Wafer spot heating using beam width modulation

Abstract

Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a thermal processing chamber comprising a substrate support, a first plurality of heating elements disposed above or below the substrate support, and a spot heating module disposed on the substrate support. The spot heating module is used to provide local heating of an area on a substrate disposed on the substrate support during processing. Local heating of the substrate changes the temperature distribution, which in turn can be used to improve deposition uniformity. The shape of the beam spot produced by the spot heating module can be modified without changing the optical elements of the spot heating module.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to apparatus and methods for semiconductor substrate processing, and more particularly, to thermal processing chambers with point-of-use heating modules suitable for semiconductor substrate processing. Background Art

[0002] Semiconductor substrates are processed for a variety of applications including the manufacture of integrated circuit devices and micro devices. In one class of processes, the substrate is typically located on a susceptor within a processing chamber. The susceptor is supported by a support shaft that is rotatable about a central axis to rotate the susceptor coupled at one end of the support shaft. Precise control of a heating source (e.g., a plurality of heating lamps disposed below and above the substrate) allows the substrate to be heated during substrate processing.

[0003] The temperature of the substrate and the uniformity of the substrate temperature during processing can affect the thickness uniformity of the material deposited on the substrate. The non-uniformity of the substrate temperature can be axially symmetric or axially asymmetric. When the susceptor rotates during processing, the axially symmetric non-uniformity of the substrate temperature can be reduced by zoned control of the heating source. Axially asymmetric non-uniformity of the substrate temperature (e.g., axially asymmetric non-uniformity caused by structural non-uniformity of the susceptor or support shaft (e.g., lift pins) cannot be compensated by zoned control of the heating source because the source of the non-uniformity rotates with the susceptor and substrate.

[0004] Despite the use of precise control of heating sources to heat substrates, non-uniformities are still observed in the results of deposition processes performed in many existing equipment.Therefore, some method is needed to manage and reduce axially asymmetric temperature non-uniformities in thermal semiconductor processing chambers. Summary of the invention

[0005] Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to devices and methods for semiconductor substrate processing, and more particularly, to a thermal processing chamber suitable for semiconductor substrate processing. In one embodiment, the processing chamber comprises: a housing; a substrate support disposed in the housing; an energy module disposed outside the housing and facing the substrate support; a support disposed outside the housing; and a spot heating module disposed on the support. The spot heating module comprises: a holder; and a moving device coupled to the holder.

[0006] In another embodiment, a processing chamber comprises: a housing; a substrate support disposed in the housing; an energy module disposed outside the housing and facing the substrate support; and a spot heating module disposed outside the housing. The spot heating module comprises: a plurality of holders; and a plurality of moving devices, wherein each of the plurality of moving devices is coupled to a corresponding holder of the plurality of holders.

[0007] In another embodiment, a processing chamber comprises: a housing; a substrate support member disposed in the housing; an energy module disposed outside the housing and facing the substrate support member; and a spot heating module disposed on the support member. The spot heating module comprises: a pedestal; a holder disposed on the pedestal; a collimator disposed on the holder; and a moving device, wherein the moving device is disposed between the holder and the collimator. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0008] As a means by which the above-described features of the present disclosure can be understood in detail, a brief summary of the present disclosure can be obtained by reference to the embodiments, some of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. It should be noted, however, that the drawings illustrate only typical embodiments of the present disclosure and are therefore not to be considered limiting of the scope, as the present disclosure may admit to other equally effective embodiments.

[0009] Figure 1 is a schematic cross-sectional side view of a processing chamber according to one embodiment.

[0010] Figure 2 is a schematic cross-sectional side view of a processing chamber according to another embodiment.

[0011] Figure 3 is a schematic side view of a spot heater according to one embodiment.

[0012] Figures 4A to 4B is a schematic top view of a spot heating module according to one embodiment.

[0013] Figures 5A to 5C Through one or more Figure 3 Schematic view of the beam spot formed by the spot heater.

[0014] Figures 6A to 6B is a schematic illustration of a beam spot having different orientations moving relative to a substrate according to one embodiment.

[0015] Figure 7 is a schematic cross-sectional side view of a processing chamber according to another embodiment.

[0016] Figure 8is a schematic cross-sectional side view of a processing chamber according to yet another embodiment.

[0017] Fig. 9 is a schematic cross-sectional side view of a processing chamber according to a further embodiment.

[0018] To facilitate understanding, identical reference numerals have been used, where possible, to designate identical elements that are common to the figures. It is contemplated that elements disclosed in one embodiment may be beneficially utilized on other embodiments without further recitation. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0019] Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a thermal processing chamber comprising a substrate support, a first plurality of heating elements disposed above, below, or above and below the substrate support, and a spot heating module disposed on the substrate support. The spot heating module is used to provide local heating of an area on a substrate disposed on the substrate support during processing. Local heating of the substrate changes the temperature distribution, which can be used to improve deposition uniformity. The shape of the beam spot produced by the spot heating module can be modified without changing the optical elements of the spot heating module.

[0020] As used herein, a "substrate" or "substrate surface" refers to any substrate surface on which processing is performed. For example, depending on the application, the substrate surface may include silicon, silicon oxide, doped silicon, silicon germanium, germanium, gallium arsenide, glass, sapphire, and any other material, such as metals, metal nitrides, metal alloys, and other conductive or semi-conductive materials. The substrate or substrate surface may also include dielectric materials, such as silicon dioxide, silicon nitride, organosilicates, and carbon-doped silicon oxide or nitride materials. The substrate itself is not limited to any particular size or shape. Although the embodiments herein are related to circular 200 mm or 300 mm substrates, other shapes may be used, such as polygonal, square, rectangular, curved or other non-circular workpieces.

