Epitaxy system integrated with highly selective oxide removal and high temperature contaminant removal

Abstract

In one embodiment, a processing system includes a first transfer chamber, a second transfer chamber, a transition station, a first plasma chamber, and a load lock chamber, wherein the first transfer chamber is coupled to at least one epitaxial processing chamber, the transition station is disposed between the first transfer chamber and the second transfer chamber, the first plasma chamber is coupled to the second transfer chamber for removing oxides from a surface of a substrate, and the load lock chamber is coupled to the second transfer chamber. The transition station is connected to the first transfer chamber and the second transfer chamber, and the transition station includes a second plasma chamber for removing contaminants from a surface of the substrate.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to apparatus and methods for cleaning the surface of a substrate. Background Art

[0002] Integrated circuits are formed in and on silicon and other semiconductor substrates. In the case of using single crystal silicon, the substrate is manufactured by growing an ingot from a molten silicon bath and then sawing the solidified ingot into multiple substrates. An epitaxial silicon layer can then be formed on the single crystal silicon substrate to form a defect-free silicon layer that can be doped or undoped. Semiconductor devices (e.g., transistors) can be made from the epitaxial silicon layer. The electrical properties of the epitaxial silicon layer formed are generally superior to those of the single crystal silicon substrate.

[0003] The surfaces of single crystal silicon and epitaxial silicon layers are susceptible to contamination when exposed to typical substrate manufacturing facility environmental conditions. For example, a native oxide layer may form on the surface of the single crystal silicon prior to deposition of the epitaxial layer due to handling of the substrate and / or exposure to the ambient environment in the substrate processing facility. In addition, foreign contaminants (e.g., carbon and oxygen species) present in the ambient environment may be deposited on the single crystal surface. The presence of a native oxide layer or contaminants on the surface of the single crystal silicon has a negative impact on the quality of the epitaxial layer subsequently formed on the single crystal surface. Therefore, it is desirable to pre-clean the substrate in order to remove surface oxidation and other contaminants before the epitaxial layer is grown on the substrate. However, the pre-cleaning process is often performed in one or more separate vacuum processing chambers, which may increase substrate handling time and increase the opportunity to expose the substrate to the ambient environment.

[0004] Therefore, there is a need in the art to provide an improved substrate processing system for cleaning a substrate surface prior to performing an epitaxial deposition process while minimizing substrate handling time and exposure to the surrounding environment. Summary of the invention

[0005] The present disclosure describes a vacuum processing system, including a first transfer chamber, a second transfer chamber, a plasma oxide removal chamber, a plasma contaminant removal chamber, and a load lock chamber, wherein the first transfer chamber is coupled to at least one film forming chamber, the plasma oxide removal chamber is coupled to the first or second transfer chamber, the plasma contaminant removal chamber is coupled to the first or second transfer chamber, and the load lock chamber is coupled to the second transfer chamber.

[0006] Also described herein is a method of processing a substrate, comprising the steps of: exposing the substrate to a 3 removing oxides from the substrate by a process including exposing the substrate to hydrogen radicals; and forming a film on the substrate by an epitaxial process.

[0007] The present invention also describes a vacuum processing apparatus comprising a first transfer chamber, at least one vapor phase epitaxy chamber coupled to the first transfer chamber, a plasma oxide removal chamber coupled to the first transfer chamber, and a plasma driven contaminant removal chamber coupled to the first or second transfer chamber, the plasma oxide removal chamber comprising a showerhead, a first gas inlet, a second gas inlet, and a substrate support, the showerhead having a mixing chamber and a gas distributor, the first gas inlet being formed through a portion of the showerhead and being fluidically connected to the mixing chamber, the second gas inlet being formed through a portion of the showerhead and being fluidically connected to the mixing chamber, the substrate support having a substrate supporting surface and a cooling channel embedded in the substrate support, the plasma contaminant removal chamber comprising a plasma source and a substrate support, the substrate support being operable to heat a substrate disposed on the substrate support to a temperature between 25 degrees Celsius and 650 degrees Celsius.

[0008] The present invention also describes a vacuum processing apparatus comprising a first transfer chamber, a second transfer chamber coupled to the first transfer chamber via one or more pass-through stations, at least one vapor phase epitaxy chamber coupled to the second transfer chamber, a plasma oxide removal chamber coupled to the first or second transfer chamber, a plasma driven contaminant removal chamber coupled to the first or second transfer chamber, and a load lock chamber coupled to the second transfer chamber, wherein the plasma oxide removal chamber comprises a showerhead, a first gas inlet, a second gas inlet, a third gas inlet, and a substrate support, wherein the showerhead has a mixing chamber and a gas distributor, and the first A gas inlet is formed through a portion of the showerhead and is in fluid communication with the mixing chamber, a second gas inlet is formed through a portion of the showerhead and is in fluid communication with the mixing chamber, a third gas inlet is formed through a portion of the showerhead and is in fluid communication with the mixing chamber, a substrate support having a substrate supporting surface and a cooling channel and one or more resistive heaters embedded in the substrate support, a plasma contaminant removal chamber comprising a plasma source, a magnetic ion filter, and a substrate support operable to heat a substrate disposed on the substrate support to a temperature between 25 degrees Celsius and 650 degrees Celsius. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0009] Embodiments of the present disclosure (briefly summarized above and discussed in more detail below) can be understood by reference to the illustrative embodiments of the present disclosure depicted in the accompanying drawings. However, it should be noted that the accompanying drawings only illustrate typical embodiments of the present disclosure and are not to be construed as limiting the scope of protection of the present disclosure, which may admit of other equally effective embodiments.

[0010] Figure 1 A processing column according to one embodiment of the present disclosure is illustrated.

[0011] Figure 2A For performing an embodiment according to the present disclosure Figure 1 A cross-sectional view of a cleaning chamber for a cleaning process.

[0012] Figure 2B for Figure 2A An enlarged view of a portion of a processing chamber.

[0013] Figure 2C is a cross-sectional detail view of a substrate support according to one embodiment.

[0014] Figure 3 For performing an embodiment according to the present disclosure Figure 1 Cross-sectional view of a cleaning chamber for a reduction process.

[0015] Figure 4 is a perspective view of a substrate support that may be disposed within a substrate processing chamber, such as a processing chamber having a remote plasma source.

[0016] Figure 5 According to the embodiments of the present disclosure provided herein Figure 4 A cross-sectional view of a portion of a substrate support.

[0017] Figure 6 A single substrate chemical vapor deposition (CVD) reactor for performing an epitaxial deposition process is shown.

[0018] Figure 7 A schematic cross-sectional view of a backside heated processing chamber for performing an epitaxial deposition process is shown.

[0019] Figure 8 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a CVD chamber for performing an epitaxial deposition process.

[0020] Fig. 9 An exemplary vacuum processing system for performing the cleaning and deposition processes described herein is shown.

[0021] To facilitate understanding, the same reference numerals in the various figures designate the same elements as much as possible. For clarity of illustration, the above figures have been simplified and not drawn to scale. It is contemplated that elements and features of one embodiment may be advantageously incorporated into other embodiments without further detailed description. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0022] Figure 1 1. A processing train 100 is shown according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. In some embodiments, two or more of the blocks 102 to 106 of the processing train 100 may be implemented in a processing system (e.g., a processor described further below). Fig. 9 The method is performed in a vacuum processing system as shown.

[0023] In block 102, oxides are removed from a surface of a semiconductor substrate using a cleaning process. The substrate may include a silicon-containing material, and the surface may include materials such as silicon (Si), germanium (Ge), or a silicon-germanium alloy (SiGe). In some embodiments, the Si, Ge, or SiGe surface may have an oxide layer (e.g., a native oxide layer) and contaminants disposed on the Si, Ge, or SiGe surface. Due to the sensitivity of epitaxial deposition processes to oxides and contaminants (e.g., carbon-containing contaminants), and the accumulated oxides and contaminants can affect the quality of subsequently formed epitaxial layers, surface contamination resulting from exposure to most typical clean chamber environments for several hours may become significant.

[0024] The substrate surface may be cleaned by performing an oxide removal process and a contaminant removal process. In one embodiment, a cleaning process is used to remove oxides from the substrate surface (block 102), and a reduction process is used to remove contaminants (e.g., carbon-containing contaminants) from the substrate surface (block 104). The cleaning process performed in block 102 may include a process that utilizes a plasma to remove any unwanted contaminants. The plasma process may utilize a plasma that includes hydrogen (H 2 ), helium (He), argon (Ar), ammonia (NH 3 ), fluorine-containing gases (e.g., NF 3 The plasma may be formed by a gas such as HF, or HF, or any combination of these gases. The plasma may be inductively coupled or capacitively coupled, or may be formed by a microwave source in a processing chamber. The processing chamber may be a remote plasma chamber that is spatially separated from the processing region in which the substrate is disposed. The term "spatially separated" as used herein may refer to the plasma formation region being separated from the processing region by one or more chamber components (e.g., Figure 2A The plasma chamber may be separated from the substrate processing region by a baffle plate 228 and a gas distribution plate 230 as shown, or even a conduit between the remote plasma chamber and the substrate processing chamber.

[0025] In one embodiment, a capacitively coupled plasma source is used to form the plasma. At a temperature of about 5 degrees Celsius to about 100 degrees Celsius (e.g., a temperature of about 5 degrees Celsius to about 75 degrees Celsius (e.g., about 10 degrees Celsius)), free radicals from the plasma can pass through a gas distribution plate disposed above the substrate, the gas distribution plate being positioned on a support. The process pressure can be below atmospheric pressure (e.g., a pressure between about 500 mTorr and about 20 Torr (e.g., between about 2 Torr and about 10 Torr)). The free radicals reach the substrate and then react with the surface oxide. Exemplary process chambers that may be suitable for performing plasma etching processes include SiCoNi available from Applied Materials, Inc. of Santa Clara, California. TM or Selectra TM Chambers. Chambers from other manufacturers may also be used.

