TWIN CHAMBER PROCESSING SYSTEM

• US 20110265951A1
• Filed: 10/20/2010
• Published: 11/03/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Applied Materials Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Applied Materials Incorporated
• Inventors: NGUYEN, ANDREW, XU, MING, SALINAS, MARTIN JEFF, LANE, JOHN W., LEE, EVANS, GOLD, EZRA ROBERT, CRUSE, JAMES P., COBB, CORIE LYNN, LEE, JARED AHMAD, SHEYNER, ANCHEL
• Application Number:
  US12/908,644
• Publication Number:
  US 20110265951A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 156/345.26
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/45561 Gas plumbing upstream of the reaction chamber
• 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 16/509 using internal electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/52 Controlling or regulating the coating process C23C16/45557, C23C16/279 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/54 Apparatus specially adapted for continuous coating

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for twin chamber processing systems are disclosed, and, in some embodiments, may include a first process chamber and a second process chamber having independent processing volumes and a plurality of shared resources between the first and second process chambers. In some embodiments, the shared resources include at least one of a shared vacuum pump, a shared gas panel, or a shared heat transfer source.

Claims

1. A twin chamber processing system for processing substrates, comprising:

a first process chamber having a first vacuum pump for maintaining a first operating pressure in a first processing volume of the first process chamber, wherein the first processing volume can be selectively isolated by a first gate valve disposed between the first processing volume and a low pressure side of the first vacuum pump;

a second process chamber having a second vacuum pump for maintaining a second operating pressure in a second processing volume of the second process chamber, wherein the second processing volume can be selectively isolated by a second gate valve disposed between the second processing volume and a low pressure side of the second vacuum pump;

a shared vacuum pump coupled to the first and second processing volumes for reducing a pressure in each processing volume below a critical pressure level prior, wherein the shared vacuum pump can be selectively isolated from any of the first process chamber, the second process chamber, the first vacuum pump, or the second vacuum pump; and

a shared gas panel coupled to each of the first process chamber and the second process chamber for providing one or more process gases to the first and second process chambers.

2. The twin chamber processing system of claim 1, further comprising:

a first three-way valve disposed between the shared gas panel and the first process chamber to provide a process gas from the shared gas panel to the first processing volume of the first process chamber or to divert the process gas from the shared gas panel into a foreline conduit coupled to the shared vacuum pump; and

a second three-way valve disposed between the shared gas panel and the second process chamber to provide the process gas from the shared gas panel to the second processing volume of the second process chamber or to divert the process gas from the shared gas panel into a foreline conduit coupled to the shared vacuum pump.

3. The twin chamber processing system of claim 1, further comprising:

a mass flow controller to provide a desired total gas flow from the shared gas panel to the first and second process chambers;

a first flow control manifold comprising a first inlet, a first outlet, and a plurality of first orifices selectably coupled therebetween, wherein the first inlet is coupled to the mass flow controller; and

a second flow control manifold comprising a second inlet, a second outlet, and a plurality of second orifices selectably coupled therebetween, wherein the second inlet is coupled to the mass flow controller;

wherein the plurality of first orifices and the plurality of second orifices provide a desired flow ratio between the first outlet and the second outlet by selectably causing the fluid to flow through one or more of the plurality of first orifices and one or more of the plurality of second orifices and wherein the conductance of a conduit provided between the mass flow controller and the respective inlets of the first and second flow control manifolds is sufficient to provide a choked flow condition when flowing a gas through the apparatus.

4. The twin chamber processing system of claim 3, wherein the first outlet is coupled to a first gas delivery zone of a first process chamber and the second outlet is coupled to a second gas delivery zone of the first process chamber.

5. The twin chamber processing system of claim 4, wherein the first outlet is further coupled to a first gas delivery zone of a second process chamber and the second outlet is further coupled to a second gas delivery zone of the second process chamber.

6. The twin chamber processing system of claim 1, further comprising:

a first substrate support disposed within the first process chamber, wherein the first substrate support has one or more channels to circulate a heat transfer fluid to control a temperature of the first substrate support;

a second substrate support disposed within the second process chamber, wherein the second substrate support has one or more channels to circulate the heat transfer fluid to control a temperature of the second substrate support; and

a shared heat transfer fluid source having an outlet to provide the heat transfer fluid to the respective one or more channels of the first substrate support and the second substrate support and an inlet to receive the heat transfer fluid from the first substrate support and the second substrate support.

