Preventing deposition on pedestals during semiconductor substrate processing

Abstract

A thermal insulation structure for a substrate support in a substrate processing system includes a housing configured to surround a rod of the substrate support. The housing is further configured to define an interior volume between the housing and an upper portion of the rod and a lower surface of the substrate support, and a vertical passage between the housing and a lower portion of the rod of the substrate support. The housing includes: a cylindrical portion; a first transverse portion extending radially outward from the cylindrical portion; an angled portion extending radially outward and upward from the first transverse portion; and a second transverse portion extending radially outward from the angled portion.

Description

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0002] This application claims priority to U.S. Patent Application No. 62 / 712,436 filed on July 31, 2018 and U.S. Provisional Application No. 62 / 832,952 filed on April 12, 2019. The entire disclosures of the above-referenced applications are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0003] The present disclosure relates to substrate processing, and more particularly to preventing deposition on pedestals used in semiconductor substrate deposition processes. Background Art

[0004] The background description provided here is for the purpose of generally presenting the context of the present disclosure. The work of the presently designated inventors is neither explicitly nor implicitly admitted to be prior art against the present disclosure to the extent that it is described in this background section and in aspects of the specification that were not determined to be prior art at the time the application was filed.

[0005] Substrate processing systems are used to perform processes such as deposition and etching of films on substrates such as semiconductor wafers. For example, deposition can be performed using chemical vapor deposition (CVD), atomic layer deposition (ALD), and / or other deposition processes to deposit conductive films, dielectric films, or other types of films. During deposition, the substrate is disposed on a substrate support, and one or more precursor gases can be supplied to the process chamber during one or more process steps. Plasma can be used to initiate chemical reactions. After deposition is performed, the process gases are evacuated and the substrate is removed from the process chamber. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0006] The present disclosure will be more fully understood from the detailed description and accompanying drawings, in which:

[0007] Figure 1 is an exemplary functional block diagram of a substrate processing system according to the present disclosure;

[0008] Figure 2A is an example of a susceptor for supporting a substrate during a deposition process according to the present disclosure;

[0009] Figure 2B is an example of a heat shield structure for a base according to the present disclosure;

[0010] Figure 3A shows an example of a configuration of a heat shield according to the present disclosure;

[0011] Figure 3B An example of an insulating pin for supporting a thermal insulation board according to the present disclosure is shown;

[0012] Figure 3C is an example of a thermal insulation panel according to the present disclosure:

[0013] Figure 3D is an example of a radially inner shroud according to the present disclosure;

[0014] Figure 4A is a base including another example of a thermal insulation structure according to the present disclosure;

[0015] Figure 4B According to the content of this disclosure Figure 4A Another example of an insulation structure;

[0016] Figure 5A is a base including another example of a thermal insulation structure according to the present disclosure; and

[0017] Figure 5B According to the content of this disclosure Figure 5A Another example of an insulation structure.

[0018] Among the drawings, reference numerals may be repeated to identify similar and / or identical elements. Summary of the invention

[0019] A thermal insulation structure for a substrate support in a substrate processing system includes a housing configured to surround a rod of the substrate support. The housing is further configured to define an interior volume between the housing and the rod of the substrate support and an interior volume between the housing and a lower surface of the substrate support. At least one thermal insulation board is configured to be disposed below the substrate support and in the interior volume between the housing and the lower surface of the substrate support. An edge guard extends upward from the housing and is configured to surround an outer periphery of the substrate support and define a gap between the edge guard and the substrate support.

[0020] In other features, the at least one thermal shield comprises a plurality of spaced-apart thermal shields in the interior volume between the outer cover and the lower surface of the substrate support. The thermal insulation structure further comprises a plurality of insulating pins disposed between adjacent thermal shields. The thermal insulation structure further comprises an inner cover disposed between the outer cover and the rod. The inner cover extends downwardly from the at least one thermal shield and defines a second interior volume between the inner cover and the rod.

[0021] In other features, the housing is not in direct contact with any of the rods of the substrate support or the lower surface of the substrate support. The thermal shield is not in direct contact with any of the lower surface of the substrate support, the rods of the substrate support, and the housing. A substrate support includes a thermal insulation structure. The substrate support corresponds to a pedestal configured to support a substrate during at least one of chemical vapor deposition and atomic layer deposition. A system includes a thermal insulation structure and a gas source configured to flow a cleaning gas into the interior volume.