[0021] Figure 1A schematic cross-sectional side view of a processing chamber 100 is illustrated according to one embodiment. The processing chamber 100 can be a deposition or thermal processing chamber, such as a vapor phase epitaxy chamber. Chambers such as the processing chamber 100 can also be used to perform other thermal processes. The processing chamber 100 can be used to process one or more substrates. The substrate 102 is disposed in the processing chamber 100 for processing, and the processing can include depositing materials on the device side 150 of the substrate 102, heating the substrate 102, etching the substrate 102, or a combination of the above. The processing chamber 100 includes a spot heating module 171. The spot heating module 171 includes one or more spot heaters 170. The spot heating module 171 is used to heat one or more areas on the substrate 102 during processing. The one or more areas can be cold spots, such as locations where the lift pins 132 produce non-uniform heat application to the substrate 102. In one embodiment, the spot heaters 170 are connected to the electromagnetic radiation source 103 via corresponding optical fibers 101. A single electromagnetic radiation source 103 can be optically coupled to only one spot heater 170 via an optical fiber 101, or can be optically coupled to more than one spot heater 170. Multiple optical fibers 101 can connect one electromagnetic radiation source 103 to multiple spot heaters 170, such as Figure 1 In some embodiments, the electromagnetic radiation source 103 is directly disposed on the spot heater 170 rather than being coupled to the spot heater 170 via the optical fiber 101. The electromagnetic radiation source 103 may be a pulsed electromagnetic radiation source or a continuous wave (CW) electromagnetic radiation source.

[0022] The electromagnetic radiation source 103 may be a high energy radiation source, such as a laser. Examples of laser sources that may be used include crystal lasers, laser diodes and arrays, and VCSELs. A high intensity LED source may also be used, and a collimator may be used to collimate the light emitted from the LED source to form a beam. The wavelength of the emitted radiation may generally be in the spectrum of ultraviolet, visible, and / or infrared light, from about 200 nm to about 900 nm, such as 810 nm, and the emitted radiation may be monochromatic, narrow band, broadband, or ultra broadband, such as white laser light. The electromagnetic radiation source 103 emits high intensity electromagnetic radiation, which is guided to the spot heater 170 via the optical fiber 101. The spot heater 170 directs the outlet end of the optical fiber 101 toward a target location in the processing chamber 100, such as to a substrate 102 disposed on a base 106. The optical fiber 101 so directed generates a radiation beam toward the target location from the radiation emitted by the electromagnetic radiation source 103. The end of the optical fiber 101 may have one or more optical features, including lenses, faceted surfaces, diffusing surfaces, filters, and other coatings, to direct or condition the electromagnetic radiation exiting the optical fiber. Alternatively, one or more optical elements may be coupled to the end of the optical fiber 101 in the spot heater 170. Thus, the spot heater 170 is configurable and interchangeable. The radiation beams from the electromagnetic radiation source 103 may have the same wavelength or different wavelengths. In one embodiment, the radiation beams have different wavelengths for heating different materials formed on the substrate 102.

[0023] like Figure 1 As shown in , the spot heater 170 includes a collimator 190 held by a holder 192. The collimator 190 is an optical element that collimates the radiation from one of the electromagnetic radiation sources 103, for example, by using a suitably designed lens. The collimator 190 has a first end to which the radiation from the electromagnetic radiation source 103 is input, for example, by directing the output of a laser source into an opening in the first end. The collimator 190 has a second end with an opening that accommodates a collimating optical assembly. In some embodiments, a laser or laser source can be mounted directly to the collimator 190 by inserting the beam exit portion of the laser into the first end of the collimator 190, so that the radiation emitted by the laser passes through the collimator 190 and exits through the second end of the collimating optical assembly (which can be a lens or lens group).

[0024] In some embodiments, the collimator 190 is replaced by the optical fiber 101 or the electromagnetic radiation source 103, and the holder 192 directly holds the optical fiber 101 or the electromagnetic radiation source 103. The holder 192 is disposed on a stand 194. The stand 194 includes a wedge 196 and a slider 198. The spot heater 170 will be further described below.

[0025] The processing chamber 100 includes a housing 148, the housing 148 includes a base 180 and a reflector 154 disposed on the base 180. The processing chamber 100 further includes a spacer 112 disposed on the base 180, a first shell 108 disposed on the spacer 112, a second shell 110 disposed on the base 180, a susceptor 106 disposed between the first shell 108 and the second shell 110, and an energy module 104 disposed in the processing chamber 100. In this case, the energy module 104 is disposed in the base 180. The energy module 104 heats the susceptor 106 and / or the substrate 102 disposed on the susceptor 106. In one embodiment, the energy module 104 is an array of radiant heating lamps, such as Figure 1 As shown in Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown in FIG. 1 , the energy module 104 may be located below the second housing 110 to illuminate the base 106, and the base 106 is between the substrate 102 and the energy module 104. Figure 2 As shown in FIG. 1 , the energy modules 104 may be disposed on both sides of the base 106 such that the base 106 is interposed between the two energy modules 104. Figure 1 The energy module 104 is shown as being on one side of the base 106 (ie, below the base 106), the energy module 104 may be disposed on the other side of the base 106, such as Figure 2 The energy module 104 disposed above the first housing 108 is also positioned to irradiate the substrate 102 .

