Multi-station chamber cover with precise temperature and flow control

Abstract

A multi-station process chamber lid including a plurality of station openings is described. The station separation purge channel surrounds the station opening. A plurality of angled purge channels separate the station opening from an adjacent station opening. The cover support beam may compensate for deflection of the chamber cover body.

Description

[0001] This application is a divisional application of the invention patent application with application date of September 27, 2019, application number 201980060825.3, and name “Multi-station chamber cover with precise temperature and flow control”. Technical Field

[0002] Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to processing chamber lids. In particular, embodiments of the present disclosure relate to chamber lids for multi-station processing of semiconductor substrate wafers. Background Art

[0003] Film deposition processes used in semiconductor manufacturing are highly temperature dependent. Temperature variations across the substrate surface can lead to non-uniform deposition and ultimately device failure and / or reduced yield. Therefore, uniform temperature control across the substrate surface is required during processing. This requirement also exists for wafers that are transported from one processing environment to another.

[0004] Additionally, some processes outgas species from the substrate surface during processing. If these species are allowed to react with the substrate surface, they may degrade the quality of the substrate surface. Therefore, a purification system is needed that can quickly and effectively remove outgassed species from the substrate surface before the species can react with the substrate surface.

[0005] Recent advances in process chamber design include multiple wafer processing environments within a single process chamber. In this type of process environment, wafers are moved between adjacent process stations within the chamber. Each process station is configured to perform some aspect of wafer processing. Tight temperature control of the wafers to 0.5°C is required to achieve uniform and repeatable processing. During transfer between stations, the wafer moves under the cover for up to 50% of the total cycle time. During movement between process stations, the wafer temperature may change, requiring additional time for temperature equilibration, thereby affecting process uniformity or throughput. Therefore, there is a need in the art for a temperature control and purge system that can isolate multiple process environments within a single process chamber. Summary of the invention

[0006] One or more embodiments relate to a process chamber cover, which includes a cover body having a top surface and a bottom surface. A plurality of station openings extend from the top surface through the cover body to the bottom surface. Each opening has a peripheral edge. A station separation purge channel extends around the peripheral edge of each of the plurality of station openings. The station separation purge channel has a plurality of holes extending from the station separation purge channel to the bottom surface of the cover body. The plurality of holes are spaced apart around the plurality of station openings. A plurality of angled purge channels extend from a central portion of the cover body to a peripheral edge portion of the cover body between adjacent station openings. Each of the angled purge channels includes a plurality of spaced apart holes extending from the angled purge channel to the bottom surface of the cover body.

[0007] Additional embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a processing method. A purge gas is flowed through a station separation purge channel that extends around a peripheral edge of a plurality of station openings. The station separation purge channel has a plurality of holes that extend from the station separation purge channel to a bottom surface of a cover body to allow the purge gas flow to enter an interior space of a processing chamber surrounding a processing station. A purge gas is flowed through a plurality of angled purge channels that extend from a central portion of the cover body to a peripheral edge portion of the cover body between adjacent station openings. Each of the angled purge channels includes a plurality of spaced-apart holes that extend from the angled purge channel to the bottom surface of the cover body to allow the purge gas to flow into the interior space of the processing chamber between the processing stations.

[0008] Further embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising instructions that, when executed by a controller of a processing chamber, cause the processing chamber to perform the following operations: cause a purge gas to flow through a station separation purge channel, the station separation purge channel extending around the peripheral edge of a plurality of station openings, the station separation purge channel having a plurality of holes, the plurality of holes extending from the station separation purge channel to the bottom surface of the cover body and into the interior space of the processing chamber surrounding the processing stations; and cause a purge gas to flow through a plurality of angled purge channels, the plurality of angled purge channels extending from a central portion of the cover body to a peripheral edge portion of the cover body between adjacent station openings, each of the angled purge channels comprising a plurality of spaced-apart holes extending from the angled purge channel to the bottom surface of the cover body to cause the purge gas to flow into the interior space of the processing chamber between the processing stations. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0009] Thus, the manner in which the above-described features of the present disclosure may be understood in detail, the present disclosure briefly summarized above may be described in more detail by reference to embodiments, some of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. It should be noted, however, that the accompanying drawings illustrate only typical embodiments of the present disclosure and are therefore not to be considered limiting of its scope, as the present disclosure may admit to other equally effective embodiments. In the figures of the accompanying drawings, the embodiments described herein are illustrated by way of example and not limitation, in which like reference numerals indicate similar elements.

