Separation chamber components

Abstract

A processing module having a chamber body is provided, the chamber body having a lower chamber and an upper chamber. The lower chamber is configured to cooperate with the upper chamber along a diagonal interface. An electrode assembly having a substrate support is provided. The electrode assembly is coupled to the upper chamber. A hinge connection couples a first side of the lower chamber to a first side of the upper chamber. The upper chamber is configured to separate and open along the diagonal interface and rotate around the hinge connection. The electrode assembly is configured to rotate with the upper chamber in a direction away from the lower chamber.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Embodiments of the present invention relate to semiconductor wafer processing equipment and, more particularly, to process modules that allow easy access for maintenance. Background Art

[0002] In semiconductor manufacturing facilities, often referred to as "fabs," space is limited, expensive, and cannot be easily increased. Therefore, it is desirable to use space efficiently to achieve maximum manufacturing capacity. However, adequate access must also be provided in the fab for repair and maintenance. For example, newer manufacturing facilities have begun to cluster process modules in closer locations. While cluster tools increase the use of floor space and in some cases can increase throughput, these configurations also reduce maintenance access or access to interior areas of the process modules. In order to perform these maintenance, fab technicians have to squeeze into narrow spaces to access the process modules or simply disassemble and assemble components of the cluster tool to complete the maintenance. While this is possible, disassembly takes time and can significantly reduce throughput or even shut down the entire cluster tool.

[0003] It is against this background that the embodiments of the present invention arise. Summary of the invention

[0004] An embodiment of the present invention provides a separation chamber assembly, wherein the chamber body includes a lower chamber and an upper chamber. In one embodiment, the chamber body is used for a processing module used in the manufacture of semiconductor substrates. In one configuration, the separation between the upper chamber and the lower chamber is performed along a diagonal interface. The diagonal interface pivots the upper chamber away from the lower chamber to expose the internal area of ​​the lower chamber for maintenance or cleaning. In one configuration, the upper chamber includes a connected lower electrode assembly so that removing the upper chamber also removes the lower electrode assembly. In another embodiment, the upper chamber also includes an upper housing that accommodates an upper electrode and a showerhead. In this configuration, removing the upper chamber also removes the upper housing, so that removing the upper chamber can maintain the alignment of the upper electrode with the lower electrode. In another configuration, the removal of the upper chamber is facilitated by a hinged connection that enables the upper chamber to rotate away from the lower chamber. Rotating the upper chamber away from the lower chamber separates the upper chamber from the lower chamber along the diagonal interface. In yet another embodiment, a kinematic pin is used to allow the upper chamber to mate and self-align with the lower chamber, thereby maintaining precise alignment when the upper chamber mates with the lower chamber. In yet another embodiment, the hinge connection comprises a single hinge pin. The single hinge pin is removable to allow the upper chamber to perform a second rotation away from the lower chamber.

[0005] In one embodiment, the second rotation causes the upper chamber to swing open to the left or causes the upper chamber to swing open to the right. The chamber body is thus constructed so that it is separated diagonally relative to the wafer plane. This allows the lower bias assembly and the upper plate assembly to be opened by hinges, thereby exposing the lower chamber, which in one embodiment remains fixed. In one embodiment, the hinge has a quick release pin and an adjustable thrust bearing so that the open upper end can swing open to the left or right. In one construction, an adjustable motion pin or landing position allows the upper chamber to be reattached to the lower chamber in an aligned manner, and the lower chamber can be pre-calibrated. In addition, once the upper chamber is opened by a first rotation that separates the upper chamber from the lower chamber or a second rotation that swings the upper chamber around a hinge connection; a larger access space can be used to maintain the internal area of ​​the lower electrode. A further advantage of the separate chamber assembly is access and maintenance when multiple chambers are aligned together in a clustered configuration.

[0006] In one embodiment, a processing module is provided that includes a chamber body having a lower chamber and an upper chamber. The lower chamber is configured to cooperate with the upper chamber along a diagonal interface. An electrode assembly having a substrate support is provided. The electrode assembly is coupled to the upper chamber. A hinge connection couples a first side of the lower chamber to a first side of the upper chamber. The upper chamber is configured to separate and open along the diagonal interface and rotate about the hinge connection. The electrode assembly is configured to rotate with the upper chamber in a direction away from the lower chamber.

