Reduced space processing chamber

Abstract

Embodiments described herein generally relate to processing chambers with reduced space to perform supercritical drying processes or other phase change processes. The chamber includes a substrate support movably disposed on a first track and a door movably disposed on a second track. The substrate support and the door can be configured to move independently of each other, and the chamber can be configured to minimize vertical movement of a substrate within the chamber.

Description

[0001] This application is a divisional application of the invention patent application filed on September 13, 2016, with application number 201680058294.0 and entitled "Spatial Processing Chamber". Technical Field

[0002] Embodiments of this disclosure generally relate to supercritical drying equipment. More specifically, embodiments described herein relate to space-saving processing chambers. Background Technology

[0003] In the cleaning of 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 water-based cleaning solutions. After wet cleaning of the substrate, the cleaning liquid is usually removed from the substrate surface within 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 with voids or holes after applying cleaning liquids is very challenging. The capillary force of the cleaning liquid often causes material deformation in these structures, generating undesirable static friction that can damage semiconductor substrates in addition to residues left by the cleaning solution. These drawbacks are particularly pronounced for semiconductor device structures with high aspect ratios during subsequent substrate drying. Linear static friction, or line breakage, is caused by the bending of sidewalls, forming high aspect ratio trenches or vias facing each other, due to capillary pressure across the liquid-air interface during the wet cleaning process. Features with narrow linewidths and high aspect ratios are particularly susceptible to differences in surface tension (due to capillary pressure, sometimes also called capillary force) between the liquid-air and liquid-wall interfaces. Due to rapid advancements in device size, current feasible drying practices face a dramatically increasing challenge in preventing linear static friction.

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

[0006] In one embodiment, a substrate processing apparatus is provided. The apparatus includes: a processing chamber body having a liner defining a processing space and an insulating element formed therein. A door is slidably coupled to a first track and configured to move relative to the chamber body. A substrate support is slidably coupled to a second track and configured to move independently of the door.

[0007] In another embodiment, a substrate processing apparatus is provided. The apparatus includes: a chamber body having an opening formed therein, the opening providing access to and exit from a processing space defined by a liner of the chamber body. A baffle is disposed within the processing space and coupled to an actuator configured to move the baffle within the processing space. A door is slidably coupled to a first track and configured to translate between an open position and a closed position. A substrate support is slidably coupled to a second track and configured to translate between a first position outside the processing space and a second position inside the processing space. The substrate support may also be configured to move independently of the door.

[0008] In another embodiment, a substrate processing method is provided. The method includes the steps of: placing a door in an opening orientation relative to a chamber body, and placing a substrate support member in an opening orientation relative to the chamber body. A substrate can be placed on the substrate support member, and a baffle can be placed over the substrate disposed on the substrate support member. The substrate support member can be slidable into the chamber body, and the door can be slidable to abut the chamber body. The steps of sliding the substrate support member and sliding the door can be performed independently. Attached Figure Description

[0009] The features described above in this disclosure can thus be understood in detail, and a more specific description of this disclosure can be obtained by referring to the embodiments (briefly summarized above), some of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. However, it should be noted that the accompanying drawings illustrate only exemplary embodiments and are therefore not intended to limit their scope, and other equivalent embodiments are permissible.

[0010] Figure 1 The illustration shows the effect of static friction between features formed on a semiconductor substrate according to the embodiments described herein.

[0011] Figure 2A The illustration is a plan view of a processing apparatus according to one embodiment described herein.

[0012] Figure 2B The illustration is a plan view of a processing apparatus according to one embodiment described herein.

[0013] Figure 3 The illustration schematically shows a cross-sectional view of a reduced-space processing chamber according to one embodiment described herein.

[0014] Figure 4 The illustration is a perspective view of a reduced-space processing chamber according to one embodiment described herein.

