Reduced Maintenance Chemical Oxide Removal (COR) Processing System

• US 20090226633A1
• Filed: 05/21/2009
• Published: 09/10/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/17/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
• Original Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
• Inventors: LaFlamme, Arthur H. JR., Hamelin, Thomas, Wallace, Jay
• Granted Patent: US 8,409,399 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 427/532
• CPC Class Codes: C25D 11/02 Anodisation
• 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 21/6719 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 chemical oxide removal (COR) processing system is presented, wherein the COR processing system includes a first treatment chamber and a second treatment chamber. The first treatment chamber comprises a chemical treatment chamber that provides a temperature controlled chamber having a protective barrier. The second treatment chamber comprises a heat treatment chamber that provides a temperature-controlled chamber having a protective barrier.

Claims

1. A reduced maintenance processing system for treating a substrate comprising:

a chemical treatment system for chemically altering exposed surface layers on the substrate comprising a temperature controlled chemical treatment chamber having a protective barrier formed on at least a portion of an interior surface;

a thermal treatment system for thermally treating the chemically altered surface layers on the substrate, the thermal treatment system comprising a temperature controlled thermal treatment chamber having a protective barrier formed on at least a portion of an interior surface; and

a thermal insulation assembly coupled to the thermal treatment system and the chemical treatment system.

2. The processing system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the protective barrier on the interior surface of the chemical treatment chamber comprises an anodized metal impregnated with PTFE and/or TFE.

3. The processing system as claimed in claim 2, wherein the protective barrier on the interior surface of the chemical treatment chamber comprises a hard anodized metal impregnated with TFE and/or PTFE.

4. The processing system as claimed in claim 2, wherein the metal comprises at least one of aluminum and an aluminum alloy.

5. The processing system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the chemical treatment system further comprises a temperature controlled substrate holder having a protective barrier formed on at least a portion thereof, the protective barrier on the temperature controlled substrate holder mounted within the chemical treatment chamber comprising an anodized metal impregnated with PTFE and/or TFE.

6. The processing system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the chemical treatment system further comprises a gas distribution plate comprising a plurality of gas injection orifices and having a protective barrier formed on at least a portion of an exposed surface of the gas distribution plate and at least a portion of an exposed surface of each orifice, wherein the gas distribution plate is coupled to a temperature controlled gas distribution system for introducing a process gas into the chemical treatment chamber, the protective barrier on the gas distribution plate and the protective barrier on each orifice comprises an anodized metal impregnated with PTFE and/or TFE.

7. The processing system as claimed in claim 6, wherein the protective barrier on the exposed surface of the gas distribution plate and the protective barrier on the exposed surface of each orifice comprises a hard anodized metal impregnated with TFE and/or PTFE.

8. The processing system as claimed in claim 6, wherein the metal comprises at least one of aluminum and an aluminum alloy

9. The processing system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the protective barrier on the interior surface of temperature controlled thermal treatment chamber comprises an anodized metal impregnated with PTFE and/or TFE.

10. The processing system as claimed in claim 9, wherein the protective barrier on the interior surface of the temperature controlled thermal treatment chamber comprises a hard anodized metal impregnated with TFE and or PTFE.

11. The processing system as claimed in claim 9, wherein the metal comprises at least one of aluminum and an aluminum alloy.

12. The processing system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the thermal treatment system further comprises a temperature controlled substrate holder mounted within the thermal treatment chamber and having a protective barrier formed on at least a portion of an exposed surface, the protective barrier on the exposed surface of the temperature controlled substrate holder mounted within the temperature controlled thermal treatment chamber comprises an anodized metal impregnated with PTFE and/or TFE.

13. The processing system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the thermal insulation assembly comprises a gate valve assembly, wherein a protective barrier is formed on at least a portion of an exposed surface of the gate valve assembly.

14. The processing system as claimed in claim 13, wherein the protective barrier on the exposed surface of the gate valve assembly comprises an anodized metal impregnated with PTFE and/or TFE.

15. The processing system as claimed in claim 6, wherein the process gas comprises a first gas and a second gas.

16. The processing system as claimed in claim 15, wherein the first gas comprises at least one of NH₃, HF, H₂, O₂, CO, CO₂, Ar, He, and N₂.

17. The processing system as claimed in claim 15, wherein the second gas comprises at least one of NH₃, HF, H₂, O₂, CO, CO₂, Ar, He, and N₂

18. The processing system as claimed in claim 15, wherein the plurality of orifices comprises a first array of orifices for coupling the first gas to the process space and a second array of orifices for coupling the second gas to the process space.

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

20. The processing system as claimed in claim 19, wherein the substrate lifter assembly comprises a blade having three or more tabs for receiving the substrate and having a protective barrier formed on at least a portion of an exposed surface, and a drive system for vertically translating the substrate between the substrate holder and a transfer plane.

21. The processing system as claimed in claim 20, wherein the protective barrier on the at least one exposed surface of the blade comprises an anodized metal impregnated with PTFE and/or TFE.

22. A chemical treatment system for chemically altering exposed surface layers on the substrate comprising:

a temperature controlled chemical treatment chamber having a protective barrier formed on at least a portion of an interior surface;

a temperature controlled substrate holder mounted within the chemical treatment chamber;

a vacuum pumping system coupled to the chemical treatment chamber; and

a gas distribution plate comprising a plurality of gas injection orifices, the gas distribution plate being coupled to a temperature controlled gas distribution system for introducing a process gas into the chemical treatment chamber.

23. The chemical treatment system as claimed in claim 22, wherein the protective barrier on the interior surface of the chemical treatment chamber comprises an anodized metal impregnated with PTFE and/or TFE.

24. The chemical treatment system as claimed in claim 23, wherein the protective barrier on the interior surface of the chemical treatment chamber comprises a hard anodized metal impregnated with TFE and/or PTFE.

25. The processing system as claimed in claim 23, wherein the metal comprises at least one of aluminum and an aluminum alloy.

26. A thermal treatment system for thermally treating the chemically altered surface layers on the substrate, the thermal treatment system comprising:

a temperature controlled thermal treatment chamber having a protective barrier formed on at least a portion of an interior surface;

a temperature controlled substrate holder mounted within the thermal treatment chamber;

a vacuum pumping system coupled to the thermal treatment chamber; and

a temperature controlled upper assembly coupled to the thermal treatment chamber.

27. The thermal treatment system as claimed in claim 26, wherein the protective barrier on the interior surface of the thermal treatment chamber comprises an anodized metal impregnated with PTFE and/or TFE.

28. The thermal treatment system as claimed in claim 27, wherein the protective barrier on the interior surface of the thermal treatment chamber comprises a hard anodized metal impregnated with TFE and/or PTFE.

29. The thermal treatment system as claimed in claim 27, wherein the metal comprises at least one of aluminum and an aluminum alloy.

30. A method for treating a processing chamber, comprising:

anodizing at least a portion of an interior surface of the processing chamber; and

impregnating the anodized surface with PTFE and/or TFE, thereby creating a protective barrier.