[0022] A thermal insulation structure for a substrate support in a substrate processing system includes a housing configured to surround a rod of the substrate support. The housing is further configured to define an interior volume between the housing and an upper portion of the rod and a lower surface of the substrate support, and a vertical passage between the housing and a lower portion of the rod of the substrate support. The housing includes: a cylindrical portion; a first transverse portion extending radially outward from the cylindrical portion; an angled portion extending radially outward and upward from the first transverse portion; and a second transverse portion extending radially outward from the angled portion.

[0023] In other features, the thermal insulation structure further includes an edge guard extending upwardly from the second lateral portion of the housing. The edge guard is configured to surround the outer periphery of the substrate support and define a gap between the edge guard and the substrate support. The vertical channel is annular. The length of the first lateral portion is between 50% and 70% of the distance between the rod of the substrate support and the outer periphery of the substrate support. The length of the second lateral portion is at least 10% but less than 25% of the distance between the rod of the substrate support and the outer periphery of the substrate support. The angle of the bevel portion relative to the first lateral portion is between 95 and 135 degrees.

[0024] In other features, the second lateral portion defines a lateral channel between the second lateral portion and the lower surface of the substrate support. The width of the lateral channel is between 1 mm and 10 mm. The width of the gap is between 1 mm and 10 mm. The outer cover is not in direct contact with any of the rods of the substrate support and the lower surface of the substrate support. A substrate support includes the thermal insulation structure. The substrate support corresponds to a pedestal, which is configured to support a substrate during at least one of chemical vapor deposition and atomic layer deposition. A system includes the thermal insulation structure and a gas source, which is configured to flow a cleaning gas into the interior volume through the vertical channel.

[0025] Further scope of applicability of the present disclosure will become apparent from the detailed description, claims and drawings.The detailed description and specific examples are intended for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0026] During deposition using chemical vapor deposition (CVD), atomic layer deposition (ALD), and / or other deposition processes, conductive films, dielectric films, or other types of films may be deposited on a substrate. During deposition of the film on the substrate, material may also be deposited on other components within the processing chamber, such as a pedestal configured to support the substrate. Over time, residual film accumulates on these components and needs to be removed to prevent particle contamination, mechanical deformation, and / or substrate defects. Periodic chamber cleaning processes are performed to remove residual film on components in the processing chamber. For example, a fixed-time cleaning process may be used.

[0027] In some examples (e.g., including but not limited to substrate handling systems that include an active pedestal for moving up and down relative to a processing chamber to adjust deposition performance), the surfaces of various structures within the substrate handling system may be more susceptible to deposition. For example, an increase in temperature may be associated with an increase in the rate of tungsten deposition. Therefore, in examples where the pedestal is heated, an increased amount of tungsten may be deposited on the surface of the pedestal during the deposition step. In these examples, a fixed-time cleaning process may not be sufficient to completely remove the deposited tungsten or other material from the surface of the pedestal. In addition, the increased amount of deposition may cause the rods of the pedestal to deform, which may cause failure of the pedestal.

[0028] In some deposition systems, the deposition rate of material below the pedestal (e.g., on the lower surface of the pedestal, on the surface of the rod, etc.) may be greater than the deposition rate of material above the pedestal (e.g., on the upper surface of the pedestal, on the substrate, etc.). For example, in a low-fluorine tungsten (LFW) ALD system, CVD occurs in a region of the process chamber below the pedestal during a LFW ALD process. The deposition rate of the CVD below the pedestal is significantly greater than the deposition rate of the ALD above the pedestal (e.g., ten times or more). Thus, during a LFW ALD process, CVD may result in a significant amount of tungsten being deposited on the lower surface of the pedestal.

