System and method for rotating and translating a substrate in a process chamber

Abstract

Disclosed herein are systems and methods related to a processing system for moving a semiconductor substrate within a process chamber during processing. The processing system moves the substrate back and forth between two positions in an arcuate motion about a pivot point while rotating the substrate about its own center point.

Description

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0002] This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 62 / 451,499, filed on January 27, 2017, entitled “Systems and Methods for Rotating and Translating a Substrate in a Process Chamber,” and is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Background Art

[0003] IC manufacturing can be performed by applying various materials and selectively removing various materials on a microelectronic substrate. One aspect of the manufacturing process can include exposing the surface of the microelectronic substrate to a cleaning process to remove process residues and / or debris (e.g., particles) from the microelectronic substrate. Various dry cleaning techniques and wet cleaning techniques have been developed to clean microelectronic substrates to improve yield and device performance. However, the increased density of active components (e.g., smaller device features) makes the device more susceptible to physical damage from dynamic cleaning processes and yield loss from smaller particles than in the past. Therefore, it is desirable to be able to remove smaller particles and / or relatively large particles without damaging sensitive structures on the substrate.

[0004] In the past, the typical hardware configuration for low temperature cleaning equipment used a spray bar or nozzle to distribute cleaning chemicals to the substrate. In some previous methods, the substrate was translated under the spray bar or nozzle to maximize the processing coverage, thereby evenly cleaning the substrate in an effective manner. This method leads to a process chamber with an internal volume designed, which can translate the entire substrate under a local process spray or injection member so that the process spray member will pass through the entire diameter of the substrate with a minimum residence time to achieve the desired particle removal efficiency (PRE). For example, the process chamber includes a linear slide table with a sliding rod or a stabilizing rod, which moves the linear slide table of the load through the spray so that the entire substrate will pass through the spray member. These rods have spring-driven seals that are susceptible to seal leakage and cause particle and process problems. The friction surface area of ​​the rod is a potential particle source that needs to be lubricated, which introduces additional pollution and particle problems. In these embodiments, the process chamber is longer than twice the diameter of the substrate to achieve the desired PRE results. However, the size of the linear translation components (e.g., rods) requires a chamber volume that is much larger than the substrate and the friction surface area within the process chamber increases as the size of the substrate diameter increases. Additionally, larger chamber volumes increase costs (e.g., longer pump down times, more chemicals, and larger footprint) without a corresponding increase in process performance.

[0005] Therefore, any improvements to process chamber design that maximize surface treatment coverage, improve particle removal efficiency, reduce process cycle time, reduce chemical costs, and / or reduce equipment costs are desirable. Summary of the invention

[0006] Embodiments of systems and methods for processing substrates in a process chamber are described herein to eliminate the need for a linear translation rod with a sliding seal and minimize the overall mobile coverage area when processing the entire substrate. The mobile coverage area is the maximum amount of two-dimensional area covered by the movement of the substrate during processing. Minimizing the mobile coverage area is achieved by a substrate handling mechanism that does not require linear translation of the substrate. In general, the handling mechanism integrates two simultaneous radial movements of the substrate to minimize 2D movement while fully exposing the substrate to cleaning chemicals to achieve the desired PRE. The rotation center of the handling mechanism is located at opposite ends of the swing arm. The first end of the swing arm includes a pivot point (e.g., a first rotation center), and the opposite end of the swing arm includes a substrate holder that fixes the substrate to the swing arm. The substrate holder includes a rotating mechanism (e.g., a second rotation center) that enables the substrate to rotate around its own center point. The substrate handling system is designed to position the front of the substrate below the chemical dispensing point, rotate the substrate around its own center point, and move the rotating substrate in an arc motion around the pivot point.

[0007] The system described herein can provide several advantages over linear motion systems used in previous approaches. For example, minimizing horizontal movement can achieve a smaller 2D footprint of the process chamber, which can allow more chambers to be added to a single mainframe and / or reduce the size of the mainframe. The smaller travel distance enables cleaner wiring management by shortening the length of the wires and eliminates the need for electronic chain cable management hardware for achieving longer translational movements. In addition, the disclosed system design enables the use of simpler rotary feedthrough technology - including ferrofluid seals or rotary sliding seals - to reduce the number and size of potential particle sources in the process chamber. The smaller robot footprint reduces the friction surface area within the vacuum chamber, and potential particle sources (e.g., moving parts, seals, etc.) can be placed closer to the vacuum port to remove particles before they reach the substrate.

[0008] The system can be used to process semiconductor substrates for building electrical devices for any purpose or application. The system can include a process chamber having an internal volume capable of being maintained at a pressure below atmospheric pressure while processing or moving a substrate within the internal volume. In one example, the system can be configured with a fluid nozzle designed to dispense a fluid or gas during processing and can be arranged opposite or above a substrate fixed to the system. The system includes a pivoting component, which includes a swing arm, one end of which is provided with a substrate holder and an opposite end is provided with a pivot point. The pivoting component includes a stepper motor coupled to the pivot point and causes the swing arm to rotate between two positions not more than 145° apart in an arc motion around the pivot point. In conjunction with the pivoting motion, the substrate holder includes a rotation system that rotates the substrate around its own center point. The system can include a swing arm that ensures that the pivot point is horizontally offset from any length of the substrate center point, because a vertical line perpendicular to the substrate surface cannot be drawn through the pivot point and the substrate center point. The pivoting assembly may include a combination of elements inside the chamber (eg, a substrate holder or chuck, etc.) and elements outside the chamber (eg, a rotation / swing motor, etc.) to enable movement of the substrate within the process chamber.