[0026] Each energy module 104 can be independently controlled in a partition (e.g., radial partition) to control the temperature of multiple regions of the substrate 102 as the process gas or vapor passes over the surface of the substrate 102, thereby facilitating the deposition of materials onto the device side 150 of the substrate 102. The radial partitioning allows the deposition thickness uniformity to be controlled by adjusting the local temperature at the reaction location to compensate for the reactant concentration variation caused by flow non-uniformity and edge-to-center reactant consumption. The partitions are individually powered using separate power supplies or by power distribution control between partitions.

[0027] The substrate 102 is transferred into the processing chamber 100 and placed onto the susceptor 106 through the loading port 109 formed in the spacer 112. The susceptor 106 may be a disk-shaped substrate support as shown. In some embodiments, the susceptor 106 is replaced by an annular substrate support (not shown) that supports the substrate 102 from the edge of the substrate 102 to directly expose the back side of the substrate 102 to be heated from the energy module 104 disposed below the second housing 110. The susceptor 106 may be made of silicon carbide, silicon coated with silicon carbide, quartz coated with silicon carbide, or graphite coated with silicon carbide to absorb radiation energy from the energy module 104 and direct the radiation energy to the substrate 102, thereby heating the substrate 102.

[0028] Although not shown, for example, if the susceptor 106 has features that reduce contact, portions of the substrate 102 can be raised above the susceptor 106. In these cases, the susceptor heats the substrate 102 by a combination of radiation and conduction. The ratio of radiant heating to conductive heating is determined by the fraction of the substrate area that is in direct contact with the susceptor surface. The distribution of two different heating mechanisms can result in thermal non-uniformity that cannot be corrected by zoned control of the energy module 104.

[0029] The susceptor 106 is supported by a shaft or rod 118 coupled to a motion assembly 120. The motion assembly 120 includes a rotary actuator 122 that, in operation, rotates the rod 118 about a longitudinal axis A of the processing chamber 100 that is perpendicular to the XY plane of the processing chamber 100, which rotates the susceptor 106. The motion assembly 120 also includes a linear actuator 124 to move the rod 118 along the longitudinal axis A of the processing chamber 100 in the Z direction (e.g., vertically) of the processing chamber 100, which moves the susceptor 106. During processing, the susceptor 106 is rotated about its center using the rotary actuator 122 to minimize the effects of thermal and process gas flow spatial anomalies within the processing chamber 100, thereby facilitating uniform processing of the substrate 102. The susceptor 106 rotates at a rate between about 5 RPM and about 100 RPM, such as between about 10 RPM and about 50 RPM, such as about 30 RPM.

[0030] The first housing 108 may be a dome, and the second housing 110 may also be a dome. Each of the first housing 108 and the second housing 110 transmits the radiant energy from the energy module 104. The first housing 108 and the second housing 110 and a spacer 112 disposed between the first housing 108 and the second housing 110 define an interior area 111 of the processing chamber 100. Each of the first housing 108 and / or the second housing 110 may be flat, convex, or concave. In some embodiments, each of the first housing 108 and / or the second housing 110 is transparent to the radiation of the radiant energy emitted from the energy module 104 (transmits at least 95% of the radiation of the radiant energy). In one embodiment, the first housing 108 and the second housing 110 are made of quartz.

[0031] The energy module 104 provides a total radiant power output between about 10 KW and about 60 KW, which can heat the semiconductor substrate to a temperature in the range of about 200 degrees Celsius to about 1600 degrees Celsius. Each lamp 105 of the energy module 104 can be coupled to a power distribution board, such as a printed circuit board (PCB) 159, through which power is supplied to each lamp 105. If one power supply supplies power to more than one heating zone, the PCB 159 can have power distribution control circuitry. In one embodiment, the energy module 104 is positioned within a housing 145. The housing 145 has one or more channels 149 to flow a cooling fluid between the lamps 105.

[0032] exist Figure 11, the susceptor 106 is shown in a raised processing position. When the susceptor 106 is in the processing position, the susceptor 106 divides the interior region 111 of the processing chamber 100 into a process gas region 136 above the susceptor 106 and a purge gas region 138 below the susceptor 106. To load and unload the substrate 102, the susceptor 106 is moved to a transfer position to allow the lift pins 132 to contact the support 134 disposed on the inner surface 113 of the second housing 110. The support 134 is made of the same material as the second housing 110. The lift pins 132 are suspended in holes 107 formed through the susceptor 106. Each hole 107 extends from the substrate supporting surface 115 of the susceptor 106 to the rear surface 117 of the susceptor 106 opposite the substrate support surface 115. The substrate temperature is determined using one or more thermal sensors 153, which are configured to sense thermal radiation emitted by the rear surface 117 of the susceptor 106. The sensor 153 may be a pyrometer disposed in a port formed in the housing 145. Additionally or alternatively, one or more thermal sensors 153 directly sense thermal radiation emitted by the device side 150 of the substrate 102. The sensor 153, or one or more controllers coupled to the sensor 153 to receive a signal representative of the sensed radiation, determines a temperature from the sensed radiation. A reflector 154 is disposed outside the first housing 108 to reflect radiation radiated away from the substrate 102 and redirect the radiation back onto the substrate 102. In one embodiment, as shown in FIG. Figure 2 As shown in FIG. 1 , the energy module 104 is coupled to a reflector 154. A clamp ring 156 disposed on the spacer 112 and the first housing 108 secures the reflector 154 to the first housing 108. The reflector 154 may be made of a metal, such as aluminum or stainless steel. A sensor 153 may be disposed through the reflector 154 to receive radiation from the device side 150 of the substrate 102.

