Multi-port cross flow system

Abstract

A processing chamber and a port adapter are provided. In one embodiment, a process chamber includes a chamber body having a cap coupled to a first end of the chamber body; a gas ring adjacent to the first end of the chamber body; and a substrate support, wherein a processing region is defined between the substrate support and the cover. In some embodiments, the process chamber includes a port adapter coupled to a second end of the chamber body. The port adapter includes a body defining a plurality of apertures in fluid communication with the processing region, where each of the apertures is spaced along the body such that a distance between adjacent apertures is within about 20% of an average aperture spacing distance; separately controllable valves fluidly coupled to one or more of the plurality of apertures; and a discharge system in fluid communication with the system foreline and the plurality of apertures.

Description

[0001] Cross-reference to related applications

[0002] This application claims the benefit and priority of U.S. Patent Application No. 18 / 359,772, filed July 26, 2023, entitled “MULTI-PORT CROSS FLOW SYSTEM,” the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0003] This technology relates to components and equipment used in semiconductor manufacturing. More specifically, this technology relates to processing chamber components and other semiconductor processing equipment. Background Technology

[0004] Integrated circuits are made possible by processes that produce complex patterned material layers on substrate surfaces. Producing patterned materials on substrates requires controlled methods for material deposition, expansion, and removal. However, with the emergence of new processing designs, producing high-quality material layers can be challenging. For example, after a deposition process, undesirable contaminants may remain within the chamber body, such as unwanted deposits inside the chamber. Such contaminants can be cleaned between subsequent deposition operations by releasing a cleaning gas (e.g., also known as an etchant gas, which may be a fluorinated gas such as nitrogen trifluoride) into the chamber body. The cleaning gas reacts with the contaminants and is subsequently removed from the chamber body via an exhaust system. However, ineffective removal of the cleaning gas from the chamber body can lead to asymmetric cleaning, resulting in some portions of the chamber body remaining contaminated even after the cleaning operation is complete.

[0005] Therefore, there is a need for improved systems and methods that can be used to produce high-quality devices and structures. These and other needs are addressed by this technology. Summary of the Invention

[0006] This technology generally relates to a processing chamber, a port adapter, and a method for processing a substrate. In an embodiment, the processing chamber includes: a chamber body having a first end and a second end; a cover coupled to the first end of the chamber body; a gas ring adjacent to the first end of the chamber body; a substrate support; and a port adapter system. The processing chamber includes a processing region defined between the substrate support and the cover. The port adapter is coupled to the second end of the chamber body and includes: a port adapter body defining a plurality of orifices in fluid communication with the processing region; individually controllable valves fluidly coupled to one or more of the plurality of orifices; and a discharge system in fluid communication with a system pre-line and the plurality of orifices. The plurality of orifices in the port adapter body are spaced apart along the port adapter body such that the distance between adjacent orifices is within approximately 30% of the average orifice spacing.

[0007] In one embodiment, the processing chamber includes a plurality of pores spaced apart along an arcuate path such that the distance between the respective pores is approximately 100° to approximately 140°. In further embodiments, the processing chamber includes a plurality of pores spaced apart along an arcuate path such that the distance between the respective pores is approximately 115° to approximately 125°. Furthermore, in one embodiment, the port adapter system is permanently or releasably attached to a second end of the chamber body, or integrally formed with the chamber body. Additionally or alternatively, in one embodiment, each of the plurality of pores is fluidly coupled to the discharge system along a corresponding flow path, wherein each of the flow paths has a corresponding flow path length, wherein a first pore among the plurality of pores has a first flow path to the discharge system, the first flow path having a corresponding first fluid path length different from the flow path lengths of one or more other pores among the plurality of pores. In further embodiments, the first fluid path length is longer than the flow path length of one or more other pores in the plurality of pores, and the first pore defines a diameter larger than the corresponding diameter of the other pores in the plurality of pores. In embodiments, the first fluid path length is shorter than the flow path length of one or more other pores in the plurality of pores, and the diameter of the first pore is smaller than the corresponding diameter of the other pores in the plurality of pores. In embodiments, the processing chamber also includes a piping system that includes one or more non-linear sections.

[0008] This technology also generally relates to a port adapter comprising an adapter body, individually controllable valves, and multiple piping systems. The adapter body defines an inner surface, an outer surface, and multiple orifices extending from the inner surface to the outer surface, with the distance between adjacent orifices within approximately 30% of the average orifice spacing. Individually controllable valves are fluidly coupled to one or more of the multiple orifices. A first piping system within the multiple piping systems includes a diameter and a total path length, wherein the diameter, total path length, or both diameter and total path length differs from both a second diameter, a second total path length, or both second diameter and second total path length of a second piping system within the multiple piping systems.

[0009] In one embodiment, each of the plurality of pores is spaced apart along an arcuate path such that the distance between the respective pores is approximately 100° to approximately 140°. In other embodiments, each of the plurality of pores is spaced apart along an arcuate path such that the distance between the respective pores is approximately 115° to approximately 125°. In a further embodiment, each of the plurality of pores is fluidly coupled to a piping system within a plurality of piping systems, wherein each piping system includes a flow path length between a respective pore and a corresponding endpoint of the piping system, wherein a first pore of the plurality of pores is fluidly coupled to a first piping system, and the first piping system has a first fluid path length different from the flow path length of one or more other pores in the plurality of pores. Furthermore, in one embodiment, the first pore defines a diameter different from the diameter of the other pores in the plurality of pores. In yet another embodiment, the first fluid path length is longer than the flow path length of one or more other pores in the plurality of pores, and the first pore defines a diameter larger than the corresponding diameter of the other pores in the plurality of pores. In an embodiment, the length of the first fluid path is shorter than the flow path length of one or more other pores in the plurality of pores, and the diameter of the first pore is smaller than the corresponding diameter of the other pores in the plurality of pores.

[0010] This technology also generally relates to methods for processing substrates. These methods include: introducing gas into a first end of a chamber body of a processing chamber; venting the gas through a port adapter system coupled to a second end of the chamber body; closing a first valve of a plurality of valves while maintaining at least a second valve of the plurality of valves in an open configuration; and further removing the gas from the chamber body through the port adapter system. The methods include cases where the port adapter system has a port adapter body and a plurality of independently controllable valves, wherein the plurality of independently controllable valves are fluidly coupled to a plurality of orifices. The plurality of orifices are in fluid communication with the processing chamber and are spaced apart from each other along the port adapter.

[0011] In one embodiment, the method includes detecting residual material and / or asymmetric flow paths before closing the first valve. Furthermore, in another embodiment, the method includes cases where the port adapter system also includes multiple piping systems, each of which is fluidly connected to one of a plurality of orifices, and further includes correcting one or more of the piping system path length and piping system diameter based on the detected asymmetric flow paths. In another embodiment, the method includes reopening the first valve after removing the residual material. Attached Figure Description

[0012] A further understanding of the nature and advantages of the disclosed technology can be achieved by referring to the remainder of the specification and the accompanying drawings.

[0013] Figure 1 A top-down schematic diagram of a processing system according to an embodiment of the present technology is shown.

[0014] Figure 2A A high-density plasma chemical vapor deposition (HDP-CVD) system according to one or more embodiments is illustrated.

[0015] Figure 2B Examples are shown that can be used Figure 2B A cross-sectional view of the gas ring in high-density plasma chemical vapor deposition (HDP-CVD).

[0016] Figure 3 A partial side cross-sectional view of a processing chamber according to an embodiment of the present technology is shown.

[0017] Figure 4A An isometric view of a port adapter system according to an embodiment of the present technology is shown.

[0018] Figure 4B A top-down view of the port adapter body of a port adapter system according to an embodiment of the present technology is shown.

[0019] Figure 4C A top-down cross-sectional view of a processing chamber according to an embodiment of the present technology is shown.

[0020] Figure 4D A partial side view of a processing chamber according to an embodiment of the present technology is depicted.

[0021] Figure 5 The operation of an exemplary method of semiconductor processing according to some embodiments of the present technology is shown.

[0022] Figure 6 A block diagram of an exemplary computer system that can be used with systems and methods according to embodiments of this disclosure is shown.

[0023] In the accompanying drawings, similar parts and / or features may have the same element symbols. Additionally, various parts of the same type can be distinguished by following the element symbol with letters that differentiate them. If only the main element symbol is used in the specification, the description applies to any of the similar parts having the same main element symbol, regardless of the letters. Detailed Implementation

[0024] One of the main steps in manufacturing modern semiconductor devices is forming one or more layers, such as one or more silicon oxide layers, on a substrate or wafer. Such layers are known to be deposited via chemical vapor deposition (CVD). In conventional thermal CVD processes, reactive gases are supplied to the surface of a substrate, where a thermo-induced chemical reaction occurs to form the desired film. In conventional plasma CVD processes, controlled plasma is formed using, for example, radio frequency (RF) or microwave energy to decompose and / or excite reactive species in the reactant gases, thereby producing the desired film. During such CVD processes, undesirable deposits can also occur on areas such as the walls of the processing chamber.