[0007] In another embodiment, a method for accessing a processing module is provided. The method comprises: providing a lower chamber having a first diagonal interface along a first cross section of the lower chamber. The first cross section has an upper wall side and a lower wall side so that the first diagonal interface can be established along an angle. The method also comprises providing an upper chamber having a second diagonal interface along a second cross section of the upper chamber. The second cross section provides a lower wall side that is adjacent to the lower wall side of the lower chamber and an upper wall side that is adjacent to the upper wall side of the lower chamber. The second diagonal interface is coupled with the first diagonal interface along the angle. The method also comprises: pivoting the upper chamber at a paired pivot hinge near the upper chamber and the lower wall side of the lower chamber. The pivoting enables the upper chamber to be separated and separated from the lower chamber along the first and second diagonal interfaces to expose the internal area of ​​the lower chamber without the upper chamber being located above the lower chamber. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0008] Figure 1 According to one embodiment, a cluster tool comprising a plurality of processing modules is shown.

[0009] Figure 2A and 2B A top view of a process module having a separation chamber assembly structure is shown according to one embodiment.

[0010] Figure 3A and 3B A side view of a separation chamber assembly for a process module is shown according to one embodiment.

[0011] Figure 4 A process module is shown wherein the chamber body is defined by a lower chamber, with the upper chamber open for maintenance, repair, or assembly.

[0012] Figure 5 A top view of the separation chamber assembly is shown when the upper chamber has been opened and rotated about the hinge connection according to one embodiment.

[0013] Figure 6 An example of a quick release pivot hinge is shown according to one embodiment.

[0014] Fig. 7A and 7B According to one embodiment, an oscillating rotation of the upper chamber is shown.

[0015] Figure 8 A control module for a control system of the present invention is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0016] Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a separation chamber assembly, wherein the chamber body includes a lower chamber and an upper chamber. In one configuration, the upper chamber and the lower chamber are separated along a diagonal interface relative to the horizontal plane of the substrate support. The diagonal interface enables the upper chamber to pivot away from the lower chamber to open a passage to a portion of the lower chamber for maintenance or cleaning. In one embodiment, the upper chamber includes a connected lower electrode assembly, so removing the upper chamber also removes the lower electrode assembly. In this embodiment, the upper chamber is connected to an upper housing, which accommodates the upper electrode and the showerhead. Removing the upper chamber also removes the upper housing, so removing the upper chamber maintains the alignment of the upper electrode with the lower electrode. In another configuration, a hinge connector facilitates the removal of the upper chamber, and the hinge connector enables the upper chamber to rotate away from the lower chamber. The hinge connector can also swing open the upper chamber by removing one of the hinges. These and other embodiments will be described in more detail below. It should be understood that embodiments of the present invention can be implemented in many ways, such as processing, equipment, systems, devices, materials, or methods. Several embodiments will be described below.

[0017] In the following description, numerous specific details are listed to provide a thorough understanding of the disclosed embodiments. However, the disclosed embodiments may be practiced without some or all of these specific details. In other cases, well-known processing operations are not described in detail to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the disclosed embodiments. Although specific embodiments are used to illustrate the disclosed embodiments, it should be understood that they are not intended to limit the disclosed embodiments.

[0018] The implementation scheme disclosed below illustrates the deposition of materials on a substrate such as a wafer, substrate or other workpiece. The workpiece can be of various shapes, sizes, and materials. In this application, the terms "semiconductor wafer", "wafer", "substrate", "wafer substrate", and "partially manufactured integrated circuit" are used interchangeably.

[0019] Figure 1 A cluster tool 100 is shown according to one embodiment of the present invention, and includes a plurality of process modules 102. As shown, the process modules 102 are arranged in a linear fashion such that they are side-by-side. In one embodiment, the cluster tool 100 includes two columns of process modules 102. On one side of the cluster tool 100 is an equipment front end module (EFEM) 120 that interfaces with a load port 122. A controller 124 interfaces with components of the cluster tool 100, including the process modules 102 for managing and controlling the processing of substrates within the cluster tool 100. As shown, a central region of the cluster tool 100 includes a substrate handling area 104, which may include a robot (not shown) that can transport substrates to and remove substrates from the process modules 102 and interfaces with the EFEM 120. Coupled to the various process modules 102 are gas boxes and routings 106 that transport process gases required for performing process recipes for etching, deposition, and other recipe steps.

