Small hot mass pressurized chamber

Abstract

The embodiments described herein generally relate to processing chambers incorporating a small thermal mass, which enable efficient temperature cycling for supercritical drying processes. The chambers generally include a body, a liner, and an isolation element that enables the liner to exhibit a small thermal mass relative to the body. The chambers are also configured with suitable equipment for generating and / or maintaining a supercritical fluid within a processing volume of the chamber.

Description

[0001] This application is a divisional application of the invention patent application filed on September 12, 2016, with application number 201680054443.6 and invention title "Pressurized Chamber with Small Thermal Mass". Technical Field

[0002] Embodiments of this disclosure generally relate to supercritical drying apparatus. More specifically, embodiments described herein relate to small thermal mass pressurized chambers. Background Technology

[0003] In cleaning semiconductor devices, it is typically necessary to remove liquid and solid contaminants from the substrate surface to leave a clean surface. Wet cleaning processes generally involve the use of cleaning liquids, such as aqueous cleaning solutions. After wet cleaning of the substrate, the cleaning liquid is usually removed from the substrate surface in a cleaning chamber.

[0004] Most current wet cleaning techniques use liquid spraying or immersion steps to clean substrates. Drying substrates with high aspect ratios or low-k materials containing voids or holes after applying the cleaning liquid is very challenging. The capillary force of the cleaning liquid often causes material deformation in these structures, generating undesirable static friction, which can damage the semiconductor substrate in addition to leaving residues of the cleaning solution on it. These challenges are particularly pronounced for semiconductor device structures with high aspect ratios during subsequent substrate drying. Due to capillary pressure across the liquid-air interface trapped in trenches or vias during multiple wet cleaning processes, the sidewalls of trenches or vias with high aspect ratios bend towards each other, causing line stiction or line collapse. Features with narrow linewidths and high aspect ratios are particularly susceptible to the difference in surface tension between the liquid-air and liquid-wall interfaces caused by capillary pressure (sometimes also called capillary force). Due to the rapid shrinkage of device size, current drying practices are facing a dramatically increased challenge in preventing wire adhesion.

[0005] As a result, there is a need in the field for improved equipment for performing supercritical drying processes. Summary of the Invention

[0006] In one embodiment, a substrate processing apparatus is provided. The apparatus includes: a chamber body defining a processing volume configured to operate under increased pressure. The chamber body includes: a liner disposed within the chamber body and adjacent to the processing volume; and an isolation element disposed within the chamber body and adjacent to the liner. The isolation element may have a coefficient of thermal expansion similar to that of the chamber body and the liner. A substrate support may be coupled to a door, and a baffle disposed in the processing volume may be coupled to an actuator configured to move the baffle within the processing volume.

[0007] In another embodiment, a substrate processing apparatus is provided. The apparatus includes: a platform having a transfer chamber and a processing chamber coupled to the platform. The processing chamber may be disposed at an inclined angle relative to the transfer chamber. The processing chamber includes: a chamber body defining a processing volume configured to operate under increased pressure. The chamber body includes: a liner disposed within the chamber body and adjacent to the processing volume; and an isolation element disposed within the chamber body and adjacent to the liner. The isolation element may have a coefficient of thermal expansion similar to that of the chamber body and the liner. A substrate support may be coupled to a door, and a baffle disposed in the processing volume may be coupled to an actuator configured to move the baffle within the processing volume.

[0008] In another embodiment, a substrate processing method is provided. The method includes the steps of: placing a substrate on a substrate support in a processing chamber. The substrate support is tiltable relative to gravity and a certain amount of solvent is introduced into the processing chamber to at least partially submerge the substrate. A baffle is placed above the substrate to generate supercritical CO2 in the processing chamber, exposing the substrate to the supercritical CO2. Attached Figure Description

[0009] To gain a more detailed understanding of the features of this disclosure as outlined above, a more specific description of the disclosure can be obtained by referring to embodiments, some of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. However, it should be noted that the accompanying drawings illustrate only exemplary embodiments and should not be construed as limiting the scope of the disclosure; other equivalent embodiments are permissible.

