Substrate processing equipment and method for processing a substrate

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a substrate processing apparatus, the substrate processing apparatus comprising: a first reactor configured and arranged to process a rack having a plurality of substrates therein; a second reactor configured and arranged to process substrates; and a substrate transfer device configured and arranged to transfer substrates to and from the first reactor and the second reactor. The second reactor may be provided with an illumination system configured and arranged to irradiate ultraviolet radiation in the range of 100 to 500 nanometers onto the top surface of at least one substrate in the second reactor.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure generally relates to a substrate processing apparatus for processing multiple substrates. More specifically, the present disclosure relates to a substrate processing apparatus including:

[0002] a first reactor configured and arranged to process a susceptor having a plurality of substrates therein;

[0003] a second reactor configured and arranged to process substrates; and,

[0004] a substrate transfer device configured and arranged to transfer substrates to and from the first reactor and the second reactor. Background Art

[0005] A substrate processing apparatus (also referred to as a furnace) may be provided with a reaction chamber to form fine-sized structures, such as integrated circuits, on a plurality of substrates supported in a susceptor. In a typical substrate processing step, the substrates in the susceptor may be heated. Additionally, reaction gases may be passed over the heated substrates such that a thin layer of reaction material is deposited on the substrates to be processed.

[0006] A series of processing steps for depositing layers on a substrate is referred to as a recipe. Through subsequent deposition, doping, lithography, etching, and other processes, these layers are made into integrated circuits, thereby producing dozens to thousands or even millions of integrated devices, depending on the substrate size and circuit complexity.

[0007] Various process parameters are carefully controlled to ensure high quality of the resulting deposited layers. One such critical parameter is the substrate temperature during each recipe step. For example, during chemical vapor deposition (CVD), the deposition gases react and deposit on the substrate within a specific temperature window. Different temperatures result in different deposition rates and qualities, and thus, it is important to accurately control the substrate temperature before the start of the reaction process to bring the substrate to the desired temperature.

[0008] However, substrates may include temperature-sensitive features and thus the temperature may be limited to a certain maximum value to avoid damaging those sensitive features. This may result in conflicting requirements where, for productivity, quality, and / or reactivity, the temperature should be high, while to avoid damaging features on the substrate, the temperature should be kept low.

[0009] By irradiating the top surface of the substrate with ultraviolet radiation, energy can be provided to the top surface for certain processes without overheating the substrate. The energy can result in better quality of the deposited layer.

[0010] Integrating a lighting system configured and arranged to irradiate ultraviolet radiation into a furnace that is also used for a deposition process can be difficult because the deposition process can also deposit on parts of the lighting system, thereby degrading the transmission of the ultraviolet radiation. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0011] This summary is provided to introduce a series of concepts in a simplified form. These concepts are described in more detail below in the detailed description of the exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. This summary is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used to limit the scope of the claimed subject matter.

[0012] According to one objective, it may be desirable to provide a substrate processing apparatus including: a first reactor configured and arranged to process a rack having a plurality of substrates therein; a second reactor configured and arranged to process substrates; and a substrate transfer device configured and arranged to transfer substrates to and from the first reactor and the second reactor. The second reactor may be provided with a lighting system configured and arranged to irradiate ultraviolet radiation in the range of 100 to 500 nanometers onto the top surface of at least one substrate in the second reactor.

[0013] By irradiating the surface of the substrate with ultraviolet radiation in the second reactor, it is possible to provide energy on the top surface. This energy can be provided while minimizing the risk of overheating the substrate. This energy can improve the quality of the deposited layer.

[0014] The lighting system may be configured and arranged to irradiate ultraviolet radiation having a range of 100 to 500, preferably 150 to 400, and even more preferably 170 to 300 nanometers. The first reactor may include an inlet configured and arranged to provide a first precursor in the first reactor to deposit a layer on the substrates in the rack.

[0015] According to an embodiment, a method of processing a substrate may include:

[0016] Providing a substrate in a rack having a plurality of substrates;

[0017] Loading a rack having a plurality of substrates into a first reactor;

[0018] Providing a first precursor in the first reactor to deposit a layer on the substrate;

[0019] Unloading a rack having a plurality of substrates from the first reactor;

[0020] Transferring the substrate having the deposited layer to a second reactor; and

[0021] Irradiate the deposited layer of the substrate in the second reactor with ultraviolet radiation in the range of 100 to 500 nanometers.

[0022] For the purpose of summarizing the present invention and the advantages achieved over the prior art, certain objects and advantages of the present invention have been described above. Of course, it should be understood that not necessarily all such objects or advantages can be achieved with any particular embodiment of the present invention. Thus, for example, those skilled in the art will recognize that the present invention may be practiced or carried out in a manner that achieves or optimizes one advantage or a group of advantages as taught or suggested herein but does not necessarily achieve other objects or advantages as may be taught or suggested herein.

