Coolant channel with internal fins for substrate processing base

Abstract

This invention provides a base plate that optimizes the coolant channel structure in the substrate support of a substrate processing system. [Solution] In the substrate processing system 100, the base plate 110 of the substrate support 106 includes at least one coolant channel 116 formed within the base plate. The coolant channel defines a volume within the base plate for holding coolant and proceeds along a path that distributes the coolant into the space occupying that volume throughout the base plate. At least one fin is provided within the at least one coolant channel. The at least one fin extends into the space occupying the volume from at least one of the top, bottom, and side walls of the at least one coolant channel, thereby increasing the surface area of ​​the at least one coolant channel.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] [Cross - Reference to Related Applications] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62 / 978,899, filed on Feb. 20, 2020. The above application is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

[0002] This disclosure relates to coolant channels in a substrate support of a substrate processing system.

Background Art

[0003] The background description provided herein is for the purpose of generally presenting the content of the present disclosure. Within the scope described in this background art section, the research by the inventors named at the present time, as well as aspects of the description that cannot be separately regarded as prior art at the time of filing, are not admitted as prior art against the present disclosure, whether explicitly or implicitly.

[0004] A substrate processing system can be used to perform etching, deposition, and / or other processing of substrates such as semiconductor wafers. Exemplary processes that can be performed on a substrate include etching processes (e.g., chemical etching, plasma etching, reactive ion etching, etc.), plasma - enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) processes, chemically - enhanced plasma vapor deposition (CEPVD) processes, sputtering physical vapor deposition (PVD) processes, ion implantation processes, and / or other deposition and cleaning processes, but are not limited thereto.

[0005] A substrate can be placed on a substrate support such as a pedestal, an electrostatic chuck (ESC), etc. in a processing chamber of a substrate processing system, and a gas mixture containing one or more process gases can be introduced into the processing chamber. For example, during a plasma - based etching process, a gas mixture containing one or more precursors is introduced into the processing chamber, and the plasma collides to etch the substrate.

Summary of the Invention

[0006] The base plate of the substrate support in the substrate processing system includes at least one coolant channel formed within the base plate. The at least one coolant channel defines a volume within the base plate configured to hold coolant and travels along a path configured to distribute the coolant into the space occupying that volume throughout the base plate. At least one fin is provided within the at least one coolant channel. The at least one fin extends into the space occupying the volume from at least one of the top, bottom, and side walls of the at least one coolant channel, thereby increasing the surface area of ​​the at least one coolant channel.

[0007] In other features, at least one fin extends upward into the space occupying the volume from the bottom of at least one coolant channel. At least one fin extends downward into the space occupying the volume from the top of at least one coolant channel. At least one fin includes a first fin extending upward into the space occupying the volume from the bottom of at least one coolant channel, and a second fin extending downward into the space occupying the volume from the top of at least one coolant channel. At least one fin includes a first fin extending upward into the space occupying the volume from the bottom of at least one coolant channel, a second fin extending downward into the space occupying the volume from the top of at least one coolant channel, and a third fin extending inward into the space occupying the volume from the sidewall of at least one coolant channel.

[0008] In other features, at least one fin includes a first fin and a second fin extending inward into the space occupying the volume from the side wall of at least one coolant channel. At least one fin includes a first fin and a second fin, and at least one coolant channel includes a first coolant channel and a second coolant channel, the first coolant channel includes a first fin and the second coolant channel includes a second fin. The second coolant channel is positioned above the first coolant channel. The second coolant channel is aligned perpendicularly to the first coolant channel. The second coolant channel is offset perpendicularly from the first coolant channel. The first and second coolant channels are coplanar.

[0009] In other features, at least one fin has a rectangular cross-sectional shape. At least one fin has a triangular cross-sectional shape. At least one fin has a trapezoidal cross-sectional shape. At least one fin has a curved cross-sectional shape. At least one fin extends continuously from the inlet of at least one coolant channel to the outlet of at least one coolant channel. At least one fin is discontinuous. At least one fin is provided in a first portion of at least one coolant channel but not in a second portion of at least one coolant channel. The first portion and the second portion correspond to the first and second zones of the base plate, respectively.