[0026] In one exemplary embodiment, the plasma cleaning process is a remote plasma assisted dry cleaning process that involves simultaneously exposing the substrate to a NF 3 and NH 3 (optionally including one or more plasma byproducts of the gas). Inert gases (e.g., argon and helium) may also be used. As described above, inert / NF 3 / NH 3 Any one or combination of the three gases may be exposed to energy to form a plasma. The plasma may be mixed with the other gases prior to delivery to the processing chamber, or the plasma and other gases may be provided to the processing chamber along different paths to be mixed after reaching the processing chamber. In one example, the plasma cleaning process may be similar to or may include SiCoNi available from Applied Materials, Inc. of Santa Clara, California. TM deal with.

[0027] Remote plasma processing can be largely conformal and selective to oxide layers, and thus does not readily etch silicon, germanium, or nitride layers, regardless of whether the layers are amorphous, crystalline, or polycrystalline. 3 / NH 3 The selectivity of the plasma cleaning process is at least about 3:1, and is often 5:1 or better, and sometimes 10:1. 3 / NH 3 Plasma cleaning is also highly selective for oxides and nitrides. 3 / NH 3The selectivity of the plasma cleaning process is at least about 3:1, often 5:1 or better, and sometimes 10:1.

[0028] In some embodiments, during or after performing the remote plasma treatment, a certain amount of thermal energy can be applied to the treated substrate to help remove any generated byproducts. In some embodiments, thermal energy is provided via radiation, convection, and / or conductive heat transfer processes to cause sublimation of unwanted byproducts found on the substrate surface.

[0029] At block 103, an optional chamber conditioning step may be performed in the chamber for the operation performed at block 104. The operation performed at block 103 includes using a gas containing hydrogen radicals so that the exposed chamber surface can be passivated. In some embodiments, the chamber surface may be passivated by exposure to steam or water vapor. Steam may be generated ex situ or in situ by known methods, and the chamber surface may be exposed to the steam for a time interval of 1 second to 60 seconds (e.g., about 30 seconds) to produce a surface with at least slightly improved resistance to hydrogen radicals. During the steam passivation process, an active production substrate may be present in a processing chamber disposed on a substrate support. Alternatively, a dummy substrate may be positioned on a substrate support. If the substrate support is made of a material that may react with steam, positioning the substrate on the support during the steam passivation process may reduce reactivity with steam. The substrate may be heated to a temperature of 400 degrees Celsius or higher during the steam passivation process.

[0030] In block 104, after the oxide is removed from the surface of the substrate using the process performed in block 102, any remaining contaminants on the surface of the substrate are removed. In one embodiment of block 104, a reduction process is used to remove contaminants (e.g., carbon or hydrocarbons) from the surface of the substrate. The reduction process may use a hydrogen-containing plasma to remove the contaminants. The reduction process may be performed from a gas containing hydrogen (H 2 ), helium (He), argon (Ar), ammonia (NH 3 ), or any combination of these gases. The plasma may be formed by using an inductively or capacitively coupled plasma source, or may be formed by using a microwave source coupled to the processing chamber. In some embodiments, the plasma may be formed by using an inductively or capacitively coupled plasma source including an RF, VHF, and / or UHF power source. The plasma source may be a remote plasma chamber that is physically separated from the processing chamber in which the substrate is disposed.

[0031] In one embodiment, the plasma is formed using an inductively coupled plasma source, which is a remote plasma source (RPS) for performing the reduction process at block 104. Radicals from the plasma may pass through a passage tube and a gas distribution plate disposed above the substrate. The substrate is positioned on a support and is at a temperature of about 25 degrees Celsius to about 650 degrees Celsius (e.g., a temperature between about 100 degrees Celsius and about 500 degrees Celsius), in some cases at least about 400 degrees Celsius, and in some cases about 400 degrees Celsius. The processing pressure may be below atmospheric pressure (e.g., a pressure of less than about 5 Torr, or a pressure of less than about 1 Torr, or even a pressure of between about 100 mTorr and about 1 Torr). Exemplary processing chambers that can be suitable for performing the reduction process include the AKTIV Pre-Clean available from Applied Materials, Inc. of Santa Clara, California. TM 、PCxT Reactive Preclean TM (RPC), or Selectra TM Chambers. Chambers from other manufacturers may also be used.

[0032] Remote plasma processing forms a hydrogen radical-containing gas. As described above, the hydrogen-containing plasma passes through a conduit surrounded by a magnetic field that deflects charged particles while allowing neutral particles (e.g., hydrogen radicals, as well as other radicals and molecules) to pass through to a processing region containing a substrate. The substrate is exposed to the hydrogen radical-containing gas to perform a reduction process to remove contaminants including carbon. The process also results in a uniform hydrogen termination of the surface of the substrate with minimal defects in the crystalline structure located at the surface of the substrate.

[0033] At block 106, an epitaxial layer is formed on the surface of the substrate. As described above, if the surface of the substrate is cleaned beforehand, it will be uniformly oxidized and free of contaminants, thereby improving the quality of the growing epitaxial layer formed on the surface of the substrate. An exemplary epitaxial process can be a selective epitaxial process performed at a temperature less than about 800 degrees Celsius (e.g., about 450 to 650 degrees Celsius). A high temperature chemical vapor deposition (CVD) process can be used to form the epitaxial layer. The epitaxial layer can be crystalline silicon, germanium, or silicide, or any suitable semiconductor material (e.g., a III-V compound or a II-VI compound). In an exemplary thermal CVD process, a process gas (e.g., chlorosilane SiH x Cl 4-x (one, two, three, four), silane Si x H 2x+2 (silane, disilane, trisilane, etc.), germanium Ge x H 2x+2 (germane, digermane, etc.), hydrogen chloride HCl, chlorine Cl 2 , or a combination thereof) to form an epitaxial layer. The process temperature is less than 800 degrees Celsius (e.g., about 300 degrees Celsius to about 600 degrees Celsius (e.g., about 450 degrees Celsius)), and the process pressure is between 5 Torr and 600 Torr. An exemplary process chamber that can be used to perform the epitaxial deposition process is a Centura 1000 available from Applied Materials, Inc. of Santa Clara, California. TM Epi chambers. Chambers from other manufacturers may also be used.

[0034] Return to reference Figure 1 , it is contemplated that the processes described in blocks 102 and 104 may be reversed. In addition, the processes described in blocks 102 and 104 may be repeated as many times as desired. It should be noted that the processes of 102 and 104 may be performed in one chamber or in two chambers. In the case where processes 102 and 104 are performed in one chamber, an optional flushing may be performed between the processes using an inert gas to provide separation between the process chemicals. Optional thermal processing may also be performed between or after processes 102 and 104 prior to performing the layer formation process of 106 to remove any residual byproducts or contaminants and to anneal the surface to remove any surface defects. Such annealing may be performed in a hydrogen environment (optionally including an inert gas (e.g., argon and helium)) and may be performed at a temperature of 400 to 800 degrees Celsius and a pressure of 1 Torr to 300 Torr.

[0035] Figure 2A is a cross-sectional view of a processing chamber 200 that is suitable for performing at least some of the processes found in block 102 and is therefore configured to remove contaminants (eg, oxides) from surfaces of a substrate. Figure 2B for Figure 2A An enlarged view of a portion of the processing chamber 200 is shown.

[0036] The processing chamber 200 can be particularly used to perform thermal or plasma-based cleaning processes and / or plasma-assisted dry etching processes. The processing chamber 200 includes a chamber body 212, a lid assembly 214, and a support assembly 216. The lid assembly 214 is disposed at an upper end of the chamber body 212, and the support assembly 216 is at least partially disposed within the chamber body 212. A vacuum system can be used to remove gases from the processing chamber 200. The vacuum system includes a vacuum pump 218, which is coupled to a vacuum port 221 disposed in the chamber body 212. The processing chamber 200 also includes a controller 202 for controlling the process within the processing chamber 200.

[0037] The lid assembly 214 includes a plurality of stacked components configured to provide precursor gases and / or plasma to a processing region 222 within the chamber 200. The first plate 220 is coupled to the second plate 240. The third plate 244 is coupled to the second plate 240. The lid assembly 214 can be connected to a power source 224 for supplying plasma to a conical cavity 242 formed in the lid assembly 214. The lid assembly 214 can also be connected to a remote plasma source to generate plasma upstream of the lid stack. The remote plasma cavity (e.g., FIG. 2A to FIG. 2B Items 222, 220, 240) are coupled to a gas source 252 (or in the absence of a remote plasma source 224, the gas source 252 is coupled directly to the lid assembly 214). The gas source 252 may include a gas source configured to provide helium, argon, or other inert gas. In some configurations, the gas provided by the gas source 252 may be energized into a plasma and provided to the lid assembly 214 using the remote plasma source 224. In alternative embodiments, the gas source 252 may provide a process gas, and the process gas may be activated by the remote plasma source 224 prior to introduction to a surface of a substrate disposed within the processing chamber 200. Referring to Figure 2B The tapered chamber 242 has an opening 246 to allow the formed plasma to flow from the remote plasma source 224 to the volume 248 formed by the fourth plate 250 of the lid assembly 214 .

[0038] In some configurations of the lid assembly 214, plasma is generated within the conical chamber 242 by applying energy delivered from a plasma source. In one example, energy may be provided by biasing the lid assembly 214 to capacitively couple RF, VHF, and / or UHF energy to the gas located in the conical chamber 242. In this configuration of the lid assembly 214, the remote plasma source 224 may not be used or installed within the lid assembly 214.

[0039] The central conduit 270 formed in the fourth plate 250 is adapted to provide the plasma generating material provided from the volume 248 through the fifth plate 254 to the mixing chamber 266 formed in the sixth plate 268 of the lid assembly 214. The central conduit 270 communicates with the mixing chamber 266 through the opening 264 in the fifth plate 254. The diameter of the opening 264 can be less than, greater than, or equal to the diameter of the central conduit 270. Figure 2B In an embodiment, the diameter of the opening 264 is the same as the diameter of the central conduit 270.