[0009] In one embodiment, the pivoting member is configured to move the swing arm back and forth around the pivot point so that the opposite ends of the swing arm rotate the substrate between two radial positions less than 145° measured from the pivot point in an arc motion. The support member may include a support surface for a microelectronic substrate, which fixes the microelectronic substrate to the support member. In a specific embodiment, a substrate rotation member may be coupled to the support surface, the substrate rotation member enabling the support surface to rotate around the center point of the support surface. In this case, the center point deviates horizontally, vertically and / or radially from the pivot point of the swing arm so that the center of rotation of the substrate is different from the center of rotation of the swing arm. Substrate rotation can be achieved by a stepper motor or a magnetic levitation motor disposed in the substrate support member or the swing arm. In a specific embodiment, the swing arm can be coupled to a rotary motor via a pivot rod (e.g., a shaft, a tube, etc.), which enables the swing arm to be offset relative to the motor, so that the rotary motor can be disposed outside the internal volume. In another embodiment, the pivoting member can be configured to swing the swing arm between at least two positions about the pivot point to maximize processing fluid coverage on the substrate based at least in part on the relative position of the fluid nozzle relative to the substrate and / or the diameter of the substrate.

[0010] In one embodiment, a processing method using a pivoting member may include: using a swing arm rotation motor to position the swing arm to a loading / unloading position in a process chamber. The substrate processor places a microelectronic substrate on a rotating member (e.g., a support surface) coupled to the swing arm. After the substrate is fixed to the swing arm by any mechanical or electrical device, the swing arm can be positioned to an initial starting position below or near a nozzle disposed in the process chamber. In a specific embodiment, the substrate is positioned to avoid any surface area of ​​the substrate being directly below the nozzle before dispensing the processing fluid. Once in place, the substrate can begin to rotate around its center point at a predetermined radial speed. Similarly, before the process gas flows through the fluid nozzle into the process chamber, the system controller will confirm that any other predetermined method conditions (e.g., chamber pressure, process gas temperature, inlet pressure, or a combination thereof) are met. In this embodiment, the system controller will instruct the pivoting member to pivot the swing arm between two or more positions in the process chamber in an arc motion around the pivot point at a predetermined time and angular velocity. In most substrate cleaning embodiments, the rotation angle between the two or more positions will be less than 360°, and typically less than 145°.

[0011] The systems and methods disclosed herein can be applied to any semiconductor device manufacturing operation that would benefit from improved movement efficiency and a smaller chamber footprint or tool footprint. The scope of the present disclosure is not limited to subatmospheric processing applications, and the subatmospheric embodiments disclosed herein are for exemplary and illustrative purposes only. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0012] The accompanying drawings included in and constituting a part of this specification illustrate embodiments of the present invention and are used to explain the present invention together with the general description of the present invention given above and the detailed description given below. In addition, the leftmost digit of a reference number identifies the figure in which the reference number first appears.

[0013] Figure 1 Included are schematic diagrams of a cleaning system according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure and cross-sectional views of a process chamber of the cleaning system.

[0014] Figure 2 A cross-sectional side view of another treatment system embodiment including use of a cleaning system according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0015] Figure 3 A top view of a processing system including at least one embodiment according to the present disclosure.

[0016] Figure 4 Included is a flow chart of an exemplary method of using a cleaning system in accordance with at least one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0017] Figure 5 A top view of another processing system embodiment including at least one embodiment in accordance with the present disclosure.

[0018] Figure 6 A top view of the movement of a swing arm within a processing system including at least one embodiment according to the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0019] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of an exemplary processing system for processing a microelectronic substrate by moving the substrate relative to a distribution source in a unique manner within a chamber is included. In particular, in embodiments relating to a single distribution source with a concentrated fluid flow, the concentrated fluid flow is capable of processing discrete portions of the substrate so that moving the substrate improves wafer processing results. However, the processing system is not limited to single distribution source processing and can be used with multi-source distribution processing to achieve more uniform chemical processing (e.g., cleaning, deposition, etching, etc.). For exemplary and illustrative purposes, the processing system is described as a low temperature cleaning system, but it is not intended to limit the scope of the claims to cleaning embodiments. For example, the systems and methods disclosed herein can be applied to deposition, etching, tracking, metrology, patterning, or any other processing technology used to manufacture electronic devices.

[0020] In summary, the substrate handling system disclosed herein includes a nested rotating mechanism having two simultaneously rotating components to move a substrate within a chemical processing environment. The mechanism includes a pivot arm that swings back and forth around a pivot point located at one end of the pivot arm. Disposed at the opposite end of the pivot point is a substrate support component that can hold the substrate and rotate the substrate around its center point. The combination of pivoting and rotating motion enables the widest surface exposure to be achieved within a relatively small surface area. Therefore, the smaller surface area also minimizes the process chamber footprint and volume, which, in addition to process benefits, can improve cycle time, chemical costs, and host footprint.

[0021] Go to Figure 1, a processing system is shown as a cleaning system 100 that is capable of cleaning particles, contaminants, or films from a microelectronic substrate 102 using a cryogenically cooled fluid. A process chamber 106 may be configured to receive a pressurized fluid from one or more fluid sources 108, wherein the pressurized fluid is cooled by a fluid cooling system or cryogenic cooling system 110 (e.g., liquid nitrogen) before flowing or expanding through a nozzle 112 into an interior volume 114, which is maintained at a relatively low pressure by a vacuum system 136 coupled to the process chamber 106. The cryogenically cooled fluid may be directed toward a substrate 102 that is secured to a processing system 104 disposed in the process chamber 106, as shown in a cross-sectional side view 108. In one embodiment, a gas line for the cooling fluid is insulated to minimize temperature variations and prevent condensation.