[0015] For ease of understanding, the same reference numerals are used as much as possible to indicate the same elements that are common in the figures. Elements and features of one embodiment may be advantageously incorporated into other embodiments without further description. Detailed Implementation

[0016] In the following description, numerous specific details are set forth for illustrative purposes in order to provide a general understanding of the embodiments provided herein. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the present disclosure can be implemented 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 illustrative embodiments and should not be construed as limiting the disclosure.

[0017] Figure 1 The diagram illustrates a portion of a semiconductor device 100, showing linear static friction occurring between two features within the device. As shown, a device structure with a high aspect ratio is formed on the surface of a substrate. During processing, the device structure 102 should remain vertically oriented, and walls 106 should not cross the opening 104 or contact adjacent walls 106 of the device structure 102. After cleaning with a wet chemical agent, when the semiconductor device 100 is dried, the walls 106 of the device structure 102 are subjected to capillary forces (attributable to the air-liquid interface created by the cleaning liquid within the opening 104), causing the walls 106 of adjacent device structures 102 to bend toward each other and come into contact. Linear static friction, caused by the contact between the walls 106 of adjacent device structures 102, ultimately results in the closure of the opening 104. Linear static friction is generally undesirable because it prevents entry and exit from the opening 104 during subsequent substrate processing steps (e.g., further deposition steps).

[0018] To prevent static friction, 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 with electronic devices disposed or formed thereon. After performing the wet cleaning process, an aqueous cleaning solution is used on the substrate in the wet cleaning chamber to remove residues remaining on the substrate. In some configurations, the wet cleaning chamber may be a single-chip cleaning chamber and / or a horizontally rotating chamber. Furthermore, the wet cleaning chamber may have a megafrequency ultrasonic plate adapted to generate acoustic energy directed to the non-device side of the substrate.

[0019] After wet cleaning of the substrate, the substrate can be transferred to a solvent exchange chamber to replace any previously used water cleaning solution 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 supercritical fluid to the surface of the substrate. When subjected to certain pressure and temperature configurations reached or maintained in the 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 CO2 is a supercritical gas, it has no surface tension; its surface tension is similar to that of a gas, but it has a density similar to that of a liquid. Supercritical CO2 has a critical point at a pressure of about 73.0 atm and a temperature of about 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., 31.1 degrees Celsius and 73 atm for CO2). 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.

[0020] 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 appear in opening 104. In one embodiment, after the supercritical treatment has been performed for the required cycle time to remove particles and residues, the pressure in the chamber decreases at a near-constant temperature, allowing the supercritical fluid to directly convert 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 pores in dielectric layers, voids or pores in low-k dielectric materials, and other types of gaps in the substrate that can trap cleaning fluid and particles. In addition, supercritical drying can prevent linear static friction from bypassing the liquid state during phase transition and the capillary force generated between the walls 106 of the elimination device structure 102 (attributed to the negligible surface tension of supercritical fluids (e.g., supercritical CO2)).

[0021] The substrate can then be transferred from the supercritical fluid chamber to a post-processing chamber. The post-processing chamber can be a plasma treatment chamber, in which contaminants that may appear on the substrate can be removed. The post-processed substrate can also further release any linear static friction present in the device structure. The process described herein is useful for cleaning device structures with high aspect ratios, such as 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.

[0022] Figure 2A The illustration shows a substrate processing apparatus according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, 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 internally connected by metal wires insulated by interlayer dielectrics on the substrate. These processes may include cleaning the substrate, cleaning a thin film formed on the substrate, drying the substrate, and drying the thin film formed on the substrate. In another embodiment, the processing apparatus 200 includes an inspection chamber 205, which may include tools (not shown) for inspecting the substrate processed in the processing apparatus 200.

[0023] 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. The chambers 201, 202, 203, and 204 can be positioned around a wet robotic arm 208, which can be disposed within the transfer chamber 206. The wet robotic arm 208 includes a motor, a substrate, an arm, and an end effector 209, configured to transfer substrates between the 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 processing 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 processing wet wafers). A dedicated dry end effector can be used to transfer substrates between the supercritical fluid chamber 203 and the post-processing chamber 204.