[0010] Figure 1 shows a cross-sectional isometric view of a processing chamber according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0011] Figure 2 shows a cross-sectional view of a processing chamber according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0012] Figure 3shows a top plate for a processing chamber according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0013] Figure 4 shows a partial cross-sectional parallel projection of a process chamber lid according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0014] Figure 5 Shows Figure 4 An enlarged view of area 5;

[0015] Figure 6 Shown is a view taken along line 6-6'. Figure 4 A cross-sectional view of

[0016] Figure 7 A schematic diagram showing a process chamber lid according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure is shown;

[0017] Figure 8 showing a cross-sectional view of a process chamber lid according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure; and

[0018] Fig. 9 Shows Figure 8 9 is a cross-sectional view of the region. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0019] Before describing several exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure, it should be understood that the present disclosure is not limited to the details of construction or processing steps set forth in the following description. The present disclosure is capable of other embodiments and can be implemented or carried out in various ways.

[0020] As used herein, "substrate" refers to any substrate or any material surface formed on a substrate on which film processing is performed during a manufacturing process. For example, depending on the application, the substrate surface on which processing can be performed includes materials such as silicon, silicon oxide, strained silicon, silicon on insulator (SOI), carbon-doped silicon oxide, amorphous silicon, doped silicon, germanium, gallium arsenide, glass, sapphire, and any other materials such as metals, metal nitrides, metal alloys and other conductive materials. Substrates include, but are not limited to, semiconductor wafers. The substrate can be exposed to a pretreatment process to polish, etch, reduce, oxidize, hydroxylate, anneal and / or bake the substrate surface. In addition to performing film processing directly on the surface of the substrate itself, in the present disclosure, any disclosed film processing steps can also be performed on an underlying layer formed on the substrate (as disclosed in more detail below), and the term "substrate surface" is intended to include such an underlying layer (as indicated by the context). Thus, for example, in the case where a film / layer or a portion of a film / layer has been deposited on a substrate surface, the exposed surface of the newly deposited film / layer becomes the substrate surface.

[0021] As used in this specification and the appended claims, the terms "precursor," "reactant," "reactant gas," and the like are used interchangeably to refer to any gaseous substance that can react with a substrate surface.

[0022] Some embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a chamber lid that is thermally controlled to minimize temperature drift of wafers processed under the chamber lid. The chamber lid includes a plurality of processing zones and a heating element around the perimeter of the chamber lid, the heating element surrounding the processing zones. The heating element is capable of maintaining a lid temperature of approximately 150°C + / - 10°C and a temperature uniformity of <0.5°C for processed wafers. In some embodiments, the heating element is configured to maintain the lid temperature within a range of approximately 75°C to approximately 175°C.

[0023] One or more embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a chamber lid having a recursive path for uniform purge distribution around a processing station to effectively separate the processing stations. In some embodiments, the chamber lid minimizes film degradation by providing an angled purge to carry degassed particles during wafer transfer. In some embodiments, the chamber lid is heated to a predetermined set point to minimize or prevent temperature deviations on the wafer. In some embodiments, the recursive flow path is configured to achieve a gas distribution non-uniformity of less than 1% without gas injection. In some embodiments, the recursive flow path provides effective gas separation and uniform distribution.

