower chamber portion that chemically alters exposed surface layers on said substrate, and an upper chamber portion that thermally treats said chemically altered surface layers on said substrate; and

a substrate lifting assembly coupled to said process chamber, configured to transport said substrate between said lower chamber portion and said upper portion.

2. The processing system of claim 1, wherein at least one of said lower chamber portion and said upper chamber portion is temperature-controlled.

3. The processing system of claim 1, wherein said lower chamber portion is thermally insulated from said upper chamber portion.

4. The processing system of claim 3, wherein said thermal insulation comprises a thermal insulation plate.

5. The processing system of claim 4, wherein said thermal insulation plate provides a thermal barrier between said chemical treatment chamber and said thermal treatment chamber.

6. The processing system of claim 5, wherein said thermal insulation plate comprises at least one of Teflon, alumina, sapphire, and quartz.

7. The processing system of claim 1, wherein said lower chamber portion is vacuum isolated from said upper chamber portion.

8. The processing system of claim 7, wherein said vacuum isolation includes a gate valve for opening and closing an opening between said lower chamber portion and said upper chamber portion.

9. The processing system of claim 1, wherein said lower chamber portion comprises a temperature controlled substrate holder mounted within said lower chamber portion and configured to be substantially thermally insulated from said lower chamber portion, a pumping system coupled to said lower chamber portion, and a gas injection system configured to introduce one or more process gases to said lower chamber portion.

10. The processing system of claim 9, wherein said temperature controlled substrate holder comprises at least one of an electrostatic clamping system, a back-side gas supply system, and one or more temperature control elements.

11. The processing system of claim 9, wherein said temperature controlled substrate holder in said chemical treatment chamber includes one or more temperature control elements and said one or more temperature control elements comprise at least one of a cooling channel, a heating channel, a resistive heating element, a radiant lamp, and a thermoelectric device.

12. The processing system of claim 9, wherein said gas injection system comprises at least one gas distribution plenum.

13. The processing system of claim 9, wherein said gas injection system comprises one or more gas injection orifices.

14. The processing system of claim 9, wherein said one or more process gases comprises a first gas and a second gas different from said first gas.

15. The processing system of claim 9, wherein said one or more process gases comprise at least one of HF and NH₃.

16. The processing system of claim 15, wherein said one or more process gases further includes an inert gas.

17. The processing system of claim 16, wherein said inert gas includes a Noble gas.

18. The processing system of claim 1, wherein said upper chamber portion comprises:

a heating assembly configured to elevate the temperature of said substrate,

a pumping system coupled to said upper chamber portion, and

a gas purge system configured to introduce a purge gas to said upper chamber portion.

19. The processing system of claim 18, wherein said heating assembly includes a radiant heating assembly.

20. The processing system of claim 19, wherein said radiant heating assembly includes an array of radiant lamps.

21. The processing system of claim 18, wherein said purge gas includes N₂.

22. The processing system of claim 1, wherein said substrate lifting assembly locates said substrate on a temperature-controlled substrate holder in said lower chamber portion for exposure to one or more process gases when in a lowered position, and locates said substrate proximate a heating assembly in said upper chamber portion when in a raised position.

23. The processing system of in claim 1, wherein said process chamber is coupled to a manufacturing system.

24. A method of operating a processing system to trim a feature on a substrate comprising:

transferring said substrate into a lower chamber portion of a process chamber;

chemically treating said substrate in said lower chamber portion in order to chemically alter exposed surface layers on said substrate;

transferring said substrate from said lower chamber portion to an upper chamber portion of said process chamber; and

thermally treating said substrate in said upper chamber portion in order to desorb said chemically altered surface layers.

25. The method of claim 24, further comprising setting one or more chemical processing parameters preceding said chemical treatment.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein said setting said one or more chemical processing parameters includes setting at least one of an amount of one or more process gases, setting an amount of an inert gas, setting a pressure within said lower chamber portion, a temperature of said lower chamber portion, a temperature of said substrate, and a time for chemically treating said substrate.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein said setting said amount of said one or more process gases includes setting an amount of HF, and an amount of NH₃.

28. The method of claim 26, wherein said setting said amount of said inert gas includes setting an amount of argon.

29. The method of claim 26, wherein said setting said temperature of said substrate includes setting a temperature of a substrate holder coupled to said lower chamber portion upon which said substrate rests during said chemical treatment.

30. The method of claim 24, further comprising setting one or more thermal processing parameters preceding said thermal treatment.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein said setting said one or more thermal processing parameters includes setting an amount of a purge gas, setting a pressure within said upper chamber portion, setting a temperature of said upper chamber portion, a temperature of said substrate, and setting a time for thermally treating said substrate.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein said setting said amount of said purge gas includes setting an amount of N₂.

33. The method of claim 31, wherein said setting said temperature of said substrate includes setting a power delivered to a heating assembly coupled to said upper chamber portion, and configured to heat said substrate.