[0023] All such embodiments are intended to fall within the scope of the present invention disclosed herein. To those skilled in the art, these and other embodiments will become apparent from the following detailed description of certain embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings, and the present invention is not limited to any particular embodiment disclosed. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0024] It should be understood that the elements in the figures are shown for simplicity and clarity and are not necessarily drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions of some of the elements in the figures may be exaggerated relative to other elements to assist in improving the understanding of the embodiments shown in the present disclosure.

[0025] Figure 1 A perspective view of a device suitable for a lighting system according to an embodiment is schematically and partially exposed;

[0026] Figure 2 Schematically shown according to Figure 1 a plan view of the device;

[0027] Figure 3 A plan view schematically showing a cross-section of a substrate holder having a substrate irradiated with a lighting system according to an embodiment;

[0028] Figure 4a A lighting system formed in a spiral form according to an embodiment is shown;

[0029] Figure 4b A portion of a gas discharge lamp for a lighting system according to an embodiment is depicted;

[0030] Figures 5a-5d A lighting system transmitting radiation according to another embodiment is depicted;

[0031] Figure 6 A side view schematically depicting a cross-section of a substrate processing device according to another embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0032] Although certain embodiments and examples are disclosed below, those skilled in the art will understand that the invention extends beyond the specifically disclosed embodiments and / or uses of the invention and their obvious modifications and equivalents. Accordingly, it is intended that the scope of the invention disclosed herein not be limited by the specific disclosed embodiments described below.

[0033] The apparatus 1 suitable for a lighting system according to an embodiment can be indicated in Figure 1 and Figure 2 The apparatus 1 may include a housing 2 and may generally be installed partially or completely in a so-called "clean room". In addition to the housing 2, there may also be partitions 3, 4, and 5, particularly as can be seen from Figure 2 The housing 2 and the partition 3 may define a reactor region 21 together. A substrate handling chamber 22 may be defined between the housing 2 and the partitions 3, 4. A cassette handling chamber 23 may be defined between the partitions 4, 5 and the housing 2. The apparatus 1 may also include a cassette introduction portion 33.

[0034] A first reactor chamber 6 and a second reactor chamber 7 may be arranged in the reactor region 21. The reactor chambers may be placed vertically, and a substrate holder 12 indicated by 12 and filled with substrates 13 may be moved vertically from below into the reactor chambers 6, 7. For this purpose, each reactor chamber may have a holder handler that includes an insertion arm 14 that can be moved vertically by means of a main shaft 38. In Figure 1 only one insertion arm 14 can be seen in the drawing; however, there may be two insertion arms 14 on both sides of the apparatus.

[0035] The substrate holder 12 may be provided with an insulating plug at the bottom, which is not indicated in more detail and provides a seal relative to the reactor chamber. The reactor chamber may be referred to as a furnace and may be provided with a heater for heating the substrate.

[0036] The holder handler may include a rotary platform 11 arranged in the reaction region 21 and provided with a cutout 15. The cutout 15 may be shaped such that if the cutout 15 has reached the correct position, the arm 14 can move up and down through the cutout. On the other hand, the diameter of the bottom of the substrate holder may be such that the diameter is greater than the cutout 15 in the platform 11, such that when the arm 14 moves downward from Figure 1 the position shown, the substrate holder 12 can be placed on the rotary platform 11 and can be removed from it again in the reverse operation.

[0037] A susceptor handler can feed the susceptor 12 to both reactor chambers 6 and 7. Continuous processing can be carried out such that a rack is first processed in the first reactor and a second processing is carried out in the second reactor. It is also possible to allow parallel multiple sets of susceptors 12 to be processed only by reactor chamber 6 and only by reactor chamber 7. The susceptor 12 can be provided with a substrate 13.

[0038] The substrate 13 can be supplied in a (transfer) cassette 10 which can be placed in the storage area 8 from the introduction section 33 by means of the arm 31 of the cassette handler robot 35 through a closable opening 34. The arm 31 can be provided with a support surface 32, the size of which is slightly smaller than the size of a series of cutouts 26 in the rotary platform 27. A plurality of such rotary platforms can be arranged one above the other in the vertical direction in the storage area 8. The arm 31 can be moved in the vertical direction by means of the cassette handler robot 35. The arm 31 can be mounted such that the arm can not only pick up the cassette from the introduction section 33 to the storage area 8 or remove the cassette from the storage area to the introduction section, but also make it possible to move the cassette from the storage area 8 to the rotary platform 30 or from the rotary platform to the storage area.

[0039] The rotary platform 30 can be configured such that when rotated, the cassette is placed against a partition 4 in which an opening 37 has been formed, such that after opening the cassette, the substrates can be removed one by one from the relevant cassette by means of the arm 24 of the substrate handler and the substrates can be placed in the susceptor 12 located in the substrate handling chamber 22. The susceptor 12 is supported by a hinged arm 16 which is part of the susceptor processor and is provided at the end with a support surface 17, the size of which is slightly smaller than the size of the cutout 15 in the rotary platform 11. The arm 16 may be capable of moving with the susceptor through the closable opening in the partition 3 by rotating about a pivot point 18. Closures can be provided so as to be able to close the opening 19 between the reaction area 21 and the substrate handling chamber 22.