[0010] In other features, the configuration of at least one fin varies along the length of at least one coolant channel. The configuration of at least one fin includes at least one of the shape, size, position and number of at least one fin. The configuration of at least one fin continues over at least one orbit of at least one coolant channel. The first and second ends of at least one fin include an inclined transition region. The width of at least one fin is 30–50% of the width of at least one coolant channel. The height of at least one fin is 20–40% of the height of at least one coolant channel.

[0011] Further scope of application of this disclosure will become apparent from the detailed description, claims, and drawings. The detailed description and specific examples are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of this disclosure. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0012] This disclosure will be better understood from the detailed description and accompanying drawings.

[0013] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a functional block diagram of an exemplary substrate processing system relating to the principle of this disclosure.

[0014] [Figure 2A] Figure 2A is a diagram of an exemplary base plate including one or more coolant channels relating to the principle of this disclosure.

[0015] [Figure 2B] Figure 2B is a plan view of an exemplary base plate including a coolant channel relating to the principle of this disclosure.

[0016] [Figure 2C] Figure 2C is a plan view of another exemplary base plate including a coolant channel relating to the principle of this disclosure.

[0017] [Figure 2D] Figure 2D is a plan view of another exemplary base plate including a coolant channel relating to the principle of this disclosure.

[0018] [Figure 2E] Figure 2E is a side view of an exemplary fin provided in a coolant channel relating to the principle of this disclosure.

[0019] [Figure 3A]FIG. 3A is a diagram showing a base plate including coolant channels and one or more fins in another exemplary configuration according to the principles of the present disclosure. [Figure 3B] FIG. 3B is a diagram showing a base plate including coolant channels and one or more fins in another exemplary configuration according to the principles of the present disclosure. [Figure 3C] FIG. 3C is a diagram showing a base plate including coolant channels and one or more fins in another exemplary configuration according to the principles of the present disclosure. [Figure 3D] FIG. 3D is a diagram showing a base plate including coolant channels and one or more fins in another exemplary configuration according to the principles of the present disclosure. [Figure 3E] FIG. 3E is a diagram showing a base plate including coolant channels and one or more fins in another exemplary configuration according to the principles of the present disclosure.

[0020] [Figure 4A] FIG. 4A is a diagram showing an exemplary manufacturing method of a base plate including an exemplary coolant channel according to the principles of the present disclosure. [Figure 4B] FIG. 4B is a diagram showing an exemplary manufacturing method of a base plate including an exemplary coolant channel according to the principles of the present disclosure.

[0021] In the drawings, reference numbers may be repeatedly used to identify similar and / or identical elements.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0022] The substrate can be placed on a substrate support such as a pedestal or an electrostatic chuck (ESC) in a processing chamber of a substrate processing system. Generally, the substrate support includes one or more metal and / or ceramic components. For example, the substrate support can include a base plate of metal (e.g., aluminum) and a ceramic layer disposed on the base plate.

[0023] During processing (e.g., deposition and / or etching), such as in radio frequency (RF) plasma deposition and etching processes, the substrate is exposed to various gas mixtures and energy sources. One or more control schemes can be implemented to manage the temperature of the substrate and / or substrate support. For example, the base plate of the substrate support may include coolant channels configured to maintain the substrate at a desired temperature by allowing a coolant to flow through it and heat conduction from the substrate support.

[0024] The systems and methods relating to this disclosure implement a coolant channel including internal features such as fins, configured to improve cooling efficiency and temperature uniformity. For example, the internal features increase the convection surface area of ​​the coolant channel, improving both the cooling efficiency and maximum power limits of the process running in the processing chamber. Furthermore, temperature uniformity can be improved by positioning the internal features at different locations along the coolant channel.

[0025] Referring here to Figure 1, an exemplary substrate processing system 100 is shown. For illustrative purposes only, the substrate processing system 100 may be used to perform deposition and / or etching using RF plasma and / or other suitable substrate processing. The substrate processing system 100 includes a processing chamber 102 containing RF plasma, which surrounds the other components of the substrate processing system 100. The processing chamber 102 includes a substrate support 106, such as an upper electrode 104 and an electrostatic chuck (ESC). During operation, a substrate 108 is placed on the substrate support 106. While a specific substrate processing system 100 and processing chamber 102 are shown as examples, the principles of this disclosure can also be applied to other types of substrate processing systems and chambers, such as substrate processing systems that generate plasma in situ, and substrate processing systems that perform remote plasma generation and supply (e.g., using plasma tubes, microwave tubes).