[0024] Some embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a chamber cover for separating the process flows of multiple process areas. The chamber cover includes a circular purge channel around each process area, and the purge channel is connected to a central purge feed. Some embodiments effectively prevent crosstalk between process areas, so that the mass fraction of reactants in adjacent process areas is less than 1e-6 within the range of the gap interval. In some embodiments, when a reactant is used for a station, the concentration of the reactant in the adjacent (adjacent) station is less than 1ppm or 100ppb or 10ppb or 1ppb.

[0025] Further embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a chamber lid for removing degassed material between processing areas. The chamber lid includes an angled purge channel between processing areas. The angled purge channel removes degassed material from a substrate surface as the wafer moves between processing areas. In some embodiments, the angled purge channel can remove degassed material in less than 0.5 seconds, resulting in shorter cycle times.

[0026] Some embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a processing chamber having a plurality of processing stations. The processing stations may have the same or different thermal environments so that movement between processing stations may have a transient effect on processing. In some embodiments, the processing chamber has a processing station in the range of about two to about eight.

[0027] Some embodiments of the present disclosure advantageously provide apparatus and methods to confine precursors to specific processing stations and prevent or minimize crosstalk. Some embodiments advantageously provide apparatus and methods to minimize total purge gas flow by optimizing purge gas flow paths for efficiency.

[0028] Precursor diffusion between stations increases with higher cap plate gap distances and certain precursors (eg, NH 3 ). One or more embodiments advantageously provide apparatus and methods for limiting precursor diffusion.

[0029] Figure 1 and Figure 2 A processing chamber 100 is shown in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. Figure 1 A processing chamber 100 is shown in a cross-sectional isometric view in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. Figure 2 A processing chamber 100 according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure is shown in cross-section. Thus, some embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to a processing chamber 100 incorporating a support assembly 200 and a top plate 300 .

[0030] The processing chamber 100 has a housing 102 having walls 104 and a bottom 106. The housing 102 together with the top plate 300 defines an interior space 109, also referred to as a processing space.

[0031] The processing chamber 100 includes a plurality of processing stations 110. The processing stations 110 are located in the interior space 109 of the housing 102 and are positioned in a circular arrangement around the rotation axis 211 of the support assembly 200. The processing stations 110 are spatially arranged around the interior space 109 of the processing chamber 100. Each processing station 110 includes a gas injector 112 having a front face 114. In some embodiments, the front face 114 of each gas injector 112 is substantially coplanar. In some embodiments, the front face 114 of the gas injector 112 is non-coplanar, thereby forming different gaps between the front face 114 and the support surface 231. The processing station 110 is defined as an area in which processing can be performed. For example, the processing station 110 can be defined by the support surface 231 of the heater 230 and the front face 114 of the gas injector 112.

[0032] The processing station 110 may be configured to perform any suitable process and provide any suitable processing conditions. The type of gas injector 112 used will depend on, for example, the type of process performed and the type of showerhead or gas injector. For example, a processing station 110 configured to operate as an atomic layer deposition apparatus may have a showerhead or vortex type gas injector. However, a processing station 110 configured to operate as a plasma station may have a configuration of one or more electrodes and / or ground plates to generate plasma while allowing plasma gas to flow toward the wafer. Figure 2 The illustrated embodiment has different types of processing stations 110 on the left side of the figure (processing station 110a) and on the right side of the figure (processing station 110b). Suitable processing stations 110 include, but are not limited to, thermal processing stations, microwave plasma, three-electrode CCP, ICP, parallel plate CCP, UV exposure, laser processing, pumping chambers, annealing stations, and metrology stations.

[0033] The support assembly 200 includes a rotatable center base 210. The rotatable center base 210 can have a symmetrical or asymmetrical shape and defines a rotation axis 211. The rotation axis 211 extends along a first direction, which can be referred to as a vertical direction or along the z-axis; however, it should be understood that the term "vertical" used in this manner is not limited to a direction relative to gravity.