[0033] Process gas supplied from a process gas supply 151 is introduced into the process gas region 136 via a process gas inlet 114 formed in the spacer 112. The spacer 112 has an outer surface 182 and an inner surface 184. The process gas inlet 114 directs the process gas across the device side 150 of the substrate 102. The processing position of the susceptor 106 and the substrate 102 thereon are adjacent to the process gas inlet 114, thereby allowing the process gas to flow across the device side 150 of the substrate 102 generally along a flow path 173. The process gas exits the process gas region 136 (along a flow path 175) via a gas outlet 116 located in the spacer 112 and opposite the process gas inlet 114. The gas outlet 116 is an opening formed in the spacer 112 that fluidly couples the vacuum pump 157 to the process gas region 136. Removal of the process gas via the gas outlet 116 is facilitated by the vacuum pump 157 coupled thereto.

[0034] A purge gas supplied from a purge gas source 162 is introduced into the purge gas region 138 via a purge gas inlet 164 formed in the spacer 112. During film forming processing, the susceptor 106 is positioned so that the purge gas flows generally along a flow path 165 across the rear surface 117 of the susceptor 106. The purge gas exits the purge gas region 138 (along a flow path 166) via a gas outlet 116 and exits the processing chamber 100.

[0035] The processing chamber 100 may be controlled by a processor-based system controller (e.g., controller 147), such as Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown. For example, the controller 147 is configured to control the flow of various precursors and process gases and purge gases from gas sources during different operations of the substrate processing sequence. The controller 147 can be configured to control the activation of the spot heating module 171, predict the algorithm for activating the spot heating module 171, and / or synchronize the operation of the spot heating module 171 with the substrate rotation, gas supply, lamp operation, or other processing parameters, and other controller operations. The controller 147 includes a programmable central processing unit (CPU) 152, which can operate with a memory 155 and a large capacity storage device, an input control unit, and a display unit (not shown) coupled to various components of the processing chamber 100, such as clocks, caches, input / output (I / O) circuits, etc., to facilitate control of substrate processing in the processing chamber 100. The controller 147 further includes support circuits 158. To facilitate the control of the processing chamber 100 described above, the CPU 152 can be one of any form of general purpose computer processor that can be used in an industrial setting, such as a programmable logic controller (PLC) for controlling various chambers and sub-processors. Memory 155 is in the form of a computer-readable storage medium containing instructions that, when executed by CPU 152, facilitate the operation of processing chamber 100. The instructions in memory 155 are in the form of a program product, such as a program for practicing the methods of the present disclosure.

[0036] Figure 2 A schematic cross-sectional view of a processing chamber 200 is shown according to one embodiment. The processing chamber 200 is similar in some respects to Figure 1 The processing chamber 100 shown in FIG. The processing chamber 200 has a reflector 254, and the reflector 254 has an energy module 104 integrated therein. The processing chamber 200 includes a housing 148, and the housing 148 includes a substrate 180 and a reflector 254 disposed on the substrate 180. The spot heating module 171 is disposed on the reflector 254. Figure 2As shown in FIG. , one optical fiber 101 may connect one electromagnetic radiation source 103 to one spot heater 170 , or multiple optical fibers 101 may be used to connect more than one electromagnetic radiation source 103 to one spot heater 170 .

[0037] Figure 3 is a schematic side view of a spot heater 170 according to one embodiment. Figure 3 As shown in , the spot heater 170 includes a collimator 190 held by a holder 192. The collimator 190 can be a tubular member containing an optical element (such as a lens), and the holder 192 can be a cylindrical object with a central opening to receive and fix the tubular collimator 190 in a desired position. The holder 192 is disposed on a stand 194, and the stand 194 is disposed on a support 302. The stand 194 includes a wedge 196 and a slider 198. The slider 198 can be linearly moved on the support 302 using a positioning screw or an actuator. The slider 198 can include an actuator that can move the slider 198 during processing. The wedge 196 includes a surface 304 that contacts the holder 192, and the surface 304 forms an angle A relative to a plane 306, and the plane 306 is substantially parallel to the main surface of the base, such as Figure 1 and Figure 2 The susceptor 106 of the processing chamber 100 is shown in FIG.

[0038] The angle A of the wedge 196 can be adjusted by an actuator located in the wedge 196. The aiming of the spot heater 170 can be achieved by selecting the angle A of the wedge 196 and by adjusting the position of the slider 198. Because the angle A of the wedge 196 and the position of the slider 198 can be adjusted by the actuator, the substrate (e.g., Figure 1196, slider 198, and support 302 may be made of a material that is radiation transparent (transmits at least 95% of the radiation energy) to the radiation energy emitted from the electromagnetic radiation source 103. In one embodiment, the wedge 196, slider 198, and support 302 are made of quartz. In some embodiments, an opening is formed through the wedge 196, slider 198, and support 302 for passing a beam (e.g., a laser beam) from the collimator 190 through the wedge 196, slider 198, and support 302 to a target area on the substrate 102. The opening may be large enough to accommodate the movement of the surface 304 of the wedge 196 or the slider 198. The opening formed in the support 302 may be at least larger than the opening formed in the wedge 196 and slider 198 so that the opening formed in the wedge 196 and slider 198 is not blocked by any portion of the support 302. In one embodiment, the opening formed in the support 302 is larger than the opening in the slider 198, regardless of the position of the slider 198. In the event that the wedge 196 has an opening, the opening will be aligned with the optical axis of the radiation source delivering radiation within the collimator 190 (i.e., the optical fiber 101), and will be sized to allow all, or a desired portion, of the radiation to pass through the opening.