[0040] An operator or an automated cassette transfer system (not shown) can load the storage area 8 by introducing a plurality of cassettes on the introduction section 33. Control operations can be done on the panel 36. The cassette 10 can be transferred from the introduction section 33 to the storage compartments 9 made for these cassettes in the storage area 8 by means of the arm 31. Starting from the lowest position for removing the relevant cassette 10 from the section 33 through the opening 34, the cassette can be moved upward by the cassette handling robot 35 to move to a higher compartment 9 in the storage area 8. By rotation of the storage area 8, the respective compartments 9 can be filled with the cassettes 10.

[0041] The relevant cassette 10 can be removed from the storage area by the arm 31 and placed on the rotary platform 30. The cassette rotates on the rotary platform 30 and its door is placed against the partition 4. The door of the cassette can be removed by an opener. By means of the arm 24, the substrates can be removed one by one and placed in the substrate holder 12, which is placed on the swing arm 16 together with the substrate processor.

[0042] Meanwhile, the rotary platform 11 may be capable of moving in the reactor area 21 in an optimal manner with respect to the processing to be performed on the substrates present inside the reactor area 21. After the substrate holder 12 has been filled in the substrate handling chamber 22 and can be used in one of the reactor chambers 6, 7, the opening 19, which has been closed until this time, is opened and the newly filled substrate holder 12 can be placed on the rotary platform 11. Then, the rotary platform 11 can be moved one position and the filled substrate holder 12 can be removed from the platform 11 into the reactor chambers 6, 7 by means of the insertion arm 14. The processed substrates in the finished holder can be lowered onto the filled platform 11. The substrates perform a movement opposite to the above-mentioned movement to finally enter the cassette.

[0043] The substrate holder 12 with new substrates can be fed into the reactor chamber 6 or 7 by the insertion arm 14 and can be processed in the chamber. The processing can include increasing the temperature of the substrates in the substrate holder 12 with a heater. It is important to accurately control the substrate temperature before the start of the processing so that the substrates reach the desired temperature for an appropriate productivity.

[0044] The substrates can include temperature-sensitive features and thus the temperature can be limited to a certain maximum value to avoid damaging those sensitive features. This can lead to conflicting requirements, where for reactivity, the temperature of the substrates may be desired to be high, while the temperature of the substrates may be desired to be low to avoid damaging the temperature-sensitive features on the substrates.

[0045] Continuous processing can be performed in the reactor chambers 6, 7. The substrate holder 12 with substrates processed in the first reactor 6 can be transferred to the second reactor 7 for further processing. The second reactor 7 can include, for example, an illumination system that is configured and arranged to irradiate ultraviolet radiation in the range of 100 to 500 nanometers from one side of the substrate holder onto the top surface of at least one of the substrates in the substrate holder. The illumination system can be configured and arranged to irradiate ultraviolet radiation having a range of 100 to 500, preferably 150 to 400 and even more preferably 170 to 300 nanometers. By irradiating the top surface of the substrate from the side with ultraviolet radiation, energy can be provided to the top surface for certain processes.

[0046] The energy can increase the reactivity on the top surface. This increase in reactivity can be achieved without overheating the substrate such that temperature-sensitive features on the substrate may not be damaged. The increased reactivity may result in a better quality of the deposited layer and / or a higher productivity of the device. It may also make certain processes possible at temperatures that were not possible before due to zero reactivity.

[0047] For example, a substrate processing apparatus may include a first reactor 6 configured and arranged to process a rack having a plurality of substrates therein, and a second reactor 7 may be configured and arranged to process substrates. The apparatus may have a substrate transfer device 51 that includes a rack and a substrate handler for transferring substrates to and from the first reactor 6. The substrate handler may also be used to transfer substrates to the substrate holder of the second reactor 7. The second reactor 7 may be provided with an illumination system 41 configured and arranged to irradiate ultraviolet radiation in the range of 100 to 500 nanometers onto the top surface of at least one substrate in the second reactor 7.

[0048] The first reactor 6 may include an inlet configured and arranged to provide a first precursor in the first reactor 6 to deposit a layer on the substrates in the rack 12. The first precursor may contain silicon to deposit a silicon-containing layer on the substrates in the first reactor. For example, the first precursor may contain a silicon halide, a metal organic silicon, propylsilane, disilane, or silane. The first precursor may contain a metal selected from the group consisting of aluminum, titanium, hafnium, and zirconium to deposit a metal-containing layer on the substrates in the first reactor. For example, the first precursor may be TiCL4 or TMA.

[0049] The first reactor 6 may include an inlet configured and arranged to provide a second precursor in the first reactor 6 to react with the first precursor to form a layer on the substrates in the rack 12 before transferring the substrates to the second reactor for irradiation. The second precursor may contain nitrogen to deposit a nitrogen-containing layer on the substrates in the first reactor. For example, the second reactor may contain NH3, N2H4. The second precursor may contain oxygen to deposit an oxide layer on the substrates in the first reactor. For example, the second precursor may include H2O, O3, N2O, and / or H2O2.

