Processing system and method for treating a substrate

• US 20060134919A1
• Filed: 01/24/2006
• Published: 06/22/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/17/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
• Original Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
• Inventors: Hamelin, Thomas, Wallace, Jay, Laflamme, Arthur Jr.
• Granted Patent: US 7,462,564 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 438/706
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/4405 Cleaning of reactor or parts inside the reactor by using reactive gases
• CPC Class Codes: C25D 11/02 Anodisation
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/0337 characterised by the process involved to create the mask, e.g. lift-off masks, sidewalls, or to modify the mask, e.g. pre-treatment, post-treatment
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/31116 by dry-etching
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67069 for drying etching
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67103 mainly by conduction
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67109 mainly by convection
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67126 Apparatus for sealing, encapsulating, glassing, decapsulating or the like processes H01L23/02, H01L23/28
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67248 Temperature monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67253 Process monitoring, e.g. flow or thickness monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67748 horizontal transfer of a single workpiece

Abstract

A processing system and method for chemical oxide removal (COR), wherein the processing system comprises a first treatment chamber and a second treatment chamber, wherein the first and second treatment chambers are coupled to one another. The first treatment chamber comprises a chemical treatment chamber that provides a temperature controlled chamber, and an independently temperature controlled substrate holder for supporting a 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 second treatment chamber comprises a heat treatment chamber that provides a temperature controlled chamber, thermally insulated from the chemical treatment chamber. The heat treatment chamber provides a substrate holder for controlling the temperature of the substrate to thermally process the chemically treated surfaces on the substrate.

Claims

1. A method of operating a processing system to treat a substrate comprising:

transferring said substrate into a chemical treatment system comprising a temperature controlled chemical treatment chamber, a temperature controlled substrate holder mounted within said chemical treatment chamber, a vacuum pumping system coupled to said chemical treatment chamber, a gas distribution system configured to introduce one or more process gases into said chemical treatment chamber and having a temperature controlled portion exposed to said one or more process gases in said chemical treatment chamber, and a controller coupled to said chemical treatment system;

setting chemical processing parameters for said chemical treatment system using said controller, wherein said chemical processing parameters comprise a chemical treatment processing pressure, a chemical treatment chamber temperature, a chemical treatment gas distribution system temperature, a chemical treatment substrate temperature, a chemical treatment substrate holder temperature, and a chemical treatment gas flow rate;

processing said substrate in said chemical treatment system using said chemical processing parameters;

transferring said substrate into a thermal treatment system comprising a thermal treatment chamber, a temperature controlled substrate holder mounted within said thermal treatment chamber, and a vacuum pumping system coupled to said thermal treatment chamber, and said controller coupled to said thermal treatment chamber, wherein said thermal treatment system is coupled to said chemical treatment system via an isolation assembly;

setting thermal processing parameters for said thermal treatment system using said controller, wherein said thermal processing parameters comprise a thermal treatment processing pressure, a thermal treatment chamber temperature, a thermal treatment substrate temperature, and a thermal treatment substrate holder temperature; and

processing said substrate in said thermal treatment system using said thermal processing parameters.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein said isolation assembly provides at least one of thermal isolation, and vacuum isolation.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein said isolation assembly comprises at least one of a thermal insulation assembly, a gate valve assembly, and a transfer system.

4. The processing system as recited in claim 3, wherein said isolation assembly includes said thermal insulation assembly and said thermal insulation assembly is coupled to said chemical treatment chamber and said thermal treatment chamber, configured to substantially thermally insulate said chemical treatment chamber from said thermal treatment chamber, and configured to permit the passage of said substrate therethrough.

5. The processing system as recited in claim 4, wherein said thermal insulation assembly comprises a thermal insulation plate and an interface plate.

6. The method as recited in claim 5, wherein said thermal insulation plate provides a thermal barrier between said chemical treatment chamber and said thermal treatment chamber.

7. The method as recited in claim 6, wherein said thermal insulation plate comprises at least one of Teflon, alumina, sapphire, and quartz.

8. The method as recited in claim 5, wherein said interface plate comprises at least one structural contact member, said structural member provides a structural coupling between said chemical treatment chamber and said thermal treatment chamber.

9. The method as recited in claim 5, wherein said interface plate comprises at least one of aluminum, coated aluminum, stainless steel, bronze, and nickel.

10. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein said process gas comprises at least one of HF and NH₃.

11. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein said temperature controlled substrate holder of said chemical treatment system comprises at least one of an electrostatic clamping system, a back-side gas supply system, and one or more temperature control elements.

12. The method as recited in claim 11, wherein said temperature controlled substrate holder comprises said 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.

13. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein said temperature controlled chemical treatment chamber comprises at least one of a cooling channel, a heating channel, a resistive heating element, a radiant lamp, and a thermo-electric device.

14. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein said gas distribution system comprises at least one gas distribution plenum.

15. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein said gas distribution system comprises at least one gas distribution plate, said gas distribution plate comprises one or more gas injection orifices.

16. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein said one or more process gases comprises a first gas and a second gas different from said first gas.

