Temperature control base for semiconductor wafer processing

Abstract

A pedestal for supporting a semiconductor wafer during wafer processing operations is disclosed. Such a pedestal can incorporate both an active cooling system and an active heating system, thereby enabling heating and / or cooling of the wafer over a wide range of potential temperatures, and doing so rapidly, thereby increasing processing throughput by reducing the waiting time required for the pedestal to reach the target temperature.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] [Related Applications] As part of this application, a PCT application form is submitted simultaneously with this specification. Each application specified in this simultaneously filed PCT application form and to which this application claims benefit or priority is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety for all purposes. [Background Art] Semiconductor manufacturing processes are often performed in a chamber where one or more semiconductor wafers are supported on a pedestal during wafer processing operations. Such a pedestal can be used with a corresponding gas distribution system, such as positioned under a showerhead, for distributing process gas across the entire exposed surface of the semiconductor wafer supported by the pedestal.

Summary of the Invention

[0002] Details of one or more embodiments of the subject matter described in this specification are set forth in the accompanying drawings and the description below. Other features, aspects, and advantages will be apparent from the description, the drawings, and the claims.

[0003] In some embodiments, an apparatus can be provided that includes a pedestal configured to support a semiconductor wafer during semiconductor processing operations. The pedestal can include a body having a first side and a second side opposite the first side of the body, one or more heating element segments disposed within the body and within a first cylindrical region, one or more cooling passage segments disposed within a second cylindrical region within the body, and a stem connected to the second side of the body. The first cylindrical region can be interposed between the second cylindrical region and the first side of the body, and the second cylindrical region can be interposed between the first cylindrical region and the second side of the body.

[0004] In some embodiments, the one or more heating element segments can be a plurality of heating element segments, and the plurality of heating element segments can include a plurality of arcuate heating element segments.

[0005] In some such embodiments, the arc-shaped heating element segments may be concentric with one another.

[0006] In some embodiments, the multiple arc-shaped heating element segments may include a first heating element segment extending along a first arc-shaped heating path, a second heating element segment extending along a second arc-shaped heating path, and a third heating element segment extending along a third arc-shaped heating path. In such embodiments, the first arc-shaped heating path may have a radius smaller than that of the second arc-shaped heating path and smaller than that of the third arc-shaped heating path.

[0007] In some such embodiments, the first arc-shaped heating path, the second arc-shaped heating path, and the third arc-shaped heating path may be concentric with one another.

[0008] In some embodiments, the radius of the second arc-shaped heating path may be equal to the radius of the third arc-shaped heating path.

[0009] In some embodiments, the heating element segments may further include a fourth heating element segment extending along a fourth arc-shaped heating path and a fifth heating element segment extending along a fifth arc-shaped heating path, and the radii of the second and third arc-shaped heating paths may be smaller than the radii of the fourth and fifth arc-shaped heating paths.

[0010] In some embodiments, the first arc-shaped heating path, the fourth arc-shaped heating path, and the fifth arc-shaped heating path may be concentric with one another.

[0011] In some embodiments, the radius of the fourth arc-shaped heating path may be equal to the radius of the fifth arc-shaped heating path.

[0012] In some embodiments, the first, second, third, fourth, and fifth arc-shaped heating paths may, at least partially, collectively define a plurality of arc-shaped heating paths, and the plurality of heating element segments may further include a plurality of bridging heating element segments, each bridging heating element segment extending between the respective endpoints of a pair of adjacent arc-shaped heating paths in the plurality of arc-shaped heating paths.

[0013] In some embodiments, one or more cooling passage segments may be multiple cooling passage segments, and the multiple cooling passage segments may include multiple arched cooling passage segments.

[0014] In some embodiments, the arc-shaped cooling passage segments may be concentric with one another.

[0015] In some embodiments, the multiple arched cooling passage segments may include a first cooling passage segment extending along a first arched cooling path and a second cooling passage segment extending along a second arched cooling path, the first and second arched cooling paths may be concentric with each other, and the first arched cooling path may have a radius smaller than that of the second arched cooling path.

[0016] In some embodiments, the first arc-shaped cooling path and the second arc-shaped cooling path may be concentric with each other.

[0017] In some embodiments, the multiple arc-shaped cooling passage segments may further include a third cooling passage segment extending along a third arc-shaped cooling path, the first and third arc-shaped cooling paths may be concentric with each other, and the radius of the second arc-shaped cooling path may be smaller than the radius of the third arc-shaped cooling path.