[0050] The first precursor and the second precursor may be deposited on the substrates in the first reactor by atomic layer deposition process or by chemical vapor deposition process.

[0051] After depositing the layer, the rack may be moved downward by the substrate transfer device and transferred from the first reactor 6 to the second reactor 7. The substrate processing apparatus may include a rack conveyor configured and arranged to horizontally transfer the rack having substrates from the first reactor 6 to the second reactor 7. The rack may be moved upward into the second reactor 7 by a lift.

[0052] The second reactor 7 can be constructed and arranged to receive the substrate rack in the reaction chamber. The second reactor can have an illumination system, which is constructed and arranged to irradiate ultraviolet radiation within the range of 100 to 500 nanometers onto the top surface of at least one substrate in the substrate rack. The illumination system can irradiate the substrate from one side of the substrate rack. The quality of the deposited layer can be increased by ultraviolet radiation without overheating the substrate. After being treated with ultraviolet radiation, the substrate can be moved backward to deposit another layer, and the deposition and irradiation cycle can be repeated. If the layer is completed, the substrate can be transferred out of the equipment.

[0053] By performing the deposition process in the first reactor 6 and having the lighting system in the second reactor 7, the deposition process may not contaminate the lighting system in the second reactor 7. Thus, the transmission of ultraviolet radiation in the second reactor 7 may be substantially unchanged during the lifetime of the device.

[0054] Figure 3 A cross section of a substrate holder 12 with a substrate 13 is shown. Figure 1 and Figure 2 The second reactor 7 provided with the illumination system 41 is illuminated from four sides. The illumination system 41 may include four parts, such as tubes 43, to irradiate ultraviolet radiation from multiple sides to the substrate 13. The illumination system 41 may be configured to irradiate ultraviolet radiation in the range of 100 to 500 nanometers.

[0055] The tube 43 of the illumination system 41 may be elongated and extend in a direction perpendicular to the substrate surface. The tube 43 of the illumination system 41 may extend over a portion of the rack 12, over the entire length of the rack 12, or even further. The tube 43 of the illumination system may have a length between 50 and 200 cm, preferably between 75 and 150 cm, to illuminate the substrate over the entire length of the rack 12.

[0056] The illumination system 41 for illuminating the substrate surface may have a power between 5 W and 100 kW, preferably between 300 W and 20 kW and even more preferably between 1 and 10 kW. The illumination system may have an efficiency between 50% and 90% when converting electrical energy into ultraviolet radiation. The illumination system may have a power output in a direction perpendicular to the substrate of between 0.05 W and 1 kW per centimeter, preferably between 3 and 200 W per centimeter and most preferably between 10 and 100 W per centimeter.

[0057] The substrate surface can receive between 0.1 and 200 mW / cm 2 Between, preferably between 1 and 100 mw / cm 2 and even more preferably between 5 and 80 mW / cm2 The power between. The illumination system can be constructed and arranged to irradiate ultraviolet radiation in the range of 100 to 500, preferably 150 to 400, and even more preferably 170 to 300 nanometers. The rack 12 can have a length between 50 and 200 cm. The illumination system can include an optical waveguide to direct the radiation to the substrate. The optical waveguide can include an optical fiber. The illumination system can be provided with a radiation reflecting surface to direct the ultraviolet radiation to the substrate.

[0058] The substrate 13 can be positioned in the substrate rack 12, which can include three struts, and the three struts include a plurality of spaced substrate holding devices configured to hold the plurality of substrates in a spaced relationship. The rack 12 can have a maximum of between 50 and 200, preferably between 100 and 180, spaced substrate holding devices along the struts for holding an equal amount of substrates.

[0059] For optimal production, the rack can be filled to the maximum; however, to increase the power received on the substrate and improve the uniformity of the radiation received over the surface of the substrate, the number of substrates in the rack 12 can be less than the maximum. For example, the rack can be provided with 10 to 80 substrates in a spaced relationship. In this case, the distance between the substrates in the rack can be between 5 and 200, preferably between 20 and 140, and most preferably between 40 mm and 100 mm.

[0060] The struts can be elongated and extend in a direction perpendicular to the substrate surface. The plurality of substrates can be positioned parallel to each other in the substrate rack 12. The configuration of the substrate rack 12 and the illumination system 41 causes the illumination 41 to irradiate the ultraviolet radiation onto the top surface of at least one of the substrates in the substrate rack 12 from one side of the substrate rack. As depicted, the illumination system can include four parts to irradiate the ultraviolet radiation onto the substrate from four sides. Irradiating from four sides can improve the uniformity of the irradiation received on the substrate. The illumination system can also have one, two, three, or four parts for irradiating the substrate surface.