17. The method as recited in claim 16, wherein said gas distribution system comprises a first gas distribution plenum and a first gas distribution plate having a first array of one or more orifices and a second array of one or more orifices for coupling said first gas to said process space through said first array of one or more orifices in said first gas distribution plate, and a second gas distribution plenum and a second gas distribution plate having passages therein for coupling said second gas to said process space through said passages in said second gas distribution plate and said second array of one or more orifices in said first gas distribution plate.

18. The method as recited in claim 16, wherein said first gas and said second gas are independently introduced to said process space without any interaction except in said process space.

19. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein said thermal treatment system further comprises a substrate lifter assembly coupled to said thermal treatment chamber for vertically translating said substrate between a transfer plane and said substrate holder.

20. The method as recited in claim 19, wherein said substrate lifter assembly comprises a blade having three or more tabs for receiving said substrate, and a drive system for vertically translating said substrate between said substrate holder and a transfer plane.

21. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein said setting a chemical treatment chamber temperature comprises heating said chemical treatment chamber using a wall temperature control unit and monitoring said chemical treatment chamber temperature.

22. The method as recited in claim 21, wherein said chemical treatment chamber temperature ranges from about 10°

to about 200°

C.

23. The method as recited in claim 11, wherein said setting a chemical treatment substrate holder temperature comprises adjusting at least one of said one or more temperature control elements and monitoring said chemical treatment substrate holder temperature.

24. The method as recited in claim 23, wherein said chemical treatment substrate holder temperature ranges from about 10°

C. to about 50°

C.

25. The method as recited in claim 11, wherein said setting a chemical treatment substrate temperature comprises adjusting at least one of said one or more temperature control elements, said backside gas supply system, and said clamping system, and monitoring said chemical treatment substrate temperature.

26. The method as recited in claim 25, wherein said chemical treatment substrate temperature ranges from about 10°

C. to about 50°

C.

27. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein said setting said chemical treatment processing pressure comprises adjusting at least one of said vacuum processing system and said gas distribution system, and monitoring said chemical treatment processing pressure.

28. The method as recited in claim 27, wherein said chemical treatment processing pressure ranges from about 1 to about 100 mTorr.

29. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein said setting of said chemical treatment gas distribution system temperature comprises heating said gas distribution system using a gas distribution system temperature control unit and monitoring said chemical treatment gas distribution system temperature.

30. The method as recited in claim 27, wherein said chemical treatment gas distribution system temperature ranges from about 10°

to about 200°

C.

31. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein said setting of said thermal treatment chamber temperature comprises heating said thermal treatment chamber using a thermal wall temperature control unit coupled to said thermal treatment chamber and monitoring said thermal treatment chamber temperature.

32. The method as recited in claim 31, wherein said thermal treatment wall temperature ranges from about 20°

to about 200°

C.

33. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein said setting of said thermal treatment substrate holder temperature comprises adjusting a substrate heating assembly coupled to said heated substrate holder and monitoring said thermal treatment substrate holder temperature.

34. The method as recited in claim 33, wherein said thermal treatment substrate holder temperature exceeds about 100°

C.

35. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein said setting of said thermal treatment substrate temperature comprises adjusting a substrate heating assembly coupled to said heated substrate holder and monitoring said thermal treatment substrate temperature.

36. The method as recited in claim 35, wherein said thermal treatment substrate temperature ranges from about 100°

C. to about 200°

C.

37. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein said thermal treatment system further comprises an upper assembly coupled to said thermal treatment chamber, said upper assembly comprises at least one of a gas distribution system, a cover, and a radiant heater assembly and said setting of said thermal processing parameters includes setting a temperature of said upper assembly.

38. The method as recited in claim 37, wherein said setting of said upper assembly temperature comprises heating said upper assembly using an upper assembly temperature control unit coupled to said upper assembly and monitoring said thermal treatment upper assembly temperature.

39. The method as recited in claim 37, wherein said thermal treatment upper assembly temperature ranges from about 20°

to about 200°

C.

40. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising coupling said chemical treatment system and said thermal treatment system to a manufacturing system.

41. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein said thermal treatment system further comprise means for introducing a gas to said thermal treatment system, said means for introducing a gas can set a thermal treatment gas flow rate.

42. A processing system for treating a substrate comprising:

a chemical treatment system for chemically treating said substrate by altering at least one exposed oxide surface layer on said substrate comprising a chemical treatment chamber, a substrate holder mounted within said chemical treatment chamber, a vacuum pumping system coupled to said chemical treatment chamber, and a gas distribution system for introducing one or more process gases into said chemical treatment chamber;

a thermal treatment system for thermally treating said at least one chemically altered oxide surface layer on said substrate, said thermal treatment system comprising a thermal treatment chamber, a temperature controlled substrate holder mounted within said thermal treatment chamber, and a vacuum pumping system coupled to said thermal treatment chamber; and

an isolation assembly disposed between said thermal treatment system and said chemical treatment system,

wherein said chemical treatment and said thermal treatment produces an etch amount of said exposed oxide surface layer in excess of about 10 nm per 60 seconds of chemical treatment for thermal oxide, an etch amount of said exposed oxide surface layer in excess of about 25 nm per 180 seconds of chemical treatment for thermal oxide, and an etch amount of said exposed oxide surface layer in excess of about 10 nm per 180 seconds of chemical treatment for ozone TEOS.

43. The processing system as recited in claim 42, wherein a variation of said etch amount across said substrate is less than about 2.5%.