[0025] Therefore, cleaning away any undesirable contaminants remaining from the previous deposition process is crucial for completing subsequent substrate processing steps without contamination, defects, or processing failures. Specifically, if such contaminants are not removed from the chamber, the surface characteristics and radio frequency (RF) coupling efficiency of certain components in the processing system may be altered, leading to reduced performance and decreased production yield. Furthermore, such contaminants may peel off in sheets onto the substrate surface, potentially causing device defects.

[0026] For cleaning processes, a cleaning gas, such as nitrogen trifluoride, can flow from the top of the chamber body into the processing chamber to react with contaminants in the processing area of ​​the chamber body. Therefore, an exhaust system positioned below the base can be used to remove the cleaning gas, establishing a flow path from the top of the chamber body around the base and / or any other chamber components to the exhaust system. If the cleaning gas is not distributed uniformly around the chamber body, it may not interact equally with all parts of the chamber interior, potentially leaving unwanted contaminants on the interior portions of the chamber body or on components within the chamber body, such as the base. For example, conventional systems utilize asymmetrical exhaust ports to rapidly remove large volumes of cleaning gas. However, such exhaust port systems typically fail to adequately clean chamber sidewalls, portions of the base and / or cover located on opposite sides of the chamber or spaced apart from one or more exhaust ports.

[0027] This disclosure provides a port adapter system that overcomes these and other problems, namely, a port adapter system that helps improve the uniformity of cleaning gas across all or part of the processing area of ​​a processing chamber. Specifically, this technology has surprisingly found that a meticulously customized combination of port orifices, port connection lengths, and / or independently controllable valves allows the flow rate and flow path of the cleaning gas through the chamber to the port orifices to be controlled for a more uniform distribution of the cleaning gas across the entire processing area of ​​the chamber body. Furthermore, due to the independently controllable feature of this technology, ports can be adapted in situ to clean these portions of the chamber in the event of detected asymmetry. In some embodiments, valves may be used to control this customized cleaning flow rate and flow path. In other embodiments, additionally or alternatively, the size, shape, or combination thereof of the orifice and piping system may be adjusted to improve the uniformity of gas removal. Thus, the port adapter according to this technology can clean the chamber body more uniformly, and in embodiments, clean the chamber body more effectively. Furthermore, surprisingly, in embodiments, the systems and processes discussed herein can remove substantially all or all of the unwanted contaminants from the chamber body.

[0028] Figure 1 A top plan view of one embodiment of a processing system 10 having deposition, etching, baking and / or curing chambers is shown. Figure 1 The tool or processing system 10 illustrated may include multiple process chambers 24a to 24d, a transfer chamber 20, a maintenance chamber 26, an integrated metering chamber 28, and a pair of loading lock chambers 16a to 16b. The process chambers may include any number of structures or components, and any number of processing chambers or combinations of processing chambers.

[0029] For transporting substrates between chambers, transfer chamber 20 may include a robotic transport mechanism 22. Transport mechanism 22 may have a pair of remotely attached substrate transport blades 22a, each attached to an extendable arm 22b. Blades 22a can be used to transport individual substrates to and from process chambers. In operation, one of the substrate transport blades of transport mechanism 22 (such as blade 22a) can extract a substrate W from one of the loading lock chambers (such as chambers 16a to 16b) and transport the substrate W to a first processing stage, such as the processing process described below in chambers 24a to 24d. Chambers may be included for performing individual or combined operations of the described techniques. For example, while one or more chambers may be configured to perform deposition or etching operations, one or more other chambers may be configured to perform the described preprocessing operations and / or one or more post-processing operations. This technology covers any number of configurations and can also perform any number of additional manufacturing operations typically performed in semiconductor processing.

[0030] If a chamber is occupied, the robot can wait until processing is complete, then remove the processed substrate from the chamber via a blade 22a, and insert a new substrate via a second blade. Once substrate processing is complete, the substrate can be moved to the second processing stage. For each move, the transport mechanism 22 typically has one blade carrying the substrate and one blade idle to perform substrate exchange. The transport mechanism 22 can wait at each chamber until an exchange can be achieved.

[0031] Once processing is complete within the process chamber, the transport mechanism 22 can move the substrate W from the last process chamber and deliver the substrate W to a cassette within the loading lock chambers 16a to 16b. The substrate can then be moved from the loading lock chambers 16a to 16b to the factory interface 12. Generally, the factory interface 12 is operable to transfer substrates between the pod loaders 14a to 14d and the loading lock chambers 16a to 16b in a clean atmospheric pressure environment. The clean environment in the factory interface 12 is typically provided by an air filtration process, such as, for example, HEPA filtration. The factory interface 12 may also include a substrate orienter / aligner for properly aligning the substrate prior to processing. At least one substrate robot (such as robots 18a to 18b) can be positioned within the factory interface 12 to transport substrates between multiple locations / sites within the factory interface 12 and to other locations in communication with it. Robots 18a to 18b can be configured to travel from a first end to a second end of the factory interface 12 along a track system within the factory interface 12.

[0032] The processing system 10 may further include an integrated metering chamber 28 to provide control signals that provide adaptive control over any of the processes being performed within the processing chamber. The integrated metering chamber 28 may include any of a variety of metering devices to measure various film properties, such as thickness, roughness, and composition, and the metering devices may further be capable of automatically characterizing grating parameters, such as critical dimensions, sidewall angles, and feature heights, under vacuum.

[0033] Each of the processing chambers 24a to 24d may be configured to perform one or more process steps in semiconductor structure fabrication, and any number of processing chambers and combinations thereof may be used in the multi-chamber processing system 10. For example, any of the processing chambers may be configured to perform a large number of substrate processing operations, including any number of deposition processes, including annular layer deposition, atomic layer deposition, chemical vapor deposition, physical vapor deposition, and other operations including etching, pre-cleaning, pretreatment, post-treatment, annealing, plasma treatment, degassing, orientation, and other substrate processes. Some specific processes that may be performed in any of the chambers or any combination of chambers may be metal deposition, surface cleaning and preparation, thermal annealing, such as rapid thermal processing, and plasma treatment. Any other processes, including any processes described below, may be similarly performed in specific chambers incorporated into the multi-chamber processing system 10, as will be readily understood by those skilled in the art.

[0034] Figure 2A The structure of such an HDP-CVD system 210 in the embodiment is schematically illustrated. System 210 includes a chamber 213, a vacuum system 270, a source plasma system 280A, a substrate bias plasma system 280B, a gas delivery system 233, and a remote plasma cleaning system 250.

[0035] The upper portion or cover of chamber 213 includes a dome 214, which is formed of a ceramic dielectric material such as alumina or aluminum nitride. Dome 214 defines the upper boundary of plasma processing region 216. The bottom of plasma processing region 216 is defined by the upper surface of substrate 217 and substrate support member 218.

[0036] Heater plate 223 and cold plate 224 extend over and are thermally coupled to dome 214. Heater plate 223 and cold plate 224 allow the dome temperature to be controlled within approximately +10°C of the range of approximately 100°C to 650°C. This allows for optimization of the dome temperature for various processes. For example, it may be desirable to maintain the dome at a higher temperature during cleaning or etching processes compared to deposition processes. Precise control of the dome temperature also reduces the flake or particle count in the chamber and improves the adhesion between the deposited layer and the substrate.

[0037] The lower portion of chamber 213 includes a main body member 222, which connects the chamber to a vacuum system. A base portion 221 of substrate support member 218 is mounted on the main body member 222 and forms a continuous inner surface with the main body member 222. A substrate is conveyed to and from chamber 213 via a robot blade (not shown) through an insertion / removal opening (not shown) in the side of chamber 313. Under the control of a motor (also not shown), a lifting pin (not shown) is raised and then lowered to move the substrate from the robot blade at upper loading position 257 to a lower processing position 256, in which the substrate is placed on the substrate receiving portion 219 of substrate support member 218. The substrate receiving portion 219 includes an electrostatic chuck 220 that secures the substrate to substrate support member 218 during substrate processing. In a preferred embodiment, substrate support member 218 is made of alumina or alumina-ceramic material.

[0038] Vacuum system 270 includes a throttling body 225, which is equipped with a two-bladed throttling valve 226 and attached to a gate valve 227 and a turbomolecular pump 228. It should be noted that the throttling body 225 creates minimal obstruction to gas flow and allows symmetrical pumping. The gate valve 227 isolates the pump 228 from the throttling body 225 and can also control the chamber pressure by limiting the discharge flow capacity when the throttling valve 226 is fully open. The arrangement of the throttling valve, gate valve, and turbomolecular pump allows for accurate and stable control of chamber pressures from approximately 1 mTorr to approximately 2 Torr.