[0010] Figure 1 The illustration shows the adhesion effect that occurs between features formed on a semiconductor substrate according to the embodiments described herein.

[0011] Figure 2AThe figure shows a plan view of a processing device according to one embodiment described herein.

[0012] Figure 2B The figure shows a plan view of a processing device according to one embodiment described herein.

[0013] Figure 3 The illustration shows a cross-sectional view of a small thermal mass processing chamber according to one embodiment described herein.

[0014] Figure 4 The illustration shows a cross-sectional side view of a small thermal mass processing chamber according to one embodiment described herein.

[0015] Figure 5 The illustration shows a side view of a processing platform incorporating a small thermal mass processing chamber according to the embodiment described herein.

[0016] For ease of understanding, the same component symbols are used as much as possible to indicate the same components that are commonly seen in the drawings. Components and features of one embodiment may be advantageously incorporated into other embodiments without further description. Detailed Implementation

[0017] In the following description, numerous specific details are set forth for illustrative purposes in order to provide a thorough understanding of the embodiments provided herein. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the present disclosure can be practiced without these specific details. In other examples, specific device structures have not been described so as not to obscure the described embodiments. The following description and accompanying drawings are a specification of embodiments and should not be construed as limiting the scope of this disclosure.

[0018] Figure 1 This is a schematic cross-sectional view illustrating a portion of a semiconductor device 100, where line adhesion occurs between two features within the semiconductor device 100. As shown, a device structure with a high aspect ratio is formed on the substrate surface. During processing, the device structure 102 should remain vertically oriented, and walls 106 should not cross the opening 104 and contact adjacent walls 106 of the device structure 102. However, when the semiconductor device 100 is dried after being cleaned with a wet chemical agent, the walls 106 of the device structure 102 are subjected to capillary forces resulting from the air-liquid interface created by the cleaning liquid disposed within the opening 104. These capillary forces cause the walls 106 of adjacent device structures 102 to bend toward each other and come into contact. This contact between the walls 106 of adjacent device structures 102 results in line adhesion, ultimately causing the opening 104 to close. Line adhesion is generally undesirable because it prevents access to the opening 104 during subsequent substrate processing steps (e.g., further deposition steps).

[0019] To prevent wire adhesion, the substrate can be exposed to an aqueous cleaning solution, such as deionized water or cleaning chemicals, in a wet cleaning chamber. The substrate includes a semiconductor substrate having electronic devices disposed on or formed thereon. After performing the wet cleaning process, the aqueous cleaning solution on the substrate in the wet cleaning chamber removes any residue remaining on the substrate. In some configurations, the wet cleaning chamber may be a single-wafer cleaning chamber and / or a horizontally rotating chamber. Furthermore, the wet cleaning chamber may have a megasonic plate adapted to generate acoustic energy directed to the non-device sides of the substrate.

[0020] After wet cleaning of the substrate, it can be transferred to a solvent exchange chamber to displace any aqueous cleaning solution previously used in the wet cleaning chamber. The substrate can then be transferred to a supercritical fluid chamber for further cleaning and drying steps to be performed on the substrate. In one embodiment, drying the substrate may involve the delivery of a supercritical fluid to the substrate surface. When subjected to certain pressure and temperature configurations achieved or maintained in a supercritical processing chamber, a drying gas can be selected to transition into a supercritical state. An example of such a drying gas includes carbon dioxide (CO2). Because supercritical CO2 is a supercritical gas, it has no surface tension, its surface tension is similar to that of a gas, but its density is similar to that of a liquid. Supercritical CO2 has a critical point at a pressure of approximately 73.0 atm and a temperature of approximately 31.1 degrees Celsius. A unique property of supercritical fluids (e.g., CO2) is that condensation does not occur at any pressure above the supercritical pressure and at any temperature above the critical point (e.g., CO2 at 31.1 degrees Celsius and 73 atm). The critical temperature and critical pressure parameters of the processing environment (e.g., the processing chamber) affect the supercritical state of the CO2 drying gas.

