External substrate rotation in semiconductor processing systems

Abstract

Disclosed herein is a method and apparatus for processing semiconductors. In one embodiment, a processing system for semiconductor processing is disclosed. A processing chamber includes two transfer chambers, a processing chamber, and a rotation module. The processing chamber is coupled to the transfer chambers. The rotation module is positioned between the transfer chambers. The rotation module is configured to rotate a substrate. The transfer chamber is configured to transfer the substrate between the processing chambers and the transfer chamber. In another embodiment, disclosed herein is a method for processing a substrate on a device.

Description

[0001] This application is a divisional application of the invention patent application with the application date of April 20, 2016, application number "201610248104.3", and invention name "External substrate rotation in semiconductor processing system". Technical Field

[0002] The present disclosure generally relates to methods and apparatus for film uniformity in semiconductor processing. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to a processing system having a rotation module coupled between two transfer chambers to increase film uniformity in semiconductor processing. Background Art

[0003] Semiconductor device performance is determined by a variety of factors. One important factor is the uniformity of the film deposited on the substrate. It is desirable to deposit the film uniformly to minimize thickness variation across the substrate surface. For example, it may be desirable to form a film with a thickness variation of less than approximately 5% across the substrate surface.

[0004] However, film uniformity can be adversely affected by several factors, including heater temperature, chamber geometry, process gas flow non-uniformity, and plasma non-uniformity, etc. These factors can lead to non-uniform film deposition on the surface of the substrate, which can ultimately degrade device performance.

[0005] Rotating the substrate during processing provides improved uniformity. However, rotating the substrate during processing requires expensive equipment, such as slip rings and rotary joints.

[0006] Therefore, a need exists for improved apparatus and methods for film uniformity in semiconductor processing. Summary of the Invention

[0007] In one embodiment, a semiconductor processing system is disclosed. The processing system includes two transfer chambers, a processing chamber, and a rotation module. The processing chamber is coupled to one of the two transfer chambers. The rotation module is positioned between the transfer chambers. The rotation module is configured to rotate a substrate.

[0008] In another embodiment, a method for processing a substrate is disclosed. The method includes depositing a first portion of a film on a substrate in a processing chamber. The method includes transferring the substrate to a rotation module, rotating the substrate a predetermined amount, transferring the substrate back into the processing chamber, and depositing a second portion of the film on the substrate.

[0009] In another embodiment, a semiconductor processing system is disclosed. The processing system includes a transfer chamber, a processing chamber, and a rotation module. The processing chamber is coupled to two transfer chambers. The rotation module is coupled to the transfer chamber. The rotation module is configured to rotate a portion of a substrate while the substrate is held in the transfer chamber. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0010] Therefore, in order that the manner in which the above-described features of the present disclosure may be understood in detail, a more particular description of the disclosure, briefly summarized above, may be had by reference to embodiments, some of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. It should be noted, however, that the appended drawings illustrate only typical embodiments of the present disclosure and are therefore not to be considered limiting of the scope of the disclosure, as the disclosure may admit to other equally effective embodiments.

[0011] Figure 1 A top view of a processing system including at least one rotation module is shown according to one embodiment.

[0012] Figure 2 Shown according to one embodiment Figure 1 Side view of the rotation module.

[0013] Figure 3 Shown according to one embodiment Figure 1 A side view of another embodiment of a rotation module portion of a processing system.

[0014] Figure 4 A method of processing a substrate according to one embodiment is shown.

[0015] Figures 5A to 5C Shown according to one embodiment Figure 1 Figures 1 and 2 are side views of the rotation module. These figures depict how a substrate is placed on the substrate support assembly.

[0016] Figure 6 A top view of a processing system with a rotation module is shown according to one embodiment.

[0017] Figure 7 A top view of a processing system with a rotation module is shown according to one embodiment.

[0018] For clarity, identical reference numerals have been used, where applicable, to designate identical elements that are common between the figures. Additionally, elements of one embodiment may be advantageously adapted for utilization in other embodiments described herein. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0019] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a processing system 100 for processing substrates (not shown) is shown. The processing system 100 includes two transfer chambers 104a and 104b, a spin module 106, and one or more processing chambers 108. The processing system 100 may also include a load lock chamber 110, a factory interface 112, and a controller 113. The factory interface 112 is configured to load and unload substrates from the processing system 100. The factory interface 112 may include various robots and load ports suitable for loading substrates to be processed and storing processed substrates.

