Use of carbon-based films in extending the lifetime of substrate processing system components
First Claim
1. A semiconductor substrate processing system comprising:
- a housing, said housing including a sidewall and having an interior surface defining a processing chamber, whereinsaid interior surface is at least partially coated with a diamond-like carbon coating to a desired thickness that is at least about 0.5 μ
m andsaid diamond-like carbon coating coats a portion of said interior surface of said sidewall.
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0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An apparatus for processing substrates that includes a processing chamber having an interior surface at least partially coated with a carbon-based coating. The carbon-based coating protects the interior of the chamber from etching gases and other reactants used during substrate processing. The coating also resists accumulation of residues, does not generate particulates and seals in impurities residing in the coated materials. In preferred embodiments the carbon-based coating is either diamond or a diamond-like carbon (DLC) coating. Also described is a process for protecting a processing chamber'"'"'s interior surface from the reactants used in substrate processing by coating at least portions of the surface with such a carbon-based coating.
96 Citations
43 Claims
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1. A semiconductor substrate processing system comprising:
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a housing, said housing including a sidewall and having an interior surface defining a processing chamber, wherein said interior surface is at least partially coated with a diamond-like carbon coating to a desired thickness that is at least about 0.5 μ
m andsaid diamond-like carbon coating coats a portion of said interior surface of said sidewall. - View Dependent Claims (5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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2. A semiconductor substrate processing system comprising:
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a housing, said housing including a sidewall and having an interior surface defining a processing chamber, wherein said interior surface is at least partially coated with a diamond-like carbon coating to a predetermined thickness, wherein said predetermined thickness is between about 0.5 μ
m and about 50 μ
m andsaid diamond-like carbon coating coats a portion of said interior surface of said sidewall. - View Dependent Claims (37, 38, 39)
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3. A semiconductor substrate processing system comprising:
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a housing, said housing including a sidewall and having an interior surface defining a processing chamber, wherein said interior surface is at least partially coated with a diamond-like carbon coating to a predetermined thickness, wherein said predetermined thickness is between about 0.5 μ
m and about 10 μ
m andsaid diamond-like carbon coating coats a portion of said interior surface of said sidewall.
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4. A semiconductor substrate processing system comprising:
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a housing, said housing including a sidewall and having an interior surface defining a processing chamber, wherein said interior surface is at least partially coated with a diamond-like carbon coating to a predetermined thickness, wherein said predetermined thickness is between about 0.5 μ
m and about 2 μ
m andsaid diamond-like carbon coating coats a portion of said interior surface of said sidewall.
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11. A semiconductor substrate processing system comprising:
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a housing, said housing including a sidewall and having an interior surface defining a processing chamber, wherein said interior surface is at least partially coated with a diamond-like carbon coating to a predetermined thickness, wherein said predetermined thickness is between about 0.5 μ
m and about 2 μ
m andsaid diamond-like carbon coating coats a portion of said interior surface of said sidewall, wherein said diamond-like carbon coating is applied using an in situ process that is controlled by a processing element, said in situ process comprising, evacuating a process gas from said processing chamber; introducing a coating process gas for creating said diamond-like carbon coating; forming a plasma from said coating process gas, to deposit said diamond-like carbon coating on said interior surface of said processing chamber; and evacuating said coating process gas from said processing chamber.