[0039] The spot heater 170 may be aimed by performing a manual alignment process. During the alignment process, any components between the support 302 and the base 106 may be removed to facilitate manual alignment of the spot heater 170. The spot heater 170 is powered to generate a guide beam so that an operator can observe a light spot from the guide beam hitting the base. The base may be rotated so that the area heated by the spot heater 170 is easily illuminated by the guide beam. Next, a positioning device (e.g., slide 198 and wedge 196 of stage 194) may be operated to align the spot heater 170 with the area to be heated. In one embodiment, the area to be heated is where the lift pins are located, such as Figure 1 The lift pins 132 of the processing chamber 100 are shown in FIG. The guide beam can be generated by a relatively low intensity laser that is directly coupled or fiber coupled to the spot heater 170.

[0040] The moving device 308 is coupled to the collimator 190 to facilitate movement of the collimator 190. The moving device 308 is disposed between the holder 192 and the collimator 190. One or more bearings may be disposed between the moving device 308 and the holder 192 to minimize friction between the moving device 308 and the holder 192. In one embodiment, the moving device 308 is a device that can rotate the collimator 190 relative to the longitudinal axis 310 of the collimator 190. The collimator 190 can be in a first position during processing of a substrate using a first process recipe, and the collimator 190 can be rotated to a second position before processing a substrate using a second process recipe. The rotation of the collimator 190 can change the shape and / or size of the beam spot of the radiation beam leaving the collimator 190.

[0041] In one embodiment, the moving device 308 continuously rotates the collimator 190 in one direction (clockwise or counterclockwise) relative to the longitudinal axis 310 of the collimator 190 during processing to dynamically change the shape of the beam spot on the substrate. The substrate may also be rotated during processing. The rotation of the collimator 190 may be synchronized with the rotation of the substrate to provide precise heating of one or more cold spots on the substrate. In another embodiment, the moving device 308 causes the collimator 190 to rotate and oscillate within a predetermined angular range, such as between negative 60 degrees and 60 degrees. The oscillation of the collimator 190 may be synchronized with the rotation of the substrate. In some embodiments, the collimator 190 is replaced by an optical fiber 101 or an electromagnetic radiation source 103 ( Figure 1 The moving device 308 is coupled to the optical fiber 101 or electromagnetic radiation source 103 held by the holder 192 ( Figure 1 ), and the moving device 308 rotates the optical fiber 101 or the electromagnetic radiation source 103 in the same manner as the collimator 190 is rotated.

[0042] The moving device 308 may be a controlled motion device that generates periodic motion, such as vibration, circular motion, or linear motion. The motion generated by the moving device 308 is transmitted to the collimator 190, or alternatively, to the optical fiber 101 or the electromagnetic radiation source 103 ( Figure 1 ). The collimator 190 can move the beam spot as the motion transmitted from the moving device 308 moves the collimator 190, and the movement of the beam spot illuminates an exposed area larger than the beam spot area. In another embodiment, the collimator 190 illuminates an overlapping area on the substrate, approximately larger than the area of ​​the beam spot illuminated by the electromagnetic radiation source 103 ( Figure 1 ). When the collimator 190 moves, the electromagnetic radiation source generates a continuous electromagnetic radiation beam, and when the electromagnetic radiation beam passes through the moving collimator 190, the exposed area of ​​the substrate irradiated by the continuous electromagnetic radiation beam is larger than the area of ​​the beam spot. The large beam spot defines an annular heating zone when the substrate rotates.

[0043] The electromagnetic radiation source 103 may be pulsed via the moving collimator 190 to form a large beam spot on the substrate as the electromagnetic radiation beam passes through the moving collimator 190. The large beam spot heats discrete areas on the substrate as the substrate rotates. The pulsing of the electromagnetic radiation beam may be synchronized with the rotation of the substrate and / or the movement of the beam spot. For example, the pulsing of the beam may be set to a frequency related to the vibration frequency of the collimator 190. The related frequency may deliver radiation pulses to overlapping areas of the substrate such that an exposed area of ​​the substrate (larger than the area of ​​any pulse) is exposed to the pulsed radiation. The pulse duration by the moving collimator 190 determines the angular scan of exposure along the annular or partially annular heated zone.

[0044] The collimator 190 can be moved continuously or periodically, such as when pulses of the electromagnetic radiation beam pass through the collimator 190. In one example, the beam can be pulsed for a first duration when the collimator 190 is moving, and the beam can be pulsed for a second duration when the collimator 190 is not moving. In this embodiment, a first exposed area of ​​the substrate corresponding to the first duration is larger than an area of ​​the beam, and a second exposed area corresponding to the second duration has the same size as the size of the beam.

[0045] Figures 4A to 4B FIG. 1 is a schematic top view of a spot heating module 171 according to one embodiment. Figure 4A As shown in FIG. 1 , the spot heating module 171 includes one or more spot heaters 170. The one or more spot heaters 170 are disposed on a support 302, and the support 302 is integrated into or on a chamber lid 402. The chamber lid 402 may be Figure 1 and Figure 2 154 or 254 of the processing chamber 100 or 200 shown in FIG. Each point heater 170 includes a pedestal 194 disposed on a support 302. Each point heater 170 may further include a collimator 190 disposed on the pedestal 194. One or more sensors 408 (e.g., pyrometers) are disposed on the support 302. In some embodiments, each point heater 170 includes a collimator 190 and a sensor 408, and the collimator 190 and the sensor 408 are disposed on a single pedestal 194, such as Figure 4B as shown in .

[0046] One or more sensors 408 may be used to modulate the power provided to the spot heater 170. For example, a controller (not shown) may receive temperature data from the sensor 408 and may increase or decrease the power provided to the spot heater 170 based on the temperature data. In the system, the combination of the sensor 408 and the spot heater 170 may be used in closed-loop or open-loop control to adjust the spot heater 170 based on the readings from the sensor 408.