[0020] A load lock chamber 110 couples the transfer chamber 104a to a factory interface 112. The load lock chamber 110 selectively fluidly communicates with the transfer chamber 104a to allow substrates to be transferred between the atmosphere of the factory interface 112 and the load lock chamber 110. The transfer chamber 104a includes a robot 114a. The robot 114a is configured to transfer substrates into and out of the chamber 108. The transfer chamber 104b includes a robot 114b. The robot 114b is configured to transfer substrates into and out of the chamber 108.

[0021] The processing chamber 108 is coupled to the transfer chambers 104a, 104b. In one embodiment, the processing chamber 108 can be a deposition chamber or a treatment chamber. Examples of suitable deposition chambers include, but are not limited to, chemical vapor deposition (CVD) chambers, spin coating chambers, flowable CVD chambers, physical vapor deposition (PVD) chambers, atomic layer deposition (ALD) chambers, epitaxial deposition chambers, and the like. Examples of treatment chambers include, but are not limited to, thermal treatment chambers, annealing chambers, rapid thermal annealing chambers, laser treatment chambers, electron beam treatment chambers, ultraviolet (UV) treatment chambers, ion beam implantation chambers, ion immersion implantation chambers, and the like. It is also contemplated that one or more of the processing chambers 108 can be another type of vacuum processing chamber.

[0022] The rotation module 106 is coupled to the transfer chambers 104a and 104b. The rotation module 106 separates the transfer chamber 104a from the transfer chamber 104b. The rotation module 106 allows fluid communication between the transfer chambers 104a and 104b so that the substrate transferred from the chamber 104a to 104b passes through the rotation module 106. The rotation module 106 is configured to rotate the substrate. Figure 2 The rotation module 106 is discussed in more detail in .

[0023] Continue to read Figure 1 , the processing chamber 108, the rotation module 106, the transfer chambers 104a and 104b, and the load lock chamber 110 are connected to form a vacuum containment platform 116. One or more pumping systems 118 are coupled to the load lock chamber 110, the transfer chambers 104a and 104b, the rotation module 106, and the processing chamber 108. Figure 1 , a single pumping system 118 is shown coupled to the load lock chamber 110 to avoid cluttering the diagram. The pumping system 118 controls the pressure within the processing system 100. The pumping system 118 can be used to evacuate and drain the load lock chamber 110 as needed to facilitate entry and removal of substrates from the vacuum containment platform 116.

[0024] The processing system 100 is coupled to a controller 113 by a communication cable 120. The controller 113 is operable to control the processing of substrates within the processing system 100. The controller 113 includes a programmable central processing unit (CPU) 122, which is operable in conjunction with a memory 124 and mass storage devices, an input control unit, and a display unit (not shown), such as a power supply, a clock, a cache memory, input / output (I / O) circuits, etc., and is coupled to various components of the processing system 100 to facilitate control of the process of processing the substrate. The controller 113 may also include hardware for monitoring the processing of the substrate via sensors (not shown) in the processing system 100.

[0025] To facilitate control of the processing system 100 and processing substrates, the CPU 122 can be one of any form of general-purpose computer processor for controlling substrate processes. Memory 124 is coupled to the CPU 122 and is non-transitory. The memory 124 can be one or more of readily available memory devices such as random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), a floppy disk drive, a hard disk, or any other form of digital storage device (whether local or remote). Support circuits 126 are coupled to the CPU 122 to support the CPU 122 in a conventional manner. Processes for processing substrates are typically stored in the memory 124. The processes for processing substrates can also be stored and / or executed by a second CPU (not shown) that is remote from the hardware controlled by the CPU 122.