[0022] In this embodiment, a single nozzle 112 is used to distribute the processing fluid into the internal volume. In some cases, the size difference between the outlet diameter of the nozzle and the diameter of the substrate may be very large (e.g., >50x). Therefore, in some cases, the distributed fluid may only be able to clean a relatively small area compared to the size of the substrate 102. In the past, this problem was solved by linearly translating and rotating the substrate 102 under the nozzle 102. However, processing the substrate 102 in this way requires translating the substrate for a long distance (e.g., at least 2 times the diameter) to process the entire substrate 102 and maintain the desired PRE. The travel distance stipulates an internal volume 114 of sufficient size to move the substrate without contacting the side walls of the process chamber 106. The travel distance and chamber volume may adversely affect the processing process cycle time because more time is required to travel a larger distance and pump / clear a larger volume. Therefore, reducing the travel distance and the volume of the process chamber 108 can beneficially affect the cycle time and make the cleaning system 100 more cost-effective for operation.

[0023] Disclosed herein is a processing system 104 that is intended to reduce the horizontal or 2D travel distance of a substrate, which achieves a reduction in the internal volume 114. The distance advantage and volume advantage of the processing system 104 are achieved by a mechanism that is capable of rotating the substrate 104 back and forth in an arcuate motion around a pivot point under the nozzle 112 while rotating the substrate 102 around its own center point. The nozzle 112 can be positioned to avoid passing over the center point of the substrate during processing.

[0024] The processing system 104 achieves a combination of two radial movements of the substrate 102 by using a swing arm 118 fixed at one end to a pivot rod 120 and at an opposite end to a substrate support member 122. The pivot rod 120 rotates back and forth no more than 145° so that the distal end of the swing arm 118 moves along an arc formed by the radius of the swing arm 118 and the rotation angle of the pivot rod 120. In this way, during processing, when viewed from above or from the nozzle 112, the substrate 102 appears to pivot about the pivot rod 120 in an arcuate motion. This pivoting motion is determined by the rotation angle of the pivot rod 122. Figure 1 The pivot arrow 134 shown in FIG. 1 is indicated by the pivot rod 120 being the first center of rotation of the handling system 104 .

[0025] The second rotation center of the processing system is located at the center of the substrate support member 122 configured to fix the substrate 102 using mechanical and / or electrical means. The substrate support member is configured to allow the substrate 102 to rotate around its own center point. In this case, the rotation system 124 is coupled to the support member 122 and can be as Figure 1 The substrate 102 is rotated as indicated by the rotation arrow 130 shown in the figure. The rotation speed of the substrate and the angular velocity of the swing arm and other operations of the cleaning system 100 can be controlled via a controller 116 capable of executing instructions stored in a memory 118 and executed on a computer processor 120 to implement any processing technology within the process chamber 106.

[0026] A person of ordinary skill in the semiconductor processing arts can configure the cleaning system 100 (e.g., fluid source 108, cryogenic cooling system 110, vacuum system 136, controller and its corresponding subcomponents (not shown, such as sensors, etc.)) to implement any process performed in process chamber 106.

[0027] exist Figure 1 In the embodiment of the present invention, the rotating system 124 is shown as being embedded in the swing arm 118 to minimize contamination from the moving parts of the rotating system 124. However, in other embodiments, the rotating device can be coupled to the back side of the swing arm 118, such as Figure 2 As shown, or integrated into the substrate support member 122 on the front side of the swing arm 118. The front side of the swing arm is opposite to the nozzle, and the rear side of the swing arm 118 is opposite to its front side.

[0028] Figure 2 Shows Figure 1 A cross-sectional side view of an exemplary embodiment of the process chamber 106 and the treatment system 104 is shown in FIG. Figure 2 Implementation methods shared and used for operation Figure 1 For example, the operating components (e.g., controller 116, etc.) outside of process chamber 106 are applicable to Figure 2 The pivot system 200 shown in FIG. Figure 1 Some internal components of the pivot system 200 may be used or operated in a manner similar to that described in the above. For example, common internal components may include, but are not limited to, the nozzle 112 and the internal volume 114. In addition, the pivot system 200 may be implemented in a similar manner. Figure 1 Similarly, the concepts and components of the pivot system 200 can also be applied to Figure 1 The cleaning system 100 and / or the process chamber 106 may be configured to:

[0029] exist Figure 2 , the pivot system includes a sidewall 202 of the process chamber 106, which surrounds the interior volume 114 to help achieve subatmospheric processing of the cleaning system 100. The sidewall 202 surrounds a portion of the pivot system 200 within the interior volume 114 and is configured with a vacuum-tight penetration 204 to connect the interior portion with the exterior portion. The penetration 204 can be a rotary sliding seal or a ferrofluid seal to allow the exterior portion of the pivot component 200 (e.g., a motor) to be exposed to atmospheric conditions while enabling the interior portion of the pivot component 200 to operate in a subatmospheric environment. The sidewall 202 can include other additional vacuum-tight inlets and vacuum-tight outlets to dispense chemicals into the interior volume 114 or exhaust these chemicals during processing. For example, the nozzle 112 is coupled to the fluid source 108 and a gas distribution network that delivers the processing chemicals to the process chamber 106. A gas line connected to the nozzle 112 or the nozzle 112 itself may be disposed within the side wall 202 while enabling a vacuum tight seal to be maintained within the interior volume 114. A vacuum port 206 disposed within the side wall 202 is connected to the vacuum system 136 to exhaust fluid dispensed into the interior volume 114. Figure 2 In an embodiment, the vacuum port 206 is disposed below the substrate 102 to more likely remove particles generated by the pivot system 200 before they can impact the substrate 102. Additionally, placing the vacuum port 206 below or opposite the arcuate motion of the substrate can improve fluid flow uniformity across the substrate 102, which can provide more uniform PRE results. In a particular embodiment, the vacuum port 206 can be disposed on the lower or bottom sidewall 202, at the midpoint of the arcuate travel path of the substrate achieved by the pivot member 208 of the pivot system 200.