[0040] The fourth plate 250 also includes a plurality of inlets 256 and 258 configured to provide gas to the mixing chamber 266. The inlet 256 is coupled to the first gas source 260, and the inlet 258 is coupled to the second gas source 262. The first gas source 260 and the second gas source 262 may include a process gas and an inert gas (e.g., an inert gas (e.g., argon and / or helium) as a carrier gas). The first gas source 260 may include ammonia (NH 3 ) and argon. The second gas source 262 may include a fluorine-containing gas, a hydrogen-containing gas, or a combination thereof. In one example, the second gas source 262 may include hydrogen fluoride (HF) and argon.

[0041] like Figure 2B As shown, in some configurations, the inlet 256 is coupled to the mixing chamber 266 through a cylindrical passage 259 and a plurality of holes 265 formed in the plate 254. The inlet 258 is coupled to the mixing chamber 266 through a cylindrical passage 257 and a plurality of holes 267 formed in the fifth plate 254. The holes 265, 267 formed in the plate 254 are generally sized to allow for uniform flow of gas provided from the respective gas sources 260, 262 into the mixing chamber 266. In one configuration, the diameter of the opening 267 is smaller than the width of the opening defined by the opposing side walls of the cylindrical passage 257 formed in the fourth plate 250. The openings 267 are generally distributed around the circumference of the centerline segment of the cylindrical conduit 257 to provide uniform fluid flow into the chamber 266. In one configuration, the diameter of the hole 265 is smaller than the width of the opening defined by the opposing side walls of the cylindrical passage 259 formed in the fourth plate 250. The holes 265 are generally distributed around the circumference of the centerline segment of the cylindrical conduit 259 to provide uniform fluid flow into the chamber 266.

[0042] Inlets 256 and 258 provide respective fluid flow paths that traverse the fourth plate 250, turn and pass through the fifth plate 254 to the mixing chamber 266. The lid assembly 214 also includes a seventh plate or first gas distributor 272 (which may be a gas distribution plate (e.g., a showerhead)), wherein the various gases mixed in the lid assembly 214 flow through through-holes 274 formed in the lid assembly 214. The through-holes 274 are in fluid communication with the mixing chamber 266 to provide a flow path from the mixing chamber 266 through the first gas distributor 272. Return to Reference Figure 2A The blocking plate 228 and the gas distribution plate (eg, the second gas distributor 230 ) (which may be a gas distribution plate (eg, a showerhead)) are disposed below the cover assembly 214 .

[0043] Alternatively, a different cleaning process may be used to clean the substrate surface. For example, the substrate surface may be cleaned by the lid assembly 214. 3 The remote plasma is introduced into the processing chamber 200, and NH 3 Directly injected into the processing chamber 200 .

[0044] The support assembly 216 may include a substrate support 232 to support the substrate 210 on the substrate support 232 during processing. The substrate support 232 may be coupled to an actuator 234 via a shaft 236 extending through an opening centrally formed in the bottom of the chamber body 212. The actuator 234 may be flexibly sealed to the chamber body 212 via a bellows (not shown) to prevent vacuum leakage around the shaft 236. The actuator 234 allows vertical movement of the substrate support 232 between a processing position and a loading position within the chamber body 212. The loading position is slightly lower than an opening tunnel (not shown) formed in a sidewall of the chamber body 212.

[0045] The substrate support 232 has a flat or substantially flat substrate support surface for supporting a substrate being processed on the substrate support 232. The substrate support 232 can be moved vertically within the chamber body 212 by an actuator 234, which is coupled to the substrate support 232 by a shaft 236. For some steps, the substrate support 232 can be raised to a position adjacent to the lid assembly 214 to control the temperature of the substrate 210 being processed. Thus, the substrate 210 can be heated via radiation emitted from the second gas distributor 230 or another radiation source, or heated by convection or conduction from the second gas distributor 230 through an intermediate gas. In some processing steps, the substrate can be placed on lift pins 251 to perform additional thermal processing steps (e.g., perform an annealing step).

[0046] Figure 2C is a cross-sectional detail view of the substrate support 232. The substrate support 232 includes a thermal control plenum 235 in fluid communication with a fluid supply conduit 241 and a fluid return conduit 243, each of which is disposed through a shaft 236. The thermal control plenum 235 may be a cooling feature for the substrate support 232 by circulating a cooling fluid through the fluid supply conduit 241, into the thermal control plenum 235, and out through the fluid return conduit 243.

[0047] The substrate support 232 may also include a plurality of heaters 237 and 239. In this embodiment, the plurality of heaters include a first heater 237 and a second heater 239. The first and second heaters 237 and 239 are disposed in a substantially coplanar relationship within the substrate support 232 at locations that enable thermal coupling between the heaters and the substrate support surface. The first heater 237 is disposed at the periphery of the substrate support 232 and the second heater 239 is disposed at a central region of the substrate support 232 to provide regional temperature control. Each of the first and second heaters 237 and 239 may be a resistive heater and coupled to a power source (not shown) via a respective power conduit 249 and 247, each of which is disposed through the shaft 236.

[0048] In operation, temperature control may be provided by the simultaneous operation of the thermal control plenum 235 and the heaters 237 and 239. As described above, the thermal control plenum 235 may supply cooling fluid and may provide power to the heaters 237 and 239, which are resistive heaters. In this manner, separate control circuits may be tuned to provide a fast response for one item (e.g., the heaters 237 and 239) and a slower response for the thermal control plenum 235, or vice versa. At a minimum, different control parameters may be applied to the thermal control plenum 235, the first heater 237, and the second heater 239 to accomplish an optimized zone temperature control system.

[0049] like Figure 2CAs shown, a separate lifting member 245 can be included in the support assembly 216. A recess (not shown) can be provided in the substrate support surface to accommodate the lifting pins 251 of the member 245 when the substrate is placed on the substrate support surface. The lifting member 245 can be coupled to the lifting actuator 255 through an extension of the lifting member 245 disposed through the shaft 236. The lifting actuator can allow the lifting member 245 to move vertically to lift the substrate from the substrate support surface toward the first gas distributor 272. The lifting member 245 can be a hoop (e.g., an open hoop or a closed hoop) and can be U-shaped, circular, horseshoe-shaped, or any convenient shape. The lifting member 245 has a thickness to provide structural strength when lifting the substrate. In one example, the lifting member is made of a ceramic material and the thickness is about 1 mm.

[0050] Figure 3 1 is a cross-sectional view of a process chamber 300 that can be used to perform at least some of the processes found in block 104 and thereby remove contaminants (e.g., carbon or hydrocarbons accumulated on the surface of a substrate). The process chamber 300 has a chamber body 310 that includes a chamber housing 316, a process kit housing 318, and a lid 340. The chamber housing 316 and the lid 340 can be made from aluminum, stainless steel, or other suitable materials. The process kit housing 318 can be made from an aluminum alloy or other suitable material. The lid 340 is removably coupled to the chamber housing 316 through the process kit housing 318.

[0051] The process kit housing 318 may be an annular housing having a top surface coupled to the lid 340 and a bottom surface coupled to the chamber housing 316. The process kit housing 318 has a shield portion 329 extending downward from an inner surface 331 of the process kit housing 318. The inner surface 331 of the process kit housing 318 surrounds the gas distribution plate 326 and supports the gas distribution plate 326 thereon. The gas distribution plate 326 may be a quartz showerhead. A gas chamber 348 is defined between the gas distribution plate 326 and the lid 340. The gas distribution plate 326 includes a plurality of apertures 327 formed through the thickness of the gas distribution plate 326 to allow gas to flow into the gas chamber 348 through ports 342. In some configurations, the gas provided by the RPS 350 flows through 342 to 348. The apertures 327 in the gas distribution plate 326 then allow the gas to flow into the processing area 330 containing the substrate 308. The apertures 327 are evenly distributed across the diameter of the gas distribution plate 326 to ensure that the gas or radicals are evenly distributed to the substrate 308. The gas flowing through the apertures 327 is distributed across the substrate 308, which is disposed in a processing region 330 defined between the gas distribution plate 326 and the heater 314. The shield portion 329 also helps confine electrically neutral radicals within the processing region 330. In one example, the shield portion 329 extends to a position adjacent to or below an edge of the heater 314 when the substrate is in the processing position.

[0052] The processing chamber 300 includes a remote plasma source 350 coupled to a port 342 via a conduit 360. The port 342 is formed in a lid 340. The conduit 360 defines a passage 356, which may have a first inner diameter and a second inner diameter greater than the first inner diameter. The first inner diameter may be disposed adjacent to the remote plasma source 350, and the second inner diameter may be disposed adjacent to the lid 340. In one example, the first inner diameter may be about 12 mm to about 50 mm (e.g., about 20 mm), and the second inner diameter may be about 35 mm to about 60 mm (e.g., about 40 mm).

[0053] The conduit 360 is configured to filter ions generated in the remote plasma source 350 before entering the processing region 330, while allowing electrically neutral radicals to enter the processing region 330. Thus, the relative concentration of ions in the processing region 330 is reduced. In one embodiment, the gas flowing through the passage 356 is filtered by a magnetic field, and the magnetic field is generated by one or more magnets disposed adjacent to the passage tube 360. The magnets generate a magnetic field across the conduit 360 to filter charged particles with active radicals flowing out of the remote plasma source 350.

[0054] exist Figure 3In the illustrated embodiment, the first magnet 352 and the second magnet 354 are disposed adjacent to the conduit 360. The first magnet 352 and the second magnet 354 may be permanent magnets or electromagnets. The magnets 352, 354 may be disposed opposite each other across the first inner diameter of the conduit 360. For example, the magnets 352, 354 may be adhered or fixed on opposite sides of the outer periphery of the conduit 360. The magnets 352, 354 may alternatively be fixed to the chamber cover 340 or other components of the chamber body 310. The relative distance between the opposing magnets and the passage 356 formed in the passage tube 360 ​​affects the strength of the magnetic field passing through the passage 356, thereby affecting the filtering efficiency. The magnetic field may also be adjusted by using different magnets (i.e., replacing the magnets 352, 354 with magnets having different strengths). The charged particles passing through are drawn into contact with the inner surface 370 of the conduit 360 and become electrically neutral non-ionic substances. Thus, the filtered electrically neutral radicals are delivered to the surface of the substrate to react with and clean the contaminants on the surface of the substrate.