[0021] Due to the unique properties of supercritical fluids, they can substantially penetrate all pores or voids in the substrate and remove any residual liquid or particles that may be present in opening 104. In one embodiment, after the supercritical treatment has been performed for the required time period to remove particles and residues, the pressure in the chamber is reduced at a near-constant temperature, allowing the supercritical fluid to directly transition to the gas phase within opening 104. The liquid typically present in opening 104 prior to supercritical fluid treatment may be a displacement solvent from a solvent exchange chamber. The particles typically present in opening 104 may be any solid particulate matter, such as organic species (e.g., carbon), inorganic species (e.g., silicon), and / or metals. Examples of openings 104 that can be dried by supercritical fluid include: voids or holes in dielectric layers, voids or holes in low-k dielectric materials, and other types of voids in the substrate that can trap cleaning fluid and particles. Additionally, due to the negligible surface tension of supercritical fluids (e.g., supercritical CO2), supercritical drying can prevent wire adhesion by bypassing the liquid state during phase transition and eliminating capillary forces generated between the walls 106 of device structure 102.

[0022] The substrate can then be transferred from the supercritical fluid chamber to a post-processing chamber. The post-processing chamber can be a plasma processing chamber, in which contaminants that may be present on the substrate can be removed. The post-processed substrate can also further release any wire bonds present in the device structure. The process described herein is useful for cleaning device structures with high aspect ratios (e.g., about 10:1 or higher, 20:1 or higher, or 30:1 or higher). In some embodiments, the process described herein is useful for cleaning 3D / vertical NAND flash memory device structures.

[0023] Figure 2A The illustration depicts a substrate processing apparatus according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the substrate processing apparatus being adapted to perform one or more of the operations described above. In one embodiment, the processing apparatus 200 includes a wet cleaning chamber 201, a solvent exchange chamber 202, a supercritical fluid chamber 203, a post-processing chamber 204, a transfer chamber 206, and a wet robotic arm 208. The processed substrate may include (but is not limited to) electronic devices, such as transistors, capacitors, or resistors, formed interconnected by metal wires, these metal wires being isolated by interlayer dielectrics on the substrate. These processes may include cleaning the substrate, cleaning films formed on the substrate, drying the substrate, and drying films formed on the substrate. In another embodiment, the processing apparatus 200 includes an inspection chamber 205, the inspection chamber 205 may include tools (not shown) for inspecting the substrate that has been processed in the processing apparatus 200.

[0024] In one embodiment, the substrate processing apparatus 200 is a cluster tool including several substrate processing chambers, such as a wet cleaning chamber 201, a solvent exchange chamber 202, a supercritical fluid chamber 203, a post-processing chamber 204, and a transfer chamber 206. Chambers 201, 202, 203, and 204 may be positioned around a wet robotic arm 208, which may be disposed within the transfer chamber 206. The wet robotic arm 208 includes a motor, a base, an arm, and an end effector 209, configured to transfer substrates between chambers. Optionally, the wet robotic arm 208 may have multiple arms and multiple end effectors to increase the throughput of the processing apparatus 200. In one embodiment, the wet robotic arm 208 transfers substrates between the aforementioned chambers. In another embodiment, at least one of the end effectors of the wet robotic arm 208 is a dedicated dry end effector (e.g., suitable for handling dry wafers), and at least one of the end effectors of the wet robotic arm 208 is a dedicated wet end effector (e.g., suitable for handling wet wafers). The dedicated dry end effector can be used to transfer substrates between the supercritical fluid chamber 203 and the post-processing chamber 204.