[0026] For illustrative purposes only, the upper electrode 104 may correspond to a gas distribution device such as a showerhead that introduces and distributes process gas into the processing chamber 102. Alternatively, the upper electrode 104 may include a conductive plate, and the process gas may be introduced by another method.

[0027] The substrate support 106 includes a conductive base plate 110 that acts as a lower electrode. The base plate 110 supports a ceramic layer 112. In some examples, the ceramic layer 112 may include a heating layer, such as a ceramic multizone heating plate. A heat-resistant layer 114 (e.g., an adhesive layer) may be placed between the ceramic layer 112 and the base plate 110. The base plate 110 may include one or more coolant channels 116 for circulating a coolant into the base plate 110. As described in more detail below, the coolant channels 116 in this disclosure include internal features, such as fins, configured to improve cooling efficiency and temperature uniformity. The substrate support 106 may include an RF 118 arranged to surround the outer periphery of the substrate 108.

[0028] The RF generation system 120 generates an RF voltage and outputs it to one of the upper electrode 104 and the lower electrode (e.g., the base plate 110 of the substrate support 106). The other of the upper electrode 104 and the base plate 110 is connected to DC ground, AC ground, or floating. For illustrative purposes only, the RF generation system 120 may also include an RF voltage generator 122 that generates an RF voltage, which is supplied to the upper electrode 104 or the base plate 110 by a matching and distribution network 124. In other examples, the plasma may be generated inductively or remotely. While shown for illustrative purposes only, the RF generation system 120 corresponds to a capacitively coupled plasma (CCP) system, and the principles of this disclosure can also be implemented by other suitable systems, for illustrative purposes only, such as a transformer-coupled plasma (TCP) system, a CCP cathode system, or a remote microwave plasma generation and supply system.

[0029] The gas supply system 130 includes one or more gas sources 132-1, 132-2, ..., and 132-N (collectively referred to as gas source 132), where N is an integer greater than 0. The gas sources supply one or more gas mixtures. The gas sources may also supply purge gas. Vaporized precursors are also available. The gas sources 132 are connected to the manifold 140 by valves 134-1, 134-2, ..., and 134-N (collectively referred to as valve 134) and mass flow controllers 136-1, 136-2, ..., and 136-N (collectively referred to as mass flow controller 136). The output of the manifold 140 is supplied to the processing chamber 102. For illustrative purposes only, the output of the manifold 140 is supplied to a gas distributor.

[0030] The temperature controller 142 may be connected to multiple heating elements, such as thermal control elements (TCEs) 144 located within the ceramic layer 112. For example, the heating elements 144 may include, but are not limited to, macro heating elements corresponding to each zone in a multizone heating plate and / or arrays of micro heating elements arranged across multiple zones of the multizone heating plate. The temperature controller 142 can be used to control multiple heating elements 144 and to control the temperatures of the substrate support 106 and the substrate 108.

[0031] The temperature controller 142 may communicate with the coolant assembly 146 to control the flow of coolant through the coolant channel 116. For example, the coolant assembly 146 may include a coolant pump and a reservoir. The temperature controller 142 operates the coolant assembly 146 to selectively flow coolant through the coolant channel 116 to cool the substrate support 106.

[0032] The valve 150 and pump 152 can be used to discharge the reaction material from the processing chamber 102. The system controller 160 can be used to control the components of the substrate processing system 100. One or more robots 170 can be used to move the substrate onto the substrate support 106 and remove the substrate from the substrate support 106. For example, the robot 170 may move the substrate between the EFEM 172 and the load lock 174, between the load lock 174 and the vacuum transfer module (VTM) 176, and between the VTM 176 and the substrate support 106. The temperature controller 142 is shown as a separate controller, but it may be implemented within the system controller 160.

[0033] Referring here to Figures 2A, 2B, 2C, 2D, and 2E, exemplary base plates 200 including one or more coolant channels 204 according to the present disclosure are shown. Figures 2B, 2C, and 2D show exemplary plan views of the base plate 200 and the coolant channels 204. The coolant channels 204 follow paths configured to distribute coolant throughout the space occupying the internal volume of the base plate 200. In the example shown in Figure 2B, the coolant channel 204 has a single linear structure corresponding to a single channel with both an inlet 208 and an outlet 212 located in the center. In this example, the coolant channel 204 is spiral outward from the inlet 208 toward the outer periphery of the base plate 200, and then spiral inward from the outer periphery toward the outlet 212. In the example shown in Figure 2C, the coolant channel 204 has a single linear structure with the inlet 208 located in the center and the outlet 212 located near the outer periphery of the base plate 200. In this example, the coolant channel 204 is spirally shaped outward from the inlet 208 towards the outlet 212 located on the outer circumference of the base plate 200.