[0055] Alternatively, in some embodiments, the first magnet 352 and the second magnet 354 are replaced by a single ring-shaped magnet disposed around the catheter 360. The single ring-shaped magnet may be a permanent magnet or an electromagnet.

[0056] In some embodiments, quartz-containing surfaces are positioned to cover the flow path of process gases (i.e., radicals and ions) entering the chamber body 310. For example, the inner surface 370 of the conduit 360 defining the passage 356 can be completely or partially coated with or made from quartz. In one configuration, the surfaces defining the plenum 348 and / or the gas distribution plate 326 can also be completely or at least partially coated with or made from quartz. For example, in Figure 3 In an embodiment of the present invention, a top liner 324 can be disposed along the inner surface 331 of the process kit housing 318. The top liner 324 can have an annular body surrounding the gas chamber 348, and the inner surface of the top liner 324 defines the outer boundary of the gas chamber 348. The top liner 324 can be made of quartz. The top liner 324 can rest on the gas distribution plate 326, or can be supported by any other suitable fixing means.

[0057] The backing plate 344 may be disposed along the bottom surface of the cover 340. The backing plate 344 may be coated with quartz or made from quartz. The backing plate 344 defines the upper boundary of the gas chamber 348. Thus, the backing plate 344, the top liner 324, and the gas distribution plate 326 define the gas chamber 348. The bottom liner 325 may be disposed along the inner surface 331 of the process kit housing 318. The bottom liner 325 may have an annular body and surround the processing region 330 when assembled for operation, and the inner surface of the bottom liner 325 defines the outer boundary of the processing region 330. The bottom liner 325 may be coated with quartz or made from quartz. The bottom liner 325 may be supported by the shield portion 329. In one example shown, the protrusion 303 extends radially inward at the end of the shield portion 329 to support the bottom liner 325. Thus, the conduit 360, backing plate 344, top backing plate 324, bottom backing plate 325, and gas distribution plate together provide a quartz surface along the flow path of the process gas.

[0058] The substrate support 314 is disposed in the processing region 330 of the chamber body 310. The substrate support 314 is coupled to the bottom of the chamber housing 316 by a central shaft 341. The substrate support 314 has a substrate supporting surface for supporting the substrate 308 on the substrate supporting surface during processing (e.g., the processing described above with respect to blocks 102 and 104). An optional focus ring 338 may be disposed on the substrate support 314 around the outer periphery of the substrate supporting surface. The focus ring 338 confines the plasma or neutral species to a region above the substrate 308 during processing. The focus ring 338 may be made from quartz.

[0059] The substrate support 314 may be made from aluminum with a plurality of sapphire contacts (not shown) disposed on the substrate support surface to minimize contact between the substrate support surface and a substrate disposed on the sapphire contacts. The substrate support 314 is actuated by a drive unit 337 to move vertically between a loading position and a processing position. The substrate support 314 may have one or more heating elements 335 embedded in the substrate support 314 to provide uniform thermal energy to the substrate support surface. Suitable heating elements 335 may include, among other heating devices, a resistive heater, a thermoelectric device, or a conduit for flowing a heat transfer fluid. The heating elements 335 allow the temperature of the substrate 308 to be maintained in a temperature range of about 25°C to about 500°C (e.g., about 300°C to about 350°C, about 350°C to about 450°C, or about 450°C to about 500°C). In some embodiments, the heater 314 may have a cutout formed through the outer peripheral edge of the substrate support surface so that a substrate handler (not shown) can pick up or drop off the substrate 308 from a lift pin (not shown) when the substrate support 314 is positioned at the loading position. For example, during a cleaning process (block 102), the substrate support 314 and the substrate 308 are positioned at a processing position, which is disposed above the loading position and closer to the gas distribution plate 326.

[0060] The processing chamber 300 includes a pump 317. The pump 317 is connected to the chamber body 310 through a foreline 361. The foreline 361 is connected to the chamber body 310 at an opening 315 formed at the bottom of the housing 316. The chamber 300 also includes a throttle valve 363 disposed in the foreline 361. The throttle valve 363 is configured to open and close to any degree required to maintain a desired vacuum pressure in the processing chamber 300 during processing. The pump 317 and the throttle valve 363 control the pressure inside the chamber body 310 between about 0.005 Torr and 750 Torr (e.g., between about 40 Torr and about 500 Torr). In one example, the pump 317 is a dry pump, and the pressure inside the processing chamber 300 is maintained in an exemplary pressure range of about 0.1 Torr to about 40 Torr (e.g., about 30 Torr). In one example, the pump 317 is a low pressure pump and maintains the pressure inside the processing chamber 300 in an exemplary pressure range of about 100 mTorr to about 500 mTorr (e.g., about 150 mTorr). In some examples, the pump 317 is a turbo pump and maintains the pressure inside the processing chamber 300 in an exemplary pressure range of about 20 mTorr to 500 mTorr.

[0061] Figure 44 is a perspective view of a substrate support 400 that may be disposed within a substrate processing chamber, such as a processing chamber having a remote plasma source (RPS). The substrate support 400 is an example of the substrate support 314 used in the processing chamber 300.

[0062] The substrate support 400 generally includes a support body 402, a shaft 404 coupled to the support body 402, and a bellows 406 disposed around the shaft 404. The bellows 406 is coupled to the bottom of the support body 402 and / or the shaft 404. In one example, the bottom of the bellows 406 is attached to the bottom of the substrate processing chamber in a vacuum-tight manner. A drive unit 416 can be coupled to the shaft 404 to allow vertical movement of the support body 402 relative to the substrate processing chamber. In some embodiments, the drive unit 416 can be configured to rotate the shaft 404, and thus rotate the support body 402.

[0063] The support body 402 has a substrate support surface 408. The support body 402 has one or more heating elements 520 embedded or housed in the support body 402 (see Figure 5 ) to provide uniform thermal energy to a substrate disposed on the substrate support surface 408 during a process (e.g., a plasma cleaning process). The heating elements 520 can be arranged in an azimuthally symmetrical pattern to ensure uniform heating of the substrate. Suitable heating elements can include (among other heating devices) a resistive heater, a thermoelectric device, or a conduit for flowing a heat transfer fluid. In one example, the heating element is a resistive heating coil. The heating element allows the temperature of the substrate to be maintained in a temperature range of about 25°C to about 650°C or higher (e.g., about 300°C to about 350°C, about 350°C to about 450°C, about 450°C to about 550°C, about 550°C to about 650°C, or higher).

[0064] The substrate support surface 408 has a plurality of contact points 410, wherein the substrate rests on the plurality of contact points 410 during processing in the substrate processing chamber. The contact points 410 are evenly distributed over the substrate support surface 408. In one embodiment, the contact points 410 are arranged in concentric circles around a center point 412 of the support body 402. Additionally or alternatively, the contact points 410 may be arranged in an azimuthally symmetrical pattern to ensure uniform processing of the substrate. The contact points 410 may be in the form of protrusions or bumps. The protrusions or bumps provide a minimized contact surface area to prevent the substrate from directly contacting the substrate support surface 408. In one embodiment, the contact points 410 are sapphire balls.

[0065] The support body 402 may have a plurality of cutouts 414 disposed at the outer peripheral edge of the support body 402. The cutouts are formed through the entire thickness of the support body (i.e., from the substrate supporting surface 408 to the back side of the support body 402). The cutouts 414 may be equally spaced around the periphery of the support body 402. In one embodiment, four cutouts 414 are symmetrically disposed at the outer peripheral edge of the support body 402. The cutouts 414 are sized so that when the support body 402 is positioned at the loading position, a substrate handler (not shown) can pick up or drop off a substrate from a lift pin (not shown).

[0066] The support body 402 may be made from ceramic, aluminum, or other suitable material (e.g., aluminum nitride). The shaft 404 may be made from a metal (e.g., aluminum), a ceramic metal (e.g., aluminum nitride, aluminum oxide), or a doped ceramic (e.g., aluminum oxide doped with titanium nitride or chromium nitride, doped aluminum oxide, doped boron nitride, and the like). In one embodiment, the shaft 404 is formed from approximately 95% pure aluminum nitride. In one embodiment, the shaft 404 and the support body 402 may be made from the same material.

[0067] Figure 5 for Figure 4 4. A cross-sectional view of a portion of a substrate support 400 of FIG. 4. One embodiment of a support body 402 has a plurality of cavities 510 formed in a substrate support surface 408 for receiving contact points 410 (e.g., sapphire balls). Another form of a support body has contact points machined directly into a surface of the support body 402 such that the support body and the contact points are a unitary material. A third form of a support body has contact points deposited on the support body by a deposition process (e.g., CVD, PVD, or evaporative deposition process). The shaft 404 is hollow and has a sidewall 518 defining a central opening 512 in the shaft 404. The central opening 512 allows a power line 528 to pass through. One end of the power line 528 is connected to one or more heating elements 520, and the other end of the power line 528 is connected to a heating power source 532 (e.g., a DC or AC power source).

[0068] The shaft 404 may include a channel 530 connected to a cooling fluid source (not shown). The channel 530 may be disposed in any desired location within the shaft 404 for circulating cooling fluid from the cooling fluid source to control the temperature of the shaft 404 and, therefore, the support body 402 and the temperature of a substrate placed on the support body 402 during processing.