[0020] A power distribution module 112a and a power distribution module 112b are shown coupled to each rack of the cluster tool 100. Each process module 102 is coupled to a respective RF generator that provides RF power to the process chamber of the process module 102. A gas box and pipeline 106 deliver process gases to enable processing according to a recipe. An electrode assembly 103 is shown coupled to each process module 102. The electrode assembly 103 includes a lower bias electrode assembly that is docked into the process module 102. The electrode assembly 103 may also include other facility connections, such as helium delivery, electrostatic chuck cooling connections (such as helium delivery), temperature controllers, pneumatic components, optical sensors, etc.

[0021] Conventionally, in order to maintain the internal area of ​​the process module 102, the electrode assembly 103 must be removed. In addition, the upper housing containing the upper electrode, the showerhead, and other facilities must be lifted and removed to observe the interior of the chamber of the process module 102. However, due to the Figure 1 The process modules 102 shown in FIG. 1 are arranged in a linear form and are tightly packed, and access to the interior of the observation chamber or maintenance chamber may be very limited or difficult. It is in this context that a separation chamber assembly is provided to modify the chamber body of the process module 102. Figures 2A to 7BThe separation chamber assembly of the process module 102 is described in more detail. It should be understood that the cluster tool 100 and its linear configuration can also use the separation chamber assembly described below, but provides more efficient chamber interior maintenance and / or replacement of process module 102 components.

[0022] Figure 2A A top view of a process module 102' having a separate chamber assembly configuration is shown according to one embodiment. The process module 102' has an upper housing 204 coupled to the upper surface of the upper chamber 202. The upper housing 204 contains an upper electrode, a showerhead, a gas distribution plate (GDP), and other facilities capable of delivering power or grounding connections for the upper electrode. The upper housing is connected to a gas box and pipelines that provide process gases for processing semiconductor substrates within the process module 102'. An electrode connection assembly 212 is also shown, which is coupled to an adjust gap (AG) driver 206. The AG driver 206 is used to move the lower electrode up or down when the lower electrode is installed in the process module 102'.

[0023] In one embodiment, the separator facility interface 220 is used to connect to the lower electrode 260 (shown in FIG. Figure 3A ), connected to the AG driver 206 and docked with the electrode connection assembly 212. The access handle 226 is used to quickly connect the electrode connection assembly 212 to the AG driver 206. The access handle 226 enables the lower electrode 260 to be connected or disconnected from the electrode connection assembly 212. As described below, the electrode connection assembly includes a radio frequency (RF) matching piece 230, a connector for the RF rod, a connector for electrostatic chuck (ESC) cooling, a connector for power, a connector for a thermocouple sensor, a pneumatic connector, and a connector for an optical sensor.

[0024] like Figure 2B , the electrode connection assembly 212 is used to release from the AG driver 206 when the access handle 226 has been actuated to remove and interrupt the facilities provided by the electrode connection assembly 212. As shown, the electrical connection assembly 212 has been pulled back to divide the bulkhead facility interface 220 into bulkhead spacers 220a and 220b. In one embodiment, in a manufacturing facility, after the access handle 226 has been activated to release the facility connections within the bulkhead facility interface 220 and expose the bulkhead spacers 220a and 220b, the operator can rotate and push the electrode connection assembly 212 back.

[0025] Also shown is a hinge connection 210, such as Figure 3A, which is used to rotate the upper chamber 202 relative to the lower chamber 203. The hinge connection 210 is shown adjacent to the AG drive 206, thereby providing a pivot point to enable the upper chamber 202 to rotate with the AG drive 206 and the upper housing, thereby exposing the interior space of the lower chamber 203. Once the lower chamber 203 is exposed, the interior of the lower chamber 203 can be serviced. As described above, the service can include cleaning the interior of the lower chamber, cleaning the liner, or removing the liner and replacing the original liner with a clean liner. Once the upper chamber is removed from the lower chamber 203, other service operations can also be performed on the upper chamber 202 and its components.

[0026] Figure 3A A side view of a separation chamber assembly of a process module 102' is shown according to one embodiment of the present invention. As shown, the lower chamber 203 is fixed relative to the upper chamber 202. In one configuration, as shown in FIG. Figure 1 As shown in the figure, the lower chamber 203 is fixed to the frame of the cluster tool 100. A hinge connection 210 is shown coupling the lower chamber 203 to the upper chamber 202. The AG drive 206, the upper chamber 202, and the upper housing 204 are coupled to each other and are configured to rotate together when the upper chamber 202 is separated from the lower chamber 203 along the diagonal interface 250. As shown in the figure, the electrode assembly 260 is housed in the process module 202, and the electrode assembly 260 is connected to the AG drive 206 and the upper housing 204.

