Pumping liner and method of making and using same

Abstract

Disclosed herein is a pumping liner having a gas inlet configured to receive a process gas and an opening coupled to the gas inlet, the opening surrounding the substrate support and configured to direct the process gas to the substrate support. At least some of the openings each have a different size. Each opening is configured to provide a gas mass flow rate within ±5% of a target gas mass flow rate. The pumping liner further includes a gas outlet configured to receive unreacted process gas and reacted process gas by-products.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE This disclosure relates to electronic device manufacturing, and more particularly to one or more embodiments of a pumping liner for electronic device manufacturing equipment, and methods of making and using same. [Background technology]

[0002] Electronic device manufacturing equipment typically includes one or more processing chambers having a substrate support on which a substrate is placed during processing. In some methods, pressurized gas is introduced onto the substrate and flows radially and downwardly onto the substrate to deposit a film. Pumping liners can be used to direct the gas flow to the substrate surface. Conventional pumping liners are designed with uniform hole sizes and baffles are used to empirically tune the uniformity of deposition on the substrate. The baffles provide flow obstacles to reduce or prevent large pressure variations across holes in one location compared to holes in another location. Such conventional pumping liners are difficult to optimize due to the large number of degrees of freedom (e.g., number of baffles, distance between baffles and pumping holes, angular size of baffles, etc.). Because the tuning method is empirical, new parts are tested each time the configuration is optimized. This tuning method is time consuming, and space constraints often limit the use of baffles. Thus, pumping liners necessarily have some regions that deliver more gas to the substrate than other regions, resulting in non-uniform gas delivery to the processed substrate. Summary of the Invention

[0003] Various embodiments of a pumping liner for a processing chamber are disclosed herein, the body comprising a body configured to surround a substrate support of the processing chamber, the body comprising a plurality of openings configured to receive at least one of unreacted process gas or reacted gas by-products from the process gas supplied toward the substrate support, wherein one or more first openings of the plurality of openings have a first size that is different from a second size of one or more second openings of the plurality of openings, each of the plurality of openings configured to provide a gas mass flow rate within ±5% of a target gas mass flow rate, and a gas outlet configured to exhaust at least one of the unreacted process gas or reacted process gas by-products received through the plurality of openings from the pumping liner.

[0004] Further disclosed herein, according to various embodiments, is a semiconductor processing chamber comprising a substrate support for supporting a substrate; a faceplate for supplying process gas to the substrate; and a pumping liner disposed about the substrate support, the pumping liner surrounding the substrate support and comprising a plurality of openings configured to receive at least one of unreacted process gas or reacted gas by-products from the process gas supplied toward the substrate support, wherein one or more first openings of the plurality of openings have a first size that is different from a second size of one or more second openings of the plurality of openings, each of the plurality of openings configured to provide a gas mass flow rate within ±5% of a target gas mass flow rate; and a gas outlet configured to exhaust at least one of the unreacted process gas or reacted process gas by-products received through the plurality of openings from the pumping liner.

[0005] In a further embodiment disclosed herein, a method of manufacturing a variable size aperture pumping liner is disclosed that includes forming a pumping liner body; and forming a plurality of apertures and a gas outlet in the body, where the plurality of apertures surround a substrate support and are configured to receive at least one of unreacted process gas or reacted gas products resulting from the process gas supplied toward the substrate support, where one or more first apertures of the plurality of apertures have a first size that is different from a second size of one or more second apertures of the plurality of apertures, where each of the plurality of apertures is configured to provide a gas mass flow rate within ±5% of a target gas mass flow rate; and the gas outlet is configured to exhaust at least one of the unreacted process gas or reacted process gas by-products received through the plurality of apertures from the pumping liner.