[0047] Embodiments described herein may be used to adjust spot heating of a substrate by adjusting the shape and / or size of the heating radiation spot.The spot heater 170 is configured to dynamically control the shape and / or size of the beam spot without modifying the optical elements of the system.

[0048] Figures 5A to 5C FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a beam spot formed by one or more spot heaters 170 described herein. Figure 5A As shown in FIG. , the beam spot 502 is provided by a spot heater 170 ( Figure 3 ) is formed. The beam spot 502 can be modified without changing the optical elements of the spot heater 170. For example, Figure 5B As shown in FIG. , the beam spot 504 is provided by two spot heaters 170 ( Figure 1 ) is formed. The two spot heaters 170 are positioned so that the beam spots generated by the spot heaters 170 overlap. The two spot heaters 170 may include electromagnetic radiation sources 103 that generate radiation beams of the same or different wavelengths. In one embodiment, the two spot heaters 170 include a blue laser and a green laser, respectively, and the beam spot 504 includes a blue portion and a green portion. Alternatively, the collimator 190 may be moved ( Figure 3 ) to form the beam spot 504. In another embodiment, by actuating (e.g., vibrating) the slider 198 ( Figure 3 ) to form the beam spot 504. In yet another embodiment, by actuating (eg, moving) the angle A ( Figure 3 ) to form the beam spot 504. The movement of the collimator 190, the slider 198 or the angle A of the wedge 196 forms a racetrack-shaped beam spot 506, such as Figure 5C In one embodiment, a pair of wedges 196 are precisely machined at a certain offset angle to achieve Figure 5B , 5C The beam spots 504, 506 are shown in FIG.

[0049] Figures 6A to 6B Schematic diagram of a beam spot having different orientations moving relative to a substrate according to one embodiment. Fig. 6A As shown in FIG. 6 , the beam spot 602 has an elliptical shape. The long axis of the elliptical beam spot 602 may be oriented substantially perpendicular to the direction of substrate movement, as indicated by arrow 604. When the long axis of the beam spot 602 is substantially perpendicular to the direction of substrate movement, the width of the beam spot 602 (i.e., the effective length of the long axis of the beam spot 602) may be adjusted without changing the optical elements of the spot heater 170. For example, the long axis of the beam spot 602 may be adjusted by rotating the collimator 190 ( Figure 3 ) to change the width of the beam spot 602. Figure 6BAs shown in , the rotation of the collimator 190 causes the beam spot 602 to rotate in a directional manner, so that the major axis of the elliptical beam spot 602 is no longer substantially perpendicular to the moving direction of the substrate, resulting in a narrower width of the beam spot 602. This technology is also applicable to linear beam spots.

[0050] Figure 7 FIG. 7 is a schematic cross-sectional side view of a processing chamber 700 according to one embodiment. The processing chamber 700 is similar in some respects to Figure 1 and Figure 2 . The processing chamber 700 is configured to process one or more substrates, including depositing material on a device side 722 of a substrate 710. The processing chamber 700 includes a first housing 712, a second housing 714, and a substrate support 702 disposed between the first housing 712 and the second housing 714. The first housing 712 and the second housing 714 may be formed by Figure 1 The first shell 108 and the second shell 110 shown in FIG. 1 are made of the same material.

[0051] The substrate support 702 includes a support ring 724 for supporting a substrate 710 and a ring support 726 for supporting the support ring 724. The substrate 710 is transferred into the processing chamber 700 through a loading port 728 and positioned on the support ring 724. The support ring 724 may be made of graphite coated with SiC. The ring support 726 is rotated by a motor (not shown), thereby rotating the support ring 724 and the substrate 710.

[0052] The processing chamber 700 includes a first energy module 706 (e.g., a radiant heat lamp) disposed below the second housing 714 for heating the substrate 710 from below the substrate 710. The processing chamber 700 also includes a second energy module 704 (e.g., a radiant heat lamp) disposed on the first housing 712 for heating the substrate 710 from above the substrate 710. In one embodiment, the first and second energy modules 704, 706 provide infrared light radiant heat to the substrate via the first housing 712 and the second housing 714, respectively. The first and second housings 712, 714 are transparent to the radiation of the radiant energy emitted from the energy modules 704, 706 (transmitting at least 95% of the radiation of the radiant energy). In one embodiment, the processing chamber 700 also includes one or more temperature sensors 730, such as optical pyrometers, for measuring the temperature within the processing chamber 700 and on the device side 722 of the substrate 710. The one or more temperature sensors 730 are disposed on a support member 732, which is disposed on the lid 716. The reflector 718 is placed outside the first housing 712 to reflect the infrared light radiated from the substrate 710 and the first housing 712 back toward the substrate 710 .

[0053] The spot heating module 171 is disposed on the support member 732. The spot heating module 171 includes one or more spot heaters 170. Each spot heating module 171 generates one or more electromagnetic radiation beams 734, such as high-energy electromagnetic radiation beams, such as laser beams, each of which forms or contributes to a beam spot on the device side 722 of the substrate 710, so as to perform local heating of the substrate 710. Wherein the spot heating module 171 is located above the reflector 718, the electromagnetic radiation beam 734 passes through the opening 720 formed in the annular portion 736 of the reflector 718, and the first housing 712 is transparent to the radiation of the electromagnetic radiation beam 734 (transmits at least 95% of the received radiation of the radiation beam 734).