[0027] In this chamber configuration, the electrode assembly 260 includes a substrate support 291, a showerhead 293, a gas distribution plate (GDP) 294, and an RF transmission rod 261. A processing region 292 is defined between the showerhead 293 and the substrate support 291. In one embodiment, the alignment between the showerhead 293 and the substrate support for anyone operating as an upper electrode can be fixed to a desired tolerance. Once the alignment is completed, when the process module 102' is opened along the diagonal interface 250, the separation will remain fixed. Because when the upper chamber 202 is separated from the lower chamber 203 (such as Figure 4 ), the electrode assembly 260 and the upper housing 204 move together with the AG driver 206 so that the separation is maintained fixed.

[0028] Also shown is the electrode connection assembly 212, which includes a radio frequency (RF) match 230. A connection mechanism 262 is shown coupled between the access handle 226 and the bulkhead facility interface 220. The connection mechanism 262 is configured to enable connections and interruptions of all facilities between the electrode connection assembly 212 and the AG driver 206. These connections include connections for the RF transmission rod 261, connections for electrostatic chuck (ESC) cooling, helium connections, power connections, thermocouple sensor connections, pneumatic connections, optical sensor connections, and other facilities for operating the processing module 102'.

[0029] like Figure 3A As further shown in FIG. 1 , the lower chamber 203 will have a sloped surface that can define a diagonal interface 250. The wall of the lower chamber 203 has a first side 252a adjacent to and connected to the hinge connection 210 and a second side 252b opposite the hinge connection 210. In this configuration, the first side 252a is the shorter side and the second side 252b is the longer side, and the diagonal interface extends between the first side 252a and the second side 252b. Thus, the upper chamber has a first side 254a adjacent to and connected to the hinge connection 210 and a second side 254b diagonally opposite the hinge connection 210. The corresponding first sides 252a and 254a and the corresponding second sides 252b and 254b are configured to mate along the diagonal interface 250. The diagonal interface 250 is thus shown extending upwardly at an angle from the hinge connection 210 to a relatively upper region of the upper chamber 202 .

[0030] Figure 3B The processing module 102' is shown after the electrode connection assembly 212 has been removed along the direction 240, leaving the electrode assembly 260 connected to the partition spacer 220 of the AG drive 206. As shown, once the electrode connection assembly 212 is removed, the upper housing 204 will remain above the upper chamber 202 and connected to the upper chamber 202 together with the AG drive 206. Therefore, when rotating about the hinge connection 210, the upper chamber 202 will cause the upper housing 204 to rotate away from the diagonal interface 250 similarly to the AG drive 206. As shown, a motion pin 270 is provided to dock and align the upper chamber 202 with the lower chamber 206. In this way, the docking surfaces between the lower chamber 203 and the upper chamber 204 can meet in an aligned manner, thereby maintaining efficient closing and opening of the separation chamber assembly of the processing module 102'. In this embodiment, the rotation is clockwise when opening about the hinge connection 210.

[0031] In a first alternative embodiment, the hinge connection 210 may be located on opposite sides of the processing module 102. For example, Figure 3A , the hinge connection 210 may be located at the diagonally opposite side, such as the second side 254b. In this first alternative embodiment, the upper chamber 202, the upper housing 204, and the AG drive 206 will be raised and rotated counterclockwise about the hinge connection 210. In a second alternative embodiment, the upper chamber 202, the upper housing 204, and the AG drive 206 may be raised away from the lower chamber 203. In this second alternative embodiment, the motion pin 270 will be present, but a separate lifting mechanism may be used to lift the upper chamber and then separate the upper chamber instead of rotating the components.

[0032] Figure 4A processing module 102' is shown wherein the chamber body defined by the lower chamber 203 and the upper chamber 202 is open in a split configuration. The split configuration is shown to expose a first cross-section 430a of the lower chamber 203 and a second cross-section 430b of the upper chamber 202. The first and second cross-sections are complementary to each other and are defined by a diagonal interface 250a of the lower chamber and a diagonal interface 250b of the upper chamber. When the upper chamber 202 is opened and pivoted about the hinge connection 210, the upper housing 204, the AG drive 206, and the electrode assembly 260 move away from the lower chamber 203, which remains fixed. At this point, the interior area of ​​the lower chamber 203 can be maintained. As previously described, surfacing of the lower chamber 203 can include cleaning the interior of the chamber, cleaning the pad 402, or removing and inserting a new pad 402.