[0024] The processing apparatus 200 also includes a dry robotic arm 216 disposed in a factory interface 218, which is coupled to the processing apparatus 200 and a plurality of substrate cassettes 212 and 214, each of which holds a plurality of substrates to be cleaned or dried (or already cleaned or dried). The dry robotic arm 216 may be configured to transfer substrates between cassettes 212 and 214 and wet cleaning chamber 201 and post-processing chamber 204. In another embodiment, the dry robotic arm 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 positioned on a horizontal platform that houses a substrate transfer chamber 206. In another embodiment, portions of the platform may be oriented in a location other than a horizontal orientation.

[0025] 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 could be supplied by Applied Materials, Inc., Santa Clara, California. However, it is worth considering that other processing devices from other manufacturers may be applicable to perform the implementation described herein.

[0026] Chambers 201, 202, 203, and 204 can be positioned around a robotic arm 208A, which can be located within a transfer chamber 206. The robotic arm 208A includes a motor, a base, arms, and end effectors 209A and 209B, configured to transfer substrates between chambers. The robotic arm 208A can have multiple arms and multiple end effectors to increase the throughput of the processing device 200A. In one embodiment, the robotic 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). Robotic arm 208A has a dedicated dry terminal actuator 209B for transferring substrates between cartridges 212 and 214 and wet cleaning chamber 201 and post-processing chamber 204. In one embodiment, the dedicated dry terminal actuator 209B may be configured to transfer substrates between supercritical fluid chamber 203 and post-processing chamber 204. Chambers within processing equipment 200A may be positioned on a horizontal platform housing substrate transfer chamber 206. In another embodiment, portions of the platform may be oriented in a location other than a horizontal orientation.

[0027] In some configurations of the processing equipment 200A, a robotic arm 208A can advance along a linear track 220. Chambers can be sequentially positioned 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 still within the chamber, so that only a thin wet layer remains on the substrate surface before the robotic arm 208A transfers the substrate. In embodiments where the robotic 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 chambers can be installed in scalable linear configurations for high-volume production.

[0028] The configuration proposed in the previous embodiment significantly reduces the design complexity of each chamber, enabling queuing time control between sensitive processing steps and optimizing throughput in continuous production using adjustable chamber module counts to balance the process duration of each processing operation.

[0029] Figure 3 The illustration schematically depicts a cross-sectional view of a space-reduced processing chamber 300 according to one embodiment described herein. In some embodiments, the chamber 300 may be implemented with respect to... Figure 2A and Figure 2B The chamber 203 is described. Generally, the chamber 300 is configured to withstand pressurization suitable for generating and / or maintaining a supercritical fluid within the chamber 300. The chamber 300 can also be advantageously circulated within a temperature range suitable for performing a phase change.

[0030] Chamber 300 includes a body 302, a gasket 318, and an insulating element 316. The body 302 and gasket 318 generally define a processing space 312. The body 302 may be configured to withstand pressures suitable for generating supercritical fluid within the processing space 312. For example, the body may be adapted to withstand pressures of about 100 bar or more. Materials suitable for the body 302 include stainless steel, aluminum, or other high-strength metallic materials. The gasket 318 may also be formed from a material similar to that of the body 302. In one embodiment, the gasket 318 and the body 302 may be a single material. In another embodiment, the gasket 318 and the body 302 may be separate but coupled devices.

[0031] 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 space 312. The relatively minimal amount of material comprising the liner 318 (relative to the body 302) results in the liner 318 having a small thermal mass relative to the body 302. Accordingly, because the temperature of the processing space 312 is primarily affected by the liner 318 rather than the body 302, temperature changes within the processing space 312 can be achieved more efficiently. In one embodiment, the processing environment within the processing space 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 space 312 may cycle between approximately 20 degrees Celsius and approximately 50 degrees Celsius for approximately 30 seconds.