[0018] In some such embodiments, the first arc-shaped cooling path and the third arc-shaped cooling path may be concentric with each other.

[0019] In some embodiments, the first arc-shaped cooling path, the second arc-shaped cooling path, and the third arc-shaped cooling path may, at least partially, collectively define a plurality of arc-shaped cooling paths, and the plurality of cooling path segments may further include a plurality of bridging cooling path segments, each bridging cooling path segment extending between the endpoints of two arc-shaped cooling paths in the plurality of arc-shaped cooling paths.

[0020] In some embodiments, the body may include a first portion having a first side and a second side, a second portion having a first side and a second side, and a third portion having a first side and a second side. In such embodiments, the second portion may be interposed between the first portion and the third portion, the first side of the first portion may also be the first side of the body, the second side of the first portion may be joined or fused to the first side of the second portion, and the second side of the second portion may be joined or fused to the first side of the third portion.

[0021] In some embodiments, a second side of the first part and at least one of the first side of the second part may include a heating element channel, the heating element channel may house one or more heating element segments.

[0022] In some embodiments, one or more heating element segments may have a D-shaped cross-section.

[0023] In some embodiments, at least one of the second side of the second part and the first side of the third part may include a cooling passage channel, the cooling passage channel may accommodate one or more cooling passage segments.

[0024] In some embodiments, one or more cooling passage segments may be tubular.

[0025] In some embodiments, one or more cooling passage segments may have an annular cross-section.

[0026] In some embodiments, the second side surface of the first part may be brazed to the first side surface of the second part, and the second side surface of the second part may be brazed to the first side surface of the third part.

[0027] In some embodiments, the first part, the second part, and the third part may all be made of an aluminum alloy.

[0028] In some embodiments, the body may be made of an aluminum alloy.

[0029] In some embodiments, the device may further include a thermocouple coupled to the body.

[0030] In some embodiments, the device further includes a power source, a coolant reservoir having a temperature control system, a coolant pump, and a controller configured to control the temperature control system, maintain the coolant stored in the coolant reservoir within a first temperature range that is 5°C to 50°C lower than a set temperature, control the coolant pump to flow the coolant through one or more cooling passage segments from the coolant reservoir, and cause the one or more heating element segments to receive power from the power source until a temperature sensor indicates that the temperature of the pedestal is above the set temperature.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0031] In the following description, the following figures are referred to. The figures are not intended to limit the scope and are provided merely to facilitate the following description.

[0032] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a side cross-sectional view of a pedestal having both active heating features and active cooling features.

[0033] [Figure 2]Figure 2 is a perspective cross-sectional view of the base shown in Figure 1.

[0034] [Figure 3] Figure 3 shows the active heating and active cooling characteristics of the base shown in Figure 1, as well as a perspective view of the thermocouple element.

[0035] [Figure 4A] Figure 4A is a top view of the first part of the main body of the base shown in Figure 1. [Figure 4B] Figure 4B is a bottom view of the first part of the main body of the base shown in Figure 1.

[0036] [Figure 5A] Figure 5A is a top view of the second part of the main body of the base shown in Figure 1. [Figure 5B] Figure 5B is a bottom view of the second part of the main body of the base shown in Figure 1.

[0037] [Figure 6A] Figure 6A is a top view of the third part of the main body of the base shown in Figure 1. [Figure 6B] Figure 6B is a bottom view of the third part of the main body of the base shown in Figure 1.

[0038] [Figure 7] Figure 7 is an isometric exploded view of the base shown in Figure 1. [Figure 8] Figure 8 is an isometric exploded view of the base shown in Figure 1.

[0039] [Figure 9] Figure 9 is a schematic diagram of a semiconductor processing tool having a base, such as the base shown in Figure 1. [Figure 10] Figure 10 is a schematic diagram of a semiconductor processing tool having a base, such as the base shown in Figure 1.

[0040] The above-mentioned figures are provided to facilitate understanding of the concepts described herein and are intended to illustrate, but not to limit, some embodiments that fall within the scope of this disclosure. Embodiments that are consistent with this disclosure and not illustrated in the figures are also considered to fall within the scope of this disclosure. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0041] As described above, semiconductor wafer processing operations are often performed on semiconductor wafers, which are supported within a processing chamber on a pedestal, for example, a structure typically designed to support the semiconductor wafer from below in an evenly distributed manner. This specification discloses a particular pedestal used for supporting a semiconductor wafer during a wafer processing operation. Such a pedestal may be equipped with both an active heating element and an active cooling element, and may be capable of rapidly changing the temperature of the pedestal from low to high, or vice versa.