[0033] In this open configuration, the upper chamber 202 is no longer above the lower chamber 203 because the upper chamber 202 has pivoted away from the lower chamber 203 during rotation about the hinge connection 210. As described above, the hinge connection 210 is located at the lower side wall 422 of the lower chamber 203 and is also coupled to the lower wall side 442 of the upper chamber 202. In this way, the upper wall side 420 of the lower chamber 203 will be separated from the upper wall side 440 of the upper chamber 202. The diagonal interface 250 will therefore have an angle 423, which defines the diagonal interface 250a of the lower chamber 203 and the diagonal interface 250b of the upper chamber 202. When the upper chamber 202 is removed by rotating about the hinge connection 210, the area 404 of the lower chamber remains exposed for maintenance.

[0034] Figure 5 FIG. 2 shows a top view of the separation chamber assembly when the upper chamber 202 has been opened and rotated about the hinge connection 210. Figure 5 In the embodiment of the invention, a quick release pivot hinge 310 is used to enable the upper chamber 202 to be separated from the lower chamber 203 in a first rotation. When the upper chamber 202 is separated from the lower chamber 203, the interior of the lower chamber 203 can be accessed for maintenance. The configuration also shows a contact surface 271 above which the upper chamber 202 sits and where a gasket is provided to enable a seal between the chambers. A kinematic pin 270 is also shown, which provides precise alignment between the upper chamber 202 and the lower chamber 203 when the upper chamber 202 and the lower chamber 203 are in a mating and operating configuration.

[0035] In one embodiment, two quick release pivot hinges 310 are provided to connect the upper chamber 202 and the lower chamber 203. The quick release pivot hinges 310 include hinge pins that can be removed to provide additional rotation of the opened upper chamber 202 and the AG driver 206, the lower electrode 260, and the upper housing 204. This additional swing rotation is referenced Fig. 7A and 7B show.

[0036] exist Figure 6 A quick release pivot hinge 310 is shown as an exemplary type of hinge mechanism. It should be understood that the actual hinge mechanism can be modified so long as a first rotation of the upper chamber 202 is provided and the hinge pin 311 is removed to provide the ability for additional swinging rotation. With this in mind, the quick release hinge 310 may include an outer bearing housing 312 surrounding a ball bearing 316. An adjustable screw 314 is provided to adjustably correct the positioning of the upper chamber 202 to close the lower chamber 203. An inner bearing housing 320 is also provided to enable a second rotation for the swinging motion described below. A hinge pin 311 is also shown and can be removed to enable swinging about one of the quick release hinges 310. In one embodiment, if the upper chamber 202 and its associated components must be replaced with another component, the pins of both quick release pivot hinges 310 may have to be removed. Continued Figure 6 , showing the thrust bearing 322 coupled to an adjustable nut 324. A fine thread adjustment 326 may also be provided to provide height adjustment relative to the lower chamber 203.

[0037] Thus, once the quick release hinge 310 is calibrated with various adjustments relative to the lower chamber 203 and the upper chamber 202, the quick release hinge 310 can provide two types of rotation. It should be understood that the quick release pivot hinge 310 provides a first type of rotation when both hinge pins 311 are inserted into the quick release pivot hinge 310. This first type of rotation can separate the upper chamber 202 from the lower chamber 203. The second type of rotation is provided when the hinge pin of one of the quick release pivot hinges 310 is removed so that the upper chamber 202 and its associated components can swing along a left configuration or a right configuration (depending on which hinge pin is removed).

[0038] Fig. 7A An example is shown of removing hinge pin 311 from quick release pivot hinge 310 at the right corner of lower chamber 203. Removing hinge pin 311 will thus allow upper chamber 202, along with AG driver 206, electrode assembly 260 and upper housing 204 to swing to the left. Figure 7B An alternative swing mode is shown, which enables the upper chamber 202 and its associated components to perform a second rotation to the right. As previously described, the hinge pins 311 can also be removed from the two quick release hinges 310 to completely remove the upper chamber 202, AG drive 206, electrode assembly 260, and upper housing 204, and replace the above components with new or serviced corresponding components. It should be understood that this type of rapid removal will enable faster maintenance of the cluster tool assembly 100 and also enable a denser construction of the processing module 202'. A denser construction is advantageous for reducing the footprint of the cluster tool 100 and can reduce the clean room space used for semiconductor substrate manufacturing in an efficient manner.