[0032] An insulating element 316 is generally disposed within the body 302 adjacent to the pad 318. In the illustrated embodiment, the insulating element 316 may be multiple devices. The insulating element 316 may generally extend along the long axis of the processing space 312 to further reduce the thermal mass of the pad 318 by insulating the pad 318 from the body 302. The insulating element 316 may be formed of a material suitable for use in high-pressure environments and having a coefficient of thermal expansion similar to that of the materials used in the body 302 and the pad 318. In one embodiment, the insulating element 316 may be a ceramic material. Various examples of ceramic materials include alumina, aluminum nitride, silicon carbide, and the like. The thickness 346 of the insulating element 316 may be between about 0.1 inches and about 1.0 inches, for example, about 0.5 inches.

[0033] The processing space 312 has a volume of less than about 2 liters, for example, about 1 liter. The distance 348 between the liners 318 spanning the processing space 312 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 space 312, the processing space 312 may be filled with a variety of liquids, gases, and / or supercritical fluids. In one embodiment, the processing space 312 may be coupled to one or more solvent sources 320, 332, 336. A first solvent source 320 may be coupled to the processing space 312 via a first conduit 322 through the top of the body 302. A second solvent source 332 may be coupled to the processing space 312 via a second conduit 334 through the sidewall of the body 302. A third solvent source 336 may be coupled to the processing space 312 via a third conduit 338 through the bottom of the body 302. Depending on the desired solvent introduction characteristics, the solvent sources 320, 332, 336 may be configured to supply solvent to the processing space from multiple inlet ends.

[0034] Suitable solvents that can be supplied from solvent sources 320, 332, and 336 to processing space 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.

[0035] A first fluid source 324 may be coupled to a processing space 312 via a fourth conduit 326 through the top of the body 302. The first fluid source 324 is generally configured to provide a liquid or supercritical fluid to the processing space 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 space 312. In this embodiment, heating and pressurizing devices may be coupled to the fourth conduit 326 to facilitate a phase change from liquid CO2 to supercritical CO2 before entering the processing space 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 space via a fifth conduit 358 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).

[0036] During operation, the temperature of the processing space 312 can be controlled at least in part by the temperature of the CO2 supplied to it. Additionally, a dose of liquid CO2 and / or supercritical CO2 can be supplied to the processing space 312, causing the entire processing space to be exchanged between approximately 1 and approximately 5 times, for example, approximately 3 times. It is believed that repeated processing space turnover facilitates the mixing of solvent and CO2 prior to the formation and / or delivery of supercritical CO2 to the processing space 312 during subsequent supercritical drying operations. To facilitate the turnover and removal of fluids and gases from the processing space 312, the processing space 312 can be coupled to the fluid outlet 340 via a sixth conduit 342.

[0037] The chamber 300 further includes a substrate support 306 and a baffle 310, the substrate support 306 being coupled to a door 304 and the baffle 310 being movably disposed within the processing space 312. In one embodiment, the substrate support 306 and the door 304 may be a single device. In another embodiment, the substrate support 306 may be removably coupled to the door 304 and be 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 resistive 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 space 312 to facilitate the formation or maintenance of a supercritical fluid within the processing space 312.

[0038] During operation, the substrate support 306 can enter the processing space 312 via an opening formed in the body 302, and the door 304 can be configured to abut the body 302 when the substrate support 306 is placed within the processing space 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 space 312 is unnecessary. A seal 352 (e.g., an O-ring, or the like) can be coupled to the body 302 and can be formed from a self-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., a bolt, or the like) with sufficient force to withstand a high-pressure environment suitable for forming or maintaining a supercritical fluid in the processing space 312.