[0034] In some embodiments, the support assembly 200 includes at least two support arms 220 connected to and extending from the central base 210. The support arm 220 has an inner end 221 and an outer end 222. The inner end 221 is in contact with the central base 210 so that when the central base 210 rotates about the rotation axis 211, the support arm 220 also rotates. The support arm 220 can be connected to the central base 210 at the inner end 221 by a fastener (e.g., a bolt) or by being integrally formed with the central base 210.

[0035] The number of support arms 220 in the support assembly 200 can vary. In some embodiments, there are at least two, three, four, five, six, seven, or eight support arms 220. In some embodiments, there are three support arms 220. In some embodiments, there are four support arms 220. In some embodiments, the number of support arms 220 is the same as the number of processing stations 110.

[0036] The support arms 220 may be symmetrically arranged around the central base 210. For example, in a support assembly 200 having four support arms 220, each support arm 220 is positioned at 90° intervals around the central base 210. In a support assembly 200 having three support arms 220, the support arms 220 are positioned at 120° intervals around the central base 210. In other words, in an embodiment having four support arms 220, the support arms are arranged to provide a four-fold symmetry around the rotation axis 211. In some embodiments, the support assembly 200 has n support arms 220, and the n support arms 220 are arranged to provide an n-fold symmetry around the rotation axis 211.

[0037] The heater 230 is positioned at the outer end 222 of the support arm 220. In some embodiments, each support arm 220 has a heater 230. The center of the heater 230 is located a distance from the rotation axis 211 so that once the central base 210 rotates, the heater 230 moves in a circular path.

[0038] The heater 230 has a support surface 231 that can support a wafer. In some embodiments, the heater 230 support surfaces 231 are substantially coplanar. "Substantially coplanar" as used in this manner means that the plane formed by each support surface 231 is within ±5°, ±4°, ±3°, ±2°, or ±1° of the plane formed by the other support surface 231.

[0039] In some embodiments, the heater 230 is positioned directly on the outer end 222 of the support arm 220. In some embodiments, as shown, the heater 230 is elevated above the outer end 222 of the support arm 220 by a heater bracket 234. The heater bracket 234 can be any size and length to increase the height of the heater 230.

[0040] In some embodiments, a channel 236 is formed in one or more of the central base 210, the support arm 220, and / or the heater bracket 234. The channel 236 may be used to route electrical connections or to provide airflow.

[0041] The heater can be any suitable type of heater known to those skilled in the art. In some embodiments, the heater is a resistive heater having one or more heating elements within the heater body. The heater 230 of some embodiments includes additional components. For example, the heater may include an electrostatic chuck. The electrostatic chuck may include various wires and electrodes so that the wafer positioned on the heater support surface 231 can remain in place as the heater moves. This allows the wafer to be stuck on the heater at the beginning of processing and remain in the same position on the same heater as the wafer moves to different processing areas. In some embodiments, the wires and electrodes are routed through a channel 236 in the support arm 220.

[0042] In some embodiments, the support plate 245 is supported by support posts 227. When a single component platform is used, the support posts 227 can be used to prevent the center of the support plate 245 from sagging. In some embodiments, the support posts 227 are the main support for the support plate 245.

[0043] Reference Figures 3 to 9 , some embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to a top plate 300 for a multi-station processing chamber. The top plate 300 includes a lid body 307 having a top surface 301 and a bottom surface 302 defining a thickness of the lid and one or more edges 303. The top plate 300 includes at least one opening 310 extending through its thickness. The opening 310 is sized to allow for the addition of a gas injector 112 (see Figure 1 ), the gas injectors 112 can form a processing station 110. In some embodiments, there are in the range of 2 to 6 station openings 310. In some embodiments, each station opening 310 has approximately the same diameter. The term "approximately the same diameter" used in this manner means that each diameter is within ± 1% or 0.5% relative to the average diameter. In some embodiments, there are at least two openings 310 of different diameters.