[0029] Systems and methods according to the principles of the present disclosure reduce the deposition of tungsten and other materials on the surface of the susceptor, and thus reduce the cleaning time. For example, a susceptor according to the present disclosure includes a thermal insulation structure configured around the susceptor. In one example, the thermal insulation structure includes an outer cover, a radial inner cover, and one or more thermal insulation plates configured between the outer cover and the lower surface of the susceptor. In another example, the thermal insulation structure includes only a single-piece outer cover. The internal volume between the outer cover and the rod can be purged with an inert gas (e.g., argon). The thermal insulation structure reduces the temperature on the outer surface of the susceptor. The reduction in temperature and the purging of the internal volume reduce the deposition of tungsten and other materials on the susceptor, as described in detail below. The reduction in deposition correspondingly reduces the cleaning time (e.g., the cleaning time is reduced by 65% ​​relative to the cleaning time of a processing chamber that does not include a thermal insulation structure according to the present disclosure), thereby increasing the substrate yield (e.g., 10%). In addition, the life of the susceptor can be increased (e.g., up to two years). The power consumption associated with keeping the susceptor at a desired temperature can also be reduced (e.g., reduced by up to 42%).

[0030] Now refer to Figure 1 , which shows an example of a substrate processing system 100 including a substrate support (e.g., configured as a pedestal for CVD and / or ALD deposition) 104 according to the present disclosure. The substrate support 104 is disposed within a processing chamber 108. During processing, a substrate 112 is disposed on the substrate support 104. For example, deposition is performed on the substrate 112. The substrate 112 is removed and one or more other substrates are processed. Over time, residual film or other material (e.g., tungsten) may accumulate on components, such as on the sidewalls of the processing chamber 108, on the surface of the substrate support 104, etc. Cleaning is performed periodically to remove residual film or other material deposited on surfaces within the processing chamber 108.

[0031] The gas delivery system 120 includes gas sources 122-1, 122-2, ..., and 122-N (collectively, gas sources 122) connected to valves 124-1, 124-2, ..., and 124-N (collectively, valves 124) and mass flow controllers 126-1, 126-2, ..., and 126-N (collectively, MFCs 126). MFCs 126 control the flow of gases from gas sources 122 to manifold 128, where the gases are mixed. The output of manifold 128 is supplied to manifold 136 via an optional pressure regulator 132. The output of manifold 136 is then input to a gas distribution device such as a multi-injector nozzle 140. Although manifolds 128 and 136 are shown, a single manifold may be used.

[0032] In some examples, a resistive heater 160 can be used to control the temperature of the substrate support 104. The substrate support 104 can include a coolant channel 164. A cooling fluid is supplied to the coolant channel 164 from a fluid reservoir 168 and a pump 170. Pressure sensors 172, 174 can be disposed in the manifold 128 or the manifold 136, respectively, to measure the pressure. A valve 178 and a pump 180 can be used to exhaust reactants from the process chamber 108 and / or control the pressure within the process chamber 108.

[0033] The controller 182 includes a dosing controller 184 that controls the dosing provided by the multi-injector showerhead 140. The controller 182 also controls the delivery of gases from the gas delivery system 120. The controller 182 controls the pressure in the process chamber and / or evacuates the reactants using the valve 178 and the pump 180. The controller 182 controls the temperature of the substrate support 104 and the substrate 112 based on temperature feedback, such as from a sensor in the substrate support (not shown) and / or a sensor measuring the coolant temperature (not shown).

[0034] In some examples, the substrate processing system 100 can be used to perform etching on the substrate 112 in the same processing chamber 108. Therefore, the substrate processing system 100 can include an RF generation system 188, which is used to generate and provide RF power (e.g., as a voltage source, a current source, etc.) to one of the lower electrode (e.g., the substrate of the illustrated substrate support 104) and the upper electrode (e.g., the showerhead 140). For the purpose of example only, the output of the RF generation system 188 will be described herein as an RF voltage. The other of the lower electrode and the upper electrode can be DC grounded, AC grounded, or floating. By way of example only, the RF generation system 188 can include an RF generator 192, which is used to generate an RF voltage fed by a matching and distribution network 196 to generate a plasma in the processing chamber 108 to etch the substrate 112. In other examples, the plasma can be generated inductively or remotely. Although shown for illustrative purposes as corresponding to a capacitively coupled plasma (CCP) system, the principles of the present disclosure may also be implemented in other suitable systems, such as, by way of example only, a transformer coupled plasma (TCP) system, a CCP cathode system, a remote microwave plasma generation and delivery system, and the like.