[0039] Figure 8 A control module 800 is shown for controlling the above system. For example, any movement of the upper chamber 202 can be automated and controlled by the controller 124 or the control module 800. In some embodiments, the control module can control the access handle 226 so that the facility is interrupted under the control of the control module 800.

[0040] In one embodiment, the control module 800 may include a processor, a memory, and one or more interfaces. The control module 800 may be used to control devices in the system according to a predetermined program and based in part on sensed numerical values, wherein the devices in the system include any of the above-mentioned components in the cluster tool system, including but not limited to EFEM, load lock, post-processing module, wafer transfer module, wafer positioner, and processing module. It should be understood that the control module 800 may control any type of operation that a given component is defined to perform or can perform according to embodiments of the present invention.

[0041] By way of example only, the control module 800 may control one or more of the valve 802, actuator 804, pump 806, RF generator 822, and other devices 808 based on sensed values, predetermined programs / instructions, and other control parameters. The control module 800 receives sensed values ​​from, by way of example only, a pressure gauge 810, a flow meter 812, a temperature sensor 814, and / or other sensors 816.

[0042] For a given process module, reactant / precursor delivery and process conditions during plasma processing may also be controlled using control module 800. Control module 800 typically includes one or more memory devices and one or more processors.

[0043] The control module 800 can control the activity of the reactant / precursor delivery system and the plasma treatment equipment. The control module 800 executes a computer program, which includes grouped instructions for controlling the processing timing, the delivery system temperature, and the pressure difference across the filter, the valve position, the mixing of gases, the chamber pressure, the chamber temperature, the wafer temperature, the RF power level, the wafer chuck or the pedestal position, and other parameters of the specific treatment. The control module 800 can also monitor the pressure difference, and automatically switch the gas phase precursor delivery from one or more paths to one or more other paths. In some embodiments, other computer programs stored on the memory device associated with the control module 800 can be used.

[0044] Typically, there will be a user interface associated with the control module 800. The user interface may include a display 818 (e.g., a display screen and / or graphical software display of device and / or process conditions), and a user input device 820, such as a pointing device, keyboard, touch screen, microphone, etc.

[0045] The computer program for controlling the delivery of precursors, plasma treatment and other processes in the process sequence can be written in, for example, any of the following conventional computer readable programming languages: assembly language, C, C++, Pascal, Fortran or others. The compiled object code or script is executed by the processor to perform the tasks identified in the program.

[0046] Control module parameters relate to process conditions such as, for example, filter pressure differential, process gas composition and flow rate, temperature, pressure, plasma conditions (such as RF power level and low to medium RF frequency), cooling gas pressure, and chamber wall temperature.

[0047] The system software can be designed or configured in many different ways. For example, various chamber component subroutines or control objects can be written to control the operation of the chamber components necessary to perform the deposition process of the present invention. Examples of programs or program segments for this purpose include substrate positioning code, process gas control code, pressure control code, heater control code, and plasma control code.

[0048] The substrate positioning program may include program code for controlling chamber components that are used to load the substrate onto a pedestal or chuck and control the spacing between the substrate and other components of the chamber (e.g., a gas inlet and / or a target). The process gas control program may include code for controlling gas composition and flow rate and, optionally, for flowing gas into the chamber to stabilize the pressure in the chamber prior to deposition. The filter monitoring program includes code for comparing one or more measured differences with one or more predetermined values ​​and / or code for switching paths. The pressure control program may include code for controlling the pressure in the chamber by adjusting, for example, a throttle valve in the exhaust system of the chamber. The heater control program may include code for controlling the current to a heating unit that is used to heat components within a precursor delivery system, substrates, and / or other parts of the system. Alternatively, the heater control program may control the delivery of a heat transfer gas (e.g., helium) to a wafer chuck.