[0044] The openings 310 in the top plate 300 may be uniformly sized or have different sizes. In some embodiments, a station separation purge channel 329 surrounds each opening 310. The station separation purge channel 329 may be of any suitable shape or size. In some embodiments, the station separation purge channel 329 is a groove with an insert formed in the top plate 300 to form a sealed space therein. In the illustrated embodiment, the station separation purge channel 329 includes a pump / purge insert 330 positioned to be fluidly connected to a purge gas source (not shown) to provide a positive flow of purge gas to prevent process gas from leaking from the process chamber. References to the features of the station separation purge channel 329 include embodiments in which there is a pump / purge insert 330. For example, in the case where the station separation purge channel 329 includes an inlet 339, those skilled in the art will recognize that the inlet 339 may be located within the pump / purge insert 330, which is instead located within the station separation purge channel 329.

[0045] In some embodiments, Figure 3 and 4 As shown, the station separation purification channel 329 includes a plurality of circular portions 341 surrounding the station opening 310. In some embodiments, each of the plurality of circular portions 341 of the station separation purification channel 329 is connected to an adjacent circular portion 341 by one or more connector segments 342. Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown in the embodiment of FIG. 3 , each circular portion 341 is connected to two adjacent circular portions 341 by two connector segments 342. The two connector segments 342 are connected at a hub 343, and the inlet 339 is located in the hub 343.

[0046] In some embodiments, the diameter of the circular portion 341 of the station separation purification channel 329 is independent of the diameter of the station opening 310. The diameter of the circular portion 341 is measured between the innermost wall 335 of the channel relative to the outer peripheral wall 313 of the opening 310. In other words, the diameter of the circular portion 341 is measured between the walls of the opening 310 that are closest to the particular circular portion 341. In some embodiments, each circular portion 341 has approximately the same diameter. In some embodiments, the diameter of each circular portion 341 depends on the diameter of the station opening 310. For example, the diameter of each circular portion is larger than the diameter of each opening 310 by an amount D in the range of about 0.5 mm to about 50 mm or in the range of about 1 mm to about 25 mm (see Figure 6 ).

[0047] Figure 4 A cross-sectional view of a top plate 300 is shown in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. Figure 5An enlarged view of area 5 showing a portion of pump / purge insert 330 is shown. Figure 6 Shows Figure 4 6 ′, wherein the pump / purge insert 330 is separated from the station separation purge channel 329. In the illustrated embodiment, the pump / purge insert 330 includes a gas plenum 336 having at least one opening 338 in the bottom 333 of the pump / purge insert 330. The gas plenum 336 has an inlet 339 near the top 331 or sidewall 335 of the pump / purge insert 330.

[0048] In some embodiments, the plenum 336 can be filled with a purge or inert gas through an inlet 339, which can pass through an opening 338 in the bottom 333 of the pump / purge insert 330. The gas flow through the opening 338 can help create a gas curtain barrier to prevent process gases from escaping from the interior of the processing chamber.

[0049] In some embodiments, the plenum chamber 336 is connected to or in fluid communication with a vacuum source. In such embodiments, gas flows through an opening 338 in the bottom 333 of the pump / purge insert 330 into the plenum chamber 336. The gas can be evacuated from the plenum chamber to exhaust. Such an arrangement can be used to evacuate gas from the processing station 110 during use. In some embodiments, such as Figure 4 As shown, the pump / purge insert 330 has at least one inlet 339 and at least one outlet 339a. In some embodiments, the purge gas can flow into the booster chamber 336 through the inlet 339 and switch to the vacuum source connected to the outlet 339a to remove the gas from the booster chamber 336. In some embodiments, each opening is used as an inlet. In some embodiments, each opening is used as an outlet. In some embodiments, each opening is connected to a switchable gas source and a vacuum source to allow the gas source or the vacuum source to be connected to the booster chamber 336. In some embodiments, the number of inlets 339 in the station separation purge channel is the same as the station opening 310. In some embodiments, each inlet 339 in the station separation purge channel is connected to two adjacent circular portions of the station separation purge channel.