[0061] The ultraviolet radiation can generate plasma in the gas through which it can pass. The plasma may or may not be helpful for the process taking place in the reaction chamber.

[0062] If the plasma is not desired, the apparatus can be constructed and arranged to suppress the plasma in the second reaction chamber 7. The apparatus can also be constructed and arranged to impede the propagation of the plasma into the second reaction chamber 7. For example, by providing the apparatus with a plasma shield, such as a conductive wiring or coating, the plasma can be suppressed or impeded before it reaches the reaction chamber. The apparatus can also be provided with a program that, when running on the apparatus, selects a gas, a pressure range, and / or a power range such that the generation of plasma inside the second reaction chamber 7 can be suppressed.

[0063] Figure 4a There is shown an illumination system 41 formed in a spiral shape to be provided to the second reaction chamber 7, which can be used to irradiate the top surface of the substrate. The spiral-formed illumination system can be configured to surround a substrate holder 12 having a substrate 13. The illumination system 41 can be a gas discharge lamp.

[0064] Figure 4b A portion of a gas discharge lamp is depicted. The gas discharge lamp generates radiation by discharging through an ionized gas (e.g., plasma in the tube 43) between two electrodes. Such lamps can use noble gases such as argon, neon, krypton, and xenon or mixtures thereof, and can additionally even use mercury, sodium, and metal halides in the mixture in the tube 43. Electrons can be forced to leave the atoms of the gas near the anode by an electric field applied between the two electrodes, only one of which, electrode 45, is depicted. Thus, these atoms are positively ionized. The free electrons flow to the anode, while the cations flow to the cathode. The ions can collide with neutral gas atoms, which transfer their electrons to the ions. The atoms that have lost electrons during the collision are ionized and accelerated towards the cathode, while the ions that have gained electrons during the collision return to a lower energy state, releasing energy in the form of radiation emitted in the direction of the top surface of the substrate of the substrate to transfer their energy into the top surface. The electrode 45 is mounted in a base 47 that is connected to the tube 43 and is provided with pins 49.

[0065] Figures 5a to 5d An illumination system according to another embodiment is depicted. Figure 5a A side view of the illumination system 41 is depicted, which includes individually controllable radiation sources, such as light-emitting diodes, to control the power output for irradiating the substrate 13 separately from the side in the vertical direction along the substrate stack. The illumination system 41 for emitting a radiation beam in the direction of the substrate 13 can be positioned on one side of the rack 12. The illumination system 41 can irradiate a radiation beam downward from the said side towards the top surface of the substrate 13. As shown here, the illumination system only irradiates the top portion of the rack 12; however, in some cases, the illumination system 41 can extend throughout the entire length of the rack 12.

[0066] The angle of the radiation beam with respect to the line perpendicular to the top surface of the substrate 13 can be between 60 and 90°, preferably between 80 and 89.5°, and even more preferably between 85 and 89°. The radiation beam of the illumination system 41 can be slightly parallel. The direction of the radiation beam of the illumination system can thus be defined as the average direction of the radiation emitted by the illumination system 41.

[0067] The device can include a reflector (not shown) on the other side of the substrate holder with respect to the illumination system 41 to reflect the radiation reflected from the substrate 13 back to the substrate surface. The reflector can be a retroreflector for reflecting the radiation beam back in the same direction as the direction from which the radiation beam comes. The reflector can include a material selected from the group including glass, steel, aluminum, or polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) to direct the radiation to the substrate.

[0068] The reflector can be provided with a polarizer to change the polarization of the reflected light by 90 degrees, thereby improving the absorption of the reflected light. The polarizer can be a thin plate with a thickness of 1 / 8 of the wavelength positioned in front of the reflector.

[0069] The illumination system can have a first set of individually controllable radiation sources 91 and a second set of individually controllable radiation sources 93. The first set of individually controllable radiation sources 91 can be directed to the surface of the substrate 13 further from the edge and have an increased power output relative to the second set of individually controllable radiation sources 93 directed to the top surface near the edge of the substrate 13. The uniformity of the radiation intensity across the substrate surface can be increased in this way. If the radiation intensity across the substrate surface is uniform, then the reactive increase across the substrate surface by the illumination system 41 becomes the same, which is advantageous for process control.

[0070] As depicted, the illumination system 41 can directly irradiate the substrate 13; however, the reaction chamber can also be restricted by a process tube between the illumination system and the substrate 13. The process tube can form a barrier against the process gas and at least partially act as a radiation-transmissive surface. The illumination system 41 can be disposed outside the reaction chamber and can be constructed and arranged to irradiate ultraviolet radiation into the reaction chamber through the radiation-transmissive surface. The process tube can protect the illumination system 41 from the effects of reduced temperature and deposition products provided in the reaction chamber.

[0071] Figure 5b Depicted is Figure 5a a top view of the illumination system. If the illumination system is provided from only one side, then a part of the substrate 13 can be directly irradiated. By providing a rotating device to the device to rotate the substrate in the direction depicted by the arrow 95, uniform irradiation of the substrate 13 can be ensured.