[0026] Memory 124 is in the form of a computer-readable storage medium containing instructions that, when executed by CPU 122, facilitate operations for processing substrates in processing system 100. The instructions in memory 124 are in the form of a program product (such as a program that implements the operations for processing substrates). The program code may conform to any of a number of different programming languages. In one example, the present disclosure may be implemented as a program product stored in a computer-readable storage medium for use with a computer system. The program(s) of the program product define the functionality of an embodiment. Illustrative computer-readable storage media include, but are not limited to: (i) non-writable storage media on which information is permanently stored (e.g., a read-only memory device within a computer, such as a CD-ROM disk read by a CD-ROM, flash memory, ROM chips, or any type of solid-state non-volatile semiconductor memory); and (ii) write storage media on which information is stored that can be changed (e.g., a floppy disk or hard disk drive within a disk drive or any type of solid-state random-access semiconductor memory). Such computer-readable storage media, when carrying computer-readable instructions that direct the functionality of the methods described herein, are embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0027] Figure 2 One embodiment of the rotation module 106 is shown. The rotation module 106 includes a chamber body 202 and a substrate support assembly 212. The chamber body 202 includes sidewalls 204, a top plate 206, and a bottom 208. The sidewalls 204, top plate 206, and bottom 208 define an interior volume 210. The substrate support assembly 212 is disposed within the interior volume 210. The substrate support assembly 212 includes a platform 290, a shaft 216, and a rotation actuator 218. The platform 290 has a substrate receiving surface 214 configured to receive a substrate. The shaft 216 extends through the bottom 208 of the chamber body 202 through an opening 224. The opening 224 is sealed by a bellows 226. A plate 294 is coupled to the bellows 226 and surrounds the shaft 216. A shaft seal 292 is a sliding seal that provides a vacuum-tight coupling between the plate 294 and the shaft 216 during actuation of the shaft. The shaft 216 is coupled to the platform 290. In one embodiment, the substrate support assembly 212 further includes a plurality of lift pins 222. The plurality of lift pins 222 are configured to extend through the substrate receiving surface 214 to raise and / or lower the substrate to facilitate robotic transfer.

[0028] The rotary actuator 218 can be a stepper motor, a servo motor, or the like. In one embodiment, the substrate support assembly 212 further includes a rotation sensor 223. The rotary actuator 218 is coupled to the shaft 216 of the substrate support assembly 212. The rotary actuator 218 can be configured to rotate the substrate support assembly 212. The rotation sensor 223 is coupled to the rotary actuator 218. The rotation sensor is configured to measure the rotation of the substrate support assembly 212. The rotation sensor 223 can be coupled to a controller (not shown) to provide real-time feedback to the controller. In one embodiment, the rotation sensor 223 can be an encoder.

[0029] In one embodiment, the substrate support assembly 212 further includes a vertical actuator 220. The vertical actuator 220 is configured to vertically move the shaft 216 in the z-direction so that the platform 290 is raised or lowered. Figure 2 , the platform 290 is shown in a raised position.

[0030] A measurement device 228 is coupled to the top plate 206 of the rotation module 106. In one embodiment, the measurement device 228 may be an ellipsometer device configured to detect dielectric properties of a film deposited on a substrate through a window 230 formed in the top plate 206 of the chamber body 202. Dynamic metrology can provide real-time feedback on the effectiveness of substrate rotation on film property uniformity.

[0031] exist Figure 2In the embodiment shown in FIG, the substrate support assembly 212 is entirely within the interior volume 210 of the rotation module 106. The substrate support assembly 212 does not extend into the interior volume 280 of the first transfer chamber 104a or the interior volume 282 of the second transfer chamber 104b.

[0032] Figure 3 Shown according to one embodiment Figure 1 1. A side view of a portion of the processing system 100. Figure 3 The first transfer chamber 104a, the second transfer chamber 104b and the rotation module 106 are included. The rotation module 106 is coupled to both the first transfer chamber 104a and the second transfer chamber 104b. The rotation module 106 allows fluid communication between the first transfer chamber 104a and the second transfer chamber 104b so that substrates can be transferred between the first transfer chamber 104a and the second transfer chamber 104b. Figure 3 In the embodiment shown in FIG, the substrate support assembly 212 is not entirely within the interior volume 210 of the rotation module 106. Instead, the substrate support assembly 212 extends partially into the interior volume 280 of the first transfer chamber 104a and the interior volume 282 of the second transfer chamber 104b. For example, the platform 290 may extend into both transfer chambers 104a, 104b. Thus, in FIG. Figure 3 In the embodiment shown in FIG, the rotation module 106 has a Figure 2 The interior volume 210 of the rotation module 106 shown in FIG. 1 is smaller than the interior volume 210 .