[0050] like Figures 4 to 5 and Figures 7 to 9 As shown, some embodiments of the top plate 300 include a plurality of angled purge channels 380 extending from a central portion 305 of the cover body 307 to a peripheral edge portion 309 of the cover body 307. The angled purge channels 380 extend between adjacent station openings 310. Figure 4A cross-sectional isometric view of an embodiment of the top plate 300 taken through the central portion 305 of the cover body 307 along two of the angled purge channels 380 is shown. Figure 5 Shows Figure 4 5, which shows a portion of the angled purge channel 380 near the peripheral edge portion 309 of the cover body 307. Figure 7 A schematic diagram of an embodiment of a top plate 300 is shown, showing various gas passages. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that not all of the illustrated gas passages are visible in the top view of the top plate 300, and that the figure illustrates the passages in wireframe. Figure 8 Shows Figure 4 cross-section without partial isometric drawings. Fig. 9 Shows Figure 8 An enlarged portion of region 9.

[0051] Each angled purge channel 380 includes a plurality of spaced apart holes 382. The spaced apart holes extend from the angled purge channel 380 to the bottom surface 302 of the cover body 307. Although the shape of the spaced apart holes 382 is shown as cylindrical, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that other shapes are also within the scope of the present disclosure. For example, the holes of some embodiments have an upper portion connected to the angled purge channel 380 that has a wider diameter than the lower portion connected to the bottom surface 302. The transition from the wider diameter to the narrower diameter can be linear, gradient, or stepped.

[0052] In some embodiments, each angled purge channel 380 is connected to a separate inlet. In some embodiments, all angled purge channels 380 are connected to a single inlet 384 located in the central portion 305 of the cover body 307. In some embodiments, the inlet 384 is located near the top surface 301 of the cover body 307. In some embodiments, the inlet 384 has a spherical portion adjacent to the top surface 301 of the cover body 307. The inclined portion 386 is angled from the spherical portion adjacent to the top surface 301 to the angled purge channel 380 adjacent to the bottom surface 302 of the cover body 307. The inclined portion 386 provides fluid communication between the spherical portion and the angled purge channel 380.

[0053] Refer again Figure 2 and Figure 3, some embodiments of the top plate 300 include a cover support beam 360 that passes over a central portion 305 of the top plate 300. The cover support beam 360 can be connected to the top plate 300 near the center using a connector 367. The connector 367 can be used to apply a force orthogonal to the top plate 300 to compensate for bending in the top plate 300 due to pressure differences or due to the weight of the top plate 300. In some embodiments, the cover support beam 360 and the connector 367 are capable of compensating for deflections of up to or equal to about 5 mm, 4 mm, 3 mm, 2 mm, or 1.5 mm at the center of a top plate having a width of about 1.5 m and a thickness of up to or equal to about 100 mm. In some embodiments, the cover support beam is configured to provide deformation compensation to the cover body to compensate for deflections of up to about 5 mm.

[0054] Some embodiments include a motor / actuator 365 connected to the cover support beam 360. The motor 365 or actuator is connected to the connector 367 by any suitable connection type and can cause a change in the directional force applied to the top plate 300. The motor 365 or actuator can be supported on the cover support beam 360. The cover support beam 360 shown contacts the edge of the top plate 300 at two locations. However, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that there may be one connection location or more than two connection locations. In some embodiments, the cover support beam includes a motor / actuator in communication with a controller 390, which is configured to provide a directional force on the top surface or bottom surface on the central portion of the cover. The directional force on the top surface or bottom surface refers to the connection stress point of the connector 367 relative to the cover body 307.

[0055] Refer again Figure 2 In some embodiments, the support assembly 200 includes at least one motor 250. The at least one motor 250 is connected to the central base 210 and is configured to rotate the support assembly 200 around the rotation axis 211. In some embodiments, the at least one motor is configured to move the central base 210 in the direction of the rotation axis 211. For example, in Figure 2 2, motor 255 is connected to motor 250 and can move support assembly 200 along rotation axis 211. In other words, motor 255 is shown to move support assembly 200 along the z-axis, perpendicular or orthogonal to the movement caused by motor 250. In some embodiments, as shown, there is a first motor 250 that rotates support assembly 200 about rotation axis 211, and a second motor 255 that moves support assembly 200 along rotation axis 211 (i.e., along the z-axis or perpendicular).