[0025] The processing apparatus 200 also includes a drying robot 216 disposed in a factory interface 218, which is coupled to the processing apparatus 200 and may be a plurality of substrate cassettes 212 and 214, each holding a plurality of substrates to be cleaned or dried (or already cleaned or dried). The drying robot 216 may be configured to transfer substrates between substrate cassettes 212 and 214 and wet cleaning chamber 201 and post-processing chamber 204. In another embodiment, the drying robot 216 may be configured to transfer substrates between supercritical fluid chamber 203 and post-processing chamber 204. Processing chambers within the processing apparatus 200 may be placed on a horizontal platform housing a substrate transfer chamber 206. In another embodiment, a portion of the platform may be oriented in a location other than a horizontal orientation (see...). Figure 5 ).

[0026] In alternative implementations, such as Figure 2B As shown, the processing apparatus 200A can be a linear apparatus, including several substrate processing chambers, such as a wet cleaning chamber 201, a solvent exchange chamber 202, a supercritical fluid chamber 203, a post-processing chamber 204, and a transfer chamber 206. For example, the processing apparatus 200A can be supplied by Applied Materials, Inc., Santa Clara, California. However, it is anticipated that other processing devices from other manufacturers may be applicable to perform the implementation methods described herein.

[0027] Chambers 201, 202, 203, and 204 can be placed around the robot arm 208A, which can be located within a transfer chamber 206. The robot arm 208A includes a motor, base, arm, and end effectors 209A and 209B, configured to transfer substrates between chambers. The robot arm 208A may have multiple arms and multiple end effectors to increase the throughput of the processing device 200A. In one embodiment, the robot arm 208A with a dedicated wet end effector 209A transfers substrates between the aforementioned chambers. The processing device 200A may also include a factory interface 218, which can be coupled to the processing device 200A and multiple substrate cassettes 212 and 214, each of which holds multiple substrates to be cleaned or dried (or already cleaned or dried). A robotic arm 208A with a dedicated drying terminal actuator 209B transfers substrates between substrate cassettes 212 and 214 and between the wet cleaning chamber 201 and the post-processing chamber 204. In one embodiment, the dedicated drying terminal actuator 209B may be configured to transfer substrates between the supercritical fluid chamber 203 and the post-processing chamber 204. The chambers within the processing apparatus 200A may be placed on a horizontal platform housing the substrate transfer chamber 206. In another embodiment, a portion of the platform may be oriented in a location other than horizontal orientation (see...). Figure 5 ).

[0028] In some configurations of the processing equipment 200A, the robot arm 208A can advance along a linear track 220. Chambers can be sequentially arranged on one or both sides of the linear track 220. To perform wet substrate transfer, excess liquid can be removed from the substrate (e.g., by rotating the substrate) while the substrate remains in the chamber, so that only a thin wet layer remains on the substrate surface before the substrate is transferred by the robot arm 208A. In embodiments where the robot arm 208A provides two or more end actuators, at least one can be dedicated to wet substrate transfer and another to dry substrate transfer. More substrates can be mounted in scalable linear configurations for high-volume production.

[0029] The construction described in the previous embodiment significantly reduces the design complexity of each chamber, enables sensitive queuing time control between processing steps, and optimizes throughput in continuous production with adjustable chamber module counts to balance the processing cycle of each processing operation.

[0030] Figure 3 A cross-sectional view of a small heat mass processing chamber 300 according to one embodiment described herein is schematically illustrated. In some embodiments, the chamber 300 may be implemented with respect to... Figure 2A and Figure 2BThe chamber 203 is described. Generally, the chamber 300 is constructed to withstand pressurization suitable for generating and / or maintaining the supercritical fluid within the chamber 300. The chamber 300 may also be advantageous for circulation within a temperature range suitable for performing phase transitions.