[0069] The substrate support 400 may include a thermocouple 534 disposed in the substrate support 400 to measure temperature (e.g., the temperature of the substrate support 400, the temperature of the substrate support surface 408, or the temperature of the substrate when disposed on the substrate support surface 408). The thermocouple 534 may be any suitable thermocouple design (e.g., a thermocouple probe or the like). The thermocouple 534 may be coupled to a temperature controller 535, which may control a power supply 536 based on the temperature measured by the thermocouple 534.

[0070] In some embodiments, the heating element 520 comprises a multi-zone heater including an outer zone 546 and an inner zone 548 that can be independently controlled. A purge gas inlet 550 and an outlet 552 can be provided in the substrate support 400. The inlet 550 and the outlet 552 can be used to supply a backside gas to the substrate on the substrate support surface 408. The gas channel 552 can also be connected to a vacuum pump or a low pressure area to create a pressure differential between the front and back sides of the substrate to hold the substrate on the pedestal surface 408. In some embodiments, an edge ring 554 can be provided above the substrate support surface 408.

[0071] Figure 6 A single substrate chemical vapor deposition (CVD) reactor 600 is shown, including a quartz processing or reaction chamber 605, according to one embodiment. The reactor 600 can be used for CVD of many different materials, including the SiGe and Ge films disclosed herein. In addition, the reactor 600 shown can perform multiple deposition steps in the same chamber 605 (as will be apparent from the discussion below).

[0072] The chamber 600 may generally have the shape of a rectangular frame. A plurality of radiant heat sources are supported outside the chamber 605 to provide thermal energy within the chamber 605 without being significantly absorbed by the walls of the quartz chamber 605. Although embodiments are described in the context of a "cold wall" CVD reactor for processing semiconductor substrates, it will be appreciated that the methods described herein will be used in conjunction with other heating / cooling systems (e.g., heating / cooling systems employing inductive or resistive heating).

[0073] The radiant heat source comprises an upper heating assembly having radiant heating elements 610 in the form of elongated tubes. The upper heating elements 610 are preferably arranged in a spaced parallel relationship and also in a manner generally parallel to the reaction gas flow path (illustrated by arrows 612) through the reaction chamber 605. The lower heating assembly comprises similar radiant heating elements 615 in the form of elongated tubes, positioned below the reaction chamber 605 and oriented transversely to the upper heating elements 610. A portion of the radiant heat is diffusely reflected into the chamber 605 by roughened mirrored reflector plates (not shown) located above the upper lamps 610 and below the lower lamps 615, respectively. In addition, a plurality of spot lamps 620 supply concentrated heat to the underside of a substrate support structure (described below) to offset the heat dissipation effect generated by a cold support structure extending through the bottom of the reaction chamber 605. Each of the heating elements 610, 615 having an elongated tubular shape is preferably a high intensity tungsten filament lamp to generate radiant heat energy that is transmitted through the walls of the reaction chamber 605 without being significantly absorbed. As is known in the art of semiconductor processing equipment, the power of the various lamps 610, 615, 620 can be controlled independently or in grouped areas in response to temperature sensors.

[0074] A workpiece, including a silicon substrate 625, is shown within the reaction chamber 605 and supported on a substrate support structure 630. The support structure 630 is shown to include a substrate holder 632 on which the substrate 625 rests and a support bracket 634. The bracket 634 is mounted to a shaft 636 that extends downwardly through a tube 638 that extends through the lower wall of the chamber. The tube 638 is in communication with a source of purge gas that can flow during processing of the substrate. The purge gas can be used to prevent process gases from entering the lower section of the chamber 605. The purge gas can also flow horizontally below the substrate 625.

[0075] A plurality of temperature sensors are positioned proximate to the substrate 625. The temperature sensors may take various forms (e.g., optical pyrometers or thermocouples). In the illustrated embodiment, the temperature sensors include thermocouples (including a first or central thermocouple 640, suspended below the substrate holder 632 in any suitable manner). The central thermocouple 640 passes through a bracket 634 proximate to the substrate holder 632. The reactor 600 further includes a plurality of auxiliary or peripheral thermocouples (also proximate to the substrate 625), and includes a leading edge or front thermocouple 645, a trailing edge or rear thermocouple 650, and side thermocouples (not shown). Each of the peripheral thermocouples is housed within a slip ring 652 that surrounds the substrate holder 632 and the substrate 625. Each of the central and peripheral thermocouples is connected to a temperature controller, which sets the power of the various heating elements 610, 615, 620 in response to the readings of the thermocouples.

[0076] In addition to accommodating peripheral thermocouples, the slip ring 652 absorbs and emits radiant heat during high temperature processing. The slip ring 652 can be used to compensate for the larger heat loss or absorption at the edge of the substrate (this is known to occur due to the larger ratio of surface area to volume in the area near the edge of the substrate). By minimizing edge losses, the slip ring 652 can reduce the risk of radial temperature non-uniformity across the substrate 625. The slip ring 652 can be suspended in any suitable manner. For example, the slip ring 652 shown is stationary on a support member 654, which extends from the front chamber divider 656 and the rear chamber divider 658. The dividers 656, 658 are ideally formed of quartz. In some arrangements, the rear divider 658 can be omitted.

[0077] The illustrated reaction chamber 605 includes an inlet port 660 for injecting reactants and carrier gases, and a substrate 625 may also be received through the inlet port 660. An outlet port 664 is located on an opposite side of the chamber 605, with a substrate support structure 630 positioned therebetween.

[0078] Inlet member 665 is mounted to reaction chamber 605 (inlet member 665 is adapted to surround inlet port 660) and includes a horizontally elongated slot 667 through which substrate 625 can be inserted. A generally vertical inlet 668 receives gas from a gas source and communicates the gas with slot 667 and inlet port 660. Although not shown in FIG. Figure 6 668 are shown separately, but the gas sources may include hydrogen, silicon, and germanium precursors, and a controller (e.g., a pre-programmed computer) that controls a sequence of steps described herein, including the step of flowing the surface active compound into the chamber during the cooling step prior to Si and / or Ge deposition. Inlet 668 may include a gas injector designed to maximize the uniformity of gas flow for a single substrate reactor.

[0079] An outlet member 670 is similarly mounted to the processing chamber 605 such that an exhaust opening 672 is aligned with the outlet port 664 and leads to an exhaust conduit 674. The conduit 674 may in turn communicate with an appropriate vacuum component (not shown) for exhausting the process gases from the chamber 605. In one embodiment, the process gases are pumped through the reaction chamber 605 and a downstream scrubber (not shown). A pump or fan is preferably included to assist in pumping the process gases through the chamber 605 and evacuating the chamber for reduced pressure processing (i.e., below atmospheric pressure, but above the ultra-high vacuum pressure range (discussed below)).

[0080] The reactor 600 shown also includes an excited species source 676 positioned upstream of the chamber 600. The excited species source 676 of the illustrated embodiment includes a remote plasma generator along a gas line 678. In the illustrated embodiment, microwave energy from an RPS energy source is coupled to a flowing gas in an applicator along the gas line 678. A precursor gas source 680 is coupled to the gas line 678 for introduction into the excited species source 676. A carrier gas source 682 is also coupled to the gas line 678. One or more branch lines 684 may also be provided for additional reactants. As is known in the art, the gas sources 680, 682 may include gas tanks, bubblers, etc. (depending on the form and volatility of the reactants). Each gas line may provide an independent mass flow controller (MFC) and valve (as shown) to allow selection of the relative amounts of carrier and reactant species introduced into the source 676 and thus into the reaction chamber 605. The excited species source 676 may be used for plasma enhanced deposition, but may also be used to excite an etchant to clean the chamber 605 of over-deposition when no substrate is in the chamber 605.

[0081] For example, a single substrate processing chamber 605 designed for processing 200 mm substrates has a total volume capacity of less than about 30 liters (e.g., less than about 20 liters, and in one embodiment less than about 10 liters). The illustrated chamber 605 has a capacity of about 7.5 liters. Because the illustrated chamber 605 is divided by dividers 656, 658, substrate holder 632, ring 652, and purge gas flowing from tube 638, the effective volume through which the processing gas flows is approximately half of the total volume (e.g., about 3.77 liters in the illustrated embodiment). It should be understood that the volume of a single substrate processing chamber 605 may vary (depending on the size of the substrate that the chamber 605 is designed to accommodate). For example, a single substrate processing chamber 605 for 300 mm substrates has a capacity of less than about 100 liters (e.g., about 60 liters, and in one embodiment less than about 30 liters). In one example, a single substrate processing chamber 605 for processing 300 mm substrates has a total volume of about 24 liters, with an active volume of about 12 liters.

[0082] The deposition temperature of the Ge-containing layer is typically in the range of about 250 degrees Celsius (C) to about 600 degrees Celsius (e.g., about 300 degrees Celsius to about 450 degrees Celsius). For example, as the thermal stability of the precursor decreases, lower deposition temperatures tend to be more suitable. The total pressure in the single substrate processing chamber 605 is in the range of about 10-5 Torr to about 800 Torr. In some embodiments, the pressure is about 200 mTorr to about 760 Torr (e.g., about 1 Torr to about 200 Torr (e.g., about 1 Torr to about 60 Torr)).

[0083] Figure 7 A schematic cross-sectional view of a backside heated processing chamber 700 configured for low pressure epitaxial deposition is shown according to one embodiment. The processing chamber 700 can be used to process one or more substrates (including depositing material on the upper surface of the substrate 625). The processing chamber 700 can include an array of radiant heating lamps 702 for heating the backside 704 of a substrate support 706 disposed within the processing chamber 700 and other components. The substrate support 706 can be a disk-shaped substrate support 706 (as shown), or can be a ring-shaped substrate support (with a central opening) that supports the substrate from its edge to facilitate exposure of the substrate to the thermal radiation of the lamps 702.

[0084] The substrate support 706 is located within the processing chamber 700 and between the upper dome 728 and the lower dome 714. The upper dome 728, the lower dome 714, and the base ring 736 disposed between the upper dome 728 and the lower dome 714 generally define the interior region of the processing chamber 700. The substrate 625 (not to scale) is transferred to the processing chamber 700 and positioned on the substrate support 706 via the load port 103, which is not shown in this view.

