Single-piece susceptor or two-piece susceptor

Abstract

In one embodiment, a processing chamber suitable for use in semiconductor processing includes a chamber body surrounding an internal volume. A susceptor is positioned within the internal volume, which includes a purge internal volume below the susceptor and a process volume above a substrate support. A liner is positioned radially outward from the susceptor. The processing chamber also includes a preheating ring. The preheating ring is configured to engage with the susceptor when the susceptor is in a high processing position and to engage with the liner when the susceptor is in a low loading / unloading position.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to methods and apparatuses for improving gas flow within a processing chamber, such as those used in semiconductor manufacturing.

Background Art

[0002] In order to prevent process gas from entering the volume within the processing chamber below the substrate support, purge gas is often supplied below the substrate support within the processing chamber. When process gas enters the volume below the substrate support, problems such as unintentional deposition on the surface below the substrate support and / or corrosion of this surface and deposition on the back side of the substrate support can occur. These unintentional depositions and / or corrosion increase the frequency when the chamber needs to be cleaned or maintained (e.g., by replacing parts). Furthermore, unintentional deposition on the back side of the substrate support can reduce the uniformity of the process being performed on the substrate disposed on the substrate support. For example, deposition on the back side of the substrate support can reduce the uniformity of the deposition being performed (e.g., thickness uniformity).

[0003] Generally, in order to reduce problems associated with process gas entering the volume below the substrate support, such as back side deposition on the substrate support, the flow rate of the purge gas can be increased. However, increasing the flow rate of the purge gas increases the non-uniformity of the film formed on the substrate from the center to the edge, and is accompanied by gas consumption and inefficiency.

[0004] Therefore, there is a need to improve processing chamber apparatuses and methods of using such apparatuses.

Summary of the Invention

[0005] In one embodiment, a processing chamber suitable for use in semiconductor processing includes a chamber body surrounding an internal volume. A susceptor is positioned within the internal volume, which includes a purge internal volume below the susceptor and a process volume above the susceptor. A liner is positioned radially outward from the susceptor. The processing chamber also includes a preheating ring. The preheating ring is configured to engage with the susceptor when the susceptor is in a high processing position and to engage with the liner when the susceptor is in a low loading / unloading position.

[0006] In another embodiment, a method for processing a substrate includes placing the substrate on a susceptor in a processing chamber, and operating the susceptor vertically to bring it into contact with a preheating ring, thereby releasing the preheating ring from the liner. The method also includes performing a deposition process on the substrate while the preheating ring is in contact with the susceptor, and lowering the susceptor together with the substrate on the susceptor to a loading / unloading position, wherein lowering includes engaging the liner with the preheating ring.

[0007] In another embodiment, a processing chamber suitable for use in semiconductor processing comprises a chamber body surrounding an internal volume. A susceptor is positioned within the internal volume, which includes a purge volume below the susceptor and a process volume above the susceptor. The susceptor includes a single pocket formed within it to support a single substrate. The susceptor has an outer diameter at least 75% larger than the outer diameter of the pocket. The processing chamber also includes a liner positioned radially outward from the susceptor.

[0008] In another embodiment, a method for processing a substrate includes placing the substrate on a susceptor in a processing chamber, the susceptor including an integral or attached preheating ring. The susceptor is radially spaced away from the liner of the processing chamber. The method also includes performing a deposition process on the substrate while the substrate is placed on the susceptor, and lowering the susceptor, together with the substrate on the susceptor, to a loading / unloading position. While lowering the susceptor, the liner is not engaged with the integrally formed or attached preheating ring.