[0030] In summary, the pivoting member 208 fixes the substrate 102 before processing, and then moves the substrate 102 back and forth in a radial arc motion under the nozzle 112 while rotating the substrate 102 around its own center point. The pivoting member 208 and the nozzle 112 can be positioned to accommodate the desired processing results. For example, in one embodiment, the nozzle 112 and the pivoting member 208 are positioned relative to each other so that the nozzle 112 passes over the center point of the substrate at the midpoint of the arc motion performed by the pivoting member 208. However, in other embodiments, the nozzle 112 can be laterally offset relative to the center point of the arc motion so that the nozzle 112 avoids passing over the entire diameter of the substrate 102. In this way, the horizontal travel distance of the substrate during processing can be minimized and a smaller internal volume 114 can be achieved for the pivoting member 208. However, the position of the nozzle 112 can vary depending on the desired performance of the cleaning system 100 or other applications. For example, the placement of the nozzle 112 relative to the pivoting member 208 can be balanced with the process capabilities and cost of ownership (e.g., cycle time, chemical consumption, coverage area, etc.) of the processing. In some cases, processing applications may benefit from the nozzle 112 traversing the entire substrate 102 diameter, but in other processing applications, the cost benefits of a smaller interior volume 114 and shorter horizontal or lateral travel distances may not adversely affect processing results.

[0031] exist Figure 2 In the embodiment of the present invention, the substrate 102 is fixed to the pivot member 208 via a substrate support member 210 disposed on one end of a swing arm 118, and the swing arm 118 is coupled to the pivot rod 120 at the opposite end of the swing arm 118. The arc movement of the substrate 102 is driven by a swing member 212, which is coupled to the distal end of the pivot rod 120 and causes the pivot rod 120 to swing back and forth between at least two positions less than 145 degrees apart. In addition, a substrate rotation member 214 coupled to the back side of the swing arm 118 and / or the substrate support member 210 drives the substrate 102 to rotate 360 ​​degrees around its own center point.

[0032] The substrate support component 210 may include a chuck or support surface to secure the substrate 102 to prevent any uncontrolled movement during processing. The chuck may use any mechanical, electrical, and / or pneumatic means to clamp or secure the substrate 102 to the chuck. The chuck should be able to secure the chuck during the rotation of the swing arm 118 and the substrate 102.

[0033] In one embodiment, the substrate rotating component 218 can be coupled to the back side of the swing arm 118 and / or the substrate support component 210. The rotating component 218 can include a stepper motor with a rotating drive shaft, using a rotating bearing mechanism to rotate the chuck or support surface so that the substrate chuck or support surface can rotate around its own center point. The stepper motor is electrically coupled to the controller 116, which can adjust the rotation speed as needed.

[0034] In another embodiment, the rotating component 218 may include a magnetic suspension system (not shown) that can be magnetically coupled to the substrate chuck or surface support. The suspension system may include magnetic radial bearings to magnetically control the movement of the substrate chuck in the horizontal, vertical, and radial directions. For example, each direction of movement is independently controlled by a corresponding set of magnets to lift, stabilize, and rotate the substrate chuck. Each set is designated to control a specific direction of movement and is adjusted via the controller 116 to rotate the substrate chuck without physical contact with any other component of the pivot system 200.

[0035] In another embodiment, the substrate chuck or support surface may include a heating element (not shown) to heat the substrate 102 during the cryogenic cooling process. The heating may be used to prevent warping of the substrate 102 caused by the cooling process fluid, which may generate a temperature gradient within the substrate 102. In some cases, the temperature gradient is large enough to induce sufficient stress to cause deformation of the substrate 102. In some embodiments, heating the substrate 102 may improve process performance, such as removing particles during a cleaning process, preventing reattachment of particles, removing material during an etching process, or depositing material during a deposition process. In one embodiment, the heating element may include a resistive element coupled to the swing arm 118 and positioned proximate to a rotating portion of the substrate chuck, but not in physical contact with any rotating portion of the substrate chuck.

[0036] like Figure 2As shown, the substrate support member 210 is coupled to one end of the swing arm 118, and the pivot rod 120 is coupled to the opposite end of the swing arm 118. The swing arm 118 and the pivot rod 120 form a simple mechanism driven by the swing member 212 to move the substrate 102 through a predetermined motion within the interior volume 114. The connection of the swing arm 118 and the pivot rod 120 forms a pivot point about which the substrate 102 rotates between two positions within the interior volume 114. In this embodiment, the two positions are selected to allow the nozzle 112 to pass over the substrate 102 without passing over the center point of the substrate. Therefore, the length of the swing arm depends on the diameter of the substrate 102 and the position of the nozzle 112 within the interior volume 114. Generally, the arm radius of the swing arm 118 should be greater or less than the horizontal distance between the pivot point and the nozzle 112 to prevent the nozzle 112 from passing over the center point of the substrate during processing. The length of the pivot rod 120 depends on the position of the rocker member 212 and any desired clearance between the nozzle 112 and the substrate 102 .

[0037] In one embodiment, the swing arm 118 and the pivot rod 120 are formed with an internal volume to allow electrical or pneumatic lines to reach the substrate chuck. The electrical and pneumatic lines can be used to control the rotation and clamping of the substrate 102 to the substrate chuck. The swing arm 118 and the pivot rod 120 can be made of any suitable material: the strength and composition of the material can withstand any force applied to the material, appropriately resist any chemical reaction with the process fluid introduced into the internal volume 114, and prevent the process fluid from reaching its internal volume.

[0038] The swing member 212 may be any suitable electrical / mechanical device capable of reliably rotating the pivot rod 120 in a back-and-forth motion of less than 145°. For example, a stepper motor with suitable torque and response allows the substrate 102 to move along the arc path of the free end of the swing arm 118 at an angular velocity of up to 50° / s. Figure 3 A top view of the pivoting system from section line AA-AA is shown during various stages of the process.