[0054] During the epitaxial operation performed in the chamber 700, the substrate 710 is heated to a predetermined temperature, for example, less than about 750 degrees Celsius. In order to improve the temperature uniformity of the substrate, the spot heating module 171 is used to locally heat one or more areas on the substrate 710. Since the substrate 710 rotates during operation, the local heating of the spot heating module 171 can occur on an annular area at a certain radius of the substrate 710.

[0055] The temperature sensor 730 can be used to modulate the power provided to the spot heating module 171. For example, a controller (not shown) can receive temperature data from the temperature sensor 730 and can increase or decrease the power provided to the spot heating module 171 based on the temperature data. In this system, the combination of the temperature sensor 730 and the spot heating module 171 can be used in closed-loop or open-loop control to adjust the spot heating module 171 based on the reading from the temperature sensor 730.

[0056] Figure 8 FIG. 8 is a schematic cross-sectional side view of a processing chamber 800 according to another embodiment. The processing chamber 800 is similar in some respects to Figure 1 The processing chamber 100 shown in FIG. The processing chamber 800 may generally have a rectangular box shape. The processing chamber 800 includes a first shell 802, a second shell 804, and an area 803 defined by the first and second shells 802 and 804. The first shell 802 and the second shell 804 may be formed by Figure 1 The first shell 108 and the second shell 110 shown in FIG. are made of the same material. Figure 8 In an embodiment of the present invention, the first and second shells 802 and 804 are flat and made of quartz that is transparent to the wavelength of energy to be passed to heat the substrate.

[0057] A first energy module 810 is disposed on the first housing 802. The first energy module 810 may be a plurality of radiant heat sources, such as elongated tubular radiant heating elements. The energy modules 810 are disposed in a spaced-apart parallel relationship and also extend through the processing chamber 800 substantially parallel to the reactant gas flow path (indicated by arrows 812). A second energy module 815 is positioned below the second housing 804 and is oriented transverse to the first energy module 810. A plurality of point heat sources 820 supply concentrated heat to the underside of the substrate support structure (described below) to offset the heat sink effect created by the cold support structure extending through the bottom of the processing chamber 800.

[0058] The spot heating module 171 is disposed on the cover 806 located on the first energy module 810. The spot heating module 171 includes one or more spot heaters 170. The spot heating module 171 generates one or more electromagnetic radiation beams to perform local heating of a substrate disposed in the processing chamber 800. As is known in the field of semiconductor processing facilities, the power of the various heat sources 170, 810, 815, 820 can be controlled independently or in grouped zones in response to the substrate temperature measured via a temperature sensor.

[0059] The substrate 825 is shown supported by a substrate support 830 disposed in the region 803. The substrate support 830 includes a substrate holder 832 and a support stand 834 on which the substrate 825 is disposed. The stand 834 is mounted to a shaft 836 that extends downwardly through a tube 838 that extends through the chamber bottom 808. The tube 838 is in communication with a purge gas source, through which the purge gas may flow during processing of the substrate 825.

[0060] A plurality of temperature sensors are disposed proximate to the substrate 825. The temperature sensors may take a variety of forms, such as optical pyrometers or thermocouples. In the illustrated embodiment, the temperature sensors include thermocouples, including a first or central thermocouple 840 suspended below the substrate holder 832 in any suitable manner. The central thermocouple 840 is proximate to the substrate holder 832 by a footrest 834. The processing chamber 800 further includes a plurality of secondary or peripheral thermocouples, also proximate to the substrate 825, including a leading edge or front thermocouple 845, a trailing edge or rear thermocouple 850, and side thermocouples (not shown). Each peripheral thermocouple is disposed within a slip ring 852, which surrounds the substrate holder 832 and the substrate 825. The slip ring 852 is disposed on a support member 854, which extends from a front chamber divider 856 and a rear chamber divider 858. The dividers 856, 858 are made of quartz. Each of the central and peripheral thermocouples is connected to a temperature controller which sets the power of the various heat sources 810, 815, 820 in response to temperature readings from the thermocouples.

[0061] The processing chamber 800 further includes an inlet port 860 for injecting reactants and carrier gases, and the substrate 825 can also be received through the inlet port 860. An outlet port 864 is located on the opposite side of the processing chamber 800, and the substrate support structure 830 is located between the inlet 860 and the outlet 864. An inlet member 865 is mounted to the processing chamber 800, adapted to surround the inlet port 860, and includes a horizontal elongated slot 867 through which the substrate 825 can be inserted. A generally vertical inlet 868 receives gases from a gas source and communicates these gases with the slot 867 and the inlet port 860. An outlet member 870 is similarly mounted to the processing chamber 800, such that an exhaust opening 872 is aligned with the outlet port 864 and leads to an exhaust conduit 874. The exhaust conduit 874 can in turn be in communication with a suitable vacuum member (not shown) for exhausting the processing gas from the processing chamber 800.

[0062] The processing chamber 800 also includes an excited material source 876 located below the chamber bottom 808. The excited material source 876 can be a remote plasma generator arranged along a gas line 878. A precursor gas source 880 is coupled to the gas line 878 for introduction into the excited material source 876. A carrier gas source 882 is also coupled to the gas line 878. One or more branch lines 884 may also be provided for additional reactants. The excited material source 876 can be used for plasma enhanced deposition, but can also be used to excite etching gas species to clean the processing chamber 800 of excess deposited material when there is no substrate in the processing chamber 800.

[0063] Fig. 9 FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional side view of a processing chamber 900 according to yet another embodiment. The processing chamber 900 includes a spot heating module 171. The processing chamber 900 can be used to implement the methods described herein. The exemplary processing chamber 900 is The chamber is available from Applied Materials, Inc., Santa Clara, California.