[0056] like Figure 3 and Figure 7As shown, some embodiments of the top plate 300 include one or more sensors 388. One or more sensors 388 of some embodiments are positioned in openings 389 in the top plate 300. The sensors 388 can be any suitable sensor known to those skilled in the art for use with the top plate 300 and the processing chamber 100. In some embodiments, the sensors 388 include one or more of a temperature sensor (e.g., a pyrometer), a distance sensor, a level gauge, or a metrology sensor (e.g., near infrared).

[0057] Reference Figure 3 and Figure 6 , some embodiments include a heater 347. In some embodiments, the heater 347 includes a heater cable extending around the periphery of the top plate 300. The heater 347 can be located at any distance within the body 307. For example, the heater 347 can be located within the thickness of the body 307 or on the top surface 301.

[0058] like Figure 3 As shown, some embodiments include at least one controller 390. The controller 390 is coupled to one or more of the motor / actuator 365, the heater 347, the purge gas source (not shown), the vacuum source (not shown), or the sensor 388. The controller 950 can be one of any form of general purpose computer processor, microcontroller, microprocessor, etc., which can be used in an industrial environment to control various components.

[0059] At least one controller 390 may have a processor 392, a memory 394 coupled to the processor 392, an input / output device 396 coupled to the processor 392, and a support circuit 398 to communicate between different electronic components. The memory 394 may include one or more of a temporary memory (e.g., a random access memory) and a non-temporary memory (e.g., a storage device).

[0060] The processor's memory 394 or computer readable medium may be one or more readily available memories such as random access memory (RAM), read only memory (ROM), floppy disk, hard disk, or any other form of local or remote digital storage. The memory 394 may retain a set of instructions operable by the processor 392 to control parameters and components of the processing chamber 100. Support circuits 398 are coupled to the processor 392 to support the processor in a conventional manner. The circuits may include, for example, caches, power supplies, clock circuits, input / output circuitry, subsystems, etc.

[0061] Typically, the processing can be stored in a memory as a software routine that causes the processing chamber to perform the processing of the present disclosure when executed by a processor. The software routine can also be stored and / or executed by a second processor (not shown), which is located away from the hardware controlled by the processor. Some or all of the methods of the present disclosure can also be performed in hardware. Therefore, the processing can be implemented in software and can be performed using a computer system with hardware (e.g., an ASIC or other type of hardware implementation) or with a combination of hardware or software. The software routine converts a general-purpose computer into a special-purpose computer (controller) that controls the operation of the chamber to perform the processing when executed by a processor.

[0062] In some embodiments, the controller 390 has one or more configurations to perform individual processes or sub-processes. The controller 390 can be connected to and configured to operate intermediate components to perform the functions of the method. For example, the controller 390 can be connected to and configured to control one or more of a gas valve, an actuator, a motor, a slit valve, a vacuum control, etc.

[0063] The controller 390 of some embodiments has one or more configurations selected from the following items: a configuration to power a heater; a configuration to read a temperature from a temperature sensor; a configuration to power a heater based on the temperature read from the temperature sensor; a configuration to operate a motor / actuator to level the chamber lid; a configuration to provide gas flow to a station separation purge channel or a configuration to provide gas flow to multiple angled purge channels.

[0064] Unless otherwise indicated herein or clearly contradictory to the context, the use of the terms "a" and "an" and "the" and similar references in the context of describing the materials and methods discussed herein (especially in the context of the appended claims) should be interpreted as covering both the singular and the plural. Unless otherwise indicated herein, the recording of the numerical ranges herein is intended only to be used as a shorthand method of referring to each individual value falling within the range separately, and each individual value is incorporated into the specification as if it were separately described herein. Unless otherwise indicated herein or clearly contradictory to the context, all methods described herein can be performed in any suitable order. Unless otherwise requested, the use of any and all examples or exemplary language (e.g., "such as") provided herein is intended only to better illustrate the materials and methods, and is not intended to limit the scope. No language in the specification should be interpreted as indicating that any unrequested element is essential to the implementation of the disclosed materials and methods.

