Multi-function chamber for a substrate processing system

• US 6,086,362 A
• Filed: 05/20/1998
• Issued: 07/11/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 05/20/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Applied Komatsu Technology, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Applied Komatsu Technology, Inc.
• Inventors: White, John M., Blonigan, Wendell T., Richter, Michael W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Walberg, Teresa
• Assistant Examiner(s): Wilson, Gregory A.
• Application Number:
  US09/082,375
• Time in Patent Office: 783 Days
• Field of Search: 432/5, 432/11, 432/18, 432/243, 432/247, 414/217, 414/222, 414/225, 118/719, 118/724, 118/725, 118/728
• US Class Current: 432/243
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67098 Apparatus for thermal treatment
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67109 mainly by convection
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67173 in-line arrangement
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67201 characterized by the construction of the load-lock chamber
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67236 the substrates being processed being not semiconductor wafers, e.g. leadframes or chips
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67248 Temperature monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67748 horizontal transfer of a single workpiece

Abstract

A load lock chamber includes a chamber body having an aperture to allow a substrate to be transferred into or out of the chamber. The load lock chamber is configurable in several configurations, including a base configuration for providing a transition between two different pressures, a heating configuration for heating the substrate and providing a transition between two different pressures, and a cooling configuration for cooling the substrate and providing a transition between two different pressures. Various features of the chamber configurations help increase the throughput of the system by enabling rapid heating and cooling of substrates and simultaneous evacuation and venting of the chamber, and help compensate for thermal losses near the substrate edges, thereby providing a more uniform temperature across the substrate.

Claims

1. A load lock chamber, comprising:

a chamber body having an aperture to allow a substrate to be transferred into or out of the chamber;

a support mechanism disposed within the chamber; and

at least one removable volume reducing element disposed within the chamber, wherein each of the at least one volume reducing elements can be removed from the chamber and replaced with an apparatus for controlling a temperature of the substrate.

2. The load lock chamber of claim 1 wherein at least one volume reducing element includes a plastic material.

3. The load lock chamber of claim 1 further comprising a lid attached to the chamber body wherein a removable volume reducing element is positioned adjacent and below the lid.

4. The load lock chamber of claim 1 wherein the chamber has a bottom interior surface and includes a removable volume reducing element positioned adjacent and above the bottom interior surface.

5. The load lock chamber of claim 1 wherein each of the at least one volume reducing elements can be removed from the chamber and replaced with one of the following:

a heating assembly, a cooling assembly, a heating platen or a cooling platen.

6. A load lock chamber, comprising:

a chamber body having an aperture to allow a substrate to be transferred into or out of the chamber;

a support mechanism disposed within the chamber; and

removable upper and lower volume reducing elements disposed within the chamber, wherein the support mechanism is disposed between the upper and lower volume reducing elements.

7. The load lock chamber of claim 6 further comprising a gas delivery tube attached to the chamber, wherein the upper volume reducing element includes vertical channels to allow a gas to be delivered from the delivery tube to an interior region of the chamber via the vertical channels.

8. A load lock chamber comprising:

a chamber body having an aperture to allow a substrate to be transferred into or out of the chamber;

a lid attached to the chamber body;

a substrate support mechanism disposed within the chamber;

an upper heating assembly disposed between the lid and the substrate support mechanism; and

a heating platen that is movable to lift a substrate positioned on the support mechanism to a heating position below the upper heating assembly, and to lower the substrate from the heating position onto the support mechanism,

wherein surface temperatures in the chamber are controllable to compensate for thermal losses near edges of the substrate.

9. The load lock chamber of claim 8 wherein the heating platen includes inner and outer heating loops whose temperatures are independently controllable.

10. The load lock chamber of claim 9 wherein, during operation, the temperature of the outer loop is maintained at a higher temperature than the inner loop.

11. The load lock chamber of claim 8 wherein the heating platen includes an upper surface having a pattern of horizontal channels therein.