[0039] The baffle 310 may be formed of a variety of materials, including stainless steel, aluminum, ceramic, quartz, silicon, or other suitable materials. The baffle 310 may 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 may be coupled to a power source 328 (e.g., an electrical power source) to facilitate the movement of the baffle 310 within the processing space 312.

[0040] During processing, a substrate 308 can be placed on a substrate support 306. In one embodiment, the device side 314 on which the substrate 308 can be placed is adjacent to the substrate support 306, such that the device side 314 faces away from the baffle 310. In operation, when the substrate 308 is placed within the processing space 312, the baffle 310 can be in an elevated position. During processing, the baffle 310 can be lowered to a processing position close to the substrate 308 via an actuator 330. After processing, the baffle 310 can be raised and the substrate support 306 can remove the substrate 308 from the processing space 312 via an opening 350 in the body 302. It is believed that by placing the baffle 310 close to the substrate 308 and the substrate support 306, particle deposition on the device side 314 of the substrate 308 can be reduced or eliminated during the introduction of solvent and / or liquid / supercritical CO2 into the processing space 312.

[0041] Figure 4 The illustration shows a perspective view of a chamber 300 according to an embodiment described herein. In the illustrated embodiment, a door 304 is positioned separated from the body 302. In this position, a substrate support 306 can receive a substrate from a robotic arm (e.g., robotic arm 208A). The substrate (not shown) can be placed on a support plate 430 configured to support the device side of the substrate. In operation, once the substrate has been placed on the support plate 430 of the substrate support 306, the door 304 and / or the substrate support 306 can be laterally translated toward the body 302. As described above, in some embodiments, the substrate support 306 can move independently of the door 304. The substrate support 306 can move through an opening 350, and the door 304 can move to a position to contact a sidewall 432 of the body 302. In one embodiment, a seal 352 can be coupled to the substrate support 306 or to the surface of the door 304 adjacent to the sidewall 432 in a proximal position. Although not shown, seal 352 may also be coupled to sidewall 432.

[0042] Door 304 generally includes a first portion 416 and a second portion 418. The first portion 416 may be configured to abut and contact a sidewall 432 in a proximal position. The second portion 418 may extend from the first portion 416 in a direction perpendicular to the first portion 416. The distance between the second portions 418 may be greater than the width of the sidewall 432, such that the second portions 418 are positioned adjacent to the sidewall 434 when door 304 is in a proximal position. One or more coupling elements 420 (e.g., bolts, etc.) may extend from each second portion 418. The coupling elements 420 may be configured to intersect with a coupling body 422 disposed on body 302. In one embodiment, the coupling body 422 is an extension of body 302, such that body 302 and coupling body 422 are a single device. In another embodiment, the coupling body 422 may be a separate device coupled to body 302.

[0043] The coupling body 422 may include one or more holes 424 formed within the coupling body 422, the holes 424 being sized to accommodate insertion of the coupling element 420 into the holes 424. In one embodiment, the holes 424 may extend from a first surface 436 of the coupling body 422, through the coupling body 422, to a second surface 438 of the coupling body 422. One or more fasteners 426 (e.g., nuts or the like) may be coupled to the second surface 438. In one embodiment, the fasteners 426 may be coupled to an actuator 428 configured to secure the fasteners 426 to the coupling element 420 when the coupling element 420 is disposed within the holes 424. The coupling element 420 and the fasteners 426 may be formed from a material similar to that used to manufacture the body 302 and the door 304. Generally, the coupling element 420, coupling body 422, and fastener 426 form a pressure closure to cause the door 304 to press against the body 302 with sufficient force to maintain the increased pressure within the processing space 312, for example, about 100 bar or more.

[0044] The substrate support 306 can be coupled to the bracket 410, which is slidably disposed on the first track 406. In one embodiment, the bracket 410 may include various translational elements (not shown), such as ball bearings or the like, configured to move laterally along the length of the first track 406. In another embodiment, the translational elements can be coupled to the first track 406, and the bracket 410 can be configured to slidably intersect with the first track 406. The first track 406 allows the substrate support 306 to be more independent of the door 304. Thus, the motor 414 can be coupled to the bracket 410, and the motor 414 can coordinate the movement of the bracket 410 along the first track 406.