[0039] The source plasma system 280A includes a top coil 229 and side coils 230 mounted on a dome 214. A symmetrical grounded shield (not shown) reduces electrical coupling between the coils. The top coil 229 is powered by a top-source RF (SRF) generator 231A, while the side coils 230 are powered by a side RF generator 231B, allowing for independent power levels and operating frequencies for each coil. This dual-coil system allows for control of the radial ion density in chamber 213, thereby improving plasma homogeneity. The side coils 230 and top coil 229 are typically inductively driven, which does not require supplementary electrodes. In a specific embodiment, the top-source RF generator 231A provides up to 10,000 watts of RF power at a nominal 2 MHz, and the side-source RF generator 231B provides up to 10,500 watts of RF power at a nominal 2 MHz. The operating frequencies of the top and side RF generators can be offset relative to the nominal operating frequency (e.g., to 1.7 to 1.9 MHz and 1.9 to 2.1 MHz, respectively) in order to improve plasma generation efficiency.

[0040] The substrate bias plasma system 280B includes a bias RF (“BRF”) generator 231C and a bias matching network 232C. The bias plasma system 280B capacitively couples a substrate portion 217 to a body member 222, which acts as a supplementary electrode. The bias plasma system 280B is used to enhance the transport of plasma species (e.g., ions) generated by the source plasma system 280A to the substrate surface. In a specific embodiment, the substrate bias RF generator provides up to 10,000 watts of RF power at a frequency of approximately 13.56 MHz.

[0041] RF generators 231A and 231B include digitally controlled synthesizers. Each generator includes RF control circuitry (not shown) that measures the power reflected back to the generator from the chamber and coils and adjusts the operating frequency to obtain the lowest possible reflected power, as understood by those skilled in the art. RF generators are typically designed to operate for loads with a characteristic impedance of 50 ohms. RF power may be reflected from loads with a characteristic impedance different from that of the generator. This can reduce the power delivered to the load. Additionally, power reflected back to the generator from the load can overload and damage the generator. Because the impedance of the plasma can range from less than 5 ohms to over 900 ohms depending on the plasma ion density and other factors, and because the reflected power can be a function of frequency, adjusting the generator according to the reflected power increases the power delivered from the RF generator to the plasma and protects the generator. Another way to reduce reflected power and improve efficiency is through a matching network.

[0042] Matching networks 232A and 232B match the output impedances of generators 231A and 231B to their corresponding coils 229 and 230. When the load changes, the RF control circuitry can tune the two matching networks by changing the values ​​of the capacitors within them to match the generator to the load. The RF control circuitry can also tune the matching networks when the power reflected back to the generator from the load exceeds a certain limit. One approach is to provide a constant match and effectively prevent the RF control circuitry from tuning the matching networks, thus setting the reflected power limit above any desired value. This helps stabilize the plasma in certain states by constantly holding the matching networks in their most recent state.

[0043] Other measures can also help stabilize the plasma. For example, RF control circuitry can be used to determine the power delivered to the load (plasma) and can increase or decrease the generator output power to keep the delivered power substantially constant during deposition.

[0044] Gas delivery system 233 supplies gas from several sources 234A to 234E to a chamber for processing the substrate via gas delivery lines 238 (some of which are shown only). As those skilled in the art will understand, the actual resources available for sources 234A to 234E and the actual connections of delivery lines 238 to chamber 213 vary depending on the deposition and cleaning processes performed within chamber 213. Gas is introduced into chamber 213 through gas ring 237 and / or top nozzle 245. Figure 2B This is a simplified partial cross-sectional view of chamber 213, showing additional details of the gas ring 237.

[0045] In one embodiment, a first gas source 234A and a second gas source 234B, along with a first gas flow controller 235A' and a second gas flow controller 235B', supply gas to an annular chamber 236 in a gas ring 237 via gas delivery lines 238 (only some of these gas delivery lines are shown). The gas ring 237 has a plurality of source gas nozzles 239 (only one nozzle is shown for illustrative purposes), which provide uniform gas flow over a substrate. Nozzle lengths and nozzle angles can be varied to allow customization of uniformity distribution and gas utilization efficiency for specific processes within individual chambers. In an embodiment, the gas ring 237 has 12 source gas nozzles made of alumina ceramic, such as 10 source gas nozzles, such as 8 source gas nozzles, such as 6 source gas nozzles, such as 4 source gas nozzles, or such as 14 source gas nozzles, such as 16 source gas nozzles, such as 18 source gas nozzles, such as 20 source gas nozzles, or any range or value between these.

[0046] The gas ring 237 also has a plurality of oxidant gas nozzles 240 (only one nozzle is shown), which in one embodiment are coplanar with and shorter than the source gas nozzle 239, and in another embodiment receive gas from the main gas chamber 241. In some embodiments, it is not desirable to mix the source gas with the oxidant gas before injecting the gas into the chamber 213. In other embodiments, the oxidant gas and the source gas can be mixed before the gas is injected into the chamber 213 by providing an orifice (not shown) between the main gas chamber 241 and the gas ring chamber 236. In one embodiment, a third gas source 234C, a fourth gas source 234D, and a fifth gas source 234D', as well as a third flow controller 235C and a fourth gas flow controller 235D', supply gas to the main gas chamber via a gas delivery line 238. An additional valve, such as 243B (other valves not shown), can shut off the gas from the flow controller to the chamber. In some embodiments of the present invention, source 234A includes a silane SiH4 source, source 234B includes a molecular nitrogen N2 source, source 234C includes a TSA source, source 234D includes an argon Ar source, and source 234D' includes a disilane Si2H6 source.

[0047] In embodiments using flammable, toxic, or corrosive gases, it may be desirable to eliminate any gas remaining in the gas delivery line after deposition. This can be accomplished using a three-way valve (such as valve 243B) to isolate chamber 213 from delivery line 238A and, for example, to vent delivery line 238A to vacuum pre-line 244. Figure 2A As shown, other similar valves such as 243A and 243C can be incorporated into other gas delivery lines. Such three-way valves can be positioned as close as possible to chamber 213 for practicality to minimize the volume of the unvented gas delivery line (between the three-way valve and the chamber). Alternatively, two-way (on-off) valves (not shown) can be positioned between the mass flow controller (“MFC”) and the chamber or between the gas source and the MFC.

[0048] Refer again Figure 2AChamber 213 also has a top nozzle 245 and a top vent 246. The top nozzle 245 and top vent 246 allow independent control of the top and side flow of gas, which improves film uniformity and allows for fine-tuning of film deposition and doping parameters. The top vent 246 is an annular opening surrounding the top nozzle 245. In one embodiment, a first gas source 234A supplies source gas to source gas nozzle 239 and top nozzle 245. Source nozzle MFC 235A' controls the amount of gas delivered to source gas nozzle 239, and top nozzle MFC 235A controls the amount of gas delivered to top gas nozzle 245. Similarly, two MFCs 235B and 235B' can be used to control the flow of oxygen from a single oxygen source (such as source 234B) to top vent 246 and oxidant gas nozzle 240. In some embodiments, oxygen is not supplied to the chamber from any side nozzle. The gas supplied to the top nozzle 245 and the top vent 246 may be kept separate before flowing into the chamber 213, or the gas may be mixed in the top chamber 248 before flowing into the chamber 213. A separate resource of the same gas may be used to supply the various parts of the chamber.

[0049] A remote plasma cleaning system 250 is provided to periodically clean deposited residues on chamber components. The cleaning system includes a remote plasma generator 251 that generates plasma from a cleaning gas source 234E (e.g., molecular fluorine, nitrogen trifluoride, other fluorocarbons, or equivalents) within a reactor cavity 253. In embodiments, examples of remote plasma generators include microwave or radio frequency (RF) sources. Examples of such generators may include inductive coupling, transformer coupling, capacitive coupling, and other systems known in the art for generating high-density plasma species. The reactive species derived from this plasma are delivered to the chamber 213 via a cleaning gas feed port 254 through an application tube 255. The materials used to include the cleaning plasma (e.g., cavity 253 and application tube 255) must be resistant to plasma attack. The distance between the reactor cavity 253 and the feed port 254 should be kept as short as practically feasible, as the desired concentration of plasma species may decrease with distance from the reactor cavity 253. Generating clean plasma in a remote cavity allows for efficient use of plasma generators, and chamber components are no longer exposed to the temperature, radiation, or impact of glow discharges that could exist in in-situ generated plasma. Therefore, relatively sensitive components (such as the electrostatic chuck 220) do not need to be covered with dummy wafers or otherwise protected, which would otherwise be required by in-situ plasma cleaning processes. Figure 2A In the diagram, the plasma cleaning system 250 is shown positioned above chamber 213, but other locations may be used alternatively.

[0050] A baffle 261 may be provided near the top nozzle to direct the flow of source gas supplied through the top nozzle into the chamber, and to direct the flow of remotely generated plasma. The source gas supplied through the top nozzle 245 is directed into the chamber through the central passage 262, while the remotely generated plasma species supplied through the clean gas feed port 354 is directed to the side of the chamber through the baffle 261.