[0035] According to the present disclosure, the substrate support 104 includes a thermal isolation structure 198. The thermal isolation structure 198 reduces deposition of tungsten and other materials on the surface of the substrate support 104, as described in more detail below. In some examples of the substrate processing system 100, the substrate support 104 can be configured to move up and down within the processing chamber 108 to adjust deposition parameters during processing. In these examples, the thermal isolation structure 198 can be configured to move up and down in a similar manner to maintain the position of the thermal isolation structure 198 relative to the substrate support 104.

[0036] Now refer to Figure 2A and Figure 2B , which shows an example of a substrate support 200 including a thermal insulation structure 204 according to the present disclosure. Figure 2A In FIG. 1 , the thermal insulation structure 204 is shown as being disposed on the substrate support 200. Figure 2B , the thermal insulation structure 204 is shown without the substrate support 200 for simplicity.

[0037] The substrate support 200 includes a substrate (e.g., a conductive substrate such as an aluminum plate, which may include Figure 1 In some examples, the ceramic layer 212 can be selectively heated (e.g., using a heat exchanger as described above). Figure 1 100). During processes such as CVD and ALD deposition, the temperature within the process chamber 108 and, accordingly, the temperature of surfaces within the process chamber 108 (e.g., surfaces of the substrate support 200) increases significantly. For example, various surfaces within the process chamber 108 and on the substrate support 200 may be heated to between 300°C and 500°C. The insulation structure 204 is configured such that the temperature on the outer surface 216 of the insulation structure 204 is significantly reduced. For example, during a deposition process, the temperature on the outer surface 216 of the insulation structure 204 may be less than 300°C (e.g., between 200°C and 285°C). Below 300°C, the deposition rate of tungsten decreases exponentially. In some examples, the insulation structure 204 reduces temperature non-uniformity on the upper surface 220 of the ceramic layer 212.

[0038] The thermal insulation structure 204 includes an outer cover 224 (which includes an outer surface 216), a radially inner cover 228, and one or more thermal insulation panels 232 disposed between the outer cover 224 and a lower surface 236 of the substrate support 200. An interior volume 240 is defined between the outer cover 224 and a portion of a rod 244 of the substrate support 200, the inner cover 228, and the lower surface 236 of the substrate support 200. The thermal insulation panels 232 surround the rod 244 and are disposed between the lower surface 236 of the substrate support 200 and the outer cover 224. Thus, the thermal insulation panels 232 are used as a thermal radiation barrier between the lower surface 236 of the substrate support 200 and the outer cover 224, thereby reducing the temperature of the outer surface 216 of the outer cover 224. In other words, the thermal insulation panels 232 reduce heat conduction from the lower surface 236 of the substrate support 200 to the outer cover 224. The inner cover 228 prevents heat from being conducted from the outer cover 224 to the rod 244. The outer cover 224, the inner cover 228 and the heat shield 232 may all contain aluminum.

[0039] An inert gas, such as argon, may be provided to the interior volume 240. For example, the inert gas may flow from the gas delivery system 120 into the interior volume 240 through one or more inlets 248. The inert gas flows upward between the outer shroud 224 and the inner shroud 228 and between the rods 244 and the inner shroud 228, and flows outward between the outer shroud 224 and the thermal shields 232. The inert gas may also flow upward in the interior volume 252 defined between the inner shroud 228 and the rods 244. The inert gas flows out of the interior volume 252 between adjacent thermal shields 232.

[0040] The outer cover 224 includes an annular edge guard 256 that extends upward from the outer cover 224 around the outer periphery 260 of the substrate support 200. For example, the edge guard 256 at least partially overlaps the substrate 208 and the ceramic layer 212 to protect the outer periphery 260 of the substrate support 200 corresponding to the substrate 208 and the ceramic layer 212. The edge guard 256 defines a gap (e.g., a vertical gap) 264 between the outer cover 224 and the outer periphery 260 of the substrate support 200 to prevent direct contact between the outer cover 224 and the substrate support 200. Therefore, heat transfer from the outer cover 224 to the substrate support 200 is further minimized. In addition, the inert gas flowing into the interior volume 240 exits through the gap 264, thereby providing a purge gas flow to prevent process materials from entering the interior volume 240. The flow of the inert gas in Figure 2A In this way, deposition of material (eg, tungsten) on surfaces of the substrate support 200, rods 244, etc. within the interior volume 240 may be prevented.