12. The load lock chamber of claim 11 wherein the heating platen includes a plurality of holes therethrough.

13. The load lock chamber of claim 11 wherein a concentration of the channels is designed to control a contact area between a substrate and the heating platen when the substrate is supported on the upper surface of the platen.

14. The load lock chamber of claim 13 wherein the heating platen has a perimeter and a center, and wherein the concentration of the channels is greater near the center of the platen than near its perimeter.

15. The load lock chamber of claim 8 wherein the upper heating assembly includes a stationary plate having inner and outer heating loops whose temperatures can be controlled independently of one another.

16. The load lock chamber of claim 15 further comprising a gas delivery tube attached to the chamber body, wherein the stationary plate includes a plurality of vertical holes to allow a gas to be delivered from the delivery tube to an interior region of the chamber via the vertical holes.

17. The load lock chamber of claim 16 wherein the plurality of holes includes an inner zone of holes near a center of the stationary plate and an outer zone of holes near a perimeter of the stationary plate.

18. The load lock chamber of claim 16 wherein the upper heating assembly further includes a diffusion screen disposed between the stationary plate and the substrate heating position.

19. The load lock chamber of claim 18 further comprising an inert gas source coupled to the delivery tube.

20. The load lock chamber of claim 16 further comprising an ash gas source coupled to the delivery tube.

21. A load lock chamber, comprising:

a chamber body having an aperture to allow a substrate to be transferred into or out of the chamber;

a lid attached to the chamber body;

a gas delivery tube;

a substrate support mechanism disposed within the chamber;

an upper heating assembly disposed between the lid and the substrate support mechanism; and

a heating platen that is movable to lift a substrate positioned on the support mechanism to a heating position below the upper heating assembly, and to lower the substrate from the heating position onto the support mechanism; and

wherein the upper heating assembly includes;

a stationary plate having a plurality of vertical holes to allow a gas to be delivered from the delivery tube to an interior region of the chamber via the vertical holes.

22. The load lock chamber of claim 21 wherein the stationary plate further includes inner and outer heating loops whose temperatures can be controlled independently of one another.

23. The load lock chamber of claim 21 wherein the plurality of holes includes an inner zone of holes near a center of the stationary plate and an outer zone of holes near a perimeter of the stationary plate.

24. A load lock chamber, comprising:

a chamber body having an aperture to allow a substrate to be transferred into or out of the chamber;

a lid attached to the chamber body;

a substrate support mechanism disposed within the chamber;

an upper cooling assembly disposed between the lid and the substrate support mechanism; and

a cooling platen that is movable to lift a substrate positioned on the support mechanism to a cooling position below the upper cooling assembly, and to lower the substrate from the cooling position onto the support mechanism,

wherein surface temperatures in the chamber are controllable to compensate for thermal losses near edges of the substrate.

25. The load lock chamber of claim 24 wherein the cooling platen includes a plurality of cooling tubes through which a cooling fluid can flow.

26. The load lock chamber of claim 25 wherein the cooling platen includes a center and a perimeter, wherein a concentration of the cooling tubes near the center of the platen is greater than a concentration near the perimeter.

27. The load lock chamber of claim 24 wherein the cooling platen includes an upper surface having a pattern of horizontal channels therein.

28. The load lock chamber of claim 27 wherein the cooling platen includes a plurality of holes therethrough.

29. The load lock chamber of claim 27 wherein a concentration of the channels is designed to control a contact area between a substrate and the cooling platen when the substrate is supported on the upper surface of the platen.

30. The load lock chamber of claim 29 wherein the cooling platen has a perimeter and a center, and wherein the concentration of the channels is greater near the perimeter of the cooling platen than near the center.

31. The load lock chamber of claim 24 further comprising a gas delivery tube attached to the chamber, wherein the upper cooling assembly includes a stationary plate having a plurality of holes to allow a gas to be delivered from the delivery tube to an interior region of the chamber via the holes.