[0051] Then turn Figure 3 This diagram illustrates a cross-sectional view of an exemplary processing chamber 300 according to some embodiments of the present technology. In embodiments, chamber 300 may include any or more of the features discussed above with respect to system 210. It should be understood that, in embodiments, features ending with similar element symbols to those discussed above are similar, except as noted below. Processing chamber 300 includes a chamber body 302 having a top (or first) end portion 301 and a bottom (or second) end portion 303. Gas ring 315 and cap 316 may be coupled to the top end portion 301 of chamber body 302. Chamber body 302, gas ring 315, and substrate support 304 define a processing region 320 in which a substrate may be processed on substrate support 304. The substrate support 304 may be mounted on the shaft 344 and movably positioned within the chamber body 302 via the shaft 344, or the substrate support 304 may be stationary and supported by the chamber sidewalls, as discussed above with respect to system 210. In an embodiment, the port adapter system 360 may be coupled to, or formed on or around, the bottom end portion 303 of the chamber body 302.

[0052] As noted above, in embodiments, it may be necessary to clean any unwanted contaminants remaining in the chamber body 302 after previous deposition operations to prevent substrate defects in subsequent operations. A cleaning gas, such as nitrogen trifluoride, which may be any etching or cleaning gas known in the art, may be introduced from the top portion 301 of the chamber body 302 or flow into the chamber body 302, such as into the processing region 320, to react with contaminants in the processing region 320 of the chamber body 302. For example, the cleaning gas may be introduced through inlet 314, which may be connected to a plasma cleaning system (not shown), as known in the art, and flow through gas ring 315 into the processing region 320. In embodiments, the cleaning gas may be activated by microwave or radio frequency (RF) power to dissociate the cleaning gas (such as NF3) into reactive groups to interact with any contaminants present. Alternatively or additionally, the cleaning gas may be activated before being introduced through inlet 314 (e.g., remotely) and may include an inert carrier gas, such as argon or helium.

[0053] Regardless of the form of the cleaning gas, once introduced into the chamber body, the cleaning gas can interact with deposits and other contaminants present in the chamber body 302 (including any sidewalls or bottom walls of the chamber body 302), the substrate support 304, the shaft 344, the cover 316 and / or the gas ring 315, and any other exposed surfaces of one or more chamber components. During and / or after cleaning, the cleaning gas can be removed from the chamber body 302 using the port adapter system 360 by creating a flow path from the top end 301 to the bottom end 303 of the chamber body 302, wherein the flow path distributes the cleaning gas around the chamber body 302 and any chamber components within the chamber body 302. In embodiments, this distribution can exhibit improved uniformity compared to conventional systems, thus contacting all or part of the exposed surfaces for approximately equal amounts of time. Therefore, the port adapter system 360 can facilitate more efficient and complete cleaning of the chamber body 302 after one or more deposition processes.

[0054] As in Figure 3 As shown, the port adapter system 360 can be coupled to the bottom end 303 of the chamber body 302 by welding, adhesive, releasable or non-releasable fasteners, or the like. However, in other embodiments, the port adapter and the chamber body may be integrally formed together, such that the port adapter system forms the bottom end of the chamber body. In some such embodiments, pores may be formed in the bottom or lower portion of the respective sidewall or sidewall region. In still other embodiments, the port adapter may be positioned in the middle of the chamber body between the top and bottom ends.

[0055] However, turning Figures 4A to 4D Various views of a port adapter system 360 are illustrated. The port adapter system 360 may include an adapter body 361, adapter axes 365a to 365c ( Figure 4B and Figure 4C(shown more clearly in the diagram), and adapter flanges 367a to 367c extending radially from adapter body 361. Port adapter body 361 may be formed of stainless steel, aluminum, or the like. Adapter flanges 367a to 367c may be coupled to valves 363a to 363c, which in turn may be fluidly coupled to system pre-line 392 (e.g., a discharge pump) via piping system 380a to 380c. System pre-line 392 may be fluidly coupled to a discharge outlet and system pre-line to a vacuum source. In this way, system pre-line 392 may remove gas from chamber body 302 to a vacuum source via port adapter system 360 and piping system 380a to 380c. Although three flanges, valves, and shafts are shown, it should be understood that there may be more or fewer of each port adapter component, as will be discussed in more detail below. Therefore, in the embodiments, the amount of flanges, valves and / or shafts present may correspond to the number of port adapter orifices 362a to 362x.

[0056] The adapter body 361 may have a ring-shaped or annular shape. However, in other embodiments, the port adapter body may have any other geometry, such as a cube or similar shape, or a cross-sectional shape that mirrors the chamber body 302. The outer surface 366b of the adapter body 361 may define recesses 369 spaced circumferentially around the adapter body 361. The size and shape of the recesses 369 may be determined to receive one or more fasteners (as described below relative to...). Figure 4D (Further discussion). However, as discussed above, it should be clear that if the port adapter is integrally formed with the chamber body, then such a recess 369 may not exist.

[0057] One or more adapter shafts 365a to 365c may have a first end fixedly or releasably attached to the adapter body 361 and may extend radially outward from the adapter body 361 to a second end. The adapter shafts 365a to 365c may be cylindrical and therefore have a generally circular cross-section. However, in other embodiments, the adapter shafts may have any other geometry, and the corresponding cross-sectional shape may be such as a cube or similar shape. However, in this embodiment, the adapter shafts 365a to 365c may be attached to the adapter body 361 at a location on the adapter body 361 such that each shaft 365a to 365c surrounds the outer surface of one or more orifices 362a to 362c, thereby defining a fluid flow path from the interior of the port adapter 361 through one or more orifices 362a to 362c to the corresponding adapter shaft 365a to 365c.

[0058] One or more adapter flanges 367a to 367c may be disposed at the second end of the respective adapter shafts 365a to 365c, such that the respective adapter shafts 365a to 365c radially space each flange 367a to 367c from the processing area 320 and / or the adapter body 361. In embodiments, one or more of the adapter flanges 367a to 367c may include an outer diameter (or cross-sectional width) larger than the outer diameter (or cross-sectional width) of the adapter shafts 365a to 365c. However, in other embodiments, adapter flanges may be absent, or adapter flanges may be a second segment of one or more adapter shafts 365a to 365c, which may have an outer diameter similar to, the same as, or different from the outer diameter of the one or more adapter shafts 365a to 365c.

[0059] However, as discussed below, the adapter body 361 may define one or more apertures 362a, 362b (and aperture 362c, as shown below) extending through the adapter body 361. Figure 4B and Figure 4C (Shown more clearly in the diagram). In an embodiment, each aperture 362a to 362c may extend from the inner surface 366a to the outer surface 366b of the adapter body 361 and fluidly connect the processing area to the corresponding adapter shafts 365a to 365c and adapter flanges 367a to 367c. Thus, each aperture 362a to 362c may be in fluid communication with the processing area 320 and the system pre-line 392. Although the port adapter body 361 is illustrated as defining three apertures 362a to 362c, in an embodiment, the port adapter body may define more or fewer port adapter apertures (e.g., one, two, four, five, or the like). The adapter shafts 365a to 365c and the adapter flanges 367a to 367c extending from the adapter body 361 may be as numerous as the apertures 362a to 362c. For example, in an embodiment, there may be more or fewer than three apertures, and correspondingly, more or fewer than three adapter shafts. The adapter shafts 365a to 365c and the adapter flanges 367a to 367c can be concentric with the holes 362a to 362c, as in Figure 4D It is shown most clearly in the middle.

[0060] In embodiments, one or more of the pores 362a to 362c may have a generally cylindrical shape and a corresponding volume (e.g., a volume defined by the pores from the inner surface 366a to the outer surface 366b). However, in other embodiments, the pores may have any other geometry, including oval, rectangular, truncated conical, or similar shapes, for defining the volume within the pore. The inner surface 366a and outer surface 366b of each pore 362a to 362c may define the opening of the pores 362a to 362c and / or may define a cross-sectional shape corresponding to the flange surfaces 364a to 364c. However, in embodiments, the surfaces may define the pores to have openings of any shape, including circular, oval, rectangular, triangular, slit-shaped, or similar shapes. In many more embodiments, each pore may have a different shape and size, and is therefore independently chosen to be the same or different.