[0041] The inner shroud 228 includes an annular outer lip 268 extending radially outward from the inner shroud 228. The annular outer lip 268 overlaps the lowest one of the heat shields 232, and the inner shroud 228 extends downward within the outer shroud 224. Thus, the heat shields 232 support the inner shroud 228, and the inner shroud 228 is not in direct thermal (i.e., physical) contact with the rods 244.

[0042] Now refer to Figure 3A , 3B , 3C and 3D, which describe exemplary components of the insulation structure 204 in more detail. Figure 3A In FIG. 1 , a portion 300 of the insulation structure 204 includes an outer cover portion 304 including an edge guard 308 and insulation panels 312. The insulation panels 312 are supported on the outer cover portion 304 and the corresponding lower insulation panel 312 of the insulation panels 312 using insulation pins 316. An example of insulation pin 316 is shown in FIG. Figure 3B The insulating pin 316 includes a central disk portion 320 for maintaining uniform spacing between adjacent insulation panels 312, and a pin portion 324 for being received in each hole 328 in the insulation panel 312, as shown in FIG. Figure 3C As shown. The insulating pin 316 is made of an insulating material (e.g., ceramic). Therefore, the thermal shield 312 is not in direct thermal contact with the housing portion 304, the substrate support 200, and the thermal shield 312 is not in direct thermal contact with each other. In addition, the radius of the central opening 332 in the thermal shield 312 is greater than the radius of the rod 244. Therefore, the thermal shield 312 is not in direct thermal contact with the rod 244.

[0043] like Figure 3D As shown, the radially inner shroud 336 includes an annular outer lip 340 extending radially outward from the inner shroud 336. The annular outer lip 340 overlaps the lowermost of the heat shields 312, and a body 344 extends downwardly through the central opening 332 of the heat shield 312.

[0044] Now refer to Figure 4A and Figure 4B , shows another example of a substrate support 400 including a thermal insulation structure 404 according to the present disclosure. Figure 4A In FIG. 4 , it is shown that the thermal insulation structure 404 is arranged on the substrate support 400. Figure 4B , for simplicity, the thermal insulation structure 404 is shown without the substrate support 400.

[0045] The substrate support 400 includes a base plate 408 and a ceramic layer 412. In some examples, the ceramic layer 412 can be selectively heated. The configuration of the thermal insulation structure 404 causes the temperature on the outer surface 416 of the thermal insulation structure 404 to be similar to the above-mentioned Figure 2A and Figure 2BThe method described in the above example can significantly reduce the temperature non-uniformity on the upper surface 420 of the ceramic layer 412. Figure 2A and Figure 2B In the example of FIG. 4 , the thermal insulation structure 404 includes an outer cover 424 (which includes an outer surface 416 and can be made of aluminum), but does not include a radially inner cover 228 and a thermal insulation plate 232. However, in some examples, Figure 4A and 4B The thermal insulation structure 404 may be combined with one or more radially inner covers and thermal insulation panels.

[0046] An interior volume 428 is defined between the housing 424, the rods 432, and a lower surface 436 of the substrate support 400. An annular channel 440 (e.g., a vertical annular channel) is defined between the housing 424 and a lower portion of the rods 432. The interior volume 428 reduces heat transfer from the lower surface 436 of the substrate support 400 to the housing 424, thereby reducing the temperature of the outer surface 416 of the housing 424.

[0047] An inert gas, such as argon, may be provided to the interior volume 428 via an annular passage 440 surrounding the lower portion of the rod 432. For example, the inert gas may flow from the gas delivery system 120 into the annular passage 440 via one or more inlets 444. The inert gas flows upward between the housing 424 and the rod 432 into the interior volume 428.

[0048] The outer cover 424 includes an annular edge guard 448 that extends upward from the outer cover 424 around the outer periphery 452 of the substrate support 400. For example, the edge guard 448 at least partially overlaps the base plate 408 to protect the outer periphery 452 of the substrate support 400. The edge guard 448 defines a gap (e.g., a vertical gap) 456 between the outer cover 424 and the outer periphery 452 of the substrate support 400 to prevent direct contact between the outer cover 424 and the substrate support 400. Therefore, heat transfer from the outer cover 424 to the substrate support 400 is further minimized.