[0039] Figure 3 is an exemplary embodiment of a pivot system 200, which shows how Figure 2 A top view of the pivot member 208 in various positions during processing in the interior volume 114 as viewed along line AA-AA in FIG. Figure 3 1, the pivot assembly 208 is shown as a swing arm 118, a pivot rod 120, and a substrate support assembly 210 having a substrate 102. The pivot assembly 208 is disposed within the process chamber 106 represented by the sidewall 202 and the transfer door 300, which is an opening for moving the substrate 102 into and out of the process chamber 106. Figure 2The transfer door 300 uses electrical / mechanical / pneumatic actuators to open and close the transfer door 300 to create an opening in the sidewall 202 that allows the substrate 102 to be moved into or out of the process chamber 106. When the pivot member 208 is in the loading position 302, a transfer mechanism (not shown) picks up the substrate 102 and places the substrate 102 on and off the substrate support member 210. Typically, the loading position 302 is close to the transfer door to minimize the travel distance of the transfer mechanism into the interior volume, but the process chamber 108 does not require a designated loading position 302 to be separate from the processing position, and for ease of illustration, the illustration of possible positions within the process chamber 106 is shown in this manner only.

[0040] In one embodiment, prior to commencing processing, the pivot member 208 may be moved from the loading position 302 to a first position (e.g., a starting position) 304. In this case, the nozzle 112 is positioned just off the edge of the substrate 102 prior to dispensing the processing fluid within the interior volume 114. The substrate support member 210 may begin rotating the substrate 102 prior to dispensing the processing fluid from the nozzle 112. Once the flow of the processing fluid and the process pressure are stabilized, the pivot member 208 rotates the swing arm 118 to a second position 306 that places a portion of the substrate 102 directly under the nozzle 112. The pivot member 208 will pivot back and forth between the first position 304 and the second position 306 for a desired amount of predetermined time throughout processing and may stop at either the first position 304 or the second position 306. Throughout processing, the substrate 102 will move in an arcuate motion 308 about a pivot point (e.g., a pivot rod 120). After fluid dispensing is complete, the substrate 102 will stop rotating and the swing arm 118 will move to the loading position 302 to make the substrate 102 available for pickup by the transport mechanism.

[0041] Figure 4 A flow chart 400 is included for a method for processing a substrate using the pivot system 200. The methods disclosed herein may be implemented on the pivot component 208 using the controller 116 executing computer processor executable instructions stored in a non-transitory medium (e.g., a memory) that direct the substrate 102 movement and cleaning system 100 components to achieve processing conditions on the substrate 102. The order of the method steps is exemplary, and the steps may be completed in various orders unless otherwise indicated.

[0042] At block 402, the pivot member 208 will position the swing arm 118 to the loading position 302 to receive a microelectronic substrate within the process chamber 106 (eg, a handling chamber). A transfer robot will move the substrate 102 through a transfer gate.

[0043] At block 404, the transfer robot places the microelectronic substrate 102 on a rotating member (eg, substrate support member 210) coupled to the swing arm 118. The rotating member will secure the microelectronic substrate 102 to the pivot member 208 using any electrical, mechanical, and / or pneumatic means.

[0044] At block 406, the pivot member 208 positions the microelectronic substrate 102 below or opposite a cryogenic nozzle disposed within the processing chamber. For example, the substrate 102 may be placed in the first position 304 or the second position 306 in preparation for processing.

[0045] At block 408, the pivoting member begins to rotate the microelectronic substrate 102 around the center point of the microelectronic substrate 102. The substrate support member 210 may rotate the substrate at a rotational speed of 10 rpm to 300 rpm depending on the processing requirements. The controller 116 may include a pivoting speed member, which may include hardware, firmware, software, or a combination thereof, to adjust the angular velocity to change the residence time of the nozzle 112 on the substrate 102. For example, the controller 116 may execute instructions to change the angular velocity based at least in part on the relative positioning of the fluid nozzle 112 relative to the center point of the microelectronic substrate 102. For example, when the fluid nozzle 112 is within a certain distance from the center point, the angular velocity of the swing arm 118 may be faster, and when the fluid nozzle 112 is further away from the center point, the angular velocity of the swing arm 118 will slow down. In another embodiment, the angular velocity will increase or decrease depending on the position of the nozzle 112 relative to the center point of the substrate or the edge of the substrate 102. The residence time of the nozzle 112 at a particular position may vary based on the speed of the substrate 102. As the nozzle 102 moves away from the center of the substrate, the speed of the substrate 102 will increase, resulting in a corresponding decrease in the residence time. This means that the treatment is unevenly distributed on the substrate 102, because the area closer to the center will have a higher residence time than the area closer to the edge of the substrate. This change will produce uneven treatment results, so that some areas are over-cleaned or under-cleaned according to the relative position relative to the center of the substrate 102. Therefore, as the nozzle 112 moves toward the center of the substrate or becomes closer to the center of the substrate, the angular velocity can be increased to stabilize the residence time across the substrate 102, that is, the amount of time on the positioning. For example, when the substrate is converted between the first position 304 and the second position 306, the angular velocity can be converted between 50rpm and 12Grpm in a nonlinear manner. In other embodiments, the angular velocity can be based at least in part on the relative position of the nozzle 112 and the rotation speed of the support member 210 when it is converted between the first position 304 and the second position 306.

[0046] At block 410, in one embodiment, the controller 116 may instruct the cleaning system 100 to flow the treatment chemical into the interior volume and expose the microelectronic substrate 102 to the treatment chemical. In this case, the chemical exposure may begin before the nozzle 112 outlet is immediately above the substrate 102, so that the initial flow is directed toward the opposing sidewall 202, rather than the substrate 102. However, in this embodiment, the substrate 102 is considered to be exposed to the treatment chemical when the treatment chemical is dispensed into the interior volume 114.