[0042]

[0043] For example, the pedestal according to this disclosure may generally have a body that is typically cylindrical in shape and has a diameter larger than the diameter of the semiconductor wafer for which the pedestal is designed to support, for example, 300 mm or 450 mm. The body may have a first side configured to face upward, for example toward the semiconductor wafer supported by the pedestal, during processing operations, and a second side configured to face downward, for example toward away from the semiconductor wafer, during processing operations.

[0044] Such a base may include one or more heating element segments arranged within the main body and within a first cylindrical region, and one or more cooling passage segments arranged within the main body and within a second cylindrical region. The first and second cylindrical regions may be positioned between the first and second sides of the main body, with the first cylindrical region interposed between the first side and the second cylindrical region, and the second cylindrical region interposed between the second side and the first cylindrical region.

[0045] Figure 1 illustrates a cross-sectional view of an example of such a base. In Figure 1, the base 104 is shown. The base 104 may include a body 112 having a first side 114 and a second side 116. The stem 110 can be connected to the second side 116 of the body 112, for example, via a screw connection, a threaded flange or other screw fastener connecting the body 112 to the stem 110, or via welding or brazing. In the illustrated example, the stem 110 is brazed to the body 112. The stem 110 may protrude through an opening in the floor of a chamber (not shown) housing the base and may be connected to a vertical lift system configured to move the stem 110 and body 112 up and down during preparation for or execution of different wafer processing operations.

[0046] In the embodiment shown in Figure 1, the body 112 is divided into three parts: a first part 112a, a second part 112b, and a third part 112c. These parts 112a, 112b, and 112c are connected to each other to form a layered structure that forms the body 112. The layered configuration of the body 112 allows one or more heating element segments 122 to be placed between the first part 112a and the second part 112b, and one or more cooling passage segments 134 to be placed between the second part 112b and the third part 112c. As shown, one or more heating element segments 122 are positioned within a first cylindrical region 118, and one or more cooling passage segments 134 are positioned within a second cylindrical region 120. The first cylindrical region 118 is located between the second cylindrical region 120 and the first side surface 114 of the body 112, as shown in the figure, and the second cylindrical region 120 is located between the first cylindrical region 118 and the second side surface 116. The first and second cylindrical regions 118 and 120 share a common central axis and may be generally coaxial with the central axis of the base 104, which is nominally perpendicular to the first side surface 114. In some embodiments, the first cylindrical region 118 may have an upper end coinciding with the first side surface 114 and a lower end closer to the first side surface 114 than any portion of the cooling passage segment 134, while the second cylindrical region 120 may have a lower end coinciding with the second side surface 116 of the body 112 and an upper end closer to the second side surface 116 of the body 112 than the lower end of the first cylindrical region 118.

[0047] In some embodiments, the body 112 may include a plurality of lift pin holes 164 that can extend through the body 112, thereby allowing lift pins (not shown) to extend through the body 112 beyond the first side surface 114 of the body 112 (or to lower the body 112, allowing the lift pins, which may remain stationary, to protrude from the first side surface 114 of the body), thereby allowing a semiconductor wafer (also not shown) supported by a base 104 to be lifted off or lowered onto the first side surface 114 of the body 112.

[0048] In some additional or further embodiments, the body 112 may also include an internal gas distribution passage 156 that can be used to distribute a gas, for example, a non-reactive purge gas, to the underside of a semiconductor wafer supported by a base 104. The gas distribution passage 156 may be connected, for example, to a gas port (not shown, see later figures) that leads to a first side surface 114 of the body.

[0049] As described above, the stem 110 can support the body 112 within the semiconductor processing chamber. However, the stem 110 can also function as a conduit through which various elements can pass. For example, one or more cooling passage segments 134 may be connected to an inlet passage 146 and an outlet passage 148, which are configured to supply cooling fluid to or receive cooling fluid from one or more cooling passage segments 134. Similarly, one or more heating element segments 122 may be powered via a heating element power cable 144. Cables for one or more thermocouples 132 can also be routed through the stem 110. One or more thermocouples 132 (or other temperature sensors, e.g., thermistors) can be mounted, for example, in contact with a part of the body, thereby enabling real-time monitoring of the body's temperature. In particular, one or more thermocouples 132 can be connected to the main body 112 at one or more locations adjacent to the first side surface 114 of the main body 112, thereby making it possible to monitor the temperature of the main body 112 in the vicinity of the location where the wafer is supported by the main body 112.