[0006] The drawings described below are for illustrative purposes and are not necessarily drawn to scale. The drawings are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure in any way. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1A] FIG. 1 illustrates an electronic device manufacturing apparatus having a variable size aperture pumping liner according to one or more embodiments disclosed herein. [Figure 1B] FIG. 1 illustrates a variable size aperture pumping liner in an electronic device manufacturing apparatus according to one or more embodiments disclosed herein. [Figure 1C] 1 is a cross-sectional view of a variable size aperture pumping liner in an electronic device manufacturing apparatus according to one or more embodiments disclosed herein; [Diagram 2] FIG. 1 illustrates flow domains within a variable size aperture pumping liner, according to one or more embodiments disclosed herein. [Diagram 3] 1 is a graph illustrating an exemplary mass flow distribution (i.e., mass flow as a function of aperture number) of gas flowing through the apertures of a variable size aperture pumping liner in accordance with one or more embodiments disclosed herein. [Figure 4] 1 is a graph illustrating exemplary aperture size (e.g., diameter in mils) as a function of aperture number for a variable size aperture pumping liner according to one or more embodiments disclosed herein. [Diagram 5] Graph showing an exemplary hole size distribution (deviation from best known method or "BKM") as a function of hole number for a variable size aperture pumping liner according to one or more embodiments disclosed herein. [Figure 6] Graph showing an exemplary hole size distribution (hole size deviation from BKM as a function of hole number) for a variable size aperture pumping liner according to one or more embodiments disclosed herein. [Figure 7] FIG. 1 illustrates a method of manufacturing a variable size aperture pumping liner in accordance with one or more embodiments herein. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0008] Reference will now be made in detail to the exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure, which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Wherever possible, the same reference numbers will be used throughout the drawings to refer to the same or similar parts throughout the several views. The features of the various embodiments described herein may be combined with each other, unless otherwise stated.

[0009] A pumping liner according to one or more embodiments herein is a liner configured to be disposed around a substrate support. The pumping liner is used to distribute gas flow across the surface of a substrate placed on the substrate support during processing. In the embodiments described herein, the pumping liner includes a plurality of openings of different sizes, which reduces or eliminates the use of baffles. By varying the gas inlet opening size across the pumping liner, a uniform radial flow distribution of gas over the substrate during processing can be maintained even in the absence of baffles. The pumping liners described in the embodiments herein provide improved gas flow uniformity over conventional pumping liners. Furthermore, reducing or eliminating the baffles can correspondingly reduce the size or footprint of the pumping liner, ultimately reducing the overall size of the processing chamber.

[0010] A pumping liner according to one or more embodiments herein can have a universal design configured to meet spatial constraints within a variety of different equipment (e.g., processing chambers). Alternatively, the pumping liner can be configured for a specific application and / or processing chamber. The pumping liners described herein can be manufactured and tuned with fewer design iterations than conventional pumping liners that typically use baffles, and can be optimized without the need for baffles.

[0011] The pumping liner in embodiments may have an optimized aperture size distribution. In some embodiments, the apertures of the pumping liner are clustered into groups. The apertures in each group may have the same size as the other apertures in the group. Using groups with a common aperture size can improve manufacturability by setting the aperture size based on different drill bit sizes. The number of apertures in each group and / or the number of groups can be selected to meet flow uniformity and manufacturability specifications.

[0012] 1A-1C illustrate an electronic device manufacturing apparatus 100 having a variable size aperture pumping liner 102 according to one or more embodiments disclosed herein. Suitable electronic device manufacturing apparatus include, but are not limited to, a physical vapor deposition (PVD) chamber, an atomic layer deposition (ALD) chamber, a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) chamber, and the like. The apparatus illustrated in FIG. 1A includes an upper lid 104 and a lower lid 108 configured to seal and unseal the interior of the chamber 106 from an external environment. In some manufacturing methods, the interior of the chamber 106 is evacuated, for example, by a vacuum pump, to achieve vacuum conditions, such as ultra-high vacuum conditions. The upper lid 104 and the lower lid 108 can provide an airtight seal to the interior of the chamber 106 to maintain the vacuum condition.

[0013] The apparatus 100 further includes a substrate support assembly 109. The substrate support assembly 109 holds a substrate (not shown) during processing. In one embodiment, the substrate support assembly includes a shaft or pedestal 110 attached to a substrate support 112. In one embodiment, the substrate support is or includes a chuck, such as an electrostatic chuck, a vacuum chuck, or other type of chuck. The chuck can include one or more heating elements. In one embodiment, the substrate support 112 is a heater. In one embodiment, the substrate support assembly 109 includes an isolator (e.g., a ceramic isolator) 116 positioned around the shaft 110 and below the substrate support 112. As shown in FIG. 1A, the pumping liner 102 can be disposed around the substrate support 112 and the ceramic isolator 116 and below the face plate 103. A substrate can be positioned on the substrate support 112 for processing. The substrate support 112 (e.g., a heater or a chuck with a heating element) can be configured to control the temperature of the substrate during processing.