[0009] A more detailed description of the Disclosure, which is briefly summarized above, can be obtained by referring to the embodiments, some of which are shown in the accompanying drawings, so that the above features of the Disclosure may be understood in more detail. However, it should be noted that the accompanying drawings show only exemplary embodiments and should therefore not be considered limiting in scope where the Disclosure may acknowledge other equally effective embodiments. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0010] [Figure 1] This is a schematic side cross-sectional view of a processing chamber according to one embodiment. [Figure 2A] This is a schematic partial diagram of the processing chamber configuration according to one embodiment. [Figure 2B] This is another schematic partial diagram of the processing chamber configuration according to one embodiment. [Figure 2C] This is a schematic partial diagram of the processing chamber configuration according to another embodiment. [Figure 2D] This is another schematic partial diagram of a processing chamber configuration according to another embodiment. [Figure 2E] This is a schematic cross-sectional perspective view of a preheating ring and susceptor according to one embodiment. [Figure 3A] This is a schematic partial diagram of the processing chamber configuration according to another embodiment. [Figure 3B] This is another schematic partial diagram of a processing chamber configuration according to another embodiment. [Figure 4A]This is a schematic partial diagram of the processing chamber configuration according to another embodiment. [Figure 4B] This is another schematic partial diagram of a processing chamber configuration according to another embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0011] For ease of understanding, the same reference numerals are used to indicate the same elements common to the figures, where possible. Elements and features of one embodiment may be usefully incorporated into other embodiments without further enumeration.

[0012] Embodiments of this disclosure generally relate to devices for improving the purge gas flow in a processing chamber, and methods for using such devices.

[0013] Figure 1 is a schematic side cross-sectional view of a processing chamber 100 according to one embodiment. The processing chamber 100 is a deposition chamber. In one embodiment, which can be combined with other embodiments, the processing chamber 100 is an epitaxial deposition chamber. The processing chamber 100 is used to grow an epitaxial film on a substrate 102. The processing chamber 100 generates a crossflow of precursor across the upper surface 150 of the substrate 102.

[0014] The processing chamber 100 includes an upper body 156, a lower body 148 positioned below the upper body 156, and a flow module 112 positioned between the upper body 156 and the lower body 148. The upper body 156, the flow module 112, and the lower body 148 form the chamber body. Inside the chamber body are a susceptor 106 (e.g., a substrate support), an upper window 108 (e.g., an upper dome), a lower window 110 (e.g., a lower dome), a plurality of upper lamps 141, and a plurality of lower lamps 143. As shown in the figure, a controller 120 communicates with the processing chamber 100 and is used to control processes and methods, such as steps of the method described herein.

[0015] The susceptor 106 is positioned between the upper window 108 and the lower window 110. The susceptor 106 includes a support surface 123 that supports the substrate 102. Multiple upper lamps 141 are positioned between the upper window 108 and the lid 154. The multiple upper lamps 141 form part of the upper lamp module 155. The lid 154 may include multiple sensors (not shown) positioned inside the lid for measuring the temperature inside the processing chamber 100. Multiple lower lamps 143 are positioned between the lower window 110 and the floor 152. The multiple lower lamps 143 form part of the lower lamp module 145. The upper window 108 is an upper dome and is formed of an energy-permeable material such as quartz. The lower window 110 is a lower dome and is formed of an energy-permeable material such as quartz.

[0016] A process volume 136 and a purge volume 138 are formed between the upper window 108 and the lower window 110. The process volume 136 and the purge volume 138 are part of an internal volume at least partially defined by the upper window 108, the lower window 110 and one or more liners 163, 165. The process volume 136 and the purge volume 138 are separated by a susceptor 106.

[0017] The internal volume has a susceptor 106 positioned within the internal volume. The susceptor 106 includes a top surface on which the substrate 102 is positioned. The susceptor is formed from a material such as silicon carbide, graphite, black quartz, or silicon carbide-coated graphite to facilitate heating of the substrate 102 in combination with an upper lamp 141 and a lower lamp 143. The susceptor 106 is mounted on a shaft 118. The shaft 118 is connected to a motion assembly 121. The motion assembly 121 includes one or more actuators and / or adjusters that enable movement and / or adjustment of the shaft 118 and / or the susceptor 106 within the process volume 136. The motion assembly 121 moves the shaft 118 and the susceptor 106 between a process position (shown in Figure 1) and a substrate loading / unloading position directly below the process position in the vertical direction. In the loading / unloading position, a substrate such as a wafer can be placed on or removed from the susceptor 106 with the assistance of the lift pins 132.

[0018] The susceptor 106 includes a lift pin hole 107 located within the susceptor. The lift pin hole 107 is sized to accommodate a lift pin 132 for lifting the substrate 102 from the susceptor 106 either before or after the deposition process is performed. The lift pin 132 can rest on a lift pin stopper 134 when the susceptor 106 is lowered from the process position to the moving position.