[0033] Figure 4 Shown in such Figure 1 4. A method 400 for processing a substrate in the processing system 100 depicted in FIG. The method 400 begins at block 402 by performing a first portion of a film deposition process on a substrate in a first processing chamber. The substrate is transferred to the first processing chamber by a robot 114a disposed in a first transfer chamber 104a. The robot 114a is configured to move the substrate between the transfer chamber 104a and the processing chamber 108. The robot 114a transfers the substrate from a load lock chamber 110 to the first transfer chamber 104a. The first processing chamber can be a deposition chamber, such as a CVD chamber, a spin coating chamber, a flowable CVD chamber, a PVD chamber, an ALD chamber, or any other deposition chamber suitable for depositing a film on a substrate. In the first processing chamber, the first portion of the film deposition process is performed on the substrate.

[0034] At block 404, the substrate is transferred from the first processing chamber to the spin module 106 by the robot 114a. Figures 5A to 5B shown. Figures 5A to 5B The rotation module 106 is shown at block 404 of the method 400 . Figure 5AThe rotation module 106 is shown as the robot is positioning a substrate 501 on the substrate support assembly 212. The vertical actuator 220 actuates the substrate support assembly 212 in the downward z-direction to allow the robot 114a to place the substrate 501 on the substrate support assembly 212. Substrate lift pins 222 are formed through the platform 290 of the support assembly 212. The lift pins 222 are actuated in the upward z-direction so that when the substrate support assembly 212 is lowered, the lift pins 222 extend above the substrate receiving surface 214. In the lowered position, the lift pins 222 contact the bottom 208 of the chamber body 202. As a result, the lift pins 222 extend above the substrate receiving surface 214. The robot blade 550 from the robot 114a extends from the transfer chamber 104a through the opening to position the substrate 501 in the interior volume 210. Actuating the lift pins 222 allows the substrate receiving surface 214 to receive the substrate 501 from the robot blade 550 without obstructing the path of the robot blade 550. The lift pins 222 can be actuated in the downward z-direction to position the substrate 501 on the substrate receiving surface 214 of the platform 290 when the blade is removed from beneath the substrate 501. To actuate the lift pins 222 in the downward z-direction, the substrate support assembly 212 is actuated in the upward z-direction so that the lift pins 222 no longer contact the bottom 208 of the chamber body 202.

[0035] Figure 5B The rotation module 106 is shown with the substrate support assembly 212 raised in the extended position. The vertical actuator 220 actuates the substrate support assembly 212 to the extended position. In the extended position, the rotation actuator 218 is configured to rotate the substrate support assembly 212 (in the extended position). Figure 5C ). As shown, the lift pins 222 are out of contact with the substrate. The substrate is now resting on the substrate receiving surface 214. In the extended position, the properties of the film deposited on the substrate in the first processing chamber can be measured using the measurement device 228. Measuring the film properties allows for a better understanding of the film uniformity during various stages of the deposition process.

[0036] Return to view Figure 4 At block 406, the rotation module 106 is rotated by a predetermined angle, such as Figure 5C As shown in . Figure 5CThe substrate 501 is shown rotated via the rotary actuator 218 as described in block 406. The rotary actuator 218 rotates the shaft 216 of the substrate support assembly 212 so that the platform 290 and the substrate 501 rotate along with the shaft 216. The rotation of the substrate 501 changes the position of the substrate 501 relative to the original position of the substrate. In one embodiment, the rotary actuator 218 can rotate about the central axis of the substrate 501 between about 1 degree and 360 degrees. For example, the rotary actuator 218 can rotate the substrate 501 between about 90 and 180 degrees. Once the substrate 501 is rotated, the rotation is performed in a reversible sequence. Figures 5A to 5C , so that the robot 114 a can remove the substrate 501 from the rotation module 106 .