[0049] The inert gas supplied to the interior volume 428 exits the interior volume 428 through the transverse passage 460 and the gap 456, thereby providing a purge gas flow to prevent process material from entering the interior volume 428. By way of example only, the width of the gap 456 and the transverse passage 460 is between 1 and 10 mm. The widths of the gap 456 and the transverse passage 460 may be the same or different. The upward and outward flow of gas from the gap 456 also prevents accumulation of deposition material at the outer periphery 452 of the substrate support 400. Figure 4AThe flow of the inert gas is indicated by the arrows. In this manner, deposition of material (eg, tungsten) on surfaces of the substrate support 400, rods 432, etc. within the interior volume 428 and on the base plate 408 and ceramic layer 412 at the outer periphery 452 is prevented.

[0050] The outer cover 424 includes a generally vertical cylindrical portion 464 that defines an annular channel 440 between the outer cover 424 and a lower portion of the rod 432. A first transverse portion 468, a beveled portion 472, and a second transverse portion 476 extend radially outward from the cylindrical portion 464 to the edge guard 448. By way of example only, the outer cover 424 transitions from the first transverse portion 468 to the beveled portion 472 at a point 480 that is between 50% and 75% of the distance between the rod 432 and the outer peripheral edge 452. In other words, the length of the first transverse portion 468 is between 50% and 75% of the distance between the rod 432 and the outer peripheral edge 452. The angle of the beveled portion 472 relative to the first transverse portion 468 is between 95 degrees and 135 degrees.

[0051] The angled portion 472 extends from point 480 to point 484, where the outer cover 424 transitions from the angled portion 472 to the second transverse portion 476. By way of example only, the distance from point 484 to the outer periphery 452 is at least 10% and less than 25% of the total distance between the outer periphery 452 and the rod 432 to define a minimum length of the transverse passage 460. The minimum length of the transverse passage 460 increases the rate and pressure of gas flowing out of the interior volume 428.

[0052] Now refer to Figure 5A and Figure 5B , shows another example of a substrate support 500 including a thermal insulation structure 504 according to the present disclosure. Figure 5A In FIG. 5 , the thermal insulation structure 504 is shown disposed on the substrate support 500. Figure 5B , for simplicity, the thermal insulation structure 504 is shown without the substrate support 500.

[0053] The substrate support 500 includes a base plate 508 and a ceramic layer 512. The ceramic layer 512 can be selectively heated. The thermal insulation structure 504 is configured so that the temperature on the outer surface 516 of the thermal insulation structure 504 is similar to the above Figure 2A and Figure 2B The thermal insulation structure 504 can be significantly reduced in the manner described in the above, and can reduce the temperature non-uniformity on the upper surface 520 of the ceramic layer 512. In this example, the thermal insulation structure 504 includes an outer cover 524 (which includes the outer surface 516 and can be composed of aluminum).

[0054] An interior volume 528 is defined between the housing 524, the rods 532, and a lower surface 536 of the substrate support 500. An annular channel 540 (e.g., a vertical annular channel) is defined between the housing 524 and the rods 532. The interior volume 528 reduces heat transfer from the lower surface 536 of the substrate support 500 to the housing 524, thereby reducing the temperature of the outer surface 516 of the housing 524.

[0055] An inert gas, such as argon, may be provided to the interior volume 528 via an annular passage 540 surrounding the lower portion of the rod 532. For example, the inert gas may flow from the gas delivery system 120 into the annular passage 540 via one or more inlets 544. The inert gas flows upward between the housing 524 and the rod 532 into the interior volume 528.

[0056] In some examples, the outer cover 524 includes an annular edge guard 548 that extends upward from the outer cover 524 around the outer periphery 552 of the substrate support 500. For example, the edge guard 548 at least partially overlaps the base plate 508 to protect the outer periphery 552 of the outer substrate support 500. The edge guard 548 defines a gap (e.g., a vertical gap) 556 between the outer cover 524 and the outer periphery 552 of the substrate support 500 to prevent direct contact between the outer cover 524 and the substrate support 500. Therefore, heat transfer from the outer cover 524 to the substrate support 500 is further minimized.