[0019] The flow module 112 includes a plurality of gas inlets 114, a plurality of purge gas inlets 164, and one or more gas exhaust outlets 116. The plurality of gas inlets 114 and the plurality of purge gas inlets 164 are located on the opposite side of the flow module 112 from the one or more gas exhaust outlets 116. A preheating ring 117 is located radially inward of the upper liner 165. The upper liner 165 and the lower liner 163 are coupled to the inner surface of the flow module 112. The preheating ring 117 facilitates the heating of the process gas as it passes over the preheating ring. Heating of the process gas promotes uniform deposition on the substrate 102. The preheating ring 117 is formed from silicon carbide, graphite, black quartz, or silicon carbide-coated graphite and may be heated by an upper lamp 141 and / or a lower lamp 143. The upper liner 165 is located vertically above the lower liner 163. As discussed below, the preheating ring 117 can be positioned at least partially on top of the lower liner 163. The lower liner 163 and upper liner 165 are positioned on the inner surface of the flow module 112 and protect the flow module 112 from reactive gases used during deposition and / or cleaning operations. This disclosure considers that one or more additional liners (in addition to the upper liner 165) may be used above and / or below the lower liner 163. This disclosure considers that the upper liner 165 or the lower liner 163 may be omitted, or that the upper liner 165 and the lower liner 163 may be formed integrally as a single liner. In one or more examples, the preheating ring 117 may be spaced about 0.25 mm to about 12 mm laterally (e.g., in the X direction) from the upper liner 165, such as about 0.5 mm to about 6.5 mm. Other dimensions are also possible.

[0020] The gas inlet 114 and the purge gas inlet 164 are each arranged to flow gas parallel to the upper surface 150 of the substrate 102 disposed within the process volume 136. The gas inlet 114 is fluidly connected to one or more gas sources 151 and one or more cleaning gas sources 153. The purge gas inlet 164 is fluidly connected to one or more purge gas sources 162. One or more gas exhaust outlets 116 are fluidly connected to an exhaust pump 157. One or more process gases supplied using one or more process gas sources 151 can include one or more reactive gases (such as one or more of silicon (Si), phosphorus (P), and / or germanium (Ge)) and / or one or more carrier gases (such as one or both of nitrogen (N2) and hydrogen (H2)). One or more purge gases supplied using one or more purge gas sources 162 can include one or more inert gases (such as one or more of argon (Ar), helium (He), and / or nitrogen (N2)). One or more cleaning gases supplied using one or more cleaning gas sources 153 can include one or both of hydrogen (H) and chlorine (Cl). In one embodiment that can be combined with other embodiments, one or more process gases include silicon phosphate (SiP) and / or phosphine (PH3), and one or more cleaning gases include hydrochloric acid (HCl).

[0021] One or more gas exhaust outlets 116 are further connected to or include an exhaust system 178. The exhaust system 178 fluidly connects one or more gas exhaust outlets 116 and the exhaust pump 157. The exhaust system 178 can assist in controlling the deposition of layers on the substrate 102. The exhaust system 178 is disposed on the opposite side of the processing chamber 100 from the flow module 112.

[0022] Figures 2A and 2B are schematic partial views of a processing chamber configuration 200a, such as processing chamber 100 of FIG. 1, according to one embodiment. In particular, FIG. 2A shows a lower liner 163, a preheat ring 117, and a susceptor 106 having a substrate 102 therein, at a processing position (e.g., aligned with or directly below a slit valve tunnel 270). FIG. 2B shows the same components at a loading / unloading position. FIG. 2E is a schematic perspective view of the preheat ring 117 and the susceptor 106.

[0023] At the processing position shown in FIG. 2A, the susceptor 106 supports the preheat ring 117 at an outer end face of the susceptor 106. The susceptor 106 supports the preheat ring 117 at a mating interface 280, which can be a surface of corresponding planes of the preheat ring 117 and the susceptor 106. The mating interface 280 may also include alignment features, such as male / female protrusions, to facilitate alignment and / or fixation of the preheat ring 117 with respect to the susceptor 106.