[0034] In the example shown in Figure 2D, the coolant channel 204 has two linear structures corresponding to two channels, each having an inlet 208 and an outlet 212. In this example, each coolant channel 204 is spirally outward from the inlet 208 to the outlet 212 located on the outer periphery of the base plate 200. In the examples shown in Figures 2B, 2C, and 2D, the outlet 212 is centrally located, but the inlet 208 may be located near the outer periphery of the base plate 200. The two coolant channels 204 may be on the same plane.

[0035] The coolant channel 204 includes internal features such as fins 216 that extend upward into the space 220 occupying the defined internal volume within the coolant channel 204. While the fins 216 have a rectangular shape in cross-section as shown, in other examples the fins 216 may have other shapes, including but not limited to trapezoidal, triangular, or curved shapes. The fins 216 increase the convective surface area of ​​the coolant channel 204, improving the cooling efficiency and temperature uniformity of the coolant flowing through the channel 204. For example, the fins 216 may extend continuously along the entire length of the coolant channel 204 (i.e., across multiple turns of the coolant channel 204, from the inlet 208 or near the inlet 208 to the outlet 212 or near the outlet 212). In the two linear structures shown in Figure 2D, the fins 216 may be provided on only one or both of the coolant channels 204.

[0036] In some examples, the fins 216 may be discontinuous. In other words, the fins 216 may extend along only a portion of the coolant channel 204. For example, the fins 216 may be located only in every other swirling portion of the coolant channel 204, or they may be spaced apart in each swirling portion of the coolant channel 204. In other examples, the fins 216 may be provided on multiple portions of the coolant channel 204 corresponding to selected zones of the base plate. For example, processes such as deposition and etching may have radial non-uniformity in each radial region (i.e., zone) of the substrate. For example, the outer (i.e., edge) zones of the substrate are more susceptible to non-uniformity, such as increased or decreased etching and / or deposition, compared to the inner zones of the substrate. These non-uniformities can be compensated for by individually controlling the temperature in selected zones of the substrate. Therefore, the fins 216 can be provided only in the end zones (e.g., the outermost one or two turns) 224 of the coolant channel 204, or only in the inner zones (e.g., the inner turns) 228 of the coolant channel 204, and so on. In this way, the fins 216 may be provided to compensate for temperature and / or other radial non-uniformities. Conversely, in other examples, the fins 216 may be provided only in a selected azimuth region of the coolant channel 204.

[0037] In some examples, the configuration of the fins 216 (e.g., shape, size, position, number, etc.) may differ along the length of the coolant channel 204. For example, the fins 216 may change from a rectangle to another shape, from one fin 216 to two or more fins 216, etc., for each coolant channel 204. For illustrative purposes only, the fins 216 may have a first configuration in a first radial or azimuthal zone and a second configuration in a second radial or azimuthal zone. In examples where the configuration of the fins 216 changes, the fins 216 may maintain the same configuration for a minimum length. For example, the fins 216 may maintain the same configuration for at least one orbit of the coolant channel 204 before changing to a different configuration. In this way, the coolant flow in the coolant channel 204 can be maintained at a desired flow rate with minimal turbulence.

[0038] The transition between the configurations of the fins 216 (e.g., between the portion of the coolant channel 204 without the fins 216 and the portion of the coolant channel 204 with the fins 216) can be structured to further maintain flow efficiency and minimize turbulence. For example, Figure 2E is a side view showing the transition of the fins 216 between the portion of the coolant channel 204 without the fins 216 and the portion of the coolant channel 204 with the fins 216. The fins 216 include inclined transition regions 232 (e.g., located at each end of the fins 216) configured to promote the coolant flow vertically and upward around the fins 216 (as indicated by the arrows). Although shown as curved and convex, and inclined upward overall (e.g., inclined upward from the bottom surface 236 of the coolant channel 204), in other examples the transition regions 232 may be linearly upward, concave inclined. Similarly, the transition regions may be inclined laterally and outward with respect to the outer wall of the coolant channel 204. For illustrative purposes only, the width of the fin 216 may be 30-50% of the width of the coolant channel 204. The height of the fin 216 may be 20-40% of the height of the coolant channel 204.