[0014] The face plate 103 may be configured with holes having a pyramidal, conical, or other similar shape with a narrow top widening to a wide base. The face plate 103 may also be flat as shown or may include a number of apertures used to distribute process gases. The face plate 103 may deliver process gases onto the substrate. In some embodiments, plasma generating gases and / or plasma excited species may pass through the apertures in the face plate 103 for uniform delivery to the volume above the substrate. The face plate 103 also allows plasma generated radicals to pass through the face plate 103 when cleaning the chamber.

[0015] The electronic device manufacturing apparatus 100 may include a gas panel (not shown) for supplying process gases and / or cleaning gases to the chamber 106 via a gas distribution assembly (not shown). Examples of process gases may be used for processing in the process chamber, including halogen-containing gases such as C2F6, SF6, SiCl4, HBr, NF3, CF4, CHF3, CH2F3, Cl2, and SiF4, among others, as well as other gases such as O2 or N2O. Examples of other gases (e.g., carrier gases, etc.) that may be flowed include N2, He, Ar, and other gases that are inert to the process gases (e.g., non-reactive gases). The gas distribution assembly may have one or more apertures for supplying gases to the pumping liner 102.

[0016] The substrate may be placed on a substrate support 112 as gas is introduced into the chamber 106 and onto the substrate through the variable size aperture pumping liner 102. The variable size aperture pumping liner 102 may include a plenum having a gas inlet, a number of apertures, optionally one or more baffles, and a gas outlet.

[0017] 1A and 1B, gas enters the pumping liner 102 through a gas inlet and enters the chamber 106 through the openings 118 of the pumping liner 102. In an embodiment, the gas flows radially across the surface of the substrate toward its center and exits through an outlet via the plenum (see FIG. 2). According to one or more embodiments, the size of the openings 118 varies around the circumference of the pumping liner 102 and the substrate support 112 to provide a uniform mass flow rate of gas (e.g., process gas) through the openings 118. The size of each opening 118 is designed to provide about the same or substantially the same target mass flow rate through each opening. Gas flow rates are generally higher near the gas outlets of the plenum. Thus, to increase the gas flow rate of openings that are not close to the gas outlets, the size of such openings can be increased away from the gas outlets. In one example, the mass flow rate of a first opening of the plurality of openings having the smallest gas flow rate is within about ±5%, about ±4%, about ±3%, about ±2%, about ±1%, about ±0.5% of the mass flow rate of a second opening of the plurality of openings having the largest gas flow rate. In some embodiments, the mass flow rates through each opening are substantially uniform or within about ±5%, about ±4%, about ±3%, about ±2%, about ±1%, about ±0.5% of each other. In some embodiments, each opening has a mass flow rate within about ±5%, about ±4%, about ±3%, about ±2%, about ±1%, about ±0.5% of the target gas flow rate. Such gas flow rate uniformity can be achieved by using non-uniformly sized openings (e.g., holes) across the inner diameter of the plenum.

[0018] In some embodiments, the pumping liner 102 can include about 10 openings to about 100 openings, or any individual value or subrange within this range (e.g., about 20 openings, 30 openings, 40 openings, 50 openings, 60 openings, 70 openings, 80 openings, 90 openings, 120 openings, etc.). The openings 118 can be in any suitable pattern to provide a substantially uniform mass flow rate. In some embodiments, the pumping liner 118 is symmetrical, such that the size and shape of the openings in one half of the pumping liner are mirrored in the other half of the pumping liner. In one or more embodiments, the opening sizes are arranged in groups, with each opening sharing a group having the same opening size. For example, apertures 1-3 may form a first group all having the same size, apertures 4-6 may form a second group all of the same size larger than the size of apertures 1-3 in the first group, apertures 7-9 may form a third group all of the same size larger than the size of apertures 4-6 in the second group, etc. Apertures 118 may be circular, rectangular, square, triangular, etc.

[0019] In some embodiments, the spacing between the openings can be uniform. In other embodiments, the spacing between the openings can be non-uniform. According to one or more embodiments, the pumping liner 102 can have fewer openings near the exit or access points and gradually more openings located away from such elements, but the spacing must be optimized to avoid stagnant zones (e.g., between the openings) where process gases can accumulate and / or the flow of gas across the substrate can be reduced. Such stagnant zones can result in excessive deposition and accumulation of material that can eventually be eroded or removed, resulting in defects (e.g., particle defects) on the substrate. In some embodiments, the pattern of variable opening sizes adds parallel openings on top of existing openings (e.g., uniform openings) spaced vertically from the existing openings to increase the flow rate, rather than having a single opening with a larger diameter.