[0037] Continue to read Figure 4 At block 408, the substrate 501 is transferred from the spin module 106 to a second processing chamber. In the second processing chamber, the substrate 501 undergoes a second portion of the film deposition process, as indicated by block 410. The robot 114b transfers the substrate 501 from the spin module 106 to the second transfer chamber 104b, and then to the second processing chamber. The second portion of the film deposition process can be the same film deposition process as the first portion of the film deposition process. For example, the second portion of the film deposition process can be a CVD chamber, a spin coating chamber, a flowable CVD chamber, a PVD chamber, an ALD chamber, or any other deposition chamber suitable for depositing a thin film on a substrate.

[0038] The substrate can be processed by repeated Figure 4 The method 400 is performed until a satisfactory film is formed on the substrate. The substrate can then be removed from the processing system 100. In one embodiment, the substrate can be rotated approximately 90 degrees four times so that the substrate undergoes four film deposition processes and is transferred to the rotation module 106 four times. Thus, the substrate can be processed in the processing chamber 108 while being in four different orientations. The film properties can also be measured four times individually using the measurement device 228 atop the rotation module 106.

[0039] Figure 6 A processing system 600 for processing a substrate is shown in accordance with one embodiment. The processing system 600 is similar to the processing system 100. Accordingly, the same reference numerals have been used to designate the components described above with reference to FIG. Figure 1 The processing system 600 includes the transfer chamber 104, the spin module 606, and one or more processing chambers 108. The processing system 600 may also include a load lock chamber 110, a factory interface 112, and a controller 113. The one or more processing chambers 108 and the spin module 606 are coupled to the transfer chamber 104.

[0040] The rotation module 606 is similar to the rotation module 106. Accordingly, the same reference numerals have been used to designate the components described above with reference to FIG. Figure 1 、 Figure 2 and Figure 3 The same components as described above. The rotation module 606 is in fluid communication with the transfer chamber 104. The rotation module 606 is configured to rotate a substrate. The rotation module 606 further includes a substrate support assembly 612. The substrate support assembly 612 includes a platform 690. The rotation module 606 is sized such that the rotation module 606 has a length L that is less than the diameter D of the platform 690. Thus, the substrate support assembly 612 extends partially into the transfer chamber 104. The length L of the rotation module 606 compared to the diameter D of the platform 690 has several advantages. The processing volume V of the rotation module 606 is reduced, resulting in less time required to evacuate the rotation module 606. In addition, because the platform 690 extends into the rotation module 606, moving parts (such as a slit valve between the transfer chamber and the rotation module) are eliminated.

[0041] Figure 7 A processing system 700 for processing a substrate is shown in accordance with one embodiment. The processing system 700 is similar to the processing system 100. Accordingly, the same reference numerals have been used to designate the components previously described with reference to FIG. Figure 1 The processing system 700 includes the transfer chamber 104, a rotation module 706, and one or more processing chambers 108. The rotation module 706 is positioned in a load lock position. The rotation module 706 is configured to rotate the substrate. The rotation module 706 and the one or more processing chambers 108 are in fluid communication with the transfer chamber 104.

[0042] While the foregoing is directed to embodiments of the present disclosure, other and further embodiments of the disclosure may be devised without departing from the basic scope thereof, and the scope of the disclosure is determined by the claims that follow.

