Substrate temperature control by using liquid controlled multizone substrate support

• US 20100116788A1
• Filed: 11/12/2008
• Published: 05/13/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/12/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Lam Research Corporation
• Original Assignee: Lam Research Corporation
• Inventors: Comendant, Keith, Singh, Harmeet
• Application Number:
  US12/292,081
• Publication Number:
  US 20100116788A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 216/66
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/4586 Elements in the interior of the support, e.g. electrodes, heating or cooling devices
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/46 characterised by the method used for heating the substrate C23C16/48, C23C16/50 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/463 Cooling of the substrate
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/50 using electric discharges generation and control of plasma in discharge tubes for surface treatment H01J37/32, H01J37/34
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/52 Controlling or regulating the coating process C23C16/45557, C23C16/279 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 2237/2001 Maintaining constant desired temperature
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67109 mainly by convection
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67248 Temperature monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/6831 using electrostatic chucks

Abstract

A substrate support useful in a reaction chamber of a plasma processing apparatus is provided. The substrate support comprises a base member and a heat transfer member overlying the base member. The heat transfer member has multiple zones to individually heat and cool each zone of the heat transfer member. An electrostatic chuck overlies the heat transfer member. The electrostatic chuck has a support surface for supporting a substrate in a reaction chamber of the plasma processing apparatus. A source of cold liquid and a source of hot liquid are in fluid communication with flow passages in each zone. A valve arrangement is operable to independently control temperature of the liquid by adjusting a mixing ratio of the hot liquid to the cold liquid circulating in the flow passages. In another embodiment, heating elements along a supply line and transfer lines heat a liquid from a liquid source before circulating in the flow passages.

Claims

1. A substrate support useful in a reaction chamber of a plasma processing apparatus, the substrate support comprising:

a base member;

a heat transfer member overlying the base member, the heat transfer member having multiple zones including at least a first zone with a first flow passage therein and a second zone with a second flow passage therein through which a liquid can be circulated to individually heat and cool the first and second zones of the heat transfer member;

an electrostatic chuck overlying the heat transfer member, the electrostatic chuck having a support surface for supporting a substrate in a reaction chamber of the plasma processing apparatus;

a source of cold liquid and a source of hot liquid in fluid communication with the first and second flow passages;

a valve arrangement operable to independently control temperature of the liquid in the first and second zones by adjusting a mixing ratio of the hot liquid to the cold liquid circulating in the first and second flow passages;

a controller controlling the valve arrangement to independently control the temperature in the first and second zones by adjusting the mixing ratio of the hot liquid to the cold liquid in the first and second flow passages.

2. The substrate support of claim 1, further comprising:

a first temperature sensor in the first zone and a second temperature sensor in the second zone, the temperature sensors adapted to measure a temperature in the first and second zones and supply input signals to the controller;

a thermal barrier separating the first and second zones; and

a bonding material between the heat transfer member and the base member, the bonding material having a thermal conductivity from about 0.1 W/m-K to about 4 W/m-K; and

a thickness from about 1 mil to about 200 mils.

3. The substrate support of claim 1, wherein the source of cold liquid maintains the cold liquid at a temperature ≧

−

10°

C.; and

the source of hot liquid maintains the hot liquid at a temperature ≦

150°

C., wherein the hot liquid temperature is greater than the cold liquid temperature.

4. The substrate support of claim 2, wherein the heat transfer member is a circular plate;

each zone is concentrically arranged at a different radial distance relative to a center of the circular plate; and

the thermal barrier is an annular channel.

5. The substrate support of claim 4, where the annular channel is empty;

or the annular channel is filled with epoxy or silicone or other materials with thermal conductivity from about 0.1 to about 4.0 W/m-K.

6. The substrate support of claim 4, wherein the annular channel extends through an entire thickness of the heat transfer member;

or the annular channel extends through a partial thickness of the heat transfer member.

7. The substrate support of claim 2, wherein the bonding material is composed of silicone or epoxy and contains one or more filler materials, the filler materials including aluminum oxide, boron nitride, silicon oxide, aluminum or silicon;

or the bonding material is composed of a metallic brazed joint.

8. The substrate support of claim 1, wherein the heat transfer member is composed of aluminum or an aluminum alloy;

or the heat transfer member is composed of stainless steel, aluminum oxide or yttrium oxide.