[0031] Chamber 300 includes a body 302, a liner 318, and an isolation element 316. The body 302 and liner 318 generally define a processing volume 312. The body 302 may be configured to withstand pressures suitable for generating supercritical fluid within the processing volume 312. For example, the body may be adapted to withstand pressures of about 100 bar or higher. Suitable materials for the body 302 include stainless steel, aluminum, or other high-strength metals. The liner 318 may also be formed from a material similar to that of the body 302. In one embodiment, the liner 318 and body 302 may be an integral device. In another embodiment, the liner 318 and body 302 may be separate devices coupled together.

[0032] The liner 318 may have a thickness 344 between approximately 2 mm and approximately 5 mm, for example, approximately 3 mm, in the region adjacent to the processing volume 312. The relatively minimal amount of material constituting the liner 318 compared to the body 302 results in the liner 318 having a small thermal mass relative to the body 302. Accordingly, since the temperature of the processing volume 312 is primarily affected by the liner 318 rather than the body 302, temperature changes within the processing volume 312 can be performed more efficiently. In one embodiment, the processing environment within the processing volume 312 may cycle between approximately 20 degrees Celsius and approximately 50 degrees Celsius for a time period of less than approximately 5 minutes (e.g., less than approximately 1 minute). In one embodiment, the processing volume 312 may cycle between approximately 20 degrees Celsius and approximately 50 degrees Celsius for approximately 30 seconds.

[0033] An isolation element 316 is generally disposed within the body 302 and adjacent to the gasket 318. In the illustrated embodiment, the isolation element 316 may be multiple devices. The isolation element 316 may generally extend along the long axis of the processing volume 312 to further reduce the thermal mass of the gasket 318 by isolating the gasket 318 from the body 302. The isolation element 316 may be formed of a material suitable for use in high-pressure environments having a coefficient of thermal expansion similar to that of the materials used for the body 302 and the gasket 318. In one embodiment, the isolation element 316 may be a ceramic material. Various examples of ceramic materials include alumina, aluminum nitride, silicon carbide, and similar materials. The thickness 346 of the isolation element 316 may be between about 0.1 inches and about 1.0 inches, for example, about 0.5 inches.

[0034] The processing volume 312 has a volume of less than about 2 liters, for example, about 1 liter. The distance 348 spanning the processing volume 312 between the liners 318 may be less than about 5 centimeters, for example, less than about 2 centimeters, for example, about 1 centimeter. In various embodiments, depending on the conditions in the processing volume 312, the processing volume 312 may be filled with a variety of liquids, gases, and / or supercritical fluids. In one embodiment, the processing volume 312 may be coupled to one or more solvent sources 320, 332, 336. A first solvent source 320 may be coupled to the processing volume 312 via a first conduit 322 passing through the top of the body 302. A second solvent source 332 may be coupled to the processing volume 312 via a second conduit 334 passing through the sidewall of the body 302. A third solvent source 336 may be coupled to the processing volume 312 via a third conduit 338 passing through the bottom of the body 302. Depending on the required solvent introduction characteristics, solvent sources 320, 332, and 336 can be configured to supply solvent to the processing volume from multiple inlet ports.

[0035] Suitable solvents that can be supplied from solvent sources 320, 332, and 336 to the processing volume 312 include: acetone, isopropanol, ethanol, methanol, N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone, N-methylformamide, 1,3-dimethyl-2-imidazolidinone, dimethylacetamide, and dimethyl sulfoxide, etc. Generally, solvents can be selected such that they are miscible with liquid CO2.

[0036] A first fluid source 324 may be coupled to a processing volume 312 via a fourth conduit 326 passing through the top of the body 302. The first fluid source 324 is generally configured to provide liquid or supercritical fluid to the processing volume 312. In one embodiment, the first fluid source 324 may be configured to deliver supercritical CO2. In another embodiment, the fluid source 324 may be configured to deliver supercritical CO2 to the processing volume 312. In this embodiment, heating and pressurizing devices may be coupled to the fourth conduit 326 to facilitate a phase transition from liquid CO2 to supercritical CO2 before entering the processing volume 312. A second fluid source 356 may be configured similarly to the first fluid source 324. However, the second fluid source 356 may be coupled to the processing volume via a fifth conduit 358 passing through the bottom of the body 302. Depending on the desired processing characteristics, the delivery of liquid CO2 and / or supercritical CO2 may be selected from top-down (first fluid source 324) or bottom-up (second fluid source 356).