[0072] The substrate holder 12 can be provided with an insulating plug at the bottom, when the holder 12 moves upward in the reaction chambers 6, 7 (see Figure 1 andFigure 2 ) When the above occurs, the insulating plug provides a seal relative to the reaction chambers 6 and 7. To increase the uniformity of the irradiation of the illumination system 41, the insulating plug may be provided with a (rack) rotation device for rotating the rack 12 having the substrate 13 about a vertical axis.

[0073] The rack rotation device can be learned from U.S. Patent No. 9,018,567B2 incorporated herein by reference. In this way, the uniformity of the radiation intensity across the substrate surface can be increased. If the radiation intensity across the substrate surface is uniform, then the reactivity increase across the substrate surface by the illumination system 41 becomes the same, which is advantageous for process control.

[0074] Figure 5c Problems that may occur in an apparatus using an illumination system 41 for irradiating a substrate 13 and having a (rack) rotation device for rotating the rack 12 having the substrate 13 about Figure 5b a vertical axis are depicted. The radiation of the illumination system 41 may overly irradiate and / or heat a part 12a of the substrate rack. The radiation may scatter from the substrate rack 12 through the environment of the reaction chamber 6, thereby irradiating parts of the apparatus that are not desired to be irradiated.

[0075] Figure 5d An illumination system according to another embodiment is depicted, which solves the problem of overly irradiating and / or heating Figure 5c a part 12a of the substrate rack in. The rotatable substrate rack 12 is provided to achieve a more uniform irradiation distribution and prevent overheating.

[0076] In addition, information on the shape of the substrate rack 12 and the rotational position of the rack 12, which can be obtained from the control system, can be used to cut off or limit the power of the part of the illumination system 41 that will fall on the aforementioned part 12a of the rack 12. The reduced amount of radiation can thus be received by the part 12a of the substrate rack 12, and less radiation may scatter from the substrate rack 12 through the environment of the support member, thereby irradiating and heating parts of the apparatus that are not desired to be irradiated or heated.

[0077] The apparatus may include a power controller 97 to control the power of the illumination system 41, and the power controller may be programmed to adjust the radiation output of the illumination system 41 along the width of the substrate rack to avoid overheating of the substrate rack.

[0078] Figure 6 A side view of a cross-section of a substrate processing apparatus is schematically depicted, and the substrate processing apparatus has a similar Figure 1The first reactor 6 and the second reactor 7 of the first reactor 6. The second reactor 7 may be provided with a substrate holder 50 and an illumination system 41, the substrate holder being configured to hold a single substrate 13, and the illumination system being configured and arranged to irradiate the substrate 13 in the holder 50 from above on the top side. The illumination system can irradiate ultraviolet radiation in the range of 100 to 500 nanometers onto the top surface of at least one substrate in the second reactor. The second reactor 7 may be provided with a plurality (e.g., five) of substrate holders 50, each substrate holder being configured and arranged to hold a single substrate 13 below the illumination system 41.

[0079] The apparatus may have a substrate transfer device 51, which includes a substrate handler for transferring substrates to and from the first reactor 6 and the second reactor 7. The substrate handler may be configured and arranged to transfer substrates to and from spaced-apart substrate holding provisions of a rack, the rack being configured to hold a plurality of substrates in a spaced-apart relationship. The first reactor 6 may be configured and arranged to receive a substrate rack therein. The substrate transfer device 51 may include a lift configured and arranged to move the rack in the first reactor 6.

[0080] The substrate handler of the substrate transfer device 51 can also be used to transfer substrates to the substrate holders 50 of the second reactor 7. In this case, a single substrate is transferred to the substrate holder 50. The illumination system 41 may include a radiation source (light-emitting diode, excimer source (lamp or laser), mercury vapor lamp, laser) that irradiates ultraviolet radiation onto the top surface of the substrate 13.

[0081] The substrate handler may be configured and arranged to transfer substrates in a first direction toward the first reactor 6 and in a second direction toward the second reactor 7. The first direction and the second direction may form an angle of 90 to 180 degrees with each other. The substrate transfer device may be disposed in a substrate transfer device chamber 53, which is provided with an inert space.

[0082] The substrate transfer device chamber may be provided with an inert space creation system, such as a nitrogen purge system, a vacuum evacuation system, or a low-oxygen system, to create an inert space in the substrate transfer device chamber 55. During transfer to the second reactor 7 for processing by the illumination system 41, the inert space in the substrate transfer device chamber 53 can prevent oxidation of the layers deposited on the substrate 13 in the first reactor 6.

[0083] The second reactor 7 may also be provided with an inert space creation system, such as a nitrogen purge system, a vacuum evacuation system, or a low-oxygen system, to create an inert space in the second reactor for the same reason.

[0084] The second reactor 7 may be provided with a cleaning inlet to provide a cleaning gas (e.g., an etching reactant) in the second reactor to clean the degassed product in the second reactor or to prepare the substrate.