[0024] As the susceptor 106 rotates during processing, the preheating ring 117 and substrate 102 supported on the susceptor also rotate. In such examples, the susceptor 106 includes an outward-facing stepped surface 271, and the preheating ring 117 interfaces with the outward-facing stepped surface to facilitate the support and alignment of the preheating ring 117. In one or more embodiments, the outward-facing stepped surface 271 of the susceptor 106 supports the inward-facing stepped surface 242 of the preheating ring 117. The upper surface 272 of the susceptor 106 and the upper surface 273 of the preheating ring 117 are coplanar to facilitate a uniform gas flow and therefore uniform deposition during processing. The substrate 102 may also have an upper surface that is coplanar (or substantially coplanar) with the upper surfaces 272 and 273. The substrate 102 is supported on a support ledge 281 above the pocket 282 (see Figure 2E). The support ledge 281 positions the substrate 102 at a distance from the bottom of the pocket 282, reducing the contact area between the substrate 102 and the susceptor 106. Reducing the contact between the substrate 102 and the susceptor 106 facilitates improvement of thermal uniformity of the substrate 102 during processing, and therefore facilitates improvement of deposition uniformity. The vertical position of the support ledge 281 may be selected to position the top of the substrate 102 relative to the top surface 272 of the susceptor 106 and the top surface 273 of the preheating ring 117. One or more channels 283a, 283b may be formed in the laterally spaced interface between the preheating ring 117 and the susceptor 106 to accommodate the engagement between the preheating ring 117 and the susceptor 106. However, channels 283a, 283b may be omitted.

[0025] The preheating ring 117 is a ring-shaped member having a horizontal (e.g., planar) member 274 and a circular vertical extension 275 positioned on the lower surface of the horizontal member 274. As shown in the figure, the horizontal member 274 and the circular vertical extension 275 have the same outer diameter, and the horizontal member 274 has a smaller inner diameter than the circular vertical extension 275. Other configurations are also possible. The relatively large inner diameter of the circular vertical extension 275 forms a gap 276 between the circular vertical extension 275 and the outer end face of the susceptor 106 when the susceptor 106 supports the preheating ring 117 on the susceptor. The gap 276 facilitates engaging the preheating ring 117 with the lower liner 163 while allowing the susceptor 106 to act vertically without engaging with the lower liner 163. Thus, the susceptor can be actuated vertically (e.g., lowered) to release the preheating ring 117 from the susceptor 106.

[0026] Figure 2B shows the susceptor 106 in the loading / unloading position. Lowering the susceptor 106 vertically positions the preheating ring 117 in contact with the lower liner 163. The preheating ring 117 remains positioned on the lower liner 163 as the susceptor continues to advance to the loading / unloading position and is adjacent to the slit valve tunnel 270, so that the substrate 102 can be reciprocated to the susceptor 106. To facilitate the transfer of the preheating ring 117 to the lower liner 163, the lower liner 163 includes a vertical extension 277 on its radially inner end face. The vertical extension 277 may be a ring that engages with the gap 276 when the susceptor 106 is lowered. As the susceptor 106 continues to advance downward, the vertical extension 277 contacts the underside of the preheating ring 117. For example, the vertical extension 277 contacts the bottom surface of the horizontal member 274. Since the circular vertical extension 275 has a larger inner diameter than the vertical extension 277, the vertical extension facilitates both the fixing of the preheating ring 117 on the lower liner 163 and the alignment of the preheating ring 117.

[0027] The lower liner 163 is generally formed from quartz, but other materials are also possible. To reduce the thermal shock to the preheating ring 117 when it engages with (e.g., contacts) the lower liner 163, an insert 278 is placed in a pocket 279 formed within the upper surface of the lower liner 163. In one example, the insert 278 is positioned radially outward from the vertical extension 277 and lower than the vertical extension 277. The insert 278 may be a ring, or it may consist of a plurality of components arranged in a substantially circular configuration in predetermined increments. The insert is formed from the same material as the preheating ring 117, or from a material having one or more properties similar to those of the preheating ring 117. For example, one or more similar properties may include a similar heat transfer coefficient. Thus, when the preheating ring 117 engages with the lower liner 163 and when the lower liner is released, the thermal shock to the preheating ring 117 is reduced, and therefore the stress on the preheating ring 117 and the possibility of the preheating ring 117 failing are reduced.