[0039] In some examples, the flow of coolant in the coolant channel 204 is adjustable by the presence of fins 216 in the coolant channel 204 (for example, using the system controller 160, temperature controller 142 and / or coolant assembly 146 described above in Figure 1). For example, the fins 216 can reduce the cross-sectional area of ​​the coolant channel 204, thereby restricting the flow. Thus, the temperature controller 142 may be configured to increase the coolant pressure to maintain a desired flow rate and / or coolant temperature. In some examples, the coolant channel 204 (e.g., the inlet of the coolant channel 204) may include a sensor configured to sense the flow rate and provide that flow rate to the temperature controller 142. The temperature controller 142 selectively increases or decreases the pressure to maintain a desired flow rate and / or temperature based on the sensed flow rate.

[0040] Similarly, the temperature controller 142 is configured to control the flow rate and temperature of the coolant based on a desired temperature in each zone (e.g., in the substrate support 106, the substrate, etc.). For example, the temperature controller 142 receives temperature signals (e.g., from one or more sensors located at each location, such as the substrate support 106, the coolant temperature sensor, etc.) and / or calculates or estimates the temperature based on other known parameters (including, but not limited to, the power supplied to the substrate support 106, the coolant flow rate, etc.). The temperature controller 142 increases or decreases the coolant flow rate and temperature, and accordingly decreases and increases the temperature of the substrate based on the desired temperature and the sensed and / or calculated temperature.

[0041] Referring here to Figures 3A, 3B, 3C, 3D, and 3E, a base plate 300 including coolant channels 304 and fins 308 of other exemplary structures relating to the present disclosure is shown. As shown in Figure 3A, the coolant channel 304 has two fins 308 extending upward and downward into the space 312 occupying the internal volume of the coolant channel 304. As shown in Figure 3B, the fins 308 extend downward into the space 312 occupying the internal volume of the coolant channel 304. As shown in Figure 3C, the coolant channel 304 has two fins 308 extending upward and downward into the space 312 occupying the internal volume of the coolant channel 304, as well as two fins 308 extending inward from each side wall 316 of the coolant channel 304. As shown in Figure 3D, the coolant channel 304 has two fins 308 extending from each side wall 316 of the coolant channel 304.

[0042] As shown in Figure 3E, two or more (i.e., two or more layers) of coolant channels 304 may be formed within the base plate 300. Each layer of the coolant channels 304 may be arranged in a row (as shown) or offset from one another in the vertical direction. Each fin 308 of the two or more layers of the coolant channels 304 may have the same configuration (as shown) or a different configuration.

[0043] Figures 4A and 4B illustrate an exemplary manufacturing process for a base plate 400 including an exemplary coolant channel 404 according to the present disclosure. For example, the base plate 400 may include a separately manufactured upper plate 408 and lower plate 412. The bottom surface 416 of the upper plate 408 is machined to form the upper part 420 of the coolant channel 404 and optionally a fin 424. Conversely, the top surface 428 of the lower plate 412 is machined to form the bottom part 432 of the coolant channel 404 and optionally a fin 436. Although fins 424 and 436 are shown extending upward and downward, respectively, the coolant channel 404 may be machined to include any configuration of one or more fins, including the configurations shown in Figures 3A to 3E. Furthermore, although the fins 424 and 436 have been described as being machined from the material of the base plate 400, in other examples the fins 424 and 436 may consist of the same or different material, which are attached to the coolant channel 404 after machining. The upper plate 408 and the lower plate 412 are then bonded together (e.g., by brazing) as shown in Figure 4B.

[0044] The foregoing description is essentially illustrative and is not intended to limit the Disclosure, its application, or its use. The broad teachings of this Disclosure can be implemented in various ways. Therefore, although this Disclosure includes specific examples, the true scope of this Disclosure should not be limited to such examples, as other modifications become apparent when considering the drawings, specification, and the claims below. It should be understood that one or more steps in a method may be performed in a different order (or simultaneously) without altering the principles of this Disclosure. Furthermore, although each embodiment is described above as having specific features, one or more of these features described in relation to any embodiment of this Disclosure may be implemented in any of the other embodiments and / or combined with any of the features of the other embodiments (even if such combinations are not explicitly described). In other words, the embodiments described are not mutually exclusive, and rearranging the order of one or more embodiments is within the scope of this Disclosure.