[0061] As discussed above, this technology has surprisingly discovered that improved cleaning can be achieved by individually or in combination with customized features of the adapter system 360 that closely space one or more pores around the adapter body 361, allowing for high-level control of flow conduction. For example, in an embodiment, controlling the flow rate of gas removed through the respective pores 362a to 362c and the spacing of the pores 362a to 362c allows for improved uniformity of the clean gas in terms of flow path and discharge rate as the gas flows across the chamber body 302 and the exposed surfaces within the chamber body 302. Controlling the gas discharge rate and / or flow path allows a desired volume of clean gas to flow through any portion of the chamber body 302, such as the portion located between the respective pores 362a to 362c, and across other exposed surfaces. The spacing of pores 362a to 362c (and therefore, in embodiments, the location of pores 362a to 362c) allows for the selection of defined gas flow paths and flow along desired sections of chamber body 302 (e.g., along the entire section of chamber body 302). If either the gas flow rate or the spacing is not properly tuned, the flow path of the cleaning gas may not interact uniformly with all portions of chamber body 302. For example, if the flow is not properly tuned, portions of chamber body 302 adjacent to pores 362a to 362c with lower gas flow rates and / or larger spacing may not be completely cleaned by the cleaning gas. Therefore, this technique allows for customized tuning of the flow conductance by carefully controlling one or more flow rate factors, such as, for example, the flow rate of gas entering pores 362a to 362c and / or the spacing between pores 362a to 362c, to provide a gas flow suitable for cleaning a selected chamber body 302.

[0062] For example, in an embodiment, the precise gas flow rate to one or more pores (such as any one or more of pores 362a to 362c in this example) can be adjusted by reducing the size of the respective pores or by carefully selecting the spacing of the respective pores. As discussed above, the spacing of pores 362a to 362c may be crucial for controlling the uniformity of gas flow across the chamber body 302. In an embodiment, pores 362a to 362c (and therefore, in an embodiment, the corresponding adapter shafts 365a to 365c and adapter flanges 367a to 367c) may be spaced apart along the adapter body 361, which can... Figure 4B It is shown most clearly in the middle.

[0063] For example, apertures 362a to 362c may be spaced apart along adapter body 361 (in an embodiment, this may be an arcuate path) such that each corresponding aperture defines an arc greater than or about 80° between each corresponding aperture, such as greater than or about 85°, such as greater than or about 90°, such as greater than or about 95°, such as greater than or about 100°, such as greater than or about 105°, such as greater than or about 110°, such as greater than or about 115°, such as greater than or about 120°, such as greater than or about 125°, such as greater than or about 130°, such as greater than or about 135°, such as less than or about 150°, such as less than or about 145°, such as less than or about 140°, such as less than or about 135°, such as less than or about 130°, or any range or value between them. However, in embodiments, the apertures 362 may be spaced apart such that the distance between each adjacent set of apertures varies with respect to an average arc length (e.g., the average of the arc lengths of each adjacent aperture 362 present in the respective port adapter 360) by an arc length less than or about 25°, such as less than or about 20°, such as less than or about 15°, such as less than or about 10°, such as less than or about 5°, such as less than or about 2.5°, such as less than or about 1°, or any range or value between these.

[0064] In other words, when other adapter body 361 shapes are available in the embodiments, each aperture may be spaced apart from adjacent apertures such that the distance between adjacent apertures is within approximately 30% of the total average distance, such as less than or about 20% relative to the average distance (e.g., the average of the distances between each adjacent aperture present in the corresponding port adapter 360), such as less than or about 17.5%, such as less than or about 15%, such as less than or about 12.5%, such as less than or about 10%, such as less than or about 7.5%, such as less than or about 5%, such as less than or about 2.5%, such as less than or about 1%, or any range or value between these values. However, in the embodiments, each aperture may be spaced approximately equidistantly around the circumference of the adapter body. For example, if there are three apertures, the apertures may be spaced approximately 120° along an arcuate path, or if there are four apertures, the apertures may be spaced approximately 90°, to illustrate only.

[0065] Therefore, in the embodiments, by meticulously spacing the orifices 362a to 362c around the adapter body according to any one or more of the above-described ranges, the cleaning gas can be removed via the port adapter system 360, thereby improving the uniformity of the cleaning gas flow across the interior of the chamber body 302. That is, as discussed above, in conventional systems, ports or orifices are spaced apart to maximize flow (such as flow rate) within the chamber for rapid cleaning and evacuation of process gas, allowing for faster circulation between process operations. However, such port orientations in conventional systems are asymmetrical (e.g., the spacing between ports is significantly skewed), attempting to overcome the flow rate differences by utilizing a combination of high-conductivity and low-conductivity ports while maintaining maximum removal rates at consistent chamber pressures. However, such asymmetrical systems fail to clean the chamber and chamber components uniformly, and control over the etching rate of the cleaning gas is inefficient. Conversely, this technique has surprisingly found that excellent flow rates and symmetrical cleaning can be achieved by meticulously controlling the orientation and configuration of the port adapter components.

[0066] For example, in conjunction with the orifice orientation discussed above, this technique has found that one or more factors controlling the flow conductance through the respective orifices 362a to 362c and their corresponding fluid flow paths to the pre-line allow for customized removal rates for each orifice 362 and its corresponding flow path. In embodiments, the flow rate factor may include one or more of the orifice diameter, the flow path diameter, and the total flow path distance (e.g., the flow path length between each respective orifice 362a to 362c and the pre-line). In some embodiments, depending on the factors discussed above, one or more throttling valves may also be used, but are not necessary. When referred to herein as “flow rate,” the system pre-line 392 may remove cleaning gas from the interior region of the chamber body 302 through the orifices 362a to 362c, such that each of the flow paths originating from each orifice 362a to 362c may have a flow rate of gas removed through the corresponding orifice specific to each of the respective flow paths. In one embodiment, the flow rate can be measured in the pore volume defined between the inner and outer surfaces 366a, 366b and the system front-end pipeline 392.

[0067] Therefore, in embodiments, one or more of the diameters and shapes of one or more individual pores 362a to 362c can be adjusted to control the flow rate of gas removed through the flow path of the respective pores 362a to 362c. For example, the diameter of pore 362a can be increased (by way of example only) to increase the flow rate of gas discharged through pore 362a, and / or the diameter of one or more of pores 362b, 362c can be decreased to decrease the flow rate of gas removed through pores 362b, 362c. In another example, alternatively or additionally, the shapes of pores 362a to 362c can be individually adjusted to adjust the flow rate of gas removed through pores 362a to 362c.

[0068] In embodiments, the diameters of pores 362a to 362c may be greater than or about 0.2 inches, such as greater than or about 0.4 inches, such as greater than 0.6 inches, such as greater than 0.8 inches, such as greater than about 1 inch, or may be less than or about 4 inches, such as less than or about 3.5 inches, such as less than or about 3 inches, such as less than or about 2.5 inches, such as less than or about 2 inches, or any range or value between these. In embodiments, each diameter of pores 362a to 362c may be selected to be the same as or different from any one or more of the diameters described above. Furthermore, it should be understood that any pore present may be selected individually or jointly according to any one or more of the pores or values ​​discussed herein with respect to pores 362a to 362c.

[0069] The flow rate of the clean gas removed through the corresponding orifices 362a to 362c can also be controlled by adjusting the flow path distance (also referred to as the flow path length between the corresponding orifices 362a to 362c and the system upstream line 392), such as by adjusting the piping system 380a to 380c. The piping system 380a to 380c may each include one or more pipe sections 381, 382 (i.e., straight pipe section 381 and angled pipe section 382). The angled pipe section 382 may be curved, curved, or have any other non-linear geometry. Pipe sections 381, 382 may be individual pieces coupled to each other, or may be different sections along a single-stone pipe. However, in some embodiments, it should be understood that the flow path length can be changed by any method known in the art to increase or decrease the path length, and therefore may refer only to the pipe section whose final path length has changed, regardless of the number of sections or non-linear portions. Orifices 362a to 362c can be fluidly coupled to upstream pipeline 392 via corresponding piping systems 380a to 380c. Such piping systems 380a to 380c define the flow path from one or more valves 363a to 363c to upstream pipeline 392. The lengths of the corresponding piping systems 380a to 380c, and the lengths of the corresponding flanges 367a to 367c, define the length of the corresponding flow path from the corresponding orifices 362a to 362c to upstream pipeline 392.

[0070] That is, as noted above, the flow path length can also contribute to the flow rate of gas removed through the corresponding pores 362a to 362c. For example, if the flow path length from pore 362a to the system pre-line 392 is greater than the flow path length from pores 362b and / or 362c to the system pre-line 392, then even if all other factors remain constant, pore 362a may have a lower flow rate compared to pores 362b and 362c. Therefore, the flow path length between pores 362a to 362c and the system pre-line 392 can be adjusted to correspondingly customize the flow rate to the system pre-line 392. For example, the flow rate to pore 362a can be increased by shortening the total path length of the piping system 380a between pore 362a and the system pre-line 392. Alternatively or additionally, to improve the uniformity of the relative flow rate of clean gas removed via one or more corresponding orifices 362b and / or 362c, the total path length of one or more piping systems 380b and / or 380c between one or more of orifices 362b and / or 362c and the system upstream line 392 can be increased. This can help reduce the flow rate of gas removed via one or more of orifices 362b, 362c relative to orifice 362a.