[0057] The inert gas supplied to the interior volume 528 exits the interior volume 528 through the transverse passage 560 and the gap 556, thereby providing a purge gas flow to prevent process material from entering the interior volume 528. By way of example only, the width of the gap 556 and the transverse passage 560 is between 1 and 10 mm. The widths of the gap 556 and the transverse passage 560 may be the same or different. The upward and outward flow of gas from the gap 556 also prevents accumulation of deposition material at the outer periphery 552 of the substrate support 500. Figure 5A In this way, deposition of material (e.g., tungsten) on surfaces of the substrate support 500, rods 532, etc. within the interior volume 528 and on the substrate 508 and ceramic layer 512 at the outer periphery 552 is prevented.

[0058] As shown, the outer cover 524 may include multiple (e.g., two) parts. For example, the outer cover 524 may include a vertical rod portion 564 and a horizontal plate portion 568. The rod portion 564 surrounds the rod 532. The upper end of the rod portion 564 supports the plate portion 568. For example, the inner diameter 572 defining the inner opening of the plate portion 568 may be disposed on an annular shelf-like protrusion 576 defining the outer diameter of the upper end of the rod portion 564.

[0059] The foregoing description is merely illustrative in nature and is by no means intended to limit the present disclosure, its application or use. The broad teachings of the present disclosure can be implemented in various forms. Therefore, although the present disclosure includes specific examples, the true scope of the present disclosure should not be so limited, because when studying the drawings, the specification and the appended claims, other modifications will become apparent. It should be understood that, without changing the principles of the present disclosure, one or more steps in the method can be performed in different orders (or simultaneously). In addition, although each embodiment is described above as having certain features, any one or more of those features described relative to any embodiment of the present disclosure can be implemented in the features of any other embodiment and / or combined with the features of any other embodiment, even if the combination is not clearly described. In other words, the described embodiments are not mutually exclusive, and the replacement of one or more embodiments with each other remains within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0060] Various terms are used to describe the spatial and functional relationships between elements (e.g., between modules, between circuit elements, between semiconductor layers, etc.), including "connected," "engaged," "coupled," "adjacent," "next to," "on top of," "above," "below," and "disposed." Unless the relationship between a first and a second element is explicitly described as "direct," when such a relationship is described in the above disclosure, the relationship can be a direct relationship, in which there are no other intervening elements between the first and second elements, but can also be an indirect relationship, in which there are one or more intervening elements (spatially or functionally) between the first and second elements. As used herein, the phrase "at least one of A, B, and C" should be interpreted to mean a logical (A or B or C), using a non-exclusive logical OR, and should not be interpreted to mean "at least one of A, at least one of B, and at least one of C."

[0061] In some implementations, the controller is part of a system, which can be part of the above examples. Such a system can include a semiconductor processing device, which includes one or more processing tools, one or more chambers, one or more platforms for processing, and / or specific processing components (wafer pedestals, gas flow systems, etc.). These systems can be integrated with electronic devices for controlling their operations before, during, and after the processing of semiconductor wafers or substrates. The electronic device can be referred to as a "controller", which can control various components or subcomponents of one or more systems. Depending on the processing requirements and / or system type, the controller can be programmed to control any process disclosed herein, including the delivery of process gases, temperature settings (e.g., heating and / or cooling), pressure settings, vacuum settings, power settings, radio frequency (RF) generator settings, RF matching circuit settings, frequency settings, flow rate settings, fluid delivery settings, position and operation settings, wafer transfer in and out tools and other transfer tools and / or load locks connected to or connected to a specific system through an interface.

[0062] In general, a controller can be defined as an electronic device having various integrated circuits, logic, memory, and / or software that receive instructions, issue instructions, control operations, enable cleaning operations, enable endpoint measurements, etc. The integrated circuit can include a chip in the form of firmware that stores program instructions, a digital signal processor (DSP), a chip defined as an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), and / or one or more microprocessors, or a microcontroller that executes program instructions (e.g., software). The program instructions can be instructions sent to the controller in the form of various individual settings (or program files) that define operating parameters for performing a specific process on or for a semiconductor wafer or system. In some embodiments, the operating parameters can be part of a recipe defined by a process engineer to complete one or more processing steps during the manufacture of one or more (kinds of) layers, materials, metals, oxides, silicon, silicon dioxide, surfaces, circuits, and / or dies of a wafer.