[0045] Spatial and functional relationships between elements (e.g., between modules, between circuit elements, between semiconductor layers) are described using a variety of terms, including “connected,” “engaged,” “joined,” “adjacent,” “next to,” “above,” “upper,” “below,” and “positioned.” Unless explicitly stated to be “direct,” if a relationship between a first element and a second element is described in the above disclosure, that relationship may be a direct relationship in which no other intervening elements exist between the first and second elements, or it may be an indirect relationship in which one or more intervening elements exist between the first and second elements (either spatially or functionally). As used herein, the phrase “at least one of A, B, and C” should be interpreted as meaning a logic using non-exclusive OR (A OR B OR C) and not as “at least one of A, at least one of B, and at least one of C.”

[0046] In some implementations, the controller is part of a system which may be part of the embodiments described above. Such a system may comprise a semiconductor processing apparatus including processing tools(s), chambers(s), processing platforms(s), and / or specific processing components (such as wafer pedestals, gas flow systems). These systems may be incorporated into electronics for controlling pre-processing, in-processing, and post-processing operations of semiconductor wafers or substrates. The electronics may be referred to as “controllers” and may control various components or sub-components of the system(s). Depending on the processing requirements and / or the type of system, the controller may be programmed to control any of the processes disclosed herein, including the delivery of processing gases, temperature settings (e.g., heating and / or cooling), pressure settings, vacuum settings, power settings, radio frequency (RF) generator settings, RF matching circuit settings, frequency settings, flow rate settings, fluid inflow settings, position and work settings, loading and unloading of wafers to and from tools and other transport tools connected to or interfaced with a particular system, and / or load locks.

[0047] In a broad sense, a controller may be defined as an electronic device having various integrated circuits, logic, memory, and / or software that receives and issues instructions, controls operations, enables cleaning operations, and enables endpoint measurements. Integrated circuits may include chips in the form of firmware that store program instructions, chips defined as digital signal processors (DSPs), application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), and / or one or more microprocessors, or microcontrollers that execute program instructions (e.g., software). Program instructions are instructions communicated to the controller in the form of various individual settings (or program files) that define work parameters for performing a particular process on or for a semiconductor wafer, or for a system. In some embodiments, work parameters may be part of a recipe defined by a process engineer to implement one or more processing steps in the fabrication of one or more layers, materials, metals, oxides, silicon, silicon dioxide, surfaces, circuits, and / or wafer dies.

[0048] In some embodiments, the controller may be part of a computer integrated with or coupled to the system, or otherwise networked to the system, or coupled to such a computer, or a combination thereof. For example, the controller may be in the “cloud” or may be all or part of a fab host computer system. This enables remote access to wafer processing. The computer may enable remote access to the system to monitor the current progress of fabrication work, review the history of past fabrication work, review trends or performance criteria from multiple fabrication work, change parameters of the current process, set processing steps following the current process, or start a new process. In some examples, a remote computer (e.g., a server) can provide process recipes to the system over a network. Such a network may include a local network or the internet. The remote computer may include a user interface that enables entry or programming of parameters and / or settings, which are then communicated from the remote computer to the system. In some examples, the controller receives instructions in the form of data. Such data identifies parameters for each of the processing steps performed during one or more operations. It should be understood that the parameters may be specific to the type of process being performed and the type of tools to which the controller is configured to interact or control. Therefore, as described above, the controller may be distributed by comprising, for example, one or more individual controllers that are networked together and cooperate toward a common purpose, such as the processes and controls described herein. An example of a distributed controller for such purposes would be one or more integrated circuits on a chamber, located remotely (e.g., at the platform level or as part of a remote computer), communicating with one or more integrated circuits coupled to control the processes on the chamber.

[0049] Exemplary systems may include, but are not limited to, plasma etching chambers or modules, deposition chambers or modules, spin rinse chambers or modules, metal plating chambers or modules, cleaning chambers or modules, bevel edge etching chambers or modules, physical vapor deposition (PVD) chambers or modules, chemical vapor deposition (CVD) chambers or modules, atomic layer deposition (ALD) chambers or modules, atomic layer etching (ALE) chambers or modules, ion implantation chambers or modules, tracking chambers or modules, and any other semiconductor processing systems that may be used in connection with or for the fabrication and / or manufacture of semiconductor wafers.