[0071] However, in embodiments, the internal shape and / or diameter of the respective piping systems 380a to 380c may be adjusted to control the flow rate. For example, certain portions of the piping systems 380a to 380c may include increased or decreased diameters to correspondingly increase or decrease the flow rate. Alternatively or additionally, certain portions of the piping systems 380a to 380c may include alternative internal shapes, such as exhibiting a funnel shape, stepwise orientation, or the like, to control the flow rate.

[0072] As noted above, the flow rate of the clean gas during gas removal can be further customized by adjusting one or more of the size of orifices 362a to 362c, the total flow path length between orifices 362a to 362c and the system pre-line 392, and / or the path length. In an embodiment, a combination of these flow rate factors can be applied to the port adapter system 360 to control the flow rate of the gas discharged through one or more of the respective orifices 362a to 362c. For example, reducing the flow rate of the gas removed through orifice 362a may involve reducing the size of orifice 362a, increasing the flow path length between orifice 362a and the system pre-line 392, limiting the diameter of the respective piping system 380a, and / or incorporating one or more non-linear piping sections, to name just a few. In another example, increasing the flow rate of gas removed through pore 362b may involve increasing the size of pore 362b, decreasing the flow path length between pores 362b, increasing the diameter of the corresponding piping system 380b, and / or shortening / eliminating any nonlinear piping sections to allow more gas flow into pore 362b, as illustrative only.

[0073] For example, in the illustrated embodiment, illustrative purposes only, pore 362a may be defined as a restricted flow path and may provide for removing gas at the required minimum (or any desired) flow rate while maintaining a suitable pressure within chamber body 302. Therefore, in such examples, the flow path extending through pores 362b and / or 362c may be adjusted to increase and / or decrease the corresponding flow rate to exhibit a flow rate less than or about 10% of the flow rate through pore 362a, such as within about 9%, such as within about 8%, such as within about 7%, such as within about 6%, such as within about 5%, such as within about 4%, such as within about 3%, such as within about 2%, such as within about 1%, or any range or value between these values.

[0074] However, in embodiments, each flow path through orifices 362a to 362c may contain one or more independently controllable valves 363a to 363c. For example, one or more of valves 363a to 363c may be isolation valves (i.e., valves that can open or close flow for a specific orifice 362a to 362c) or throttling valves (i.e., valves that can adjust flow rates within a range). In embodiments, valves 363a to 363c may be coupled at any point along adapter system 360, such as any point between the corresponding orifice 362a to 362c and the upstream pipeline 392. For example, in embodiments, one or more valves 363a to 363c may be fastened to adapter flanges 367a to 367c and / or to piping systems 380a to 380c. Valves 363a to 363c can be fluidly coupled to the system pre-line 392 (e.g., within the corresponding flow path activated through orifices 326a to 362c) such that valves 363a to 363c can isolate the corresponding flow path or control the flow rate of gas from orifices 362a to 362c into the system pre-line 392.

[0075] In some embodiments, one or more of valves 363a to 363c may individually control whether gas is allowed to enter the corresponding orifices 362a to 362c. In some embodiments, one or more of valves 363a to 363c may also independently control the gas flow rate through each of the corresponding orifices 362a to 362c, independent of the other valves 363a to 363c. However, in some embodiments, throttling valves may not be necessary because other flow rate factors can be customized as discussed below.

[0076] Although throttle valves are not necessary due to the parameters discussed above, this technology has surprisingly found, at least in part, that the spacing and flow conduction of this technology allow for the selective cleaning of the main body of a chamber using one or more individually controllable isolation valves. For example, by providing independently controllable valves 363a to 363c, gas flow can be restricted and directed to one or more sections of the chamber body 302. For instance, it can be determined that a portion of the chamber body 302 between orifices 362a and 362b has more undesirable contaminants (e.g., a portion of the chamber body 302 between orifices 362a and 362b has residual contaminants after initial cleaning). In such an example, valve 363c can be closed, thereby restricting gas flow into orifice 362c (e.g., by partially or completely closing valve 363c). Therefore, the gas flow rate into orifices 362a and 362b can be higher than the gas flow rate into orifice 362c, resulting in more gas being directed into orifices 362a and 362b. This, in turn, causes more gas to flow through portions of adjacent orifices 362a and 362b (e.g., between orifices 362a and 362b) of the chamber body 302. In this way, by individually adjusting valves 363a to 363c, more cleaning gas can be directed to specific sections of the chamber body 302, such that one or more of valves 363a to 363c have flow rates different from each other. Therefore, surprisingly, unlike conventional systems, this technique provides initial cleaning with improved uniformity, as well as the ability to selectively clean areas within the chamber body 302, such as sidewalls. However, in embodiments, an additional throttle valve 390 may be included.

[0077] Therefore, in embodiments, the system according to the present technology can clean residues deposited on the chamber sidewalls, chamber base, or combinations thereof that are greater than or about 85 wt.% (by weight), such as greater than or about 87.5 wt.%, such as greater than or about 90 wt.%, such as greater than or about 92.5 wt.%, such as greater than or about 95 wt.%, or any range or value between therewith. It should be understood that in other embodiments, any number of valves, such as two or more valves, can be adjusted to control gas flow targeting certain sections of the chamber body. In some embodiments, as further described below, a computer system can be used to detect the amount of unwanted contaminants in the chamber body 302 (e.g., using one or more sensors) and to adjust valves 363a to 363c.

[0078] However, although not essential in the embodiments as discussed above, it may be advantageous for valves 363b and 363c to be throttling valves in the embodiments, such that each valve can limit the rate at which clean gas is removed through one or more orifices 362b and 362c (e.g., by closing valves 363b and 363c). For example, in embodiments where orifice 362a is located away from the system pre-line 392, valve 363a may advantageously allow more clean gas into orifice 362a (e.g., by further opening), and / or valves 363b and 363c may limit the amount of clean gas entering orifices 362b and 362c (e.g., by further closing relative to valve 363a). In this way, the amount of clean gas entering orifices 362a through 362c from within the chamber body 302 can be further controlled. Valves 363a to 363c may be opened or closed based on the length of the flow path (e.g., valves 363a to 363c may allow more gas to enter orifices 362a to 362c in which the flow path length is longer, or may restrict gas from entering orifices 362a to 362c in which the flow path length is shorter) and the size of orifices 362a to 362c, to allow more gas to enter orifices 362a to 362c, as further discussed below.

[0079] Turn Figure 4D The adapter flange 367a may define fastener holes 368 spaced apart from each other circumferentially along the adapter flange 367a. The fastener holes 368 may have a circular shape. However, in other embodiments, the fastener holes may have any other shape, including oval, rectangular, triangular, slit-shaped, or similar shapes. Although not shown, the adapter flanges 367b, 367c may be structurally similar to the adapter flange 367a (e.g., including defining the same number of fastener holes 368). However, in other embodiments, one or more of the adapter flanges may differ from the other flanges (e.g., having a different number of holes, different shapes, different sizes, or the like). The fastener holes 368 may be configured to interface with fasteners (e.g., screws, nails, bolts, rivets, or the like). For example, by positioning valves 363a to 363c to interface with adapter flanges 367a to 367c, and then by inserting fasteners along adapter flanges 367a to 367c through orifices defined in valves 363a to 363c and through fastener orifices 368, port adapter system 360 can be coupled to one or more valves 363a to 363c. Although Figure 4DThe illustration depicts an adapter flange 367a defining six fastener holes 368; however, in other embodiments, any number of holes (one, two, three, or the like) may be present. In other embodiments, the port adapter system may not include one or more of the adapter flange or shaft. For example, the port adapter system may not include an adapter flange, and a valve may be coupled to an adapter shaft. In another example, the valve may be directly coupled to the adapter body. For example, in one embodiment, the port adapter system 360 and / or flanges 367a to 367c may be welded or otherwise fixedly attached to the processing system 100.

[0080] Furthermore, the chamber body 302 may define a recess 317 corresponding to the recess 369. In this example, a fastener system 370 (e.g., bolts and washers) may be housed in the recesses 317, 369 to couple the port adapter system 360 to the bottom end of the chamber body 302.

[0081] Figure 5 The operation of an exemplary method 400 for semiconductor processing according to some embodiments of the present technology is illustrated. The method can be performed in various processing chambers, including the processing chamber 300 described above, which may include a port adapter system and other features according to embodiments of the present technology. Method 400 may include a large number of optional operations, which may or may not be specifically associated with some embodiments of the method according to the present technology. Method 400 can be performed via a computer system, as described below.

[0082] Method 400 may include a processing method that may include operations for forming a hard mask film or other deposition operations (e.g., including forming a thick film or thin film). The method may include optional operations prior to the initiation of method 400, or the method may include additional operations. For example, method 400 may include operations performed in a different order than those shown. In some embodiments, at operation 405, method 400 may include flowing one or more plasma species or their precursors into a processing chamber. For example, a precursor or remotely generated plasma (which may be a high-density plasma in an embodiment) may be flowed into a processing region of a chamber body, such as chamber body 302 included in processing chamber 300. In some embodiments, the precursor may be or include a carbon-containing precursor or a plasma species.