[0045] Door 304 may be coupled to one or more slider assemblies 412 disposed on one or more second tracks 408. In one embodiment, two second tracks 408 may be disposed adjacent to a first track 406. Generally, the first track 406 and the second track 408 may be coupled to a first platform 402. Similar to the bracket 410, the slider assembly 412 may include a translational element (not shown), such as a ball bearing or the like, configured to move laterally along the length of the second track 408. In another embodiment, the translational element may be coupled to the second track 408, and the slider assembly 412 may be configured to slidably intersect with the second track 408. A motor 414 may also be coupled to the slider assembly 412, and the motor may coordinate the movement of the slider assembly 412 along the second track 408. As discussed, the motor 414 may coordinate the movement of the base plate support 306 and door 304 via the bracket 410 and the slider assembly 412, respectively. In another embodiment, motor 414 may be coupled to slider assembly 412, and another motor (not shown) may be coupled to bracket 410.

[0046] The main body 302 may be disposed on the second platform 404, and the second platform 404 may be disposed adjacent to the first platform 402. In one embodiment, the second platform 404 may orient the main body 302 at a position raised above the top surface of the first platform 402. However, regardless of the orientation of the main body 302 on the second platform 404 and the orientation of the door 304 / substrate support 306 on the first platform 402, the substrate support 306 and the door 304 are configured to move in a single plane. Accordingly, translation along the Z-axis can be avoided when the substrate support 306 is disposed within the main body 302. As a result, the processing space 312 can be reduced, since placing the substrate along the Z-axis in the processing space 312 is unnecessary.

[0047] By reducing the space of the processing space 312, the temperature cycling efficiency of the chamber 300 can be improved during phase change processing. Furthermore, the design complexity of substrate placement within the processing space 312 can be avoided by placing the substrate on the support plate 430 coupled to the substrate support 306 before it enters the main body 302. Additionally, the ability to move the door 304 and the substrate support 306 independently can provide improved productivity through efficient coordinated movement. Moreover, the reduced fluid volume used during processing makes it possible to reduce the associated costs of performing supercritical drying processes by utilizing the reduced processing space.

[0048] The foregoing are embodiments of the present disclosure. Other and further embodiments of the present disclosure may be modified without departing from its basic scope, which is defined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A processing chamber, comprising: The main body of the chamber; The first track extends along the first direction; One or more second tracks extend along the first direction; A door, coupled to one or more slider assemblies, said one or more slider assemblies slidably intersecting with and movable on said one or more second tracks, said door comprising: The first part extends along a first plane perpendicular to the first direction; and Two second portions are disposed near the opposite ends of the first portion and extend from the opposite ends along a second plane parallel to the first direction; A liner is disposed inside the chamber body, wherein the liner and the chamber body together define the processing space; A substrate support assembly coupled to a bracket slidably intersects with and is movable on the first track, the substrate support assembly including a substrate support having a support surface for supporting a substrate to be processed disposed in a horizontal position, wherein the substrate support assembly is configured to move the substrate to be processed disposed on the support surface into and out of the processing space independently of the door through a slit-shaped opening formed in the wall of the chamber body. A motor, coupled to the bracket, wherein the motor coordinates the movement of the bracket along the first track; and One or more insulating elements are disposed between the liner and the chamber body, wherein when the substrate support is in the processing space, at least one of the insulating elements is disposed between the heating element of the substrate support and the chamber body.

2. The processing chamber of claim 1, wherein the liner has a thickness of 2 mm to 5 mm.

3. The processing chamber of claim 1, wherein the substrate support is operable to move laterally into and out of the processing space, and the door is operable to move laterally toward and out of the chamber body.