[0085] The substrate support 706 is supported by a central axis 732 to move the substrate 625 in a vertical direction 734 during loading and unloading, and in some cases, processing of the substrate 625. The substrate support 706 is shown in Figure 7 706, but can be vertically traversed to a loading position below the processing position by an actuator (not shown) coupled to the central shaft 732. When lowered below the processing position, the lift pins 705 contact the substrate 625 and lift the substrate 625 from the substrate support 706. A robot (not shown) can then enter the processing chamber 700 to engage the substrate 625 through the load port and remove the substrate 625 from the processing chamber 700. The substrate support 706 can then be actuated in a vertical direction to reach the processing position to place the substrate 625 (with the device side 716 of the substrate facing upward) on the front side 710 of the substrate support 706.

[0086] The substrate support 706, when in the processing position, divides the interior space of the processing chamber 700 into a process gas region 756 located above the substrate 625 and a purge gas region 758 located below the substrate support 706. During processing, the substrate support 706 is rotated by the central axis 732 to minimize the effects of thermal and process gas flow spatial anomalies within the processing chamber 700, thereby promoting uniform processing of the substrate 625. The substrate support 706 may be formed from silicon carbide or silicon carbide-coated graphite to absorb radiant energy from the lamps 702 and conduct the radiant energy to the substrate 625.

[0087] Generally, the central window portion of the upper dome 728 and the bottom of the lower dome 714 are formed from an optically transparent material, such as quartz. The thickness and curvature of the upper dome 728 can be configured to provide a flatter geometry to achieve uniform flow uniformity in the processing chamber.

[0088] An array of lamps 702 can be disposed adjacent to and below the lower dome 714 around the central axis 732 in a specified optimally desired manner to independently control the temperature at various regions of the substrate 625 as process gases pass therethrough to facilitate deposition of material onto the upper surface of the substrate 625. Although not discussed in detail herein, the deposited material can include gallium arsenide, gallium nitride, or aluminum gallium nitride. In some embodiments, an array of radiant heating lamps (e.g., lamps 102) can be disposed above the upper dome 728.

[0089] The lamps 702 may be configured to include a bulb configured to heat the substrate 625 to a temperature in the range of about 200 degrees Celsius to about 1600 degrees Celsius. Each lamp 702 is coupled to a power distribution board (not shown) through which power is supplied to each lamp 702. For example, the lamps 702 are positioned within a lamp head 745, which may be cooled during or after processing by a cooling fluid introduced into a channel 749 located between the lamps 702. Due in part to the close proximity of the lamp heads 745 to the lower dome 714, the lamp heads 745 conductionally and radiatively cool the lower dome 714. The lamp heads 745 may also cool the walls of the lamps and the walls of a reflector (not shown) surrounding the lamps. Alternatively, the lower dome 714 may be cooled by convection. Depending on the application, the lamp heads 745 may or may not be in contact with the lower dome 714.

[0090] A circular shield 767 may optionally be disposed around the substrate support 706 and surrounded by the liner assembly 763. The shield 767 prevents or minimizes leakage of thermal / optical noise from the lamps 702 to the device side 716 of the substrate 625 while providing a preheat zone for the process gases. The shield 767 may be made from CVD SiC, sintered graphite coated with SiC, grown SiC, opaque quartz, coated quartz, or any similar suitable material that can withstand chemical decomposition caused by process and purge gases.

[0091] The liner assembly 763 is sized to be nested within or surrounded by the inner circumference of the base ring 736. The liner assembly 763 acts as a shield between the process volume (i.e., the process gas region 756 and the purge gas region 758) and the metal walls of the process chamber 700. The metal walls may react with the precursors and cause contamination in the process volume. Although the liner assembly 763 is shown as a single body, the liner assembly 763 may include one or more liners having different configurations.

[0092] Due to the backside heating of the substrate 625 from the substrate support 706, temperature measurement / control can be performed on the substrate support using the optical pyrometer 718. Because heating the substrate front side 710 in this manner is independent of emissivity, this temperature measurement by the optical pyrometer 718 can also be done on the device side 716 of a substrate 625 with unknown emissivity. Thus, the optical pyrometer 718 can only sense radiation from the hot substrate 625, while conducting heat from the substrate support 706, with minimal background radiation from the lamp 702 reaching the optical pyrometer 718 directly.

[0093] The reflector 722 may be optionally placed outside the upper dome 728 to reflect light radiated away from the substrate 625 back onto the substrate 625. The reflector 722 may be secured to the upper dome 728 using a clamping ring 730. The reflector 722 may be made of a metal (e.g., aluminum or stainless steel). The efficiency of the reflection may be improved by coating the reflector area with a highly reflective coating (e.g., gold). The reflector 722 may have one or more channels 726 connected to a cooling source (not shown). The channels 726 are connected to passages (not shown) formed on one side of the reflector 722 for cooling the reflector 722. The passages are configured to carry a flow of a fluid (e.g., water) and may extend horizontally along the sides of the reflector 722 and in any desired pattern covering a portion or the entire surface of the reflector 722.

[0094] Process gas supplied from a process gas supply 772 is introduced into the process gas region 756 through a process gas inlet 774 formed in a sidewall of the base ring 736. The process gas inlet 774 is configured to direct the process gas in a generally radially inward direction. During film formation processing, the substrate support 706 can be located in a processing position adjacent to and at approximately the same height as the process gas inlet 774 to allow the process gas to flow upward and around along the flow path 773 and across the upper surface of the substrate 625 in a laminar flow manner. The process gas exits the process gas region 756 (along the flow path 775) through a gas outlet 778 located on a side of the process chamber 700 opposite the process gas inlet 774. Removal of the process gas through the gas outlet 778 can be facilitated by a vacuum pump 780 coupled to the gas outlet 778. Because the process gas inlet 774 and gas outlet 778 are aligned with each other and disposed at approximately the same height, it is believed that such a parallel arrangement, when combined with the relatively flat upper dome 728, enables a substantially flat, uniform gas flow across the substrate 625. Further radial uniformity may be provided by rotating the substrate 625 via the substrate support 706.

[0095] The purge gas may be supplied to the purge gas region 758 from a purge gas source 765 through an optional purge gas inlet 764 formed in the sidewall of the base ring 736 (or through a process gas inlet 774). The purge gas inlet 764 is disposed at an elevation below the process gas inlet 774. If a circular shield 767 or preheat ring (not shown) is used, the circular shield or preheat ring may be disposed between the process gas inlet 774 and the purge gas inlet 764. In either case, the purge gas inlet 764 is configured to direct the purge gas in a generally radially inward direction. During film formation processing, the substrate support 706 may be positioned so that the purge gas flows downward and around along the flow path 765 and across the back side 704 of the substrate support 706 in a laminar flow manner. Without being bound by any particular theory, it is believed that the flow of the purge gas prevents or substantially avoids the flow of process gas into the purge gas region 758, or reduces diffusion of process gas into the purge gas region 758 (i.e., the region below the substrate support 706). The purge gas leaves the purge gas region 758 (along the flow path 766) and exits the processing chamber through a gas outlet 778 located on the side of the processing chamber 700 opposite the purge gas inlet 764.

[0096] Figure 8 Available from Applied Materials, Inc. of Santa Clara, California Schematic cross-sectional view of a CVD or epitaxial deposition chamber 800 that is part of an integrated processing system. The deposition chamber 800 includes a housing structure 801 that is made of a material that is resistant to processing, such as aluminum or stainless steel (e.g., 316L stainless steel). The housing structure 801 surrounds various functional elements of a processing chamber 800, such as a quartz chamber 830, which includes an upper chamber 805 and a lower chamber 824, which contain a processing volume 818. Reactive species are provided to the quartz chamber 830 by a gas distribution assembly 850, and processing byproducts are removed from the processing volume 818 through an outlet 838, which is typically connected to a vacuum source (not shown).

[0097] The substrate support 817 is adapted to receive the substrate 625, which is transferred to the processing volume 818. The substrate support 817 is disposed along the longitudinal axis 802 of the deposition chamber 800. The substrate support may be made of a ceramic material or a graphite material coated with a silicon material (e.g., silicon carbide), or other processing resistant material. Reactive species from the precursor reactant material are applied to the surface 816 of the substrate 625, and byproducts may be removed from the surface 816 in succession. Heating of the substrate 625 and / or the processing volume 818 may be provided by a radiation source (e.g., an upper lamp module 810A and a lower lamp module 810B).

[0098] In one embodiment, the upper lamp module 810A and the lower lamp module 810B are infrared (IR) lamps. Non-thermal energy or radiation from the lamp modules 810A and 810B travels through the upper quartz window 804 of the upper quartz chamber 805 and through the lower quartz portion 803 of the lower quartz chamber 824. Cooling gas for the upper quartz chamber 805 (if required) enters through the inlet 812 and exits through the outlet 813. Precursor reactant materials for the chamber 800 as well as diluent, purge and exhaust gases enter through the gas distribution assembly 850 and exit through the outlet 838. Although the upper quartz window 804 is shown as curved or convex, the upper quartz window 804 can be flat or concave (because the pressure on both sides of the upper quartz window 804 is substantially the same (i.e., atmospheric pressure)).

[0099] Low wavelength radiation in the processing volume 818 (used to excite active species and facilitate adsorption of reactants and desorption of processing byproducts from the surface 816 of the substrate 625) is typically in the range of about 0.8 μm to about 1.2 μm (e.g., between about 0.95 μm to about 1.05 μm), with various wavelength combinations provided (depending on, for example, the composition of the epitaxially grown film).