[0037] During operation, the temperature of processing volume 312 can be controlled at least in part by the temperature of the CO2 supplied to it. Additionally, a quantity of liquid CO2 and / or supercritical CO2 can be supplied to processing volume 312, such that the entire processing volume is exchanged between approximately 1 and approximately 5 times, for example, approximately 3 times. It is believed that repeated processing volume turnover facilitates the mixing of solvent and CO2 before the formation and / or delivery of supercritical CO2 to processing volume 312 during subsequent supercritical drying operations. To facilitate the turnover and removal of fluids and gases from processing volume 312, processing volume 312 can be coupled to fluid outlet 340 via a sixth conduit 342.

[0038] The chamber 300 also includes a substrate support 306 and a baffle 310. The substrate support 306 is coupled to a door 304, and the baffle 310 is movably disposed within the processing volume 312. In one embodiment, the substrate support 306 and the door 304 may be an integral device. In another embodiment, the substrate support 306 may be removably coupled to the door 304 and movable independently of the door 304. The door 304 and the substrate support 306 may be formed of a variety of materials, including stainless steel, aluminum, ceramic materials, polymeric materials, or combinations thereof. The substrate support 306 may also have a heating element 354 disposed within the substrate support 306. In one embodiment, the heating element 354 may be a resistance heater. In another embodiment, the heating element 354 may be a fluid-filled channel formed in the substrate support 306. The heating element 354 may be configured to heat the processing volume 312 to facilitate the formation or maintenance of supercritical fluid within the processing volume 312.

[0039] During operation, the substrate support 306 can enter the processing volume 312 via an opening formed in the body 302, and the door 304 can be configured to press against the body 302 when the substrate support 306 is placed within the processing volume 312. In one embodiment, the substrate support 306 is configured for lateral movement. As a result, distance 348 can be minimized because vertical movement of the substrate support 306 within the processing volume 312 is unnecessary. A seal 352 (e.g., an O-ring, or a similar element) can be coupled to the body 302 and can be formed of an elastic material, such as a polymeric material. Generally, during processing, the door 304 can be secured to the body 302 via a coupling device (not shown, e.g., bolts, or similar devices) with sufficient force to withstand the high-pressure environment suitable for forming or maintaining a supercritical fluid in the processing volume 312.

[0040] The baffle 310 can be formed of various materials, including stainless steel, aluminum, ceramic materials, quartz materials, silicon-containing materials, or other suitable materials. The baffle 310 can be coupled to an actuator 330, which is configured to move the baffle 310 toward and away from the substrate support 306. The actuator 330 can be coupled to a power source 328 (e.g., an electrical power source) to facilitate movement of the baffle 310 within the processing volume 312.

[0041] During processing, substrate 308 can be placed on substrate support 306. In one embodiment, the device side 314 of substrate 308 can be placed adjacent to substrate support 306 such that device side 314 faces away from baffle 310. In operation, baffle 310 can be in an elevated position when substrate 308 is placed within processing volume 312. Baffle 310 can be lowered to a processing position close to substrate 308 via actuator 330 during processing. After processing, baffle 310 can be raised and substrate support 306 can remove substrate 308 from processing volume 312 via opening 350 in body 302. It is believed that by placing baffle 310 close to substrate 308 and substrate support 306, particle deposition on device side 314 of substrate 308 can be reduced or eliminated during solvent and / or liquid / supercritical CO2 introduction into processing volume 312.