9. A method of controlling an azimuthal temperature of a semiconductor substrate during plasma processing, comprising:

supporting the substrate on the substrate support of claim 1, wherein the substrate is in thermal contact with the multiple zones;

flowing the liquid through the first and second flow passages;

measuring a temperature of the first zone and increasing the temperature of the liquid flowing through the first flow passage if the temperature of the first zone is below a target temperature of the first zone by increasing the mixing ratio of the hot liquid to the cold liquid;

or decreasing the temperature of the liquid flowing through the first flow passage if the temperature of the first zone is above the target temperature by decreasing the mixing ratio of the hot liquid to the cold liquid; and

measuring a temperature of the second zone and increasing the temperature of the liquid flowing through the second flow passage if the temperature of the second zone is below a target temperature of the second zone by increasing the mixing ratio of the hot liquid to the cold liquid;

or decreasing the temperature of the liquid flowing through the second flow passage if the temperature of the second zone is above the target temperature by decreasing the mixing ratio of the hot liquid to the cold liquid;

wherein an azimuthal temperature difference within each zone is less than 5°

C.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the azimuthal temperature difference across the multiple zones is less than 0.5°

C. and a radial temperature profile across the substrate is step-changeable between;

(a) a uniform temperature completely across the substrate;

or (b) a non-uniform temperature across the substrate, wherein a center region of the substrate is hotter than an edge region of the substrate or the center region of the substrate is colder than the edge region of the substrate.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the target temperature of the first zone and the target temperature of the second zone are:

(a) monotonically increasing or decreasing along a substrate radius;

or (b) are non-monotonically increasing or decreasing along the substrate radius.

12. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

introducing a process gas into the reaction chamber;

energizing the process gas into a plasma state; and

processing the substrate with the plasma, wherein processing the substrate with the plasma includes;

(a) plasma etching a layer of semiconductor material, metal or dielectric material;

or (b) deposition of conductive or dielectric material.

13. A plasma processing apparatus comprising the semiconductor substrate support of claim 1, wherein the plasma processing apparatus is a plasma etcher adapted to etch semiconductor, metal or dielectric material;

or a deposition chamber adapted to deposit conductive or dielectric material.

14. A substrate support useful in a reaction chamber of a plasma processing apparatus, the substrate support comprising:

a base member;

a heat transfer member overlying the base member, the heat transfer member having a first zone with a first flow passage and a second zone with a second flow passage, wherein the flow passages are adapted to circulate a liquid to individually heat and cool each zone of the heat transfer member;

a first common line in fluid communication with the first flow passage;

a second common line in fluid communication with the second flow passage;

a first valve in fluid communication with the first common line and a first supply line from a hot liquid source, the first valve operable to control an amount of flow of a hot liquid from the hot liquid source through the first common line;

a second valve in fluid communication with the first common line and a second supply line from a cold liquid source, the second valve operable to control an amount of flow of a cold liquid from the cold liquid source through the first common line;

a third valve in fluid communication with the second common line and the first supply line from the hot liquid source, the third valve operable to control an amount of flow of the hot liquid through the second common line;

a fourth valve in fluid communication with the second common line and the second supply line from the cold liquid source, the fourth valve operable to control an amount of flow of the cold liquid through the second common line;

a controller operable to independently control;

(a) the first valve and the second valve to adjust a first mixing ratio of the hot liquid to the cold liquid to the first flow passage; and

(b) the third valve and the fourth valve to adjust a second mixing ratio of the hot liquid to the cold liquid to the second flow passage; and

an electrostatic chuck overlying the heat transfer member, the electrostatic chuck having a support surface for supporting a substrate in a reaction chamber of the plasma processing apparatus.