[0064] The processing chamber 900 includes a chamber body 902. The chamber body 902 defines an interior volume 904 of the chamber 900. The processing chamber 900 includes a substrate support 906 disposed in the interior volume 904. The substrate support 906 supports a substrate 901 on its periphery. In one embodiment, the substrate support 906 is located on a rotatable cylinder 925 that is magnetically coupled to a rotatable flange 926. The substrate 901 is oriented so that a surface 910 of the substrate 901 faces a transparent quartz window 914. The lift pins 916 can be raised and lowered to support the substrate 901 as the substrate 901 is transferred between a substrate conveyor that brings the substrate 901 into the processing chamber 900 through an opening 948 and onto the substrate support 906.

[0065] The processing chamber 900 further includes a radiant heating apparatus 918 located below the window 914. The radiant heating apparatus 918 directs radiant energy toward the substrate 901 to heat the substrate 901. The radiant heating apparatus 918 includes a plurality of lamps 920 disposed in a reflective tube 922 arranged in a close-packed arrangement.

[0066] The spot heating module 171 is disposed on a cover 908 located on a substrate support 906. The spot heating module 171 includes one or more spot heaters 170. The spot heating module 171 generates one or more electromagnetic radiation beams to perform local heating of a substrate 901 disposed in a processing chamber 900. As is known in the art of semiconductor processing facilities, the power of the various heat sources 170, 918 can be controlled independently or in grouped zones in response to the substrate temperature measured via a temperature sensor (e.g., one or more thermal sensors 153).

[0067] Embodiments described herein provide a processing chamber including a spot heating module for providing localized heating of a substrate during processing. During rotation of the substrate within the chamber, energy can be focused to a specific location to locally heat and adjust a specific location of the substrate, such as a location adjacent to a lift pin, at specific time intervals. In some cases, the spot heating element can be positioned to a specific location by measuring the deposition thickness profile of a test substrate, finding the locations of the test substrate that will benefit from spot heating, marking these locations on the test substrate, reinserting the test substrate into the chamber, and directing the spot heating to the marked locations using the positioning functions described herein (guide beam and position adjustment). Subsequent substrates can then be spot heated by the targeted spot heating element to account for non-uniformity in system processing. The beam spot generated by the spot heating module can be modified without changing the optical elements of the spot heating module.

[0068] While the foregoing is directed to embodiments of the present disclosure, other and further embodiments of the present disclosure may be modified without departing from the basic scope of the present disclosure, the scope of which is determined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A processing chamber, comprising: shell; a substrate support disposed within the housing; an energy module, the energy module being disposed outside the housing and facing the substrate support; A support member, the support member is arranged outside the housing; and A point heating module, the point heating module is arranged on the support member, wherein the point heating module comprises: Retainer; and A movement device is coupled to the holder, wherein the movement device rotates the collimator about a longitudinal axis of the collimator, the collimator being operable for collimating radiation.

2. The processing chamber of claim 1, further comprising a pulsed or continuous wave electromagnetic radiation source connected to the spot heating module.

3. The processing chamber of claim 1, wherein the moving device is a controlled motion device.

4. The processing chamber of claim 1, wherein the energy module comprises a plurality of heating lamps.

5. The processing chamber of claim 4, wherein the spot heating module further comprises an electromagnetic radiation source.

6. The processing chamber of claim 5, wherein the electromagnetic radiation source comprises a laser.

7. A processing chamber comprising: shell; a substrate support disposed within the housing; an energy module, the energy module being disposed outside the housing and facing the substrate support; and A point heating module, which is arranged outside the housing, wherein the point heating module comprises: Multiple retainers; and A plurality of moving devices, wherein each of the plurality of moving devices is coupled to a corresponding holder of the plurality of holders, and wherein each of the plurality of moving devices rotates a corresponding collimator about a longitudinal axis of a plurality of collimators operable for collimating radiation.

8. The processing chamber of claim 7, wherein a moving device of the plurality of moving devices is a controlled motion device.

9. The processing chamber of claim 7, further comprising a pulsed or continuous wave electromagnetic radiation source connected to the spot heating module.

10. The processing chamber of claim 7, wherein the energy module comprises a plurality of heating lamps.

11. The processing chamber of claim 10, wherein the spot heating module further comprises an electromagnetic radiation source.

12. The processing chamber of claim 11, wherein the electromagnetic radiation source comprises a laser.

13. A processing chamber comprising: shell; a substrate support disposed within the housing; an energy module, the energy module being disposed outside the housing and facing the substrate support; and A point heating module, which is arranged outside the housing, wherein the point heating module comprises: pedestal; A retainer, the retainer being disposed on the base; a collimator disposed in the holder; and A moving device, wherein the moving device is disposed between the holder and the collimator, wherein the moving device rotates the collimator about a longitudinal axis of the collimator, the collimator being operable for collimating radiation.

14. The processing chamber of claim 13, further comprising a thermal sensor disposed on the pedestal.

15. The processing chamber of claim 13, further comprising a slider disposed on the pedestal.

16. The processing chamber of claim 15, further comprising a wedge-shaped body disposed on the slider, wherein the collimator and the retainer are disposed on the wedge-shaped body.

17. The processing chamber of claim 13, further comprising a reflector, wherein the pedestal is disposed on the reflector.

18. The processing chamber of claim 13, wherein the moving device is a controlled motion device.

19. The processing chamber of claim 13, wherein the energy module comprises a plurality of heating lamps.

20. The processing chamber of claim 19, wherein the spot heating module further comprises a laser.

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