[0042] Figure 4 A schematic cross-sectional side view of a chamber 300 according to one embodiment described herein is illustrated. In the illustrated embodiment, a liner 318 may completely surround and define a processing volume 312. In this embodiment, an isolation element 316 may completely surround the liner 318. In some embodiments, the isolation element 316 may not completely surround the liner 318. For example, the short axis of the liner 318 may not be closed using the isolation element 316.

[0043] One or more fluid conduits 402 may be provided in the body 302. The fluid conduits 402 may be coupled to a thermal management fluid source 404 via a seventh conduit 406. The fluid source 404 may be configured to supply a fluid (e.g., water, ethylene glycol, or a similar fluid) to the fluid conduits 402 to control the temperature of the body 302. Accordingly, the fluid conduits 402 may be used to heat or cool the body 302 and facilitate thermal circulation in the chamber 300.

[0044] Figure 5A side view of a processing platform 500 incorporating a chamber 300 according to an embodiment described herein is schematically illustrated. The platform 500 is contemplated to be similar to processing device 200 or processing device 200A. Generally, the chamber 300 may be coupled to a transfer chamber 206, both of which may be disposed on the platform 500. In the illustrated embodiment, the chamber 300 may be angled or tilted from a horizontal orientation. In this embodiment, the chamber 300 may be positioned at an angle 506 relative to an axis defined by a reference plane 504. In one embodiment, the angle 506 determining the tilt orientation of the chamber 300 may be between approximately 10° and approximately 90° relative to the reference plane 504. A chamber support 502 may be coupled to the chamber 300 and configured to support the chamber 300 in a tilt orientation.

[0045] The tilted orientation of chamber 300 advantageously allows for the solvent filling of processing volume 312 prior to placing substrate 308 into it. As a result, solvent contact with substrate 308 is maximized to prevent drying of substrate 308 prior to solvent exchange and supercritical drying processes. A sixth conduit 342 can be coupled to processing volume 312 at a location configured to collect substantially all of any fluid in processing volume 312. In other words, the sixth conduit 342 can be coupled to the “lowest” region of processing volume 312. Therefore, when fluid (e.g., liquid solvent and / or liquid CO2) needs to be removed from the processing volume, the fluid can be efficiently discharged by gravity to fluid outlet 340.

[0046] The embodiments described herein provide an improved chamber for performing pressurized substrate processing operations. The chamber employs a small thermal mass adjacent to the processing volume to achieve temperature cycling. Furthermore, the chamber temperature can be controlled more effectively and in a more timely manner. Therefore, supercritical drying processes can be implemented with improved yield and processing results.

[0047] The foregoing description pertains to the implementation of this disclosure. Other and further implementations of this disclosure may be modified without departing from its scope of protection, and the scope of protection is defined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A substrate processing method, comprising: A substrate, oriented downwards on a substrate support, is transferred to a processing chamber having a processing volume, wherein the substrate support is coupled to a door of the processing chamber, the processing chamber comprising: A liner, the liner being disposed within the processing chamber and adjacent to the processing volume; and An isolation element is disposed within the processing chamber body and extends along the long axis of the processing volume, wherein the liner contacts the isolation element such that the liner is closed by the isolation element and separated from the processing volume; The processing chamber is tilted relative to gravity; A certain amount of solvent is introduced into the processing volume to at least partially submerge the substrate; A non-device side positioning baffle adjacent to the substrate, wherein the device side of the substrate faces away from the baffle; Supercritical CO2 is supplied to the processing volume; and The substrate is exposed to supercritical CO2.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the baffle is moved toward the substrate support before the supercritical CO2 is provided.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: The substrate support is surrounded by the pad having a thickness between 2 mm and 5 mm.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising: The liner is isolated from the processing chamber.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising: A liquid comprising CO2 is supplied to the processing chamber.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the solvent is selected from the group consisting of acetone, isopropanol, ethanol, methanol, N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone, N-methylformamide, 1,3-dimethyl-2-imidazolinone, dimethylacetamide, and dimethyl sulfoxide.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the step of providing supercritical CO2 to the processing volume further comprises: The temperature inside the processing chamber is circulated between 20 ºC and 50 ºC for less than 5 minutes.