[0065] Throughout the specification, references to "one embodiment," "certain embodiments," "one or more embodiments," or "an embodiment" mean that a particular feature, structure, material, or characteristic described in conjunction with that embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the present disclosure. Thus, phrases such as "in one or more embodiments," "in certain embodiments," "in an embodiment," or "in an embodiment" appearing in various places throughout the specification do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment of the present disclosure. Furthermore, in one or more embodiments, particular features, structures, materials, or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner.

[0066] Although the present disclosure has been described with reference to specific embodiments, it should be understood that these embodiments are merely illustrative of the principles and applications of the present disclosure. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations may be made to the methods and apparatus of the present disclosure without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure. Therefore, it is intended that the present disclosure includes modifications and variations within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A processing chamber cover, comprising: a cover body having a top surface and a bottom surface, the cover body having a plurality of station openings extending from the top surface to the bottom surface, each opening having a peripheral edge; a station separation purge passage extending around the peripheral edge of each of the plurality of station openings, the station separation purge passage having a plurality of holes extending from the station separation purge passage to the bottom surface of the cover body, the plurality of holes being spaced apart around the plurality of station openings; a pump / purge insert positioned within the station separation purge channel, the pump / purge insert including a gas plenum having an inlet and at least one opening at a bottom of the pump / purge insert; and A plurality of angled purge channels extending from a central portion of the cover body to a peripheral edge portion of the cover body between adjacent station openings, each of the angled purge channels comprising a plurality of spaced-apart holes extending from the angled purge channel to the bottom surface of the cover body.

2. The process chamber lid of claim 1, wherein the station separation purge channel comprises a plurality of circular portions surrounding the station opening.

3. The process chamber lid of claim 2, each of the plurality of circular sections connected to an adjacent circular section by one or more connector segments.

4. The process chamber lid of claim 3, wherein each of the plurality of circular sections is connected to two adjacent circular sections by two connector segments.

5. The process chamber cover of claim 4, wherein the two connector segments are connected at a hub.

6. The process chamber cover of claim 5, wherein the pump / purge insert includes an inlet at the hub of the two connector segments.

7. The processing chamber cover of claim 2, wherein there are in the range of 2 to 6 station openings.

8. The processing chamber lid of claim 7, wherein the station opening has at least two different diameters.

9. The processing chamber cover of claim 8, wherein the circular portion has the same diameter around all of the station openings.

10. The processing chamber lid of claim 9, wherein a diameter of each of the circular portions is larger than a diameter of each of the openings by an amount in a range of about 0.5 mm to about 50 mm.

11. The process chamber lid of claim 8, wherein the number of inlets in the pump / purge insert is the same as the number of station openings.

12. The process chamber lid of claim 1, wherein the plurality of angled purge channels are connected to a single inlet located at a central portion of the lid body.

13. The processing chamber lid of claim 12, wherein the inlet is located near the top surface of the lid body.

14. The processing chamber lid of claim 13, wherein the inlet comprises a spherical portion in fluid communication with the angled purge channel.

15. The processing chamber lid of claim 13, further comprising a sloped portion angled from the inlet to the angled purge channel adjacent the bottom surface of the lid body.

16. The processing chamber lid of claim 1, further comprising a lid support beam extending across a width of the lid body, the lid support beam being connected to a central portion of the lid body.

17. The processing chamber lid of claim 16, wherein the lid support beam is configured to provide deformation compensation to the lid body to compensate for deflection up to about 5 mm.

18. The processing chamber lid of claim 17, wherein the lid support beam further comprises a motor / actuator in communication with a controller configured to provide a top surface or bottom surface directed force on a central portion of the lid body.

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