[0083] In operation 410, plasma can be supplied to the processing area, such as by providing a remote plasma source or other plasma sources, as discussed below. In operation 415, materials formed in the plasma (such as carbon-containing materials) can be deposited on the substrate.

[0084] In operation 420, once the deposition process is complete, clean gas can be flowed to chamber body 302 (e.g., from gas ring 315) and removed through processing area 320 and port adapter system 360 located below bottom end 303 of chamber body 302. System foreline 392 can pass through orifices 362a to 362c of adapter body 361, through valves 363a to 363c, through piping system 380, and toward a vacuum source to remove clean gas.

[0085] However, in an embodiment, a detection operation 425 may be performed to determine if any asymmetry exists during cleaning. Such detection may be performed by user observation or via one or more sensors within the system. In some embodiments, a controller, which may include a computer system, machine learning algorithms, artificial intelligence, or a combination thereof, may receive data from one or more sensors coupled to the chamber body 302 regarding the amount or presence of unwanted contaminants within the chamber body 302 and / or the flow of cleaning gas flowing through the chamber body 302, or wafer processing data obtained from one or more processed wafers. The controller may determine that the amount of cleaning within one or more sections of the chamber body 302 is insufficient, thus leaving unwanted contaminants. In such embodiments, during operation 430, the controller or an individual operator may adjust the port adapter system 360 to change the flow rate of gas entering the orifices 362a to 362c. Specifically, the controller may control one or more of the valves 363a to 363c to restrict or open them to reduce or increase the flow rate of cleaning gas entering the orifices 362a to 362c.

[0086] For example, the controller can determine that sections of the chamber body 302 adjacent to orifices 362a and 362b may require additional clean gas. The controller can close valve 363c to open it, allowing more gas to enter orifices 362a and 362b, thereby increasing the flow rate of gas entering and flowing between orifices 362a and 362b. Alternatively or additionally, the controller can adjust one or more of other valves 363b and 363c to restrict flow in these valves, thus reducing the flow rate of gas entering orifices 362b and 362c relative to orifice 362a.

[0087] However, in embodiments, operations 425 and / or 430 can be performed by a user. Such observations can be visual or based on one or more sensors. However, in embodiments, the flow path can be restricted or opened based on the detection of asymmetric cleaning or residual material.

[0088] However, as Figure 6 As shown, in embodiments, the system and method may be executed wholly or partially by a processor, which may be incorporated as part of the controller or processor previously described. For example, system 600 may represent some of the components of the controller described herein. Figure 6 The schematic illustration of one embodiment of system 600 shows that system 600 can perform methods provided by various other embodiments as described herein. Figure 6 This is merely a general illustration of the various components provided, and any or all of the various components may be used as appropriate. Figure 6 It extensively illustrates how individual system components can be implemented in a relatively separate or relatively more integrated manner.

[0089] System 600 is shown to include hardware components that may be electrically coupled (or otherwise communicate) via bus 605, which may also be connected to the controller discussed above. The hardware components may include processing units 610, including but not limited to one or more processors, such as one or more central processing units (CPUs), graphics processing units (GPUs), dedicated processors (such as digital signal processing chips, graphics accelerators, etc.); one or more input devices 615, which may include, but are not limited to, keyboards, touchscreens, receivers, motion sensors, cameras, smart card readers, contactless media readers, etc.; and one or more output devices 620, which may include, but are not limited to, display devices, speakers, printers, write modules, etc.

[0090] System 600 may further include (and / or communicate with) one or more non-transitory storage devices 625, which may include, but are not limited to, local and / or network-accessible memory, and / or may include, but are not limited to, disk drives, drive arrays, optical storage devices, solid-state storage devices such as random access memory (“RAM”) and / or read-only memory (“ROM”), which may be programmable, flash-updatable, etc. Such storage devices may be configured to implement any suitable data storage, including but not limited to various file systems, database structures, etc.

[0091] System 600 may also include a communication interface 630, which may include, but is not limited to, a modem, a network card (wireless or wired), an infrared communication device, a wireless communication device and / or a chipset (such as a Bluetooth device, a 502.11 device, a Wi-Fi device, a WiMAX device, an NFC device, a cellular communication facility, etc.) and / or similar communication interfaces. Communication interface 630 may allow the exchange of data with a network (such as those described below), other processors, and / or any other device described herein. In many embodiments, system 600 will further include a non-transitory working memory 635, which may include RAM or ROM devices as described above.

[0092] System 600 may also include software elements (shown as currently residing within working memory 635) including operating system 640, device drivers, executable libraries, and / or other code, such as one or more application programs 645. These software elements may include processor programs provided through various embodiments and / or may be designed to implement methods and / or configure systems provided through other embodiments, as described herein. By way of example only, one or more programs described with respect to the methods or systems discussed above may be implemented as code and / or instructions executable by a computer (and / or a processor within a computer); in this respect, such specialized code and / or instructions may then be used to configure and / or adapt a computing device to be configured as a dedicated computer to perform one or more operations according to the described methods.

[0093] These sets of instructions and / or code may be stored on a computer-readable storage medium, such as storage device 625 described above. In some cases, the storage medium may be incorporated into a computer system (such as system 600). In other embodiments, the storage medium may be separate from the computer system (e.g., a removable medium, such as a compressed optical disc) and / or provided as an installation kit, such that the storage medium can be used to program, configure, and / or adapt to a dedicated computer on which the instructions / code are stored. These instructions may take the form of executable code that can be executed by system 600, and / or may take the form of source and / or installable code that becomes executable once compiled and / or installed on system 600 (e.g., using any of the various available compilers, installers, compression / decompression facilities, etc.).

[0094] Substantial variations are possible depending on specific requirements. For example, custom hardware may be used, and / or specific components may be implemented in hardware, software (including portable software such as small applications), or a combination of both. Furthermore, hardware and / or software components providing certain functionalities may comprise dedicated systems (with specialized components) or may be parts of more general-purpose systems. For instance, a risk management engine configured to provide some or all of the features described herein related to risk profiling and / or allocation may comprise specialized (e.g., application-specific integrated circuits, software methods, etc.) or general-purpose (e.g., processing unit 610, application program 645, etc.) hardware and / or software. Additionally, connectivity to other computing devices (such as network input / output devices) may be employed.

[0095] Some embodiments may employ a controller, which may include a computer system, artificial intelligence, machine learning, combinations thereof, and analogues (such as system 600) for performing the methods according to this disclosure. For example, some or all of the program of the described methods may be executed by a processing unit 610 of system 600 in response to one or more sequences of one or more instructions included in working memory 635 (which may be incorporated into operating system 640 and / or other code, such as application 645). Such instructions may be read into working memory 635 from one or more of another computer-readable medium, such as storage devices 625. By way of example only, execution of the sequence of instructions included in working memory 635 may cause processing unit 610 to execute one or more programs of the methods described herein.

[0096] As used herein, the terms “machine-readable medium” and “computer-readable medium” refer to any medium that participates in providing data that causes a machine to operate in a particular manner. In embodiments using system 600, various computer-readable media may relate to providing instructions / code to processing unit 610 for execution and / or being available for storing and / or transporting such instructions / code (e.g., as signals). In many embodiments, computer-readable media are physical and / or tangible storage media. Such media can take many forms, including but not limited to non-volatile media, volatile media, and transmission media. Non-volatile media include, for example, optical discs and / or magnetic disks, such as storage device 625. Volatile media include, but are not limited to, volatile memories, such as working memory 635. Transmission media include, but are not limited to, coaxial cables, copper wires, and optical fibers, including lines including bus 605, and various components of communication interface 630 (and / or communication interface 630, a medium for providing communication with other devices). Thus, transmission media may also take the form of waves (including, but not limited to, radio waves, sound waves, and / or light waves, such as waves generated during radio wave and infrared data communication).

[0097] Common forms of physical and / or tangible computer-readable media include, for example, magnetic card media, optical media or any other physical media with a perforated pattern, RAM, PROM, EPROM, FLASH-EPROM, any other memory chip or cassette disk, carrier waves as described below, or any other media from which a computer can read instructions and / or code.

[0098] Typically, communication interface 630 (and / or components of communication interface 630) receives signals, and bus 605 can then transport the signals (and / or data, instructions, etc. carried by the signals) to working memory 635, where processor 610 fetches instructions from working memory 635 and executes them. Instructions received via working memory 635 may, as appropriate, be stored on non-transitory storage device 625 before or after execution by processing unit 610 and controller.

[0099] In the embodiments described above, the processes may be described in a specific order for illustrative purposes. It should be understood that in alternative embodiments, the methods may be performed in a different order than described. It should also be understood that the methods and / or system components described above may be executed by hardware and / or software components (including integrated circuits, processing units, etc.), or may be embodied as a sequence of machine-readable or computer-readable instructions that can be used to cause a machine (such as a general-purpose or special-purpose processor or programmed logic circuitry) to perform the methods. These machine-readable instructions may be stored on one or more machine-readable media (such as CD-ROMs or other types of optical discs, floppy diskettes, ROMs, RAMs, EPROMs, EEPROMs, magnetic or optical cards, flash memory, or other types of machine-readable media suitable for storing electronic instructions). Alternatively, the methods may be performed by a combination of hardware and software.