32. The load lock chamber of claim 31 wherein the stationary plate has a perimeter, and wherein the plurality of holes includes an inner zone of holes near a center of the stationary plate and an outer zone of holes near a perimeter of the stationary plate.

33. The load lock chamber of claim 31 wherein the upper cooling assembly further includes a diffusion screen disposed between the stationary plate and the substrate cooling position.

34. The load lock chamber of claim 31 further comprising an inert gas source coupled to the delivery tube.

35. The load lock chamber of claim 34 wherein the stationary plate includes a plurality of cooling tubes through which a cooling fluid can be provided to flow.

36. The load lock chamber of claim 35 wherein the stationary plate has a perimeter and a center, and wherein a concentration of the cooling tubes is greater near the center of the stationary plate than near the perimeter.

37. A load lock chamber comprising:

a chamber body having an aperture to allow a substrate to be transferred into or out of the chamber;

a lid attached to the chamber body;

a gas delivery tube;

a substrate support mechanism disposed within the chamber;

an upper cooling assembly disposed between the lid and the substrate support mechanism; and

a cooling platen that is movable to lift a substrate positioned on the support mechanism to a cooling position below the upper cooling assembly, and to lower the substrate from the cooling position onto the support mechanism;

wherein the upper cooling assembly includes a stationary plate having a plurality of vertical holes to allow a gas to be delivered from the delivery tube to an interior region of the chamber via the vertical holes.

38. The load lock chamber of claim 37 wherein the stationary plate further includes a plurality of cooling tubes through which a cooling fluid can flow.

39. The load lock chamber of claim 37 wherein the stationary plate has a perimeter and a center, and wherein a concentration of the cooling tubes is greater near the center of the stationary plate than near the perimeter.

40. The load lock chamber of claim 37 wherein the plurality of holes includes an inner zone of holes near a center of the stationary plate and an outer zone of holes near a perimeter of the stationary plate.

41. A load lock chamber comprising:

a chamber body having an aperture to allow a substrate to be transferred into or out of the chamber; and

a thermally conductive platen for supporting a substrate within the chamber, wherein the platen has multiple zones for preferentially changing the temperature of the substrate by conduction so as to compensate for thermal losses near edges of the substrate.

42. The load lock chamber of claim 41 wherein the platen is a heating platen.

43. The load lock of claim 41 wherein the platen is a cooling platen.

44. A load lock chamber comprising:

a chamber body having an aperture to allow a substrate to be transferred into or out of the chamber; and

a thermally conductive heating platen for supporting a substrate within the chamber, wherein the heating platen has multiple zones for preferentially changing the temperature of the substrate by conduction so as to compensate for thermal losses near edges of the substrate, and wherein the heating platen includes inner and outer heating loops whose temperatures are independently controllable.

45. The load lock chamber of claim 44 wherein, during operation, the temperature of the outer loop is maintained at a higher temperature than the inner loop.

46. The load lock chamber of claim 45 wherein the heating platen includes an upper surface having a pattern of horizontal channels therein, wherein a concentration of the channels is designed to control a contact area between a substrate and the heating platen when the substrate is supported on the upper surface of the platen.

47. The load lock chamber of claim 46 wherein the heating platen has a perimeter and a center, and wherein the concentration of the channels is greater near the center of the platen than near its perimeter.

48. A load lock chamber comprising:

a chamber body having an aperture to allow a substrate to be transferred into or out of the chamber; and

a thermally conductive cooling platen for supporting a substrate within the chamber, wherein the cooling platen has multiple zones for preferentially changing the temperature of the substrate by conduction so as to compensate for thermal losses near edges of the substrate, and wherein the cooling platen includes a perimeter, a center, and an upper surface having a pattern of channels therein, and wherein a concentration of the channels is greater near the perimeter of the cooling platen than near the center.

49. The load lock chamber of claim 48 wherein the cooling platen includes a plurality of cooling tubes through which a cooling fluid can flow and wherein the cooling platen includes a center and a perimeter, wherein a concentration of the cooling tubes near the center of the platen is greater than a concentration near the perimeter.