[0043] Component Symbol

[0044] 100 processing system

[0045] Chamber 104a

[0046] Chamber 104b

[0047] 106 Chamber

[0048] 108 Chamber

[0049] 110 Load Lock Chamber

[0050] 112 Factory Interface

[0051] 113 Controller

[0052] 114a Robot

[0053] 114b Robot

[0054] 116 Vacuum Sealed Platform

[0055] 118 Pump System

[0056] 120 communication cable

[0057] 122 central processing units

[0058] 124 Memory

[0059] 126 Support Circuits

[0060] 202 Chamber body

[0061] 204 sidewall

[0062] 206 top plate

[0063] 210 internal volume

[0064] 212 substrate support assembly

[0065] 214 substrate receiving surface

[0066] 216 shaft

[0067] 218 Rotary Actuator

[0068] 220 vertical actuator

[0069] 222 lift pin

[0070] 223 Rotation Sensor

[0071] 224 Opening

[0072] 226 bellows

[0073] 228 Measuring device

[0074] 230 Window

[0075] 280 internal volume

[0076] 282 internal volume

[0077] 290 Platform

[0078] 292 Shaft seal

[0079] 294 boards

[0080] 400 Method

[0081] 402 Steps

[0082] 404 Steps

[0083] 406 steps

[0084] 408 steps

[0085] 410 steps

[0086] 501 base plate

[0087] 550 Robot Blades

[0088] 600 Processing System

[0089] 606 Rotation Module

[0090] 612 substrate support assembly

[0091] 690 Platform

[0092] 700 Processing System

[0093] 706 Rotation Module

Claims

1. A method for processing a substrate, the method comprising: depositing a first portion of a film on a substrate in a first processing chamber; transferring the substrate from the first processing chamber to a spin module through a transfer chamber; positioning the substrate on a substrate support assembly disposed within the rotation module and extending partially into the transfer chamber; rotating the substrate by a predetermined amount; transferring the substrate to a second processing chamber; as well as A second portion of the film is deposited on the substrate in the second processing chamber, wherein depositing the first portion and depositing the second portion comprise the same type of deposition process.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising: actuating a substrate support assembly in the rotation module in a downward z-direction; and The substrate support assembly is actuated in an upward z-direction. The method of claim 1 , wherein the substrate is rotated 180°. The method of claim 1 , wherein the substrate is rotated n times and undergoes n depositions.

5. A rotation module configured to be coupled between two transfer chambers, the rotation module comprising: a chamber body defining an interior volume and having a first opening and a second opening; and A substrate support includes a substrate platform disposed within the interior volume between the first opening and the second opening and extending beyond the first opening and the second opening of the chamber body, the substrate support being configured to rotate the substrate platform.

6. The rotation module according to claim 5, further comprising: A rotary actuator is coupled to the substrate support, the rotary actuator being configured to rotate the substrate platform.

7. The rotation module according to claim 6, further comprising: A rotation sensor is in communication with the rotary actuator, the rotation sensor being configured to measure a rotation of the substrate stage.

8. The rotation module of claim 5, further comprising: A vertical actuator is coupled to the substrate support, the vertical actuator being configured to vertically move the substrate platform. 9 . The rotation module of claim 5 , wherein the first opening and the second opening are each configured to be coupled to a transfer chamber.

10. The rotation module of claim 5, wherein the substrate support further comprises: a shaft connected to the base plate platform; a plate surrounding at least a portion of the shaft; as well as A shaft seal couples the plate and the shaft.

11. The rotation module of claim 5, wherein the substrate support further comprises a plurality of lift pins. 12 . The rotation module of claim 11 , wherein the plurality of lift pins are configured to extend through the substrate platform to raise and lower a substrate.

13. The rotation module of claim 5, further comprising a rotation module comprising a measurement module, the measurement module comprising an ellipsometer.

14. A rotation module configured to be coupled between two transfer chambers, the rotation module comprising: a chamber body, a first opening, and a second opening, the chamber body having a plurality of sidewalls and defining an interior volume, the first opening being disposed on a first sidewall of the plurality of sidewalls, and the second opening being disposed on a second sidewall of the plurality of sidewalls and opposite the first opening; as well as a substrate support comprising a substrate platform disposed between the first opening and the second opening and extending beyond the first opening of the chamber body and beyond the second opening of the chamber body, the substrate support being configured to rotate the substrate platform and further comprising: a shaft connected to the base plate platform; a plate surrounding at least a portion of the shaft; and A shaft seal couples the plate and the shaft.

15. The rotation module of claim 14, wherein the substrate platform is configured to support a substrate thereon. 16 . The rotation module of claim 14 , further comprising a rotation actuator coupled to the substrate support, the rotation actuator configured to rotate the substrate platform.

17. The rotation module of claim 16, further comprising: A rotation sensor is in communication with the rotary actuator, the rotation sensor being configured to measure rotation of the substrate stage.

18. The rotation module of claim 16, wherein the substrate support further comprises a plurality of lift pins. 19 . The rotation module of claim 14 , further comprising a measurement device configured to detect a dielectric property of a film deposited on a substrate disposed on the substrate support.

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