[0050] If the base 104 is provided with a gas distribution passage 156, the stem 110 may also include a gas supply line that supplies the nonreactive gas distributed through the gas distribution passage 156 to the gas distribution passage 156. Alternatively, the inside of the stem 110 may be sealed, with the gas distribution passage 156 being the only outlet passage, and such gas simply flowing inside the stem 110, for example near the bottom, and then exiting the stem 110 through the gas distribution passage 156.

[0051] As will be apparent from the subsequent figures, the heating element power cables 144 pairs and the inlet passages 146 / outlet passages 148 pairs can be oriented so that they are approximately 90° out of phase with respect to each other, and thus each of the heating element power cables 144, inlet passages 146, and outlet passages 148 can extend downward through different quadrants of the stem 110. When used, the cables for one or more thermocouples 132 can optionally be routed along the center of the stem 110. Such an arrangement allows the diameter of the stem 110 to be kept small, thereby making it suitable for use in equipment developed for pedestals that do not have both an active heating system and an active cooling system. It will be understood that, for the purpose of measuring the pedestal temperature, other types of temperature sensors, such as thermistors and resistance temperature sensors, can also be used instead of or in addition to thermocouples.

[0052] The embodiment illustrated in Figure 1 features a multi-piece body 112, but it will be understood that other embodiments of the body may be manufactured with fewer pieces or as a single piece. For example, the body 112 may be additively manufactured, with the third portion 112c and the second portion 112b formed as a single continuous piece with one or more cooling passage segments 134 formed inside. In further or additional examples, the second portion 112b and the first portion 112a may similarly be formed as a single continuous piece around one or more heating element segments 122.

[0053] Next, it will be understood that one or more of the first part 112a, the second part 112b, and the third part 112c may be multilayer components or assemblies. For example, the first part 112a may be provided by joining together two or more different components, for example, a thin ceramic top plate may be joined or otherwise attached to a larger aluminum plate, and these two components collectively form the first part 112a. In some embodiments, one or more of the first part 112a, the second part 112b, and the third part 112c may be connected to each other via screw connections, for example, one of these parts may have a screw hole or a hole with a screw insert, and another one or more parts may have a through hole into which a screw fastener, for example a screw, can be inserted. It may be possible to align the through hole with the screw hole and screw the screw fastener into the screw hole, thereby clamping these parts to each other.

[0054] Figure 2 shows an isometric cross-sectional view of the base 104 of Figure 1. In Figure 2, the first portion 112a is shown with slightly more than half cut off, and the second portion 112b is shown with approximately one-third cut off. One or more heating element segments 122 are shown with the same amount cut off as the second portion 112b, and one or more cooling passage segments 134 are shown with a slightly smaller amount cut off than the second portion 112b.

[0055] As can be seen more clearly in Figure 2, the gas distribution passage 156, if present, can be connected to the gas port 154, allowing the gas supplied to the gas distribution passage 156 (for example, via the gas inlet 158 ​​near the center of the second and third sections 112b / c) to be distributed to locations on the first side 114 of the main body 112.

[0056] As shown in Figure 2, one or more cooling passage segments 134 are tubular, for example, made of stainless steel pipe having an annular cross-section and bent to follow a specific path. Thus, one or more cooling passage segments 134 are separate or distinct structures from the body 112, but may be enclosed within the body 112. However, as mentioned above, in other embodiments, one or more cooling passage segments can simply be provided by features formed directly on the material of the body 112.

[0057] The heating element segment 122 may also be separate from the body 112 but be one or more components embedded within the body 112. For example, the heating element segment 122 may be a resistive heating element, a part of a resistive heating element, or a resistive heating element confined within a channel or groove provided in the first portion 112a and / or the second portion 112b. As shown, the heating element segment 122 has a U-shaped or D-shaped cross-section within the first cylindrical region 118, thereby fitting into a U-shaped or D-shaped heating element channel machined in the first portion 112a, thus providing good thermal contact between one or more heating element segments 122 and the body 112. In other embodiments, a resistive heating element that may be located at the core of one or more heating element segments may have a round cross-section. In some embodiments, by applying epoxy or other liquid-phase material that can harden into a solid or non-liquid phase to the interface between one or more heating element segments 122 and a first portion 112a and / or a second portion 112b, one or more heating element segments 122 can be fixed in place relative to the body 112, and a more thermally conductive interface can be provided between the one or more heating element segments 122 and the body 112.