[0047] In a specific embodiment, the process can include nitrogen, argon, or a combination of both, dispensed from the nozzle 112 at a temperature between 70K and 270K and at a pressure that prevents the formation of liquid in the process fluid. One of ordinary skill in the art will be able to select an appropriate combination of temperature and pressure using a phase diagram or any other known phase diagram literature that can be used for a single substance or a mixture of substances. In many embodiments, the pressure of the process chamber 106 can be maintained at less than 100 Torr.

[0048] At block 412, after the controller 116 has confirmed that the process conditions (e.g., pressure, flow, substrate rotation) are within desired limits, the pivot member 208 may begin to pivot the swing arm 118 back and forth about the pivot point (e.g., pivot rod 120). In most cases, the rotation angle of the swing arm as measured from the pivot point will be less than 360° to achieve the cost advantage of having a smaller internal volume 114 than the prior art. In most embodiments, the controller 116 limits the rotation angle between the first position 304 and the second position 306 to less than 145°. Based on the rotation angle limit, the center point of the substrate will travel along an arc about the pivot point. In addition, the controller 116 may limit the angular velocity of the swing arm 118 to between 5 radians per second and 50 radians per second as it swings between the first position 304 and the second position 308.

[0049] In some embodiments, the controller 116 may execute instructions to change the rotation speed based at least in part on the relative position of the fluid nozzle 112 relative to the center point of the microelectronic substrate 102. For example, when the fluid nozzle 112 is within a certain distance from the center point, the rotation speed may be faster, and when the fluid nozzle 112 is further away from the center point, the speed will slow down. In another embodiment, the rotation speed will increase or decrease depending on the position of the nozzle 112 relative to the center point of the substrate or the edge of the substrate 102. The residence time of the nozzle 112 at a particular location may vary based on the speed of the substrate 102. As the nozzle 102 moves away from the center of the substrate, the speed of the substrate 102 will increase, resulting in a corresponding decrease in the residence time. This means that the processing is unevenly distributed on the substrate 102, because areas closer to the center will have higher residence times than areas closer to the edge of the substrate. This variation will produce uneven processing results, causing some areas to be over-cleaned or under-cleaned depending on the relative position relative to the center of the substrate 102. Thus, as the nozzle 112 moves toward or becomes closer to the center of the substrate, the rotational speed may be increased to stabilize the dwell time, i.e., the amount of time in position, across the substrate 102 to control processing uniformity across the substrate 102. For example, the rotational speed may be switched between 50 rpm and 120 rpm in a non-linear manner as the substrate transitions between the first position 304 and the second position 306. In other embodiments, the rotational speed may be based at least in part on the relative position of the nozzle 112 and the angular velocity of the swing arm 118 as it transitions between the first position 304 and the second position 306.

[0050] The controller 116 can control the angular velocity of the swing arm and the substrate 102 rotation speed for a predetermined amount of time stored in the memory 118. At the end of the chemical treatment, the controller will stop rotating the swing arm 118 and the substrate 102, and then instruct the swing arm 118 to return to the loading position 302 so that the transfer robot can pick up the substrate 102 and remove the substrate from the process chamber 106.

[0051] Figure 5 5 includes a top view of a processing system 500 and is another embodiment of a processing system 104 and a process chamber 106. Figure 5In an embodiment, the processing system 104 can include a pivot arm 502 or a swing arm platform that pivots around a fixed point 504 (e.g., a pivot point). The pivot point can be located at one end of the pivot arm 504, and the pivot point can be fixed to a mechanism that moves the pivot arm 504 between a first position and a second position within the processing system 500. The movement of the pivot arm 502 can swing between the first position and the second position so that the pivot arm 502 rotates less than 360 degrees around the pivot point 506. In a specific embodiment, the pivot angle between the first position and the second position will be on an arc less than or equal to 145 degrees. In some cases, the placement of the nozzle 112 can limit the fluid coverage of the microelectronic substrate 102, which can be enhanced by adding a rotating platform 508 at the far end of the pivot arm 502 opposite the pivot point. In this embodiment, the pivot arm can translate between a first position and a second position as the microelectronic substrate 102 rotates beneath the nozzle 112 for forming a cryogenic aerosol or GCJ spray or other process chemical. In this manner, translation and rotation expose different portions of the microelectronic substrate 102 and increase the surface area coverage of the cryogenic aerosol or GCJ spray while minimizing the size of the chamber used for the cleaning process.

[0052] In one embodiment, the rotation mechanism 508 can be incorporated into the pivot arm 502 or coupled to the pivot arm to achieve a 360 degree rotation of the microelectronic substrate 102 while the pivot arm 502 moves between the first position and the second position during processing. The rotation mechanism 508 can include a surface support area to hold the microelectronic substrate during processing. The surface support area can also include a heating element to counteract the surface cooling caused by the cryogenic aerosol or GCJ spray to enhance the cleaning process, prevent the removed particles from being re-deposited onto the cleaned surface, and also prevent condensation within the process chamber (e.g., the microelectronic substrate 102 or the nozzle 112).

[0053] In another embodiment, the movement of the pivot arm 502 may be driven by a stepper motor, such as Figure 1 As shown, the pivot arm swings back and forth to drive the microelectronic substrate 102 in an arc motion around the pivot point. The stepper motor can be located outside the process chamber and is coupled to a hollow shaft extending into the process chamber 106. The hollow shaft marks the pivot point 506 of the pivot arm 502 coupled to the hollow shaft. The hollow shaft is coupled to a ferrofluid sealed rotary feedthrough device, which has a mechanical bearing on the atmospheric pressure side of the ferrofluid seal to vertically support the shaft. The ferrofluid feedthrough assembly is then bolted and sealed to the bottom of the chamber using a flange and an O-ring. The hollow shaft can be used to transport wiring from the outside of the process chamber to a rotating mechanism 508 disposed on the pivot arm 502. The wiring will be isolated from the process gas by the hollow shaft and the pivot arm 502.