15. The substrate support of claim 14, further comprising:

the heat transfer member having a third zone with a third flow passage, a fourth zone with a fourth flow passage and a fifth zone with a fifth flow passage;

a third common line in fluid communication with the third flow passage;

a fourth common line in fluid communication with the fourth flow passage;

a fifth common line in fluid communication with the fifth flow passage;

a fifth valve in fluid communication with the third common line and the first supply line from the hot liquid source, the fifth valve operable to control an amount of flow of the hot liquid through the third common line;

a sixth valve in fluid communication with the third common line and the second supply line from the cold liquid source, the sixth valve operable to control an amount of the flow of the cold liquid through the third common line;

a seventh valve in fluid communication with the fourth common line and first supply line from the hot liquid source, the seventh valve operable to control an amount of flow of the hot liquid through the fourth common line;

an eighth valve in fluid communication with the fourth common line and the second supply line from the cold liquid source, the eighth valve operable to control an amount of the flow of the cold liquid through the fourth common line;

a ninth valve in fluid communication with the fifth common line and the first supply line from the hot liquid source, the ninth valve operable to control an amount of flow of the hot liquid through the fifth common line;

an tenth valve in fluid communication with the fifth common line and the second supply line from the cold liquid source, the tenth valve operable to control an amount of the flow of the cold liquid through the fifth common line; and

the controller further operable to independently control;

(c) the fifth valve and the sixth valve to adjust a third mixing ratio of the hot liquid to the cold liquid to the third flow passage;

(d) the seventh valve and the eighth valve to adjust a fourth mixing ratio of the hot liquid to the cold liquid to the fourth flow passage; and

(e) the ninth valve and the tenth valve to adjust a fifth mixing ratio of the hot liquid to the cold liquid to the fifth flow passage.

16. The substrate support of claim 14, wherein the heat transfer member is a circular plate;

and each zone is concentrically arranged at a different radial distance relative to a center of the circular plate.

17. The substrate support of claim 16, wherein the first flow passage, the second flow passage, the third flow passage, the fourth flow passage and the fifth flow passage are in fluid communication with a return line;

and the return line is in fluid communication with the hot liquid source and/or the cold liquid source.

18. A substrate support useful in a reaction chamber of a plasma processing apparatus, the substrate support comprising:

a base member;

a heat transfer member overlying the base member, the heat transfer member having a first zone with a first flow passage and a second zone with a second flow passage, wherein the flow passages are adapted to circulate a liquid to individually heat and cool each zone of the heat transfer member;

a supply line in fluid communication with the first flow passage and a liquid source;

a first heating element along the supply line, the first heating element adapted to heat the liquid flowing from the liquid source to a first temperature before the liquid is circulated in the first flow passage;

a first transfer line in fluid communication with the first flow passage and the second flow passage, the first transfer line adapted to flow the liquid from the first flow passage to the second flow passage;

a second heating element along the first transfer line, the second heating element adapted to heat the liquid to a second temperature before circulating in the second flow passage;

a controller controlling each heating element to independently control the temperature of each zone by adjusting power to each heating element; and

an electrostatic chuck overlying the heat transfer member, the electrostatic chuck having a support surface for supporting a substrate in a reaction chamber of the plasma processing apparatus.

19. The substrate support of claim 18, further comprising:

the heat transfer member having a third zone with a third flow passage, a fourth zone with a fourth flow passage and a fifth zone with a fifth flow passage;

a second transfer line in fluid communication with the second flow passage and the third flow passage, the second transfer line adapted to flow liquid from the second flow passage to the third flow passage;

a third heating element along the second transfer line, the third heating element adapted to heat the liquid to a third temperature before circulating in the third flow passage;

a third transfer line in fluid communication with the third flow passage and the fourth flow passage, the third transfer line adapted to flow liquid from the third flow passage to the fourth flow passage; and

a fourth heating element along the third transfer line, the fourth heating element adapted to heat the liquid to a fourth temperature before circulating in the fourth flow passage;

a fourth transfer line in fluid communication with the fourth flow passage and the fifth flow passage, the fourth transfer line adapted to flow liquid from the fourth flow passage to the fifth flow passage; and

a fifth heating element along the fourth transfer line, the fifth heating element adapted to heat the liquid to a fifth temperature before circulating in the fifth flow passage; and

a return line in fluid communication with the fifth flow passage and the liquid source, the return line adapted to flow liquid from the fifth flow passage to the liquid source.

20. The substrate support of claim 18, further comprising, a temperature sensor in each zone, the temperature sensor adapted to measure a temperature in each zone and supply input signals to the controller;

or wherein the first transfer line is adapted to flow the liquid from the first flow passage to the second flow passage in a forward or reverse direction.