[0049] Examples of sensors that may be monitored during processing include, but are not limited to, mass flow control modules, pressure sensors such as pressure gauge 810, thermocouples (e.g., temperature sensor 814) located within the delivery system, pedestal, or chuck. Appropriately programmed feedback and control algorithms may be used with data from these sensors to maintain desired process conditions. The foregoing describes implementation of embodiments of the present invention in a single-chamber or multi-chamber semiconductor processing tool.

[0050] The description of the preceding embodiments is provided for illustration and description purposes. It is not intended to thoroughly describe or limit the present invention. The individual elements or features of a particular embodiment are generally not limited to the particular embodiment, but even if not specifically shown or described, they are interchangeable and can be used in selected embodiments where applicable. This can also be changed in various ways. Such changes are not considered to depart from the present invention, and all such modifications are also included within the scope of the present invention.

[0051] Although the foregoing embodiments have been described in some detail for the purpose of clarity of understanding, it should be understood that certain changes and modifications may be implemented within the scope of the appended claims. Therefore, the present embodiments should be considered illustrative rather than restrictive, and these embodiments should not be limited to the details provided herein, but may be modified within the scope and equivalents of the claims.

Claims

1. A processing module, comprising: a chamber body, comprising a lower chamber and an upper chamber, wherein the lower chamber and the upper chamber are configured to cooperate along a diagonal interface; an electrode assembly having a substrate support, the electrode assembly coupled to the upper chamber; a hinge connection coupling a first side of the lower chamber to a first side of the upper chamber, the upper chamber being configured to separate along the diagonal interface and rotate about the hinge connection, and the electrode assembly being configured to rotate with the upper chamber in a direction away from the lower chamber; as well as An electrode connection assembly is connectable to and removable from an adjustable gap interface coupled to the front side of the upper chamber, the adjustable gap interface being configured to rotate with the upper chamber when the electrode connection assembly is removed. 2 . The process module according to claim 1 , wherein a group of moving pins are provided between the upper chamber and the lower chamber and on a contact surface of the diagonal interface.

3. The process module of claim 2, wherein the set of kinematic pins provides for repeatable alignment between the upper chamber and the lower chamber.

4. The processing module according to claim 1, further comprising: an upper housing disposed above the upper chamber, the upper housing comprising an upper electrode, a showerhead, and a gas distribution plate, the upper electrode being disposed relative to the substrate support; The processing area is arranged between the upper electrode and the substrate support.

5. The process module of claim 4, wherein the upper housing rotates with the upper chamber and the electrode assembly, wherein the rotation of the upper chamber exposes an interior area of ​​the lower chamber for maintenance.

6. The process module of claim 5, wherein a liner is disposed within the lower chamber, and the maintenance comprises removing or cleaning one of the liner or the interior region.

7. A processing module according to claim 1, wherein the hinge connection coupling the first side of the lower chamber to the first side of the upper chamber includes at least two pivot hinges, each of the pivot hinges enables the upper chamber to rotate away from the diagonal interface, and each pivot hinge includes a hinge pin.

8. A processing module according to claim 7, wherein after the upper chamber rotates away from the diagonal interface, the hinge pin of one of the pivot hinges is removed to enable the upper chamber to perform a second rotation away from the lower chamber, wherein the second rotation is a pivot around the pivot hinge on which the hinge pin is still provided, and the pivot hinge from which the hinge pin is removed is separated to enable the second rotation.

9. The processing module according to claim 8, wherein the second rotation is a left opening rotation or a right opening rotation, wherein the left opening rotation maintains the hinge pin on the right of the pivot hinge, and the right opening rotation maintains the hinge pin on the left of the pivot hinge.

10. The process module of claim 1, wherein the electrode connection assembly comprises a radio frequency (RF) match connected to an RF transmission rod of the electrode assembly.

11. The process module of claim 1, wherein the electrode connection assembly comprises a bulkhead facility interface that connects radio frequency (RF) matching components and facilities to the electrode assembly.

12. A processing module according to claim 11, wherein the access handle of the electrode connection assembly facilitates engagement and disengagement of the partition facility interface between the adjustable gap interface and the electrode connection assembly, wherein removal of the electrode connection assembly enables the upper chamber to be separated and rotated from the diagonal interface of the lower chamber.

13. A processing module according to claim 1, wherein the hinge connection that couples the first side of the lower chamber to the first side of the upper chamber is located at a lower area of ​​the lower chamber so that the upper chamber can rotate in a clockwise manner, or is located at an upper area of ​​the lower chamber so that the upper chamber can rotate in a counterclockwise manner.

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