[0085] The substrate processing apparatus may be used to process a substrate by providing the substrate in a rack having a plurality of substrates and loading the rack having the plurality of substrates in the first reactor 6 with the substrate transfer device 51. Subsequently, first and optionally, a second precursor may be provided in the first reactor to deposit a layer on the substrate.

[0086] The lift of the substrate transfer device 51 may be used to lower the rack having the processed substrate from the first reactor 6. The substrate having the deposited layer may be transferred from the rack to the substrate holder 50 of the second reactor 7 with the substrate handler of the substrate transfer device 51. The deposited layer of the substrate on the substrate holder 50 in the second reactor 7 may be irradiated with ultraviolet radiation in the range of 100 to 500 nanometers.

[0087] The irradiated substrate 13 may be transferred again from the second reactor 7 to the first reactor 6 with the substrate transfer device 51 to deposit another layer on the substrate 13. After the deposition, the substrate having the another deposited layer may be transferred again to the second reactor 7 to be irradiated with ultraviolet radiation in the range of 100 to 500 nanometers. In this way, the thin layer of the newly deposited material may be repeatedly treated with ultraviolet radiation. The latter may be advantageous when the deposited material has a limited transmittance to ultraviolet radiation, making it difficult to improve the quality of the layer in depth. If the substrate is ready, the substrate may be transferred to the cassette 10 using the substrate transfer device 51.

[0088] The first precursor and the second precursor may be provided in the first reactor 6 to react with each other to form a layer on the substrate. These layers may be deposited by atomic layer deposition (ALD) or chemical vapor deposition (CVD) reactions. An ultraviolet illumination system may be used to improve the quality of the layers deposited by atomic layer deposition (ALD) or chemical vapor deposition (CVD).

[0089] Before setting the substrate in the first reactor 6 to deposit a layer thereon, the substrate may be irradiated with ultraviolet radiation in the range of 100 to 500 nanometers in the second reactor to prepare the substrate. The second reactor may be provided with a cleaning gas (e.g., an etching reactant) to prepare the substrate.

[0090] Complementary periodic in-situ cleaning with an etching gas may be required in the second reactor to clean the radiation-transmissive or reflective surfaces in the apparatus. The apparatus may include an etching system. The etching system may include a fluid storage device, a control system, and valves. The control system may be provided with a program that improves the transmittance of the radiation-transmissive or reflective surfaces of the second reactor when the program runs on the control system.

[0091] An etchant fluid can be stored in a fluid storage device of an etching system. A control system can control valves for providing the etchant fluid in a reaction chamber 6. The control system can control valves to provide an etching fluid state, i.e., an etchant, in the reaction chamber so as to etch away a layer deposited on a radiation-transmissive or reflective surface, thereby improving the transmittance of the surface.

[0092] The etchant fluid can be chlorine (Cl2), boron trichloride (BCl3), hydrogen chloride (HCl), carbon tetrafluoride (CF4), nitrogen trifluoride (NF3), hydrogen bromide (HBr), sulfur hexafluoride (SF6), fluoride (F2), chlorine trifluoride (CIF3), or an ashing component generated by ultraviolet radiation in combination with a hydrogen- or oxygen-containing gas such as hydrogen or oxygen.

[0093] The specific implementations shown and described are illustrative of the invention and its best mode and are not intended to limit the scope of the aspects and implementations in any way. In fact, for the sake of brevity, conventional manufacturing, connection, preparation, and other functional aspects of the system may not be described in detail. In addition, the connecting lines shown in the various figures are intended to represent exemplary functional relationships and / or physical couplings between various elements. Many alternative or additional functional relationships or physical connections may exist in the actual system and / or may not exist in some embodiments.

[0094] It should be understood that the configurations and / or methods described herein are exemplary in nature and these specific embodiments or examples are not to be considered limiting since many variations are possible. The specific routines or methods described herein may represent one or more of various processing strategies. Accordingly, the various acts shown may be performed in the order shown, in other orders, or in some cases may be omitted.

[0095] The subject matter of the present disclosure encompasses all novel and non-obvious combinations and sub-combinations of the various processes, systems, and configurations disclosed herein, as well as other features, functions, acts, and / or characteristics and any and all equivalents thereof.

[0096] Although certain embodiments and examples are disclosed herein, those skilled in the art will understand that the invention extends beyond the specifically disclosed embodiments and / or uses of the invention and their obvious modifications and equivalents. Accordingly, it is intended that the scope of the invention disclosed herein not be limited by the specific disclosed embodiments described herein. The schematic diagrams presented herein are not intended as actual views of any particular material, structure, or device, but are merely idealized representations for describing the embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0097] As used herein, the term "substrate" or "wafer" may refer to any one or more underlying materials on or in which devices, circuits, or films can be formed or used. The term "semiconductor device structure" may refer to any portion of a semiconductor structure that has been processed or is in the process of being processed and that includes or defines at least a portion of the active or passive components of a semiconductor device to be formed on or in a semiconductor substrate. By way of example, a semiconductor device structure may include the active and passive components of an integrated circuit, such as transistors, memory elements, transducers, capacitors, resistors, conductive lines, conductive vias, and conductive contact pads.