[0028] The circular vertical extension 275 of the preheating ring 117 is positioned outside the vertical extension 277 of the lower liner 163. The insert 278 is positioned below the circular vertical extension 275 of the preheating ring 117 and outside the vertical extension 277 of the lower liner 163.

[0029] By placing the preheating ring 117 on the susceptor 106 during processing, the process gas flow in the processing chamber is improved, thereby improving the non-uniformity of deposition in the processing chamber and reducing deposition in unwanted locations. For example, when the preheating ring 117 is placed on the susceptor 106, there is no gap between the preheating ring and the susceptor that would allow gas to flow. Therefore, the process gas cannot flow into the lower areas of the chamber, such as the purge volume 138, between the preheating ring 117 and the susceptor 106. Thus, the possibility of deposition in the purge volume 138 and / or corrosion of components that interface with the purge volume 138 is reduced or eliminated. Reducing unwanted deposition in the purge volume 138 extends the time between chamber cleanings (thus increasing throughput) and improves process uniformity because chamber components in the purge volume have less unintended deposition on them (for example, light transmission through the lower window 110 remains unobstructed, improving process control). Reduced corrosion extends the time between chamber cleanings and / or increases the operational life of chamber components.

[0030] In addition, placing the preheating ring 117 on the susceptor 106 during the deposition process improves film uniformity by improving deposition consistency from the center to the edges. In other designs, the outer edges of the substrate are positioned relatively close to the outer edges of the susceptor. Gas movement near the edges of the susceptor corresponds to gas flow near the edges of the substrate, affecting deposition near the edges of the substrate relative to the center of the substrate. For example, in other designs, the movement of purge gas or process gas through the gap between the preheating ring and the susceptor affects the crossflow of the process gas as it travels over the substrate. These effects can lead to unintended turbulence, or variations in other gas flows can affect the non-uniformity of film deposition. However, the preheating ring 117 and susceptor 106 of this disclosure substantially mitigate or eliminate these adverse effects.

[0031] In addition, in other designs, as the susceptor rotates during processing, it may "drag" the process gas around it. This process gas "dragging" affects the uniformity of the process gas flow near the end face of the susceptor, and consequently affects the end face of the substrate as well. The change in process gas flow uniformity near the end face of the substrate leads to deposition non-uniformity around the substrate, causing non-uniformity from the center to the edge. However, the preheating ring 117 and susceptor 106 of this disclosure substantially mitigate the above adverse effects. By supporting the preheating ring 117 on the susceptor 106 during processing, the preceding rotating end face exposed to the process gas flow (e.g., the outer end face 245 of the preheating ring 117) is effectively extended away from the outer periphery of the substrate 102. Therefore, even if "drag" of the process gas occurs, the process gas flow is kept at a sufficient distance from the substrate 102 so as not to cause non-uniformity from the center to the edges.

[0032] Figures 2C and 2D are schematic partial diagrams of a processing chamber configuration 200c, such as the processing chamber of Figure 1, according to another embodiment. Processing chamber configuration 200c is similar to processing chamber configuration 200a, and detailed descriptions of the same reference numerals are omitted for brevity. Referring to processing chamber configuration 200c, the illustrated lower liner 163 does not have an insert 278. Rather, the lower liner 163 has a planar surface except for the vertical extension 277. Omitting the insert 278 can be beneficial, for example, when the lower liner 163 and the preheating ring 117 are formed of the same or similar material, or otherwise have one or more similar properties such as heat transfer coefficient. In addition, omitting the insert 278 can facilitate the reduction of particle generation in the processing chamber and thus improve film quality.

[0033] Figures 3A and 3B are schematic partial diagrams of a processing chamber configuration 300, such as processing chamber 100, according to another embodiment. Figure 3A shows the processing chamber configuration 300 in the processing position, and Figure 3B shows the processing chamber configuration 300 in the loading / unloading position. The processing chamber configuration 300 is similar to the processing chamber configuration 200c, and for simplicity, the explanation of the same reference numerals is omitted.