[0050] As described above, depending on one or more process steps performed by the tool, the controller may communicate with one or more other tool circuits or modules, other tool components, cluster tools, other tool interfaces, adjacent tools, nearby tools, tools located throughout the factory, a main computer, another controller, or tools used for material handling to load and unload wafer containers to and from tool locations and / or load ports within the semiconductor manufacturing plant.

Claims

1. A base plate for a substrate support in a substrate processing system, At least one coolant channel formed within the base plate, the at least one coolant channel that follows a path configured to (i) define a space occupying a volume within the base plate configured to hold a coolant, and (ii) distribute the coolant to the space occupying the volume throughout the entire base plate, At least one fin provided within the at least one coolant channel, the at least one fin extending from at least one of the top, bottom, and side walls of the at least one coolant channel into the space occupying the volume, thereby increasing the surface area of ​​the at least one coolant channel A base plate, including the base plate.

2. A base plate according to claim 1, wherein the at least one fin extends upward from the bottom of the at least one coolant channel into the space occupying the volume.

3. A base plate according to claim 1, wherein the at least one fin extends downward from the top of the at least one coolant channel into the space occupying the volume.

4. A base plate according to claim 1, wherein the at least one fin includes a first fin extending upward from the bottom of the at least one coolant channel into the space occupying the volume, and a second fin extending downward from the top of the at least one coolant channel into the space occupying the volume.

5. A base plate according to claim 1, wherein the at least one fin includes a first fin extending upward from the bottom of the at least one coolant channel into the space occupying the volume, a second fin extending downward from the top of the at least one coolant channel into the space occupying the volume, and a third fin extending inward from the side wall of the at least one coolant channel into the space occupying the volume.

6. A base plate according to claim 1, comprising a first fin and a second fin, wherein at least one fin extends inward from the side wall of the at least one coolant channel into the space occupying the volume.

7. A base plate according to claim 1, wherein the at least one fin comprises a first fin and a second fin, and the at least one coolant channel comprises a first coolant channel and a second coolant channel, the first coolant channel comprises the first fin, and the second coolant channel comprises the second fin.

8. A base plate according to claim 7, wherein the second coolant channel is positioned above the first coolant channel.

9. A base plate according to claim 8, wherein the second coolant channel is aligned perpendicularly to the first coolant channel.

10. A base plate according to claim 8, wherein the second coolant channel is offset vertically from the first coolant channel.

11. A base plate according to claim 7, wherein the first coolant channel and the second coolant channel are on the same plane.

12. A base plate according to claim 1, wherein at least one fin has a rectangular cross-sectional shape.

13. A base plate according to claim 1, wherein at least one fin has a triangular cross-sectional shape.

14. A base plate according to claim 1, wherein at least one fin has a trapezoidal cross-sectional shape.

15. A base plate according to claim 1, wherein at least one fin has a curved cross-sectional shape.

16. A base plate according to claim 1, wherein the at least one fin extends continuously from the inlet of the at least one coolant channel to the outlet of the at least one coolant channel.

17. A base plate according to claim 1, wherein at least one fin is discontinuous.

18. A base plate according to claim 1, wherein the at least one fin is provided in a first portion of the at least one coolant channel and not in a second portion of the at least one coolant channel.

19. A base plate according to claim 18, wherein the first portion and the second portion correspond to the first and second zones of the base plate, respectively.

20. A base plate according to claim 1, wherein the configuration of the at least one fin varies along the length of the at least one coolant channel.

21. A base plate according to claim 20, wherein the configuration of the at least one fin includes at least one of the shape, size, position and number of the at least one fin.

22. A base plate according to claim 21, wherein the configuration of the at least one fin continues over at least one rotation of the at least one coolant channel.

23. A base plate according to claim 1, wherein the first and second ends of at least one fin include an inclined transition region.

24. A base plate according to claim 1, wherein the width of the at least one fin is 30 to 50% of the width of the at least one coolant channel.

25. A base plate according to claim 1, wherein the height of the at least one fin is 20 to 40% of the height of the at least one coolant channel.

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