[0063] In some implementations, the controller may be part of or coupled to a computer that is integrated with the system, coupled to the system, otherwise networked to the system, or a combination thereof. For example, the controller may be in the "cloud" or all or part of a wafer fab host system that may allow remote access to wafer processing. The computer may enable remote access to the system to monitor the current progress of a manufacturing operation, check the history of past manufacturing operations, check trends or performance criteria for multiple manufacturing operations, change parameters of a current process, set processing steps to follow the current process, or start a new process. In some examples, a remote computer (e.g., a server) may provide a process recipe to the system via a network (which may include a local network or the Internet). The remote computer may include a user interface that enables input or programming of parameters and / or settings, which are then sent from the remote computer to the system. In some examples, the controller receives instructions in the form of data that specify parameters for each processing step to be performed during one or more operations. It should be understood that the parameters may be specific to the type of process to be performed and the type of tool that the controller is configured to interface with or control. Thus, as described above, the controller may be distributed, for example, by including one or more discrete controllers networked together and working toward a common purpose (e.g., the process and control described herein). An example of a distributed controller for such a purpose is one or more integrated circuits on a chamber communicating with one or more integrated circuits remotely (e.g., at a platform level or as part of a remote computer), which combine to control the process on the chamber.

[0064] Example systems may include, but are not limited to, plasma etch chambers or modules, deposition chambers or modules, spin rinse chambers or modules, metal plating chambers or modules, cleaning chambers or modules, chamfer edge etch chambers or modules, physical vapor deposition (PVD) chambers or modules, chemical vapor deposition (CVD) chambers or modules, atomic layer deposition (ALD) chambers or modules, atomic layer etch (ALE) chambers or modules, ion implantation chambers or modules, track chambers or modules, and any other semiconductor processing system that may be associated with or used in the manufacture and / or preparation of semiconductor wafers.

[0065] As described above, depending on one or more processing steps to be performed by the tool, the controller can communicate with one or more other tool circuits or modules, other tool components, cluster tools, other tool interfaces, adjacent tools, neighboring tools, tools located throughout the factory, a host computer, another controller, or tools used in material transport to transport wafer containers to and from tool locations and / or load ports in a semiconductor manufacturing facility.

Claims

1. A thermal insulation structure for a substrate support in a substrate processing system, the thermal insulation structure comprising: an outer cover configured to surround the stem of the substrate support, wherein the outer cover is further configured to define (i) an interior volume between the outer cover and the stem of the substrate support and (ii) an interior volume between the outer cover and a lower surface of the substrate support; at least one thermal shield configured to be disposed below the substrate support and within the interior volume between the housing and the lower surface of the substrate support; an inner shroud disposed between the outer shroud and the rod, wherein the inner shroud extends downwardly from the at least one thermal shield and defines a second interior volume between the inner shroud and the rod; as well as An edge guard extends upwardly from the housing, wherein the edge guard is configured to (i) surround an outer periphery of the substrate support and (ii) define a gap between the edge guard and the substrate support.

2. The thermal insulation structure of claim 1, wherein the at least one thermal insulation panel comprises a plurality of spaced-apart thermal insulation panels located in the interior volume between the housing and the lower surface of the substrate support. 3 . The thermal insulation structure according to claim 2 , further comprising a plurality of insulating pins arranged between adjacent thermal insulation boards.

4. The thermal insulation structure of claim 1, wherein the outer cover is not in direct contact with any of the rods of the substrate support or the lower surface of the substrate support.

5. The thermal insulation structure of claim 1, wherein the thermal insulation plate is not in direct contact with any of the lower surface of the substrate support, the rod of the substrate support, and the housing.

6. A substrate support comprising the thermal insulation structure of claim 1, wherein the substrate support corresponds to a susceptor configured to support a substrate during at least one of chemical vapor deposition and atomic layer deposition.

7. A system comprising the insulating structure of claim 1, the system further comprising a gas source configured to flow a cleaning gas into the interior volume.

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