[0020] In some embodiments, the aperture size and pattern are configured for a particular application. For example, a first pumping liner having a first pattern of apertures may be configured for a first application (e.g., rare earth oxide deposition at high temperatures), while a second pumping liner having a second pattern of apertures may be configured for a second application (e.g., aluminum oxide deposition at low temperatures).

[0021] In addition to meeting mass flow specifications, considerations for optimizing each opening 118 may include pressure loss of fluid flowing through one or more openings and / or conductance of process gas during evacuation. As the opening size (e.g., diameter) becomes smaller, the pressure loss of fluid flowing through the opening increases. Thus, in addition to targeting mass flow rates, the minimum allowable pressure loss for a particular process may also be taken into consideration when determining the opening size (e.g., hole size). Another consideration when designing the openings is to allow the pump to quickly evacuate the process gas from the chamber after the process is completed. An opening that is too small will reduce the conductance and therefore take longer to evacuate the chamber, reducing the throughput of the electronic device manufacturing equipment. In some embodiments, the average size of the openings may be specified for a particular process to balance the above considerations for target mass flow rates, pressure loss, and conductance. In some embodiments, the average opening size of the pumping liner is from about 100 mils to about 500 mils, from about 150 mils to about 300 mils, or from about 180 mils to about 240 mils, or any individual value or subrange therein.

[0022] In an embodiment, the opening size of the plurality of openings 118 is based on the distance from the gas outlet. The opening size can be larger the further away from the gas outlet. This is because the opening closer to the gas outlet generally has a higher mass flow rate. For example, for two openings of equal size, with the first opening near the gas outlet and the second opening farther away from the gas outlet, the second opening will have a lower mass flow rate than the first opening. Additionally, in some embodiments, the pumping liner 102 can include one or more baffles configured to act as flow obstacles. The baffles (not shown) can limit pressure changes across the inner diameter of the pumping liner 102. The baffles can be positioned between the openings on the side of the pumping liner 102 and the gas outlet.

[0023] If baffles are used, they may cause some openings that are physically closer to the gas outlet to actually have a longer flow path to the gas outlet than other openings that are physically farther from the gas outlet. In such an embodiment, the opening size may vary based on the distance of the gas flow path between the opening and the gas outlet. For example, if the pumping liner 102 has two baffles, with a gap between the two baffles that provides a first access point to the gas outlet and a space at the end of one of the baffles that provides a second access point to the gas outlet, the opening size may be based at least in part on the distance from the first and second access points.

[0024] An additional consideration when designing the aperture size pattern is the flow or pressure distribution on the substrate support 112. The size distribution of the apertures 118 of the variable size aperture pumping liner 102 can be configured to provide as much concentric pressure as possible around the center of the substrate support 102. For example, a pumping liner 102 that results in bull's-eye deposition or deposition of material biased to one side or the other is suboptimal. The size of the various apertures 118 of the pumping liner 102 should be optimized to provide uniform deposition of material on the substrate. Optimizing the aperture size pattern to provide a uniform flow or pressure distribution across the substrate can result in a more uniform deposition of material on the substrate.

[0025] According to one or more embodiments, the pumping liner 102 may be constructed of any suitable material that is preferably inert to the semiconductor processing gases used in a particular application. Suitable pumping liner 102 materials include, but are not limited to, aluminum, aluminum 6061, stainless steel, or combinations thereof. In some embodiments, the pumping liner 102 is coated with a corrosion resistant coating, e.g., a thin film coating, deposited by plasma deposition, chemical vapor deposition, atomic layer deposition, ion-assisted deposition, anodization, or any other suitable deposition method. Such thin film coatings may include aluminum oxide, zirconium oxide, rare earth metal oxides (e.g., yttrium, erbium, etc.), metal oxides such as yttrium aluminum garnet (YAG), or combinations thereof. In some embodiments, the coating is an atomic layer deposition coating having a thickness of about 1 nm to about 10 μm on the surface of the pumping liner and optionally on the walls of the apertures. In some embodiments, the pumping liner 102 is formed of anodized aluminum oxide.