[0100] The make-up gases enter the processing volume 818 via the gas distribution assembly 850. The gases flow out of the gas distribution assembly 850 and exit through the port 838 (as generally shown at 822). The combination of make-up gases (for cleaning / passivating the substrate surface, or forming an epitaxially grown film comprising silicon and / or germanium) is typically mixed before entering the processing volume. The overall pressure in the processing volume 818 can be adjusted by a valve (not shown) on the outlet port 838. At least a portion of the interior surface of the processing volume 818 is covered by a liner 831. In one embodiment, the liner 831 comprises an opaque quartz material. In this way, the chamber wall is isolated from the heat in the processing volume 818.

[0101] The temperature of the surfaces in the processing space 818 can be controlled within a temperature range of about 200° C. to about 600° C. or higher by the flow of cooling gas entering through port 812 and exiting through port 813, combined with radiation from an upper lamp module 810A positioned above the upper quartz window 804. The temperature in the lower quartz chamber 824 can be controlled within a temperature range of about 200° C. to about 600° C. or higher by adjusting the speed of a blower unit (not shown) and by radiation from a lower lamp module 810B disposed below the lower quartz chamber 824. The pressure in the processing space 818 can be between about 0.1 Torr and about 600 Torr (e.g., between about 5 Torr and about 30 Torr).

[0102] The temperature on the surface 816 of the substrate 625 can be controlled by adjusting the power of the lower lamp module 810B in the lower quartz chamber 824, or by adjusting the power of both the upper lamp module 810A above the upper quartz chamber 804 and the lower lamp module 810B in the lower quartz chamber 824. The power density in the processing space 818 can be about 40 W / cm 2 To about 400W / cm 2 Between (e.g., about 80W / cm 2 To about 120W / cm 2 ).

[0103] In one aspect, the gas distribution assembly 850 is disposed perpendicular to (or along) the radial direction 806 relative to the longitudinal axis 802 of the chamber 800 or substrate 625. In this orientation, the gas distribution assembly 850 is tuned to cause the process gas to flow across or parallel to the surface 816 of the substrate 625 and along the radial direction 806. In one processing application, the process gas is preheated at the point of introduction into the chamber 800 to initiate preheating of the gas prior to introduction into the processing volume 818 and / or to break specific bonds in the gas. In this way, the surface reaction kinetics can be modified independently of the thermal temperature of the substrate 625.

[0104] In operation, precursors for forming Si and SiGe capping or selective films are provided to the gas distribution assembly 850 from one or more gas sources 840A and 840B. IR lamp 856 ( Figure 8 The gas sources 840A, 840B may be coupled to the gas distribution assembly 850 in a manner configured to facilitate introduction into regions (e.g., radially outer regions and radially inner regions between the outer regions when viewed from a top plan view) within the gas distribution assembly 850. The gas sources 840A, 840B may include valves (not shown) for controlling the rate of introduction into the regions.

[0105] The gas sources 840A, 840B may include a silicon precursor (e.g., silane (including silane (SiH 4 ), disilane (Si 2 H 6 ), dichlorosilane (SiH 2 Cl 2 ), hexachlorosilane (Si 2 Cl 6 ), dibromosilane (SiH 2 Br 2 ), higher order silanes, derivatives thereof, and combinations thereof). The gas sources 840A and 840B may also include germanium-containing precursors (e.g., germanium (GeH 4 ), digermane (Ge 2 H 6 ), Germanium tetrachloride (GeCl 4 ), dichlorogermane (GeH 2 Cl 2 ), the above derivatives, and the above combinations). The precursor containing silicon and / or germanium can be mixed with hydrogen chloride (HCl), chlorine (Cl 2), hydrogen bromide (HBr), and combinations thereof. The gas sources 840A, 840B may include one or more of precursors containing silicon and germanium in one or both of the gas sources 840A, 840B.

[0106] The precursor material is introduced through the openings or holes 858 ( Figure 8 The porous plate 854 (only one shown) enters the processing space 818, and the porous plate 854 is a quartz material in one embodiment and has holes 858 formed through the porous plate 854. The porous plate 854 is transparent to IR energy and can be made of a transparent quartz material. In other embodiments, the porous plate 854 can be any material that is transparent to IR energy and can withstand the processing chemical components and other processing chemical components. The excited precursor material passes through the plurality of holes 858 in the porous plate 854 and passes through the plurality of channels 852 ( Figure 8 The photons and non-thermal energy from a portion of the IR lamp 856 also pass through the holes 858, the porous plate 854, and the channel 852, the former being facilitated by the reflective material and / or surface disposed on the inner surface of the gas distribution assembly 850, thereby illuminating the flow path of the precursor material (e.g., Figure 8 In this way, the vibrational energy of the precursor material can be maintained along the flow path from the introduction point to the processing volume 818.

[0107] Fig. 9 According to the embodiment of the present disclosure, the diagram can be used to complete Figure 1 An exemplary vacuum processing system 900 of the processing train 100 is shown. Fig. 9 As shown, a plurality of processing chambers 902a, 902b, 902c, 902d are coupled to the first transfer chamber 904. The processing chambers 902a to 902d may be used to perform any substrate-related processing (e.g., annealing, chemical vapor deposition, physical vapor deposition, epitaxial processing, etching processing, thermal oxidation or thermal nitridation processing, degassing, etc.). In one embodiment, the processing chamber 902a may be a film formation chamber (e.g., a vapor phase epitaxial deposition chamber capable of forming crystalline silicon or silicon germanium (e.g., an Epi chamber available from Applied Materials of Santa Clara, California)). In another embodiment, the processing chamber 902a may be an epitaxial deposition chamber (e.g., a Figure 6 In another embodiment, the processing chamber 902a may be a single substrate processing chamber 600 described above. Figure 7 In another embodiment, the processing chamber 902a may be a processing chamber 902a. Figure 8The processing chamber 800 is described in conjunction with.

[0108] The processing chamber 902b may be a rapid thermal processing chamber (RTP). The processing chamber 902c may be a plasma etching chamber or a plasma cleaning chamber. For example, the processing chamber 902c may be a plasma etching chamber or a plasma cleaning chamber. Figure 2A The processing chamber 200 described in conjunction with Figure 3 300 described in conjunction with the processing chamber 300. The processing chamber 902d can be a degassing chamber. The first transfer chamber 904 is also coupled to at least one transition station (e.g., a pair of pass-through stations 906, 908). The pass-through stations 906, 908 maintain vacuum conditions while allowing substrates to be transferred between the first transfer chamber 904 and the second transfer chamber 910. The first transfer chamber 904 has a robotic substrate handling mechanism (not shown) for transferring substrates between the pass-through stations 906, 908 and any of the processing chambers 902a to 902d. The processing chambers 902a to 902d are shown as utilizing Fig. 9 A specific order of configuration is not described, but any desired order of configuration may be utilized.

[0109] One end of the pass-through stations 906, 908 is coupled to a second transfer chamber 910. Thus, the first transfer chamber 904 is separate from the second transfer chamber 910 and connected by the pass-through stations 906, 908. The second transfer chamber 910 is coupled to a first plasma cleaning chamber 914, which may be a plasma chamber (e.g., a processing chamber 200 ( ) adapted to perform at least some of the processes found in block 902). Figure 2A ) for removing oxides from the surface of the substrate. In one embodiment, the first plasma cleaning chamber 914 is a Siconi plasma cleaning chamber available from Applied Materials of Santa Clara, California. TM or Selectra TM In another embodiment, the plasma cleaning chamber 914 can be a Figure 2A In another embodiment, the plasma cleaning chamber 914 may be a chamber that is similar to the processing chamber 200 described above. Figure 3 In conjunction with the described processing chamber 300. In yet another embodiment, two processing chambers 200 are positioned in the plasma cleaning chamber 914, two processing chambers 300 are positioned in stations 906 and 908, and four epi chambers are positioned in processing chambers 902a-902d.

[0110] In one embodiment, at least one transition station (e.g., one of the pass-through stations 906, 908) is configured as a plasma cleaning chamber. Alternatively, a plasma cleaning chamber can be coupled to one of the pass-through stations 906, 908 for removing contaminants from the surface of the substrate. Thus, the processing system 900 can have a second plasma cleaning chamber that is one of the pass-through stations 906, 908 or is connected to one of the pass-through stations 906, 908. Fig. 9 In one embodiment shown, the pass-through station 906 includes a second plasma cleaning chamber 916. The second plasma cleaning chamber 916 may be a second plasma cleaning chamber of the processing chamber 300 ( Figure 3 ), the processing chamber 300 is adapted to perform at least some of the processes found in block 104 for removing contaminants from the surface of the substrate. It should be noted that although only one plasma cleaning chamber 916 is shown coupled to the pass-through station, in this case, the pass-through station 906, the plasma cleaning chamber (e.g., a version of the processing chamber 300) can be located within both the pass-through stations 906 and 908.

[0111] The second transfer chamber 910 also has a robotic substrate handling mechanism (not shown) for transferring substrates between a set of load lock chambers 912 and the first plasma cleaning chamber 914 or the second plasma cleaning chamber 916 or through the back transfer chamber 906 / 908. The factory interface 920 is connected to the second transfer chamber 910 through the load lock chamber 912. The factory interface 920 is coupled to one or more pods 930 on the opposite side of the load lock chamber 912. The pods 930 are typically front opening pods (FOUPs) that can be accessed from a clean room (not shown).

[0112] Although two transfer chambers are shown, it is contemplated that either of the transfer chambers may be omitted. In one embodiment where the first transfer chamber 914 is omitted, the second plasma cleaning chamber 916 may be disposed within the second transfer chamber 910 or coupled to the second transfer chamber 910 at the location currently shown as occupied by the pass-through station 906 or 908. The second transfer chamber 910 may be coupled to one or more processing chambers (e.g., epitaxial chambers (e.g., Centura 1000 available from Applied Materials, Inc. of Santa Clara, California) capable of forming crystalline silicon or silicon germanium. TM Epi chamber)).