[0054] like Figure 1 In the embodiment shown, the pivot arm 502 may extend beyond the diameter of the microelectronic substrate 102 to allow the pivot point 506 to be placed away from the microelectronic substrate surface to minimize contamination caused by friction as the pivot arm 502 pivots between the first and second positions.

[0055] One purpose of the arc motion system is to enable cryogenic aerosol or GCJ spray to cover or process as much surface area (if not all) of the microelectronic substrate of the microelectronic device. The cryogenic aerosol or GCJ spray expands into the process chamber, entering the low pressure environment from the high pressure environment. Therefore, the cryogenic aerosol or GCJ spray extends or covers a wide area (e.g., 100mm to 150mm) compared with the nozzle diameter (e.g., <5mm), which means that the nozzle does not have to stay in the immediate upper part of the entire surface area to effectively process the microelectronic substrate. For example, the position of the nozzle 112 and the arc system motion can be optimized to minimize the translational motion or arc motion and realize the surface coverage of the cryogenic aerosol or GCJ treatment on the entire surface of the microelectronic substrate 102. In one embodiment, the nozzle 112 can be maintained at a fixed position, but the nozzle does not need to be stationary, and the microelectronic substrate is translated in an arc motion below the nozzle. In combination with the arc motion, the microelectronic substrate 102 can also rotate around the center point of the substrate. The arc motion and the rotation speed can be optimized to provide a residence time based at least in part on the particle removal efficiency of the cryogenic aerosol or GCJ spray. The dwell time can vary based on the surface conditions of the microelectronic substrate (e.g., film type, film pattern, particle size, etc.). In general, the angular velocity of the pivot arm will vary between 5 radians per second and 50 radians per second, and the rotational speed of the substrate support can vary between 10 RPM and 300 RPM. As described above, the arcuate movement can sweep up to 145 degrees around the pivot point.

[0056] In a specific embodiment, cryogenic aerosol or GCJ spraying can be started from a nozzle a few degrees from the edge of the microelectronic substrate. The arc movement of microelectronic substrate 102 can be started by positioning the nozzle above the microelectronic substrate at a radius relative to the center of the microelectronic substrate, and the radius is less than the diameter of the microelectronic substrate (for example, 115mm from the center of the microelectronic substrate of 300mm in diameter). By allowing process chemicals to flow toward the microelectronic substrate through the nozzle, cryogenic aerosol or GCJ spraying can be opened. In some cases, before starting to move in an arc around a pivot point, cryogenic aerosol or GCJ spraying can be allowed to be stabilized at the radius. In some embodiments, the microelectronic substrate can start to rotate around its center point before or after the start of the arc movement.

[0057] During processing, the microelectronic substrate 102 can be moved through one or more movement profiles designed to maximize process coverage on the microelectronic substrate. The movement profile can change the positioning, velocity, and dwell time of the microelectronic substrate relative to the nozzle 112.

[0058] In one embodiment, the moving profile may include a nozzle 112 that crosses the microelectronic substrate 102, and may stop when not reaching the middle of the microelectronic substrate, and the microelectronic substrate may also rotate around its center point to increase the surface area coverage of the cryogenic aerosol dispensed from the nozzle. Alternatively, the microelectronic substrate 102 may stop in the middle and pivot back to the starting position to process the microelectronic substrate 102 for the second time. However, the method does not require the microelectronic substrate 102 to return to its starting position accurately. For example, the nozzle may cross the middle and stop at a radius closer to the opposite side of the microelectronic substrate than the starting position. In addition, the cleaning process can be improved by the following operation: stop at a radius closer to the opposite side of the microelectronic substrate and return in an arc motion around the pivot point 506 in the opposite direction. Any of these moving profiles can be used to clean the entire surface of the microelectronic substrate 102 according to the effective size of the cleaning area from the nozzle.

[0059] Since the circumference of the effective cleaning circle is larger when the nozzle 112 is close to the edge of the substrate 102 and the substrate 102 is rotating, in order to obtain the same effective residence time under the cleaning spray, the nozzle must be located above the area for a longer time than when the nozzle is closer to the center of the substrate 102, wherein the circumference of the effective cleaning circle is shorter when the nozzle is closer to the center of the substrate 102. Therefore, the angular velocity of the pivot arm 502 can be changed to address this problem. In a specific embodiment, the angular velocity of the pivot arm can be optimized to move the microelectronic substrate faster when the nozzle is closer to the center of the microelectronic substrate 102, thereby providing a substantially uniform exposure time for the cryogenic mist or GCJ spray. Moreover, since the cryogenic mist is very cold, this variable angular velocity is used to prevent excessive temperature gradients across the microelectronic substrate 102, which can cause warping and process performance issues of the substrate.

[0060] like Figure 5 As shown, the pivot point 506 can be close to the vacuum exhaust port 510 to minimize the possibility of particles generated by the pivoting arm reaching the microelectronic substrate 102. The proximity of the pivot point 506 to the vacuum exhaust port 510 can reduce contamination by using gas injected into the chamber upstream of the pivot point to draw particles to the vacuum port. Ideally, the gas flow will prevent particles generated by the pivoting movement from reaching the microelectronic substrate 102.

[0061] The pivotal movement of the pivot arm 502 is illustrated by the double-headed arrow, illustrating one embodiment of the movement between the first position and the second position described above. For purposes of explanation and not limitation, the pivot arm 502 is illustrated as being triangular in shape. The triangular shape is intended to highlight the pivoting or rocking motion about the pivot point. The design of the pivot arm 502 may vary based at least in part on gas flow, vacuum port positioning, and / or process conditions, which enables optimal particle removal efficiency during processing. The pivot arm 502 design may include, but is not limited to, a square design, a rectangular design, or a circular design. Figure 5 In an embodiment of the present invention, the substrate support member can be incorporated into the pivot arm. The substrate support member can secure the microelectronic substrate while the pivot arm moves during processing and while the substrate support member simultaneously rotates the microelectronic substrate. In this manner, the surface area of ​​the microelectronic substrate exposed to the nozzle during processing is maximized. Therefore, the length of the pivot arm and the positioning of the first and second positions of the pivot arm can be optimized to achieve surface area coverage of the cleaning process chemical to maximize particle removal efficiency.

