LOADLOCK BATCH OZONE CURE

• US 20120145079A1
• Filed: 06/15/2011
• Published: 06/14/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/16/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Applied Materials Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Applied Materials Incorporated
• Inventors: Lubomirsky, Dmitry, Pinson, Jay D. II, Floyd, Kirby H., Khan, Adib, Venkataraman, Shankar
• Granted Patent: US 8,524,004 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 118/719
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67109 mainly by convection
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67178 vertical arrangement
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/6719 characterized by the construction of the processing chambers, e.g. modular processing chambers
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67757 vertical transfer of a batch of workpieces

Abstract

A substrate processing chamber for processing a plurality of wafers in batch mode. In one embodiment the chamber includes a vertically aligned housing having first and second processing areas separated by an internal divider, the first processing area positioned directly over the second processing area; a multi-zone heater operatively coupled to the housing to heat the first and second processing areas independent of each other; a wafer transport adapted to hold a plurality of wafers within the processing chamber and move vertically between the first and second processing areas; a gas distribution system adapted to introduce ozone into the second area and steam into the first processing area; and a gas exhaust system configured to exhaust gases introduced into the first and second processing areas.

Claims

1. A substrate curing chamber for processing a plurality of wafers in batch mode, the chamber comprising:

a vertically aligned housing having first and second processing areas separated by an internal divider, the first processing area positioned directly over the second processing area;

a multi-zone heater operatively coupled to the housing to heat the first and second processing areas independent of each other;

a wafer transport adapted to hold a plurality of wafers within either the first or second processing area for processing;

a first gas distribution system adapted to introduce a process gas through the first processing area and a second gas distribution system adapted to introduce a process gas through the second processing area;

a gas exhaust system configured to exhaust process gases introduced into the first and second processing areas;

a pedestal, operatively coupled to the wafer transport, to move the wafer transport into an upper position in which the plurality of wafers are positioned in the second processing area and a lower position in which the plurality of wafers are positioned in the first processing area; and

an access door that can be moved between an open position in which wafers can be loaded onto and removed from the wafer transport and a closed sealed position.

2. The substrate curing chamber set forth in claim 1 further comprising a remote plasma system operatively coupled to introduce activated cleaning species into the curing chamber.

3. The substrate curing chamber set forth in claim 1 wherein the pedestal is operatively coupled to rotate the wafer transport during substrate processing.

4. The substrate curing chamber set forth in claim 1 wherein the wafer transport holds a plurality of wafers, each in a successive horizontal position supported on support posts arranged around an outer periphery of the respective wafer.

5. The substrate curing chamber set forth in claim 1 wherein the wafer transport includes top and bottom isolation plates that can be moved in contact with the divider to minimize fluid communication between the first and second processing areas during substrate processing.

6. The substrate curing chamber set forth in claim 1 wherein the first gas distribution system is configured to introduce steam and perform a steam anneal in the first processing area and the second gas distribution is configured to introduce ozone and perform an ozone cure in the second processing area.

7. The substrate curing chamber set forth in claim 1 further comprising one or more dedicated gas inlets to introduce a temperature control gas at a location near a boarder of the first and second processing areas.

8. The substrate curing chamber set forth in claim 1 wherein the wafer transport holds thirty wafers stacked vertically within the transport.

9. The substrate curing chamber set forth in claim 1 wherein the second gas distribution system comprises a plurality of gas inlets arranged around a portion of the inner circumference of the chamber and the gas exhaust system comprises a plurality of gas exhaust outlets arranged around a portion of the inner circumference of the chamber opposite the plurality of gas inlets.

10. The substrate curing chamber set forth in claim 1 wherein the wafer transport holds the plurality of wafers in a plurality of vertically aligned wafer positions within the transport and for each wafer position, the second gas distribution system comprises a plurality of gas inlets arranged around a portion of the inner circumference of the chamber at a location aligned with a corresponding wafer position and the gas exhaust system comprises a plurality of gas exhaust outlets arranged around a portion of the inner circumference of the chamber opposite the plurality of gas inlets aligned with the corresponding wafer position.

11. The substrate curing chamber set forth in claim 1 wherein the access door is operatively coupled to the chamber in the first processing area.

12. A substrate processing chamber for processing a plurality of wafers in batch mode, the chamber comprising:

a vertically aligned housing having first and second processing areas separated by an internal divider, the first processing area positioned directly over the second processing area;

a multi-zone heater operatively coupled to the housing to heat the first and second processing areas independent of each other;

a wafer transport adapted to hold a plurality of wafers within the processing chamber and move vertically between the first and second processing areas;

a gas distribution system adapted to introduce ozone into the second area and steam into the first processing area; and

a gas exhaust system configured to exhaust gases introduced into the first and second processing areas.

13. The substrate processing chamber set forth in claim 12 further comprising an access door operatively coupled to the chamber to allow wafers to be transferred to and from the wafer transport when the transport is positioned in the first processing area.