[0113] In operation, substrates are in a transport box (not shown) located in one of the load lock chambers 912 and are transported from the transfer box 930 to the vacuum processing system 900. A robotic transport mechanism within the second transfer chamber 910 transports the substrates one at a time from the load lock chamber 912 to the first plasma cleaning chamber 914, where a cleaning process (e.g., the process found in block 102) is performed to remove oxides from the surfaces of the substrates. Once the oxides are removed from the surfaces of the substrates, the robotic transport mechanism disposed within the second transfer chamber 910 transfers the substrates from the first plasma cleaning chamber 914 to the second plasma cleaning chamber 916, where a reduction process (e.g., the process found in block 104) is performed to remove contaminants (e.g., carbon or hydrocarbons) from the surfaces of the substrates. It is contemplated that the steps herein may also be performed in the reverse order (i.e., the robotic transport mechanism is used to transfer the substrates from the second plasma cleaning chamber 916 to the first plasma cleaning chamber 914). In either case, the cleaned substrate is then transferred from the second plasma cleaning chamber 916 (or the first plasma cleaning chamber 914) to one or more processing chambers 902a-902d by a robotic transport mechanism disposed within the first transfer chamber 904. The one or more processing chambers 902a-902d may include an epitaxial processing chamber in which a layer formation process (e.g., epitaxial deposition as described in block 106) is performed.

[0114] After the processing in one or more processing chambers 902a to 902d is completed, the robot transport mechanism disposed in the first transfer chamber 904 moves the substrate from any one of the processing chambers 902 to the through station 908. Then, the substrate is removed from the through station 908 by the robot transport mechanism disposed in the second transfer chamber 910 and transferred to another load lock chamber 912, wherein the substrate is taken out of the vacuum processing system 900 through the load lock chamber 912.

[0115] Since all three blocks 102, 104, and 106 of processing are performed within the same vacuum processing system 900, vacuum is not broken when the substrate is transferred between the various chambers, thereby reducing the chance of contamination and improving the quality of the deposited epitaxial film. It should be understood that the movement of the substrate is described herein for illustrative purposes. A controller (not shown) can be used to schedule the movement of the substrate through the vacuum processing system 900 according to a desired sequencing procedure (which can vary depending on the application).

[0116] The benefits of the present disclosure include an improved vacuum processing system, while integrating two different types of pre-cleaning processing chambers with an epitaxial processing chamber on the same vacuum processing system. The pre-cleaning processing chamber may include a first plasma cleaning processing chamber and a second plasma cleaning processing chamber. The co-existence of two types of surface material removal chambers on the same vacuum processing system allows the substrate to maintain a vacuum between surface preparation and epitaxial deposition, while reducing the time the substrate is exposed to the surrounding environment and eliminating the need to prepare the substrate on a separate processing chamber or system. Because the pass-through station between the two transfer chambers also serves as a pre-cleaning processing chamber, this architecture also maximizes the number of processing chambers on the vacuum system, which also reduces the overall operation time of the substrate.

[0117] Can be Figure 2A The processing chamber 200 performs Figure 1 Argon is delivered through the remote plasma unit 252, a first mixture of 5 to 10% HF in argon is delivered through the inlet 256, and 25% NH 3 A second mixture of argon and oxygen is delivered through inlet 258. A remote plasma is formed by applying 500W of microwave or RF power to argon flowing at 2 sLm. The first mixture flows through the first inlet 256 at 500sccm, while the second mixture flows through the second inlet 258 at 500sccm. The substrate is maintained at a temperature of 10 degrees Celsius by delivering a temperature control fluid through the heat control chamber 235. Power may be supplied to the substrate support 232 to provide radiant temperature control. The chamber is maintained at a pressure of 5 Torr, and the substrate is processed for a time suitable for converting all the desired oxides on the substrate surface into sublimable solids (e.g., 300 seconds). The substrate is then moved close to the second gas distributor 230, which is heated to about 200 degrees Celsius to provide radiative or conductive heating of the substrate surface. The substrate is maintained close to the heat radiated from the second gas distributor 230 for 1 to 5 minutes to sublimate the solid formed on the substrate surface, leaving an oxygen-free surface. The substrate may then be subjected to a thermal treatment, optionally under an inert atmosphere, to remove any residual species (e.g., fluorine-containing species) from the oxide removal process. The thermal treatment may include placing the substrate in a thermal treatment chamber and energizing a thermal treatment device in the chamber to heat the substrate to a temperature of about 300 degrees Celsius for about 1 minute.

[0118] Can be Figure 3 The processing chamber 300 performs Figure 1An example of treatment 104 is shown. Hydrogen is delivered at 2 sLm ​​through a remote plasma source 350, where the hydrogen is powered at 500 W of microwave or RF power. The substrate is maintained at a temperature of approximately 400 degrees Celsius by heating the substrate support 314, while the processing region 330 is maintained at a pressure of approximately 0.5 Torr. The substrate is processed under these conditions and reaches a time suitable for removing all desired contaminants or foreign matter and hydrogen-terminating the surface of the substrate (e.g., approximately 1 minute). The substrate can then be further heat treated or annealed, optionally under an inert atmosphere, by supplying an inert gas (e.g., argon) through a conduit 360 while interrupting the plasma power in the remote plasma source 350. The substrate can be maintained at an annealing temperature of 600 degrees Celsius. Alternatively, the substrate can be moved to an annealing chamber (which can, for example, be coupled to a Fig. 9 In conjunction with the described processing system 900 ), an annealing or heat treatment is performed at a higher temperature (eg, 800 to 1000 degrees Celsius) to remove any remaining surface defects, leaving a uniformly clean and well-ordered surface crystalline structure with minimal defects and impurities.

[0119] Notwithstanding the foregoing with respect to embodiments of the present disclosure, other and further embodiments of the present disclosure may be devised without departing from the basic scope thereof.

Claims

1. A processing system comprising: a transfer chamber coupled to at least one vapor phase epitaxy chamber; a vacuum chamber coupled to the transfer chamber, the vacuum chamber comprising an oxide removal chamber, The oxide removal chamber comprises: A cover assembly having a mixing chamber and a gas distributor, wherein the cover assembly includes a first plate, a second plate, a third plate, a fourth plate, a fifth plate, and a sixth plate stacked in sequence from top to bottom, the first plate is coupled to the second plate, and the second plate is coupled to the third plate; a first gas inlet formed through a portion of the fourth plate of the cover assembly and in fluid communication with the mixing chamber formed in the sixth plate through a central conduit of the fourth plate and an opening formed in the fifth plate coupled to the central conduit; a second gas inlet formed through a portion of the fourth plate of the cover assembly and in fluid communication with the mixing chamber through a first cylindrical passage formed in the fourth plate and a plurality of first holes formed in the fifth plate; a third gas inlet formed through a portion of the fourth plate of the cover assembly and in fluid communication with the mixing chamber through a second cylindrical passage formed in the fourth plate and a plurality of second holes formed in the fifth plate; as well as A substrate support having: a substrate support surface; Cooling channels; as well as a lift member disposed in a recess in the substrate support surface and coupled to a lift actuator through the substrate support; A plasma contaminant removal chamber is coupled to the transfer chamber, the plasma contaminant removal chamber comprising: Remote plasma source; as well as A substrate support is operable to heat a substrate disposed on the substrate support to a temperature between 25°C and 650°C.

2. The processing system of claim 1, wherein the oxide removal chamber comprises a plasma generating source.

3. The processing system of claim 2, wherein the plasma generation source comprises the remote plasma source, the remote plasma source being configured to form a plasma in the remote plasma source by using an RF source or a microwave source.

4. The processing system of claim 2, wherein the remote plasma source is coupled to a lid of the chamber.

5. The processing system of claim 1 wherein said oxide removal chamber comprises a remote plasma chamber.

6. The processing system of claim 1, wherein the oxide removal chamber is a fluorine processing chamber and the plasma contaminant removal chamber is a hydrogen processing chamber.

7. The processing system of claim 6, further comprising a thermal processing chamber coupled to the transfer chamber.

8. The processing system of claim 7, further comprising an annealing chamber coupled to the transfer chamber.

9. A processing system comprising: a first transfer chamber coupled to at least one film forming chamber; a second transfer chamber; A plasma oxide removal chamber coupled to the first or second transfer chamber, the plasma oxide removal chamber comprising: a lid assembly having a mixing chamber, a plasma generation region, and a gas distributor, the plasma generation region having an outlet in fluid communication with the mixing chamber, wherein the lid assembly comprises a first plate, a second plate, a third plate, a fourth plate, a fifth plate, and a sixth plate stacked in sequence from top to bottom, the first plate being coupled to the second plate, and the second plate being coupled to the third plate; a first gas inlet formed through a portion of the fourth plate of the cover assembly and in fluid communication with the mixing chamber formed in the sixth plate through a central conduit of the fourth plate and an opening formed in the fifth plate coupled to the central conduit; a second gas inlet formed through a portion of the fourth plate of the cover assembly and in fluid communication with the mixing chamber through a first cylindrical passage formed in the fourth plate and a plurality of first holes formed in the fifth plate; a third gas inlet formed through a portion of the fourth plate of the cover assembly and in fluid communication with the mixing chamber through a second cylindrical passage formed in the fourth plate and a plurality of second holes formed in the fifth plate, wherein at least one of the first gas inlet, the second gas inlet, and the third gas inlet is in direct fluid communication with an inlet of the plasma generation region, and at least one of the first gas inlet, the second gas inlet, and the third gas inlet is in direct fluid communication with the mixing chamber and is not directly fluidly coupled to the plasma generation region; a plasma contaminant removal chamber coupled to the first or second transfer chamber; as well as A load lock chamber is coupled to the second transfer chamber.

10. The processing system of claim 9, further comprising an oxide removal chamber.

11. The processing system of claim 9, wherein the plasma oxide removal chamber comprises a plasma generating source.

12. The processing system of claim 11, wherein the plasma generation source comprises a remote plasma source configured to form a plasma in the remote plasma source by using an RF source or a microwave source.

13. The processing system of claim 12, wherein the remote plasma source is coupled to a lid of the chamber.

14. The processing system of claim 9, wherein the at least one film-forming chamber is an epitaxial chamber.

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