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12. A method for operating a semiconductor substrate processing system having a housing, said housing including a sidewall and having an interior surface defining a processing chamber, said method comprising:
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coating at least a portion of said interior surface, including at least a portion of said sidewall, with a diamond-like carbon coating, wherein said diamond-like carbon coating is deposited to a predetermined thickness; and thereafter, processing one or more substrates situated within said housing. - View Dependent Claims (36, 40)
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13. A method for operating a semiconductor substrate processing system having a housing with an interior surface defining a processing chamber, said method comprising:
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coating at least a portion of said interior surface with a diamond-like carbon coating, wherein said diamond-like carbon coating is deposited to a predetermined thickness between about 0.5 μ
m and about 50 μ
m;thereafter, processing one or more substrates situated within said housing; and wherein said coating step and said processing step are repeated iteratively. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A semiconductor substrate processing system comprising:
a housing, having an interior surface defining a processing chamber, said interior surface being at least partially coated with a diamond coating, wherein said diamond coating is deposited to a desired thickness that is at least about 0.5 μ
m.- View Dependent Claims (23)
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21. A semiconductor substrate processing system comprising:
a housing, having an interior surface defining a processing chamber, said interior surface being at least partially coated with a diamond coating, wherein said diamond coating is deposited to a predetermined thickness wherein said predetermined thickness is between about 1 μ
m and about 5 μ
m.- View Dependent Claims (42)
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22. A semiconductor substrate processing system comprising:
a housing, having an interior surface defining a processing chamber, said interior surface being at least partially coated with a diamond coating, wherein said diamond coating is deposited to a predetermined thickness, wherein said predetermined thickness is between about 2 μ
m and about 5 μ
m.
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24. A substrate processing system for processing a substrate comprising:
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a housing, having an interior surface defining a processing chamber, said interior surface being at least partially coated with a carbon-based coating, wherein said housing includes a ceiling electrode, said interior surface consisting in part of a surface of said ceiling electrode, said surface of said ceiling electrode having a diamond coating between about 1 μ
m and about 50 μ
m in thickness; anda substrate holder, located within said housing, for holding said substrate during processing.
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25. A method for processing substrates in a substrate processing system having a housing with an interior surface defining a processing chamber, said method comprising:
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coating at least a portion of said interior surface with a diamond coating, wherein said diamond coating is deposited to a predetermined thickness; and thereafter, processing one or more substrates situated within said housing. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33)
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34. A substrate processing system comprising:
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a housing, having an interior surface defining a processing chamber; a pedestal, located within said housing, for holding a substrate during processing; a vacuum pump for evacuating said processing chamber; a gas distribution system for introducing at least one process gas and a coating process gas into said processing chamber; a plasma generation system for creating a plasma within said processing chamber; a controller for controlling said vacuum pump, said gas distribution system and said plasma generation system; and a memory coupled to said controller comprising a computer readable medium having a computer readable program embodied therein for directing operation of said substrate processing system, said computer readable program comprising; a first set of computer instructions for controlling said gas distribution system to evacuate said at least one process gas from said processing chamber; a second set of computer instructions for controlling said gas distribution system to introduce said coating process gas for creating a carbon-based coating; a third set of computer instructions for controlling said plasma generation system to form a plasma from said coating process gas, to deposit said carbon-based coating on said inner surface of said processing chamber, wherein said carbon-based coating comprises a diamond coating; and a fourth set of computer instructions for controlling said gas distribution system to evacuate said coating process gas from said processing chamber.
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35. A substrate processing system comprising:
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a housing, having an interior surface defining a processing chamber; a pedestal, located within said housing, for holding a substrate during processing; a vacuum pump for evacuating said processing chamber; a gas distribution system for introducing at least one process gas and a coating process gas into said processing chamber; a plasma generation system for creating a plasma within said processing chamber; a controller for controlling said vacuum pump, said gas distribution system and said plasma generation system; and a memory coupled to said controller comprising a computer readable medium having a computer readable program embodied therein for directing operation of said substrate processing system, said computer readable program comprising; a first set of computer instructions for controlling said gas distribution system to evacuate said at least one process gas from said processing chamber; a second set of computer instructions for controlling said gas distribution system to introduce said coating process gas for creating a carbon-based coating; a third set of computer instructions for controlling said plasma generation system to form a plasma from said coating process gas, to deposit said carbon-based coating on said inner surface of said processing chamber, wherein said carbon-based coating comprises a diamond-like carbon coating; and a fourth set of computer instructions for controlling said gas distribution system to evacuate said coating process gas from said processing chamber.
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41. A method for operating a semiconductor substrate processing system having a housing with an interior surface defining a processing chamber, said method comprising:
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introducing a coating process gas into said housing to coat, to a predetermined thickness, at least a portion of said interior surface with a diamond-like carbon coating; evacuating said coating process gas from said processing chamber; and thereafter, processing one or more substrates within said housing. - View Dependent Claims (43)
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Specification