7. A twin chamber substrate processing system, comprising:

a first process chamber having a first vacuum pump for maintaining a first operating pressure in a first processing volume of the first process chamber and having a first substrate support disposed within the first process chamber, wherein the first processing volume can be selectively isolated by a first gate valve disposed between the first processing volume and a low pressure side of the first vacuum pump and wherein the first substrate support has one or more channels to circulate a heat transfer fluid to control a temperature of the first substrate support;

a second process chamber having a second vacuum pump for maintaining a second operating pressure in a second processing volume of the second process chamber and having a second substrate support disposed within the second process chamber, wherein the second processing volume can be selectively isolated by a second gate valve disposed between the second processing volume and a low pressure side of the second vacuum pump and wherein the second substrate support has one or more channels to circulate the heat transfer fluid to control a temperature of the second substrate support;

a shared vacuum pump coupled to the first and second processing volumes for reducing a pressure in each processing volume below a critical pressure level, wherein the shared vacuum pump can be selectively isolated from any of the first process chamber, the second process chamber, the first vacuum pump, or the second vacuum pump;

a shared gas panel coupled to each of the first process chamber and the second process chamber for providing one or more process gases to the first and second process chambers; and

a shared heat transfer fluid source having an outlet to provide the heat transfer fluid to the respective one or more channels of the first substrate support and the second substrate support and an inlet to receive the heat transfer fluid from the first substrate support and the second substrate support.

8. The twin chamber processing system of claim 7, further comprising:

a transfer chamber having a plurality of twin chamber processing systems as described in claim 7 coupled thereto.

9. The twin chamber processing system of claim 8, further comprising:

a mass flow verifier selectively fluidly coupled to each process chamber of the plurality of twin process chambers to verify and calibrate respective mass flow meters coupled to each process chamber.

10. The twin chamber processing system of claim 9, further comprising:

a reference pressure gauge selectively fluidly coupled to each process chamber of the plurality of twin process chambers to verify and calibrate respective pressure gauges coupled to each process chamber.

11. A twin chamber processing system for processing substrates, comprising:

a first process chamber and a second process chamber disposed in a common housing, the first process chamber having a first processing volume and the second process chamber having a second processing volume, wherein the first and second processing volumes can be isolated from each other during processing;

a shared vacuum pump coupled to the first and second processing volumes for reducing a pressure in each processing volume;

a shared gas panel coupled to each of the first process chamber and the second process chamber for providing one or more process gases to the first and second process chambers; and

a shared heat transfer fluid source having an outlet to provide the heat transfer fluid to respective one or more channels of a first substrate support disposed in the first process chamber and a second substrate support disposed in the second process chamber, and an inlet to receive the heat transfer fluid from the first substrate support and the second substrate support.

12. The twin chamber processing system of claim 11, further comprising:

a mass flow controller to provide a desired total gas flow from the shared gas panel to the first and second process chambers;

a first flow control manifold comprising a first inlet, a first outlet, and a plurality of first orifices selectably coupled therebetween, wherein the first inlet is coupled to the mass flow controller; and

a second flow control manifold comprising a second inlet, a second outlet, and a plurality of second orifices selectably coupled therebetween, wherein the second inlet is coupled to the mass flow controller;

wherein the plurality of first orifices and the plurality of second orifices provide a desired flow ratio between the first outlet and the second outlet by selectably causing the fluid to flow through one or more of the plurality of first orifices and one or more of the plurality of second orifices and wherein the conductance of a conduit provided between the mass flow controller and the respective inlets of the first and second flow control manifolds is sufficient to provide a choked flow condition when flowing a gas through the apparatus.

13. The twin chamber processing system of claim 11, wherein the first outlet is coupled to a first gas delivery zone of a first process chamber and the second outlet is coupled to a second gas delivery zone of the first process chamber.

14. The twin chamber processing system of claim 13, wherein the first outlet is further coupled to a first gas delivery zone of a second process chamber and the second outlet is further coupled to a second gas delivery zone of the second process chamber.

15. The twin chamber processing system of claim 11, further comprising:

a transfer chamber having a plurality of twin chamber processing systems as described in claim 11 coupled thereto.

16. The twin chamber processing system of claim 15, further comprising:

a mass flow verifier selectively fluidly coupled to each process chamber of the plurality of twin process chambers to verify and calibrate respective mass flow meters coupled to each process chamber.

17. The twin chamber processing system of claim 16, further comprising:

a reference pressure gauge selectively fluidly coupled to each process chamber of the plurality of twin process chambers to verify and calibrate respective pressure gauges coupled to each process chamber.