Claims

1. A substrate processing apparatus, the substrate processing apparatus comprising: A first reactor configured and arranged to process a cassette having a plurality of substrates therein; A second reactor configured and arranged to process substrates; A substrate transfer device configured and arranged to transfer substrates to and from the first reactor and the second reactor; Wherein the second reactor is provided with a lighting system configured and arranged to irradiate ultraviolet radiation in the range of 100 to 500 nanometers onto the top surface of at least one substrate in the second reactor; And A power controller configured to control the power of the lighting system, Wherein the substrate transfer device includes a lift configured and arranged to move the cassette in the first reactor, Wherein the second reactor is configured and arranged to receive a substrate cassette in a reaction chamber, and the lighting system is configured and arranged to irradiate ultraviolet radiation onto the top surface of at least one substrate in the substrate cassette from one side of the substrate cassette; And Wherein the power controller is programmed to adjust the radiation output of the lighting system along the width of the substrate cassette to avoid overheating of the substrate cassette.

2. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first reactor includes an inlet configured and arranged to provide a first precursor in the first reactor to deposit a layer on the substrates in the cassette.

3. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the substrate transfer device is configured and arranged to transfer substrates between the first reactor and the second reactor.

4. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the substrate transfer device includes a substrate handling robot configured and arranged to transfer substrates to and from the first reactor and the second reactor.

5. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the substrate handling robot is configured and arranged to transfer substrates to and from spaced-apart substrate holding provisions of a cassette, the cassette being configured to hold a plurality of substrates in a spaced-apart relationship, and the first reactor being configured and arranged to receive a substrate rack in a reaction chamber.

6. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the apparatus includes a cassette conveyor configured and arranged to horizontally transfer a cassette having substrates from the first reactor to the second reactor.

7. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first reactor includes a heater configured and arranged to heat the plurality of substrates in the first reactor, and the inlet is connected to a first precursor source to deposit a layer on the substrates.

8. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the inlet is configured and arranged to be connected to a nitrogen-containing precursor source to deposit a nitrogen-containing layer on the substrates.

9. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the substrate handling robot is configured and arranged to transfer the substrate in a first direction toward the first reactor and in a second direction toward the second reactor, wherein the first direction and the second direction form an angle of 90 to 180 degrees with each other.

10. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the substrate transfer device is disposed in a substrate transfer device chamber, and the apparatus is provided with an inert space creating system to create an inert space in the substrate transfer device chamber and in the second reactor.

11. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second reactor is provided with an inert space creating system to create an inert space in the second reactor.

12. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second reactor is provided with a cleaning inlet to supply a cleaning gas into the second reactor so as to remove outgassing products in the second reactor.

13. A method of processing a substrate, the method comprising: providing a substrate in a rack having a plurality of substrates; loading the rack having a plurality of substrates into a first reactor; providing a first precursor in the first reactor to deposit a layer on the substrate; unloading the rack having a plurality of substrates from the first reactor; transferring the rack having a plurality of substrates to a second reactor, the substrate having a deposited layer; irradiating the deposited layer of the substrate in the second reactor with ultraviolet radiation in the range of 100 to 500 nanometers; and adjusting the radiation output of the illumination system along the width of the substrate rack to avoid overheating of the substrate rack.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein the method further comprises: transferring the irradiated substrate from the second reactor to the first reactor; providing the first precursor in the first reactor to deposit another layer on the substrate; transferring the substrate having another deposited layer to the second reactor; and, irradiating the another deposited layer of the substrate in the second reactor with ultraviolet radiation in the range of 100 to 500 nanometers.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein the method further comprises: providing a second precursor in the first reactor to react with the first precursor to form a layer on the substrate.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein the first precursor contains silicon to deposit a silicon-containing layer on the substrate in the first reactor.

17. The method according to claim 15, wherein the second precursor contains nitrogen to deposit a nitrogen-containing layer on the substrate in the first reactor.

18. The method according to claim 15, wherein the second precursor contains oxygen to deposit an oxide layer on the substrate in the first reactor.

19. The method according to claim 15, wherein the first precursor and the second precursor are deposited on the substrate by an atomic layer deposition process.

20. The method according to claim 15, wherein the first precursor and the second precursor are deposited on the substrate by a chemical vapor deposition process.

21. The method according to claim 15, wherein the first precursor comprises a metal selected from aluminum, titanium, hafnium, and zirconium to deposit a metal-containing layer on the substrate in the first reactor.

22. The method according to claim 15, wherein before the substrate is provided in the first reactor to deposit a layer on the substrate, the substrate is transferred to the second reactor and irradiated with ultraviolet radiation in the range of 100 to 500 nanometers in the second reactor to prepare the substrate.

23. The method according to claim 22, wherein the second reactor is provided with a cleaning gas to prepare the substrate.

Images