8. A substrate processing method, comprising: The substrate is transferred from the substrate box to the wet cleaning chamber by a drying robot arm; The substrate was cleaned by exposing it to deionized water. The substrate is transferred to the solvent exchange chamber via a wet robotic arm; The residual deionized water is replaced from the substrate; The substrate is transferred to a supercritical fluid chamber with a cavity volume; The substrate is exposed to a supercritical fluid cleaning and drying process, the supercritical fluid cleaning and drying process comprising: A substrate oriented with its device side down is disposed on a substrate support in a processing chamber having a processing volume, wherein the substrate support is coupled to a door of the processing chamber, the processing chamber comprising: A liner, the liner being disposed within the processing chamber and adjacent to the processing volume; and An isolation element is disposed within the processing chamber body and extends along the long axis of the processing volume, wherein the liner contacts the isolation element such that the liner is closed by the isolation element and separated from the processing volume; The processing chamber is tilted relative to gravity; A certain amount of solvent is introduced into the processing volume to at least partially submerge the substrate; A non-device side positioning baffle adjacent to the substrate, wherein the device side of the substrate faces away from the baffle; Supercritical fluid is supplied to the processing volume; and The substrate is exposed to the supercritical fluid; The substrate is transferred to the post-processing chamber via the wet robotic arm; and The substrate is exposed to plasma treatment to remove contaminants from the substrate and release wire adhesions of the device structures formed on the substrate.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the baffle is moved toward the substrate support before the supercritical fluid is provided.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising: The substrate support is surrounded by the pad having a thickness between 2 mm and 5 mm.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising: The liner is isolated from the processing chamber.

12. The method of claim 8, further comprising: A liquid comprising CO2 is supplied to the processing chamber.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein the wet cleaning chamber is a horizontally rotating chamber.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising: The sound energy from the megaacoustic plate is directed to the non-device surface of the substrate disposed in the horizontal rotating chamber.

15. The method of claim 8, wherein the step of providing supercritical fluid to the processing volume further comprises: The temperature inside the processing chamber is circulated between 20 ºC and 50 ºC for less than 1 minute.

16. A substrate processing method, comprising: A substrate oriented with its device side down is disposed on a substrate support in a processing chamber having a processing volume, wherein the substrate support is coupled to a door of the processing chamber, the processing chamber comprising: A liner, the liner being disposed within the processing chamber and adjacent to the processing volume; and An isolation element is disposed within the processing chamber body and extends along the long axis of the processing volume, wherein the liner contacts the isolation element such that the liner is closed by the isolation element and separated from the processing volume; The processing chamber is tilted relative to gravity; A certain amount of solvent is introduced into the processing volume to at least partially submerge the substrate; The baffle is moved from an elevated position to a processing position adjacent to the non-device side of the substrate, wherein the device side of the substrate faces away from the baffle. Liquid CO2 is delivered to the processing volume and the liquid CO2 is mixed with the solvent; An additional amount of liquid CO2 is delivered to the processing volume, such that the entire processing volume is exchanged at least once. Supercritical CO2 is supplied to the processing volume; and The substrate is exposed to supercritical CO2.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising: The substrate support is surrounded by the pad having a thickness between 2 mm and 5 mm.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the solvent is selected from the group consisting of acetone, isopropanol, ethanol, methanol, N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone, N-methylformamide, 1,3-dimethyl-2-imidazolinone, dimethylacetamide, and dimethyl sulfoxide.

19. The method of claim 16, further comprising: The sound energy from the megaacoustic plate is directed to the non-device side of the substrate.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising: The substrate is exposed to plasma treatment to remove contaminants from the substrate and release wire adhesions of the device structures formed on the substrate.

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