[0026] FIG. 2 illustrates a flow domain (e.g., negative volume) 202 in a portion of a variable size aperture pumping liner (e.g., variable size aperture pumping liner 102 of FIGS. 1A-C) according to one or more embodiments herein. The flow domain is defined by a process chamber having a pumping liner installed in the process chamber such that the volume filled with process gas is shown in FIG. 2. In some embodiments, a pressurized purge gas (e.g., helium) 222 flows under the substrate (not shown) in the space between the pedestal and / or substrate support (not shown) and the substrate. According to at least one embodiment, the purge gas 222 flows in the space below the substrate to reduce and / or prevent diffusion of process gas under the substrate support. If the process gas diffuses under the heater, it may deposit on components of the electronic device manufacturing system. In some embodiments, the purge gas 222 flows continuously to reduce or avoid backflow or gas diffusion under the heater.

[0027] In one or more embodiments, the configuration within the processing chamber includes a plenum 224 that facilitates circulation of processing gas. An initial flow 230A of processing gas may be directed from a faceplate to a region 226 above the substrate support (e.g., above a substrate supported by the substrate support). The processing gas may then flow into the plenum 224 through pumping openings 218 (230B). The gas may flow through the plenum 224 (230C) and further to the outlet 220 (230E). In some embodiments, the plenum 224 includes one or more baffles (represented via gaps 250A, 250B proximate the gas outlet 220) to restrict gas flow near the outlet 220. In such embodiments, the gas may flow through access points between and / or at the ends of the baffles 250A-B (230D) and then toward the outlet 220 (230D).

[0028] During processing, a substrate (not shown) is configured to be placed on a substrate support (not shown) in region 226 such that process gas flows radially from region 226 through inlet opening 218 and then through plenum 224 to outlet 220. In some embodiments, a purge gas 222 (e.g., N2, argon, helium, air, CDA, or combinations thereof) is configured to purge the flow domain after use of the process gas. In some embodiments, the substrate support has a diameter of about 301 mm to about 400 mm, or any individual size or subrange within this range, and the substrate has a diameter of about 100 mm to about 320 mm. In some embodiments, the substrate support has a diameter of about 360 mm, and the substrate has a diameter of about 300 mm. The size of plenum 224 can be optimized based on size constraints within the processing chamber. A larger chamber can provide more space for a larger plenum. In some embodiments, plenum 224 has two outlets. In some embodiments, the plenum 224 has a single outlet 220, as shown.

[0029] In some embodiments, the openings closest to the plenum outlet(s) 220 and / or access point(s) to the outlet 220 may have a relatively smaller size (i.e., to reduce mass flow rate) than the openings farther away from the outlet(s) and / or access point(s) to the outlet. In one or more embodiments, the pattern of opening sizes may be configured based on the location of the pumping liner outlets. The placement of the pumping liner outlets may affect which openings are smaller or larger than the average opening diameter of the pumping liner. The shape and volume of the pumping liner may also be a consideration in determining the pattern of opening sizes across the liner. In some embodiments, a first half of the openings may have a first size pattern and a second half of the openings may have a second size pattern. For example, the pattern of openings in the second half may mirror the pattern of openings in the first half.

[0030] 3 is a graph illustrating an exemplary mass flow distribution (i.e., mass flow as a function of aperture number) of gas flowing through the apertures of a variable size aperture pumping liner according to one or more embodiments disclosed herein compared to a conventional pump liner. The line shown as BKM302 is the mass flow rate as a function of the number of apertures through the apertures of a conventional pumping liner with equal size apertures. The mass flow distribution of the BKM liner is compared to that of another conventional pumping liner 304 with uniform apertures (180 mil diameter), a first iteration of the variable size aperture pumping liner (Itr1) 306, and a second iteration of the variable size aperture pumping liner (Itr2) 308. The target mass flow rate of the pumping liner shown in FIG. 3 is about 2.4e -06 As shown in FIG. 3, the mass flow rate of the BKM pumping liner 302 at its lowest level (i.e., opening 1) was about 2.23 e -6 kg / sec to approximately 2.69 e at its highest level (i.e., aperture 17) -6 The mass flow rate varied from 0.001 to 0.001 kg / sec. The variation in mass flow rate across the aperture of the 180 mil aperture 304 comparative pumping liner was less than the variation of the BKM302 pumping liner, as shown in FIG. 3. The variable size aperture pumping liners Itr1_306 and Itr2_308 according to embodiments herein had a nearly uniform mass flow rate across the aperture of the pumping liner. For example, the mass flow rate of Itr1_306 was approximately 2.36 e of aperture 1. -6 kg / sec to aperture 20 about 2.45e -6 The mass flow rate across the aperture of Itr1_306 compared to the target varied by approximately ±1% or less.

