Purging of porogen from UV cure chamber

• US 8,518,210 B2
• Filed: 07/31/2012
• Issued: 08/27/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/26/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Novellus Systems Incorporated (Lam Research Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Novellus Systems Incorporated (Lam Research Corporation)
• Inventors: Smargiassi, Eugene, Lau, Stephen Yu-Hong, Kamian, George D., Xi, Ming
• Primary Examiner(s): CHEN, KEATH T
• Application Number:
  US13/562,421
• Publication Number:
  US 20130160946A1
• Time in Patent Office: 392 Days
• Field of Search: 156/345.33, 156/345.55
• US Class Current: 156/345.33
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02041 Cleaning
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02203 the layer being porous
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02348 treatment by exposure to UV light
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67017 Apparatus for fluid treatment H01L21/67126, H01L21/6715 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67115 mainly by radiation
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/6719 characterized by the construction of the processing chambers, e.g. modular processing chambers
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67207 comprising a chamber adapted to a particular process

Abstract

An apparatus for purging a space in a processing chamber comprises a source of a purge gas; an inlet portion of a purge ring; an inlet baffle located in the inlet portion and fluidically connected to the source of purge gas; and an exhaust portion of the purge ring. The inlet portion and the exhaust portion define a ring hole space having a 360° periphery. The inlet baffle preferably surrounds not less than 180° of said periphery. The inlet baffle is operable to convey purge gas into the ring hole space. The exhaust portion is operable to convey purge gas and other matter out of the ring hole space. Cleaning of the purge ring and other structures in a processing chamber is conducted by flowing a cleaning gas through the inlet baffle. Some embodiments include a gas inlet plenum and an exhaust channel but not a purge ring.

Claims

1. An apparatus for removing chemical species from an integrated circuit wafer, comprising:

a chamber;

a pedestal located in said chamber for holding an integrated circuit wafer; and

a purge ring located in said chamber proximate to said pedestal, said purge ring comprising;

an inlet portion;

an inlet plenum that is located in said inlet portion and that receives gas from a gas source, wherein said gas source at least one of;

generates ozone remotely from said processing chamber; and

generates ozone in said processing chamber by converting oxygen to ozone using ultraviolet (UV) light;

an inlet baffle located in said inlet portion; and

an exhaust portion including an exhaust channel that is located substantially opposite said inlet baffle;

wherein;

said inlet portion and said exhaust portion at least partially define a ring hole space having a periphery;

said inlet baffle conveys gas from said inlet plenum into said ring hole space and comprises a continuous slit that is substantially continuous around a peripheral arc not less than about 270°

;

said exhaust portion conveys gas and other matter out of a purge space; and

said purge ring is operable to inhibit deposition of material evolved from a semiconductor substrate during curing.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a quartz window; and

a UV light source to transmit UV light through said quartz window through said ring hole space toward said pedestal,

wherein said purge ring is located between said quartz window and said pedestal,

wherein said quartz window, said purge ring and said pedestal at least partially define said purge space, and

wherein said purge space includes said ring hole space.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, further comprising:

a ring-window gap between a top surface of said purge ring and said quartz window, wherein said purge space includes said ring-window gap.

4. The apparatus of claim 2, further comprising:

a ring-pedestal gap between a bottom surface of said purge ring and said pedestal, wherein said purge space includes said ring-pedestal gap.

5. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein:

said purge space has a purge space height in a range of about from 35 mm to 60 mM.

6. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein:

said quartz window has a quartz window bottom; and

a distance between said quartz window bottom and said inlet baffle comprises a distance in a range of about from 6 mm to 19 mm.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein a total open flow area of said inlet baffle is not less than about 4 cm².

8. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a gas inlet hole to convey gas into said inlet plenum and having a cross-sectional area not less than about 5 cm².

9. The apparatus of claim 1, comprising:

an exhaust channel opening,

wherein a total cross-sectional area of said exhaust channel opening is not less than about 20 cm².

10. A purge ring for purging and cleaning a wafer processing chamber, comprising:

an inlet portion;

an inlet plenum that is located in said inlet portion and that receives gas from a gas source, wherein said gas source at least one of;

generates ozone remotely from said wafer processing chamber; and

generates ozone in said wafer processing chamber by converting oxygen to ozone using ultraviolet (UV) light;

an inlet baffle located in said inlet portion;

an exhaust portion; and

an exhaust channel located in said exhaust portion substantially opposite said inlet baffle;

wherein;

said inlet portion and said exhaust portion at least partially define a ring hole space having a periphery;

said inlet baffle is operable to convey gas from said inlet plenum into said ring hole space and comprises a continuous slit that is substantially continuous around a peripheral arc not less than about 270°

;

said exhaust portion is operable to convey gas and other matter out of a purge space; and

said purge ring inhibits deposition of material evolved from a semiconductor substrate during curing.

11. The purge ring of claim 10 wherein:

said ring hole has a height in a range of about from 14 mm to 25 mm and an elliptical area in a range of about from 600 cm² to 800 cm²; and

said inlet baffle has an open area in a range of about from 4 cm² to 9 cm².

12. The purge ring of claim 11 wherein:

said inlet plenum has a cross-sectional area not less than about 2.0 cm².

13. The purge ring of claim 10 wherein a total open flow area of said inlet baffle is not less than about 4 cm².

14. The purge ring of claim 10, further comprising:

a gas inlet hole to convey gas into said inlet plenum and having a cross-sectional area not less than about 5 cm².

15. The purge ring of claim 10, comprising:

an exhaust channel opening,

wherein a total cross-sectional area of said exhaust channel opening is not less than about 20 cm².

16. The purge ring of claim 10, wherein:

said inlet portion comprises an inlet ring wall; and

said inlet baffle has a length not less than about one cm through said inlet ring wall between said inlet plenum and said ring hole space.

17. The purge ring of claim 10 wherein:

said inlet baffle comprises substantially no baffle slots.

18. The purge ring of claim 10, further comprising:

an exhaust outlet that is located in said exhaust portion, that conveys gas and other matter out of said exhaust channel and that has a cross-sectional area not less than about 20 cm².