[0100] The objectives of embodiments of the invention are described herein specifically in a manner that satisfies legal requirements, but this specification is not intended to limit the scope of the claims. The claimed subject matter may be embodied in other ways, may include different elements or steps, and may be used with other prior or future technologies. This specification should not be construed as implying any particular order or arrangement of the various steps or elements, except where the order of individual steps or the arrangement of elements is expressly described.

[0101] As used herein, the terms “about,” “approximately,” or “substantially” may be interpreted as within the scope that a person skilled in the art would expect in light of the specification.

[0102] In the foregoing description, numerous specific details have been set forth for purposes of explanation in order to provide a thorough understanding of the various embodiments. However, it will be apparent, however, that some embodiments may be practiced without some of these specific details. In other examples, well-known structures and devices are illustrated in block diagram form.

[0103] The foregoing description provides exemplary embodiments only and is not intended to limit the scope, applicability, or configuration of this disclosure. Rather, the foregoing description of various embodiments will provide a disclosure that can be implemented for carrying out at least one embodiment. It should be understood that various changes may be made to the function and arrangement of elements without departing from the spirit and scope of some embodiments set forth in the appended claims.

[0104] Furthermore, it should be noted that individual embodiments may have been described as processes depicted as flowcharts, flow diagrams, data flow diagrams, structural diagrams, or block diagrams. While flowcharts may describe operations as a sequential process, many operations may be performed in parallel or concurrently. Additionally, the order of operations can be rearranged. A process terminates upon completion of its operations, but may also have additional steps not included in the figures. A process may correspond to a method, function, procedure, subroutine, subroutine, etc. When a process corresponds to a function, its termination may correspond to the function returning to the calling function or the main function.

[0105] The term "computer-readable medium" includes, but is not limited to, portable or fixed storage devices, optical storage devices, wireless channels, and various other media capable of storing, containing, or carrying instructions and / or data. A code segment or machine-executable instruction may represent a procedure, function, subroutine, program, routine, subroutine, module, software package, class, or any combination of instructions, data structures, or program statements. A code segment can be coupled to another code segment or hardware circuit by passing and / or receiving information, data, arguments, parameters, or memory contents. Information, arguments, parameters, data, etc., can be passed, forwarded, or transmitted via any suitable means, including memory sharing, message passing, token passing, network transmission, etc.

[0106] Furthermore, the embodiments may be implemented by hardware, software, firmware, middleware, microcode, hardware description languages, or any combination thereof. When implemented as software, firmware, middleware, or microcode, the program code or code segments used to perform the necessary tasks may be stored in a machine-readable medium. The processor may execute these necessary tasks.

[0107] In the foregoing specification, features are described with reference to specific embodiments thereof, but it should be understood that not all embodiments are limited thereto. Various features and aspects of some embodiments may be used individually or in combination. Furthermore, without departing from the broader spirit and scope of the specification, embodiments may be used in any number of environments and applications beyond those described herein. Therefore, the specification and drawings are to be regarded as illustrative rather than restrictive.

[0108] Additionally, for illustrative purposes, the methods are described in a specific order. It should be understood that in alternative embodiments, the methods may be performed in a different order than described. It should also be understood that the methods described above may be executed by hardware components, or may be embodied by a sequence of machine-executable instructions that can be used to cause a machine (such as a general-purpose or special-purpose processor, or logic circuitry programmed with instructions) to execute the methods. These machine-executable instructions may be stored on one or more machine-readable media (such as CD-ROMs or other types of optical discs, floppy diskettes, ROMs, RAMs, EPROMs, EEPROMs, magnetic or optical cards, flash memory, or other types of machine-readable media suitable for storing electronic instructions). Alternatively, the methods may be executed by a combination of hardware and software.

Claims

1. A processing chamber, comprising: The chamber body includes a first end and an opposing second end; A cover is coupled to the first end of the chamber body; A gas ring is adjacent to the first end of the chamber body; A substrate support, wherein a processing area is defined between the substrate support and the cover; A port adapter system coupled to the second end of the chamber body, wherein the port adapter system includes: A port adapter body defines a plurality of pores in fluid communication with the processing area, wherein each of the plurality of pores is spaced apart along the port adapter body such that the distance between adjacent pores is within about 30% of the average pore spacing distance; Individually controllable valves, fluidly coupled to one or more of the plurality of orifices; and The discharge system is in communication with the upstream pipeline and the multiple pore fluids.

2. The processing chamber of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of pores is spaced apart along an arcuate path such that the distance between the respective pores is about 100° to about 140°.

3. The processing chamber of claim 2, wherein each of the plurality of pores is spaced apart along an arcuate path such that the distance between the respective pores is about 115° to about 125°.

4. The processing chamber of claim 1, wherein the port adapter system is permanently or releasably attached to the second end of the chamber body, or integrally formed with the chamber body.

5. The processing chamber as claimed in claim 1, wherein: Each of the plurality of pores is fluidly coupled to the discharge system along a corresponding flow path, each of the flow paths having a flow path length; The first pore of the plurality of pores has a first flow path to the discharge system, the first flow path having a first fluid path length, the first fluid path length being different from the flow path length of one or more other pores of the plurality of pores.

6. The processing chamber of claim 5, wherein the first pore defines a diameter that is different from the diameter of one or more other pores among the plurality of pores.

7. The processing chamber as claimed in claim 6, wherein: The first fluid path length is longer than the flow path length of one or more other pores in the plurality of pores; and The first pore has a defined diameter that is longer than the diameters of the other pores in the plurality of pores.

8. The processing chamber as claimed in claim 6, wherein: The first fluid path length is shorter than the flow path length of one or more other pores in the plurality of pores; and The diameter of the first pore is smaller than the diameter of the other pores among the plurality of pores.

9. The processing chamber as described in claim 6, It further includes a piping system, which includes one or more non-linear components.

10. A port adapter, comprising: The adapter body defines an inner surface, an outer surface, and a plurality of pores extending from the inner surface to the outer surface, wherein the distance between adjacent pores is within approximately 30% of the average pore spacing distance; Individually controllable valves, fluidly coupled to one or more of the plurality of orifices; and Multiple piping systems, wherein a first piping system in the multiple piping systems includes a diameter and a total path length, wherein the diameter, the total path length, or both the diameter and the total path length are different from the second diameter, the second total path length, or both the second diameter and the second total path length of a second piping system in the multiple piping systems.

11. The port adapter of claim 10, wherein each of the plurality of apertures is spaced apart along an arcuate path such that the distance between the respective apertures is about 100° to about 140°.

12. The port adapter of claim 11, wherein each of the plurality of apertures is spaced apart along an arcuate path such that the distance between the respective apertures is about 115° to about 125°.

13. The port adapter as claimed in claim 10, wherein: Each of the plurality of pores is fluidly coupled to a pipe system in the plurality of pipe systems, wherein each pipe system in the plurality of pipe systems includes a flow path length between the respective pore and the end point of the respective pipe system. The first pore of the plurality of pores is fluidly coupled to the first piping system, wherein the first piping system has a first fluid path length that is different from the flow path length of one or more other pores in the plurality of pores.

14. The port adapter of claim 13, wherein the first aperture defines a diameter that is different from the diameter of the other apertures among the plurality of apertures.

15. The port adapter as claimed in claim 14, wherein: The first fluid path length is longer than the flow path length of one or more other pores in the plurality of pores; and The first pore has a defined diameter, which is larger than the diameter of one or more other pores among the plurality of pores.

16. The port adapter as claimed in claim 14, wherein: The first fluid path length is shorter than the flow path length of one or more other pores in the plurality of pores; and The first pore defines a diameter smaller than one or more of the other pores in the plurality of pores.

17. A method for processing a substrate, comprising: Gas is introduced into the first end of the chamber body of the processing chamber; The gas is vented via a port adapter system coupled to the second end of the chamber body, wherein the port adapter system includes: A port adapter body defines a plurality of orifices in fluid communication with the processing chamber, wherein each of the plurality of orifices is spaced apart from each other along the port adapter; Multiple independently controllable valves are fluidly coupled to the multiple orifices; and Close the first valve of the plurality of valves, while maintaining at least the second valve of the plurality of valves in the open configuration; and The gas is further removed from the chamber body via the port adapter system.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising detecting residual material and / or asymmetric flow paths prior to closing the first valve.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the port adapter system further comprises a plurality of piping systems, each of the plurality of piping systems being fluidly connected to a pore in the plurality of pores, and the method further comprises correcting one or more of the piping system path length and the piping system diameter based on the detection of the asymmetric flow path.

20. The method of claim 18, further comprising reopening the first valve after removing the residue.

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