4. The processing chamber of claim 1, wherein the distance between the liner across the processing space is less than 5 cm.

5. The processing chamber of claim 1, wherein at least one of the one or more insulating elements has a thickness between 0.1 inches and 1.0 inches.

6. The processing chamber of claim 5, wherein at least one of the insulating elements is ceramic.

7. The processing chamber of claim 1, wherein the processing space defined by the liner and the chamber body is less than 2 L.

8. The processing chamber of claim 7, further comprising a baffle horizontally disposed within the processing space and coupled to an actuator operable to move the baffle toward or away from the substrate support within the processing space when the substrate support is in the processing space.

9. The processing chamber of claim 1, wherein one or more coupling elements extend from each of the two second portions of the door.

10. The processing chamber of claim 9, wherein one or more coupling bodies are fixedly coupled to the chamber body, wherein each of the one or more coupling bodies is configured to receive a corresponding coupling element.

11. A processing chamber, comprising: A chamber body having a slit-shaped opening, the slit-shaped opening being formed in the chamber body for entry into and exit from a processing space, the processing space being defined by a liner of the chamber body; The first track extends along the first direction; One or more second tracks extend along the first direction; A baffle, the baffle being disposed within the processing space and coupled to an actuator to move the baffle within the processing space; A door slidably coupled to the chamber body, wherein the door is configured to translate between an open position and a closed position along the first direction, the door comprising a first portion and two second portions, the first portion extending along a plane perpendicular to the first direction, the two second portions being disposed near opposite ends of the first portion and extending from the opposite ends along a second plane parallel to the first direction; A substrate support coupled to a bracket, wherein the substrate support is configured to translate independently of the door between a first position outside the processing space and a second position inside the processing space, and wherein the baffle is movable independently of the substrate support, and wherein the substrate support is retained in the second position during substrate processing. The bracket is slidably mounted on the first track; and A motor is coupled to the bracket, wherein the motor coordinates the movement of the bracket along the first track, and wherein the door is coupled to one or more second tracks.

12. The processing chamber of claim 11, wherein the liner has a thickness of 2 mm to 5 mm.

13. The processing chamber of claim 11, wherein the chamber body includes an insulating element having a thickness between 0.1 inches and 1.0 inches, wherein the insulating element is positioned to insulate the liner from the chamber body.

14. The processing chamber of claim 13, wherein the insulating element is ceramic.

15. The processing chamber of claim 11, wherein the processing space defined by the liner and the chamber body is less than 2 L.

16. A processing chamber, comprising: A chamber body having a slit-shaped opening, the slit-shaped opening being formed in the chamber body for entry into and exit from a processing space, the processing space being defined by a liner of the chamber body; The first track extends along the first direction; One or more second tracks extend along the first direction; A door slidably coupled to the chamber body, wherein the door is configured to translate between an open position and a closed position along the first direction, the door comprising a first portion and two second portions, the first portion extending along a plane perpendicular to the first direction, the two second portions being disposed near opposite ends of the first portion and extending from the opposite ends along a second plane parallel to the first direction; and A substrate support coupled to a bracket, wherein the substrate support is configured to translate independently of the door between a first position outside the processing space and a second position inside the processing space. A baffle disposed within the processing space and coupled to an actuator to move the baffle within the processing space, wherein the actuator is operable to selectively move the baffle between a processing position adjacent to the substrate support and a raised position away from the substrate support, wherein the baffle is movable independently of the substrate support, and wherein the substrate support is retained in the second position during substrate processing. The bracket is slidably mounted on the first track; and A motor is coupled to the bracket, wherein the motor coordinates the movement of the bracket along the first track, and wherein the door is coupled to one or more second tracks.

17. The processing chamber of claim 16, further comprising pressure closure operable to cause the door to abut against the chamber body.

18. The processing chamber of claim 17, wherein the pressure closure includes the actuator.

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