[0031] FIG. 4 is a graph showing an exemplary aperture diameter (mils) as a function of aperture number for a variable size aperture pumping liner according to one or more embodiments disclosed herein. The aperture size of the comparative BKM pumping liner was constant at about 238.2 mils. The aperture sizes of the variable size aperture pumping liners according to embodiments herein, iteration 1 (Itr1), iteration 2 (Itr2), and iteration 3 (Itr3), varied from about 245 mils to about 231 mils. Itr1 and Itr2 correspond to Itr1 and Itr2 in FIG. 3, respectively. The outlets of the variable size aperture pumping liners Itr1, Itr2, Itr3 were closest to aperture 17, which had the smallest aperture diameter. Aperture 2 was further away from the outlet and had the largest aperture diameter. The minimum aperture diameter for aperture 40 indicates that there was an access point near this aperture. The additional peaks in aperture diameter at apertures 30 and 60 indicate that these apertures are further away from the outlet and / or access point. By varying the aperture diameter across the pumping liner, the mass flow rate through each aperture can be optimized to meet a target mass flow rate. Providing a consistent mass flow rate through each aperture results in a more uniform distribution of process gases over the substrate, resulting in a more uniform deposition (or etch).

[0032] FIG. 5 is a graph showing an example hole size distribution (deviation from BKM as a function of number of holes) of a variable size aperture pumping liner according to one or more embodiments disclosed herein. As discussed with respect to FIG. 4, the uniform hole size of the BKM comparative pumping liner in the example provided was about 238.2 mils. FIG. 5 shows the positive or negative difference between the holes of a conventional BKM pumping liner compared to the holes of a variable size aperture pumping liner according to embodiments herein. The hole sizes differed by 6 or 7 mils. In other words, some holes were 7 mils smaller in size and other holes were 6 mils larger in size.

[0033] FIG. 6 is a graph showing an example hole size distribution (hole size deviation from BKM as a function of hole number) of a variable size aperture pumping liner according to one or more embodiments disclosed herein. Variable size aperture pumping liners DD-G5, DD-G3, and DD-G0 were each constructed with a different hole size pattern. Pumping liner DD-G0 was formed with a continuously varying hole size pattern such that the size of each hole gradually increases or decreases relative to the adjacent holes, resulting in the smooth line shown in FIG. 6. In some embodiments, constructing a pumping liner with such a continuously varying hole size pattern may be impractical. For example, the number of drill bits or punches and / or the size of the drill bits or punches may increase the cost and complexity of manufacturing. According to one or more embodiments, the hole size pattern of the pumping liner can be increased or decreased by groups, thereby generating fewer drill bits or punches to create holes. For example, the hole size pattern of pumping liner DD-G3 was varied in three groups so that the average hole size deviation from the comparative BKM pumping liner approximated the transitional hole size pattern of pumping liner DD-G0. The hole size pattern of pumping liner DD-G5 was varied in five groups so that the average hole size deviation from the comparative BKM pumping liner approximated the transitional hole size pattern of pumping liner DD-G0. In one or more embodiments, pumping liners DD-G3 and DD-G5 have improved manufacturability and lower cost than pumping liners with continuous hole size patterns. The use of groups of openings allows the size of the holes to be designed based on the size of the available drill bit.

[0034] 7 illustrates a method 700 for manufacturing a variable size aperture pumping liner according to one or more embodiments herein. At 702, the method includes forming a pumping liner body suitable for a particular application and / or manufacturing apparatus. Forming the pumping liner 702 can be performed by machining, metal machining, metal casting, forging, three-dimensional printing, injection molding, overmolding, or combinations thereof. The pumping liner body can be formed of aluminum, aluminum 6061, stainless steel, combinations thereof, or any other suitable corrosion resistant metal, polymer, or composite material.

[0035] At 704, the method 700 includes forming a plurality of apertures in the pumping liner body. The plurality of apertures are of variable size. In some embodiments, a plurality of aperture forming tools (e.g., drill bits, punches, etc.) can be used to form the plurality of apertures having an optimized pattern of variable size. In some embodiments, adjacent apertures can be formed using aperture forming tools of different sizes. In yet other embodiments, groups of adjacent apertures can be formed by aperture forming tools of the same size. In some embodiments, the apertures of variable size are formed concentrically in the pumping liner around the location where the substrate is to be placed. Any suitable pattern can be used, such as one or more straight lines, staggered lines, honeycombs, etc.