[0034] The processing chamber configuration 300 utilizes a lower liner 363 instead of the lower liner 163 of the processing chamber configuration 200c. The lower liner 363 includes a vertical extension 377 projecting from the upper surface of the lower liner 363. In one or more examples, the vertical extension 377 is a cylinder positioned on the radially inner end face of the lower liner 363. In one or more examples, the vertical extension 377 is a cylindrical sleeve. The vertical extension 377 creates a vertical overlap portion with the circular vertical extension 275 of the preheating ring 117 at the processing position. The vertical overlap portion reduces the process gas flow 386 from the gas inlet 114 (shown in Figure 1), which travels directly below the susceptor 106, and thus reduces material deposition in unwanted areas of the processing chamber. The size of the vertical extension 377, and the lateral distance 387 between the circular vertical extension 275 of the preheating ring 117 and the vertical extension 377, may be selected to achieve predetermined flow characteristics on the back side of the susceptor 106. In one or more examples, the vertical extension 377 overlaps with at least 25 percent (%) of the circular vertical extension 275 of the preheating ring 117 during deposition, for example, at least 50%, or at least 60%, or at least 70%, or at least 80%, or at least 90%.

[0035] Figures 3A and 3B show one embodiment of the processing chamber configuration 300, but other embodiments are also possible. For example, the lower liner 363 may include an insert 278, as shown in the processing chamber configuration 200a.

[0036] Figures 4A and 4B are schematic partial diagrams of a processing chamber configuration 400, such as a processing chamber 100, according to another embodiment. The processing configuration 400 is similar to the processing configuration 200c, and similar reference numbers have been omitted for simplicity. However, the processing configuration 400 includes a susceptor 406 and a lower liner 463. The susceptor 406 includes a preheating ring that is either integrally formed with the susceptor or permanently attached to the susceptor. Thus, the susceptor 406 has an enlarged outer diameter compared to other susceptors supporting a substrate 102 of the same size. For example, the outer diameter 490 of the ledge 481 is about 60% to about 70% of the outer diameter of the susceptor 406, and so on, with the outer diameter being about 40% to about 80% of the outer diameter of the susceptor 406. As a result, the outer end face 492 of the susceptor 406 is spaced a sufficient distance from the outer end face of the substrate 102 in order to reduce the process gas "drag" effect on the substrate 102 (for example, when processing a single 150 mm substrate within the outer diameter 490 of the ledge 481, this distance is greater than 50 mm, for example, greater than 60 mm, greater than 70 mm, greater than 80 mm, greater than 95 mm, greater than 105 mm, greater than 125 mm, greater than 140 mm, etc.). In one example, the outer end face 492 of the susceptor 406 is spaced a distance of 75% or more of the outer diameter 490 of the ledge 481 from the outer end face of the ledge 481, for example, greater than 80% of the outer diameter 490, greater than 85%, greater than 90%, or greater than 95% of the outer diameter 490. In such a configuration, the surface area of ​​the upper surface 272 is selected to allow for sufficient distance between the outer end face 492 and the substrate 102, and / or to provide sufficient surface area to preheat the process gas when the process gas flows adjacent to the upper surface 272.

[0037] Since the susceptor 406 includes a preheating ring integrally formed with (or attached to) the susceptor, the lower liner 463 has an inner diameter larger than the outer diameter of the susceptor 406. The inner diameter of the lower liner 463 allows the susceptor 406 to move between the processing position shown in Figure 4A and the loading / unloading position shown in Figure 4B without interface. The integral formation of the preheating ring and the susceptor 406 reduces particulate contamination due to reduced contact with the lower liner, while still providing some or all of the benefits described above with respect to other embodiments.

[0038] The benefits of this disclosure include reducing or eliminating deposits and / or contamination on undesirable locations in the processing chamber, reducing or eliminating corrosion of chamber components, increasing the operational life of chamber components, increasing the time between chamber cleanings, increasing throughput, more uniform gas flow, and improved deposit uniformity (such as deposit uniformity from center to end face).