[0062] Figure 6 A top view of a movement diagram 600 including a support arm 602 is shown illustrating the movement of the swing arm 118 and the pivot arm 502 within their respective processing systems. Figure 6 An example of how embodiments disclosed herein may pivot between a first position and a second position within a chamber during a cleaning process is shown. In other embodiments, the design of the pivot arm may be used to reduce the exposed surface area of ​​the removable chuck so that the effect of the pivot arm on the fluid flow within the chamber is minimized. For example, a vacuum port may be placed below the removable chuck to prevent particles from migrating from the back side of the removable chuck to the microelectronic substrate. For example, in one particular embodiment, the pivot point may be disposed below the microelectronic substrate, depending on the surface coverage achieved by the fluid flow and the available pivot point positioning (e.g., first position and second position), given the size of the microelectronic substrate and the chamber.

[0063] Although only certain embodiments of the present invention are described in detail above, it will be readily appreciated by those skilled in the art that many modifications may be made to the embodiments without departing substantially from the novel teachings and advantages of the present invention. Therefore, all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the present invention. For example, the above embodiments may be combined together, and portions of the embodiments may be added or omitted as desired. Therefore, the number of embodiments may not be limited to only the specific embodiments described herein, so that a person of ordinary skill may use the teachings described herein to make additional embodiments.

Claims

1. An apparatus for processing a microelectronic substrate, comprising: a process chamber comprising an interior volume in which the microelectronic substrate is positioned during processing, the interior volume being capable of being maintained at a pressure below atmospheric pressure; A pivoting member coupled to the process chamber, the pivoting member comprising: a pivotable swing arm disposed within the interior volume, the pivotable swing arm including a pivot point at one end of the swing arm about which the swing arm pivots through an arcuate range of motion; and a swing member coupled to the swing arm, the swing member being capable of pivoting the swing arm back and forth about the pivot point through the arcuate range of motion during processing, the arcuate motion having an angular velocity; a rotatable support member coupled to a distal end of the swing arm, the support member comprising: a support surface for securing a microelectronic substrate to the rotatable support member during processing; and a substrate rotation component coupled to the support surface, the substrate rotation component being capable of rotating the support surface such that the microelectronic substrate rotates about a center point of the microelectronic substrate during processing, such rotation of the microelectronic substrate having an angular velocity, and wherein the pivot point and the center point are offset from one another; and a fluid nozzle disposed within the interior volume in a manner such that a relative position between the fluid nozzle and the center point of the microelectronic substrate changes as the swing arm moves through the arcuate range of motion; and A controller, the controller comprising: program instructions for causing arcuate motion within the range of motion of the swing arm and rotation of the microelectronic substrate to occur simultaneously; Program instructions that vary at least one of an angular velocity of the arcuate motion of the pivotable swing arm and an angular velocity of rotation of the microelectronic substrate such that the at least one angular velocity decreases as the fluid nozzle is positioned relatively away from a center point of the microelectronic substrate.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein: The rocking member is configured to pivot back and forth about the pivot point through a rotation angle of less than 145 degrees.

3. The device according to claim 1, wherein: The fluid nozzle is coupled to a fluid source and a cryogenic cooling system.

4. The device according to claim 1, wherein: The support surface includes a substrate clamping mechanism that secures the microelectronic substrate to the support surface.

5. The device according to claim 1, wherein: The substrate rotating component includes a stepper motor that rotates the support surface about the center point.

6. The device according to claim 1, wherein: The substrate rotation component includes a magnetic levitation system that rotates the support surface about the center point.

7. The device according to claim 1, wherein: The swing arm includes a heating element disposed proximate the support surface.

8. The device according to claim 1, wherein: The fluid nozzle is configured to be coupled to a cryogenic cooling component.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, further comprising an insulated gas line and a fluid cooling unit, wherein: The fluid nozzle includes an inlet coupled to the insulating gas line, which is coupled to the fluid cooling unit.

10. A method for processing a microelectronic substrate, comprising: Providing an apparatus for processing a microelectronic substrate according to claim 1; positioning the pivotable swing arm to receive the microelectronic substrate within the process chamber, wherein the swing arm is coupled to a swing member capable of pivoting the swing arm back and forth through an arcuate range of motion at a rotation angle of less than 145 degrees about a pivot point; placing the microelectronic substrate on the rotatable support member; positioning the microelectronic substrate beneath the fluid nozzle disposed within the interior volume; exposing the microelectronic substrate to a process comprising a cryogenic cooling fluid; rotating the microelectronic substrate about a center point of the microelectronic substrate; as well as The swing arm is pivoted back and forth about a pivot point through the arcuate range of motion.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein: The pivoting includes rotating the swing arm at an angular velocity that varies based at least in part on a relative position of the fluid nozzle relative to the center point of the microelectronic substrate.

12. The method according to claim 10, wherein: The pivoting includes rotating the swing arm at an angular velocity between 5 radians per second and 50 radians per second.

13. The method according to claim 10, wherein: Rotating includes rotating the microelectronic substrate at a rotational speed that varies based at least in part on a relative position of the fluid nozzle with respect to the center point of the microelectronic substrate.

14. The method according to claim 10, wherein: The rotation includes a rotation speed between 10 RPM and 300 RPM.

15. The method according to claim 10, wherein: The pivoting includes rotating the swing arm between a first position and a second position, wherein the first position and the second position are less than 145 degrees apart along an arc about the pivot point.

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