[0036] In some embodiments, forming the multiple apertures in the pumping liner is performed by an automated process. For example, a robot or assembly device can be used to form the apertures at predetermined locations. The robotic arm can be configured to rotate or otherwise change drill bits or punch sizes based on an algorithm to generate a pattern of desired aperture sizes, such as, for example, via a computer numerically controlled (CNC) machine that drills according to a digital file with instructions on where to form holes and the hole size for each hole.

[0037] At block 706, the pumping liner may optionally be coated with a corrosion-resistant coating. For example, a thin film coating may be deposited on the surface of the pumping liner using plasma deposition, chemical vapor deposition, atomic layer deposition, anodization, or a combination thereof. In some embodiments, the corrosion-resistant coating is comprised of a metal oxide. Suitable metal oxides include, but are not limited to, aluminum oxide, zirconium oxide, rare earth metal oxides (e.g., yttrium oxide, erbium oxide, etc.), or a combination thereof. The corrosion-resistant coating may have a thickness of about 1 nm to about 10 μm.

[0038] The pumping liners resulting from the manufacturing method 700 can be installed in suitable electronic device manufacturing equipment. Conventional uniform hole pumping liners provide a mass flow rate variation of about 19%. The term "variation" is understood to mean the maximum and minimum mass flow rates through each aperture relative to the average. Variable size aperture pumping liners with a continuous hole size pattern manufactured using the above method 700 provide a mass flow rate variation of about 1.6%. Variable size aperture pumping liners with stepped hole size patterns (i.e., groups of 3, 4, 5, etc.) manufactured using the above method 700 provide a mass flow rate variation of about 4.7% (e.g., 3 holes) to about 7.7% (e.g., 5 holes). Thus, variable hole size pumping liners according to embodiments herein provide an improvement of up to 10 times, or 1.5 times to 10 times, or any individual value or subrange within these ranges, compared to conventional pumping liners.

[0039] Throughout this specification, for example, a reference to "one embodiment," "a particular embodiment," "one or more embodiments," or "an embodiment" means that a particular feature, structure, material, or characteristic described in connection with an embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the invention. Thus, the appearances of phrases such as "in one or more embodiments," "in a particular embodiment," "in one embodiment," or "in an embodiment" in various places throughout the specification do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment of the invention. Furthermore, the particular features, structures, materials, or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments.

[0040] As used herein, the singular forms "a," "an," and "the" include plural references unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Thus, for example, reference to a "robotic arm" includes not only a single robotic arm but also multiple robotic arms.

[0041] As used herein, the term "about" in connection with a measured quantity refers to the normal variation of the measured quantity that one of ordinary skill in the art would expect in making the measurement and using a level of care commensurate with the purpose of the measurement and the precision of the measurement device. In certain embodiments, the term "about" includes the recited number ±10%, so that "about 10" would include 9 to 11.

[0042] The term "at least about" in relation to a measured quantity refers to normal variations in the measured quantity that one of ordinary skill in the art would expect in making the measurement and using a level of care commensurate with the purpose of the measurement and the precision of the measurement device, as well as the quantity beyond. In certain embodiments, the term "at least about" includes the recited number minus 10% and any quantity greater than that, such that "at least about 10" would include 9 and any quantity greater than 9. The term can also be expressed as "about 10 or greater." Similarly, the term "less than about" typically includes the recited number plus 10% and any quantity less than that, such that "less than about 10" would include 11 and any quantity less than 11. The term can also be expressed as "less than about 10."

[0043] All parts and percentages are by weight unless otherwise indicated. Weight percent (wt%) is based on the total composition, free of volatile materials, i.e., dry solids content, unless otherwise indicated.

[0044] The foregoing description discloses exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. Modifications of the above disclosed assemblies, devices, and methods that fall within the scope of the present disclosure will be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art. Thus, although the present disclosure has been disclosed in connection with exemplary embodiments, it will be understood that other embodiments may fall within the scope of the present disclosure as defined by the following claims.