[0039] It is conceivable that the embodiments described herein can be combined. For example, one or more features, embodiments, components, operations, and / or characteristics of the processing chamber 100, processing chamber configuration 200a, processing chamber configuration 200c, processing chamber configuration 300, and / or processing chamber configuration 400 can be combined. It is further conceivable that any combination can achieve the aforementioned benefits.

[0040] The foregoing applies to examples of the present disclosure, and other or further examples of the present disclosure may be devised without departing from the basic scope of the present disclosure, the scope of the present disclosure being determined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A processing chamber suitable for use in semiconductor processing, The chamber body surrounding the internal volume, A susceptor disposed within the internal volume, wherein the internal volume includes a purge volume below the susceptor and a process volume above the susceptor. A liner positioned radially outward from the susceptor, A preheating ring, wherein the preheating ring is configured to engage with the susceptor when the susceptor is in a high processing position and to engage with the liner when the susceptor is in a low loading / unloading position. A processing chamber equipped with the following:

2. The processing chamber according to claim 1, wherein the upper surface of the preheating ring and the upper surface of the susceptor are on the same plane at the processing position.

3. The processing chamber according to claim 1, wherein the liner contains quartz.

4. The processing chamber according to claim 3, wherein the liner comprises an insert disposed within the upper surface of the liner.

5. The processing chamber according to claim 4, wherein the insert contains silicon carbide.

6. The processing chamber according to claim 1, wherein each of the susceptor and the preheating ring comprises one or more of silicon carbide, black quartz, graphite, or silicon carbide-coated graphite.

7. The processing chamber according to claim 1, wherein the liner includes a vertical extension that protrudes from the upper surface of the liner at the radially inner end face of the liner.

8. The processing chamber according to claim 7, wherein the vertical extension overlaps with a circular vertical extension that protrudes from the lower surface of the preheating ring when the susceptor is in the processing position.

9. The processing chamber according to claim 8, wherein the vertical extension overlaps with at least 25 percent of the circular vertical extension 275 of the preheating ring 117 at the processing position.

10. The processing chamber according to claim 8, wherein the circular vertical extension of the preheating ring is positioned outside the vertical extension of the liner.

11. The processing chamber according to claim 10, further comprising an insert disposed in a pocket formed in the upper surface of the liner, wherein the insert contains silicon carbide, and the insert is disposed below the circular vertical extension of the preheating ring and outside the vertical extension of the liner.

12. A method for processing a substrate, Placing the substrate on the susceptor inside the processing chamber, The susceptor is moved vertically to bring it into contact with the preheating ring, thereby releasing the preheating ring from the liner. The preheating ring is in contact with the susceptor while the deposition process is performed on the substrate, Lowering the susceptor together with the substrate on the susceptor to the loading / unloading position, wherein lowering includes engaging the liner with the preheating ring. Methods that include...

13. The method according to claim 12, further comprising lowering the preheating ring from the susceptor.

14. The method according to claim 12, wherein the deposition process includes rotating the susceptor and the preheating ring while the preheating ring is engaged with the susceptor.

15. The method according to claim 12, wherein engaging the liner with the preheating ring includes bringing an insert formed in the upper surface of the liner into contact with the preheating ring.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein the liner contains quartz, the insert contains silicon carbide, and the preheating ring contains silicon carbide.

17. A processing chamber suitable for use in semiconductor processing, The chamber body surrounding the internal volume, A susceptor disposed within the internal volume, wherein the internal volume includes a purge volume below the susceptor and a process volume above the substrate support, the susceptor includes a single pocket formed within the susceptor to support one substrate, and the susceptor has an outer diameter at least 75% larger than the outer diameter of the pocket, A liner positioned radially outward from the susceptor and A processing chamber equipped with the following:

18. The processing chamber according to claim 17, wherein the susceptor is configured to move between a processing position and a loading / unloading position, and the susceptor remains without the liner in both the processing position and the loading / unloading position.

19. The processing chamber according to claim 18, wherein the susceptor has an outer diameter at least 80% larger than the outer diameter of the pocket.

20. The processing chamber according to claim 18, wherein the susceptor has an outer diameter at least 85% larger than the outer diameter of the pocket.

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