Rapid conductive cooling using a secondary process plane

• US 8,227,729 B2
• Filed: 09/21/2010
• Issued: 07/24/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/14/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Applied Materials Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Applied Materials Incorporated
• Inventors: Sorabji, Khurshed, Lerner, Alexander N.
• Primary Examiner(s): Fuqua, Shawntina
• Application Number:
  US12/887,407
• Publication Number:
  US 20110008740A1
• Time in Patent Office: 672 Days
• Field of Search: 219/390, 219/405, 219/411, 392/416, 392/418, 118/724, 118/725, 118/50.1, 118728- 9, 343/80, 174/15.1, 361/690, 432/18
• US Class Current: 219/411
• CPC Class Codes: C30B 31/14 Substrate holders or susceptors
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/30 Treatment of semiconductor bodies using processes or apparatus not provided for in groups H01L21/20 - H01L21/26 manufacture of electrodes thereon H01L21/28
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67098 Apparatus for thermal treatment
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67109 mainly by convection
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67115 mainly by radiation
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 22/10 Measuring as part of the manufacturing process burn-in G01R31/2855
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00 Indexing scheme for arrangements or methods for connecting or disconnecting semiconductor or solid-state bodies as covered by H01L24/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/0002 Not covered by any one of groups H01L24/00, H01L24/00 and H01L2224/00

Abstract

A method and apparatus for thermally processing a substrate is provided. In one embodiment, a method for thermally treating a substrate is provided. The method includes transferring a substrate to a chamber at a first temperature, the chamber having a heating source and a cooling source disposed in opposing portions of the chamber, heating the substrate in the chamber during a first time period to a second temperature, heating the substrate in the chamber to a third temperature during a second time period, and cooling the substrate in the chamber to a fourth temperature that is substantially equal to the second temperature during the second time period, wherein the second time period is about 2 seconds or less.

Claims

1. A method for thermally treating a substrate, comprising:

transferring a substrate at a first temperature to a chamber having a heating region and a cooling region within the chamber;

moving the substrate to a first position in the heating region;

heating the substrate to a second temperature in the heating region;

moving the substrate away from the first position in the heating region and towards the cooling region as the substrate is heated to third temperature that is about 25 degrees Celsius to about 100 degrees Celsius greater than the second temperature;

further moving the substrate to a second position in the cooling region; and

cooling the substrate in the second position to a fourth temperature, the fourth temperature being about 25 degrees Celsius to about 100 degrees Celsius less than the third temperature.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein heating the substrate to the second temperature comprises a time period of about 2 minutes or less.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein heating the substrate to the third temperature and cooling the substrate to the fourth temperature comprises a time period of about 3 seconds or less.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first temperature is a temperature at or near room temperature.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the fourth temperature is a temperature above room temperature.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the cooling region comprises a gas port disposed in an upper portion of the chamber that is configured to flow a cooling gas across the substrate.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the cooling region is a cooling plate disposed in an upper portion of the chamber.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the cooling plate comprises at least one coolant channel.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the cooling plate comprises a material having an emissivity of about 0.70 to about 0.95.

10. A method for thermally treating a substrate, comprising:

transferring a substrate at a first temperature to a chamber having a heating region and a cooling plate within the chamber;

moving the substrate to a first position in the heating region;

heating the substrate to a second temperature in the heating region during a time period of about 2 minutes or less;

moving the substrate away from the first position in the heating region and towards the cooling plate as the substrate is heated to third temperature that is about 25 degrees Celsius to about 100 degrees Celsius greater than the second temperature;

further moving the substrate to a second position proximal the cooling plate; and

cooling the substrate a fourth temperature that is substantially equal to the second temperature, wherein heating the substrate to the third temperature and cooling the substrate comprises a time period of about 3 seconds or less.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the cooling plate comprises at least one coolant channel.