Claims

1. 1. A pumping liner for a processing chamber, comprising: a body configured to surround a substrate support of the processing chamber, a plurality of apertures surrounding the substrate support and configured to receive at least one of unreacted process gas or reactive gas products resulting from the process gas supplied toward the substrate support, one or more first apertures of the plurality of apertures having a first size that is different from a second size of one or more second apertures of the plurality of apertures, each of the plurality of apertures configured to provide a gas mass flow rate within ±5% of a target gas mass flow rate; at least one gas outlet configured to exhaust at least one of the unreacted process gas or the reacted process gas by-products received from the pumping liner through the plurality of openings; Including, the main body A pumping liner comprising:

2. The pumping liner of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of openings comprises from about 10 openings to about 120 openings.

3. The pumping liner of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of apertures comprises a plurality of groups of apertures, and for each group of the plurality of groups of apertures, each aperture within the group has the same size.

4. The pumping liner of claim 1 , wherein each opening of the plurality of openings is circular, rectangular, square, triangular, or a combination thereof.

5. The pumping liner of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of openings are configured to be uniformly spaced about a circumference of the substrate support.

6. The pumping liner of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of openings are arranged with fewer openings near the gas outlet and more openings farther away from the gas outlet.

7. The pumping liner of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of openings are positioned to prevent stagnation zones in process gas flow across the substrate support.

8. The pumping liner of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of openings are arranged in parallel lines, a honeycomb pattern, or a combination thereof.

9. 2. The pumping liner of claim 1, wherein the plurality of openings increase in size gradually from a first point proximate the gas outlet to a second point.

10. The pumping liner of claim 1 , wherein the plenum comprises a corrosion resistant metal, a corrosion resistant polymer, a corrosion resistant composite material, aluminum, aluminum 6061, stainless steel, or a combination thereof.

11. The pumping liner of claim 10 further comprising a ceramic coating on said plenum.

12. 2. The pumping liner of claim 1, wherein the plenum further comprises one or more baffles and has one or more access points for the gas outlet, the hole size of the plurality of holes increasing with distance from the one or more access points.

13. 1. A semiconductor processing chamber comprising: A substrate support for supporting a substrate; a face plate for delivering process gas to the substrate; and a pumping liner disposed about the substrate support, a plurality of apertures surrounding the substrate support and configured to receive at least one of unreacted process gas or reactive gas products resulting from the process gas supplied toward the substrate support, one or more first apertures of the plurality of apertures having a first size that is different from a second size of one or more second apertures of the plurality of apertures, each of the plurality of apertures configured to provide a gas mass flow rate within ±5% of a target gas mass flow rate; a gas outlet configured to exhaust at least one of the unreacted process gas or the reacted process gas by-products received from the pumping liner through the plurality of openings; Including pumping liners A semiconductor processing chamber comprising:

14. The processing chamber of claim 13 , wherein the substrate support comprises a heater.

15. 14. The processing chamber of claim 13, further comprising one or more access points to the processing chamber, wherein an opening closest to the outlet or at least one of the one or more access points is smaller than an opening farther away from the outlet or one or more access points.

16. 1. A method of manufacturing a variable size aperture pumping liner, comprising: forming a body of the pumping liner; and forming a plurality of openings and a gas outlet in the body; the plurality of openings surround the substrate support and are configured to receive at least one of unreacted process gas or reactive gas products resulting from the process gas supplied toward the substrate support, one or more first openings of the plurality of openings having a first size that is different from a second size of one or more second openings of the plurality of openings, and each of the plurality of openings is configured to provide a gas mass flow rate within ±5% of a target gas mass flow rate; the gas outlet is configured to exhaust at least one of the unreacted process gas or the reacted process gas by-products received from the pumping liner through the plurality of openings. A method for manufacturing a variable size aperture pumping liner.

17. 17. The method of claim 16, wherein forming the body comprises forming the body by at least one of machining, metal working, casting, forging, three-dimensional printing, injection molding, or overmolding a material.

18. 20. The method of claim 17, wherein the material comprises a corrosion resistant metal, a corrosion resistant polymer, a corrosion resistant composite material, aluminum, aluminum 6061, stainless steel, or a combination thereof.

19. The method of claim 16 , wherein forming the plurality of apertures comprises drilling or punching the body to form apertures having a pattern of varying sizes. In some embodiments, adjacent openings may be formed using opening forming tools of different sizes.

20. The method of claim 16 further comprising coating the body and the opening with a corrosion resistant coating.

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