[0058] Figure 3 illustrates one or more heating element segments 122 and one or more cooling passage segments 134 individually, i.e., without the body 112. As shown, both the one or more heating element segments 122 and the one or more cooling passage segments 134 are located in two parallel planes 117a and 117b, respectively, and follow meandering paths within a circular region enclosed by the body 112. It will be understood that the specific paths followed by the heating element segments 122 and cooling passage segments 134 illustrated on the exemplary base 104 represent specific configurations that can provide optimal or near-optimal thermal uniformity and thermal transient behavior.

[0059] Figures 4A to 6B illustrate top and bottom views of each portion 112a, 112b, and 112c, respectively. For example, Figure 4A shows the first side surface 114a of the first portion 112a, and Figure 4B shows the second side surface 116a of the first portion 112a. As shown in Figure 4A, the first side surface 114a of the first portion 112a functions as the first side surface 114 of the body 112 and has a wafer recess 162 in the center. The wafer recess 162 is, for example, a circular recessed area in the center of the first side surface 114 of the body 112 and can be slightly larger in size than the diameter of the semiconductor wafer intended to be supported by the base 104. In other embodiments, the wafer recess 162 may not be present, or a raised circular area approximately the same size as the diameter of the semiconductor wafer may be provided on the first side surface 114 of the body 112. Figure 4A also shows the aforementioned lift pin hole 164 and gas port 154.

[0060] As shown in Figure 4B, a heating element channel 150 is machined or formed on the second side surface 116a of the first portion 112a, which houses one or more heating element segments 122 (not explicitly shown here, but understood to be located within the heating element channel 150), and the heating element segment 122 may include a plurality of arc-shaped heating element segments in some embodiments. In some embodiments, two or more, or possibly all, arc-shaped heating element segments may be concentric with one another. For example, the arc-shaped heating element segment 122 may include a first arc-shaped heating element segment 124a extending along a first arc-shaped heating path 126a, a second arc-shaped heating element segment 124b extending along a second arc-shaped heating path 126b, and a third arc-shaped heating element segment 124c extending along a third arc-shaped heating path 126c. In such embodiments, the first arc-shaped heating path 126a may have a smaller radius than the radii of the second arc-shaped heating path 126b and the third arc-shaped heating path 126c, and in some further such embodiments, the radii of the second arc-shaped heating path 126b and the third arc-shaped heating path 126c may be equal.

[0061] In some further such embodiments, the multiple arc-shaped heating elements may further include a fourth arc-shaped heating element segment 124d extending along a fourth arc-shaped heating path 126d and a fifth arc-shaped heating element segment 124e extending along a fifth arc-shaped heating path 126e. In such embodiments, the radii of the second arc-shaped heating path 126b and the third arc-shaped heating path 126c may be smaller than the radii of the fourth arc-shaped heating path 126d and the fifth arc-shaped heating path 126e. In some such embodiments, the radii of the fourth arc-shaped heating path 126d and the fifth arc-shaped heating path 126e may be equal.

[0062] The various arc-shaped heating element segments described above can, in some cases, be joined by bridging heating element segments 128 extending between pairs of endpoints of the arc-shaped heating paths 126a-c or 126a-e, thereby forming a continuous chain of heating element segments 122.

[0063] Figure 5A shows the first side surface 114b of the second portion 112b. The lift pin hole 164 penetrates the body 112 and is therefore also present in the second portion 112b, as shown in Figure 5A. A gas distribution passage 156 is also visible in Figure 5A, in this example the gas distribution passage 156 includes a circular portion and three radial portions, which can be used to distribute an unreactive gas to the underside of a semiconductor wafer placed on the first side surface 114 of the body 112. Such an unreactive gas can be introduced into the gas distribution passage 156, for example, through one or more gas inlets 158.

[0064] Figure 5B shows the second side surface 116b of the second portion 112b. Somewhat similar to the heating element channel 150 of the first portion 112a, the second portion 112b has a cooling passage channel 152 machined or formed on the second side surface 116b of the second portion 112b. The cooling passage channel 152 can accommodate one or more cooling passage segments 134 (not explicitly shown here but understood to be present within the cooling passage channel 152), and these cooling passage segments 134 may comprise a plurality of arcuate cooling passage segments 134 in some embodiments. In some such embodiments, two or more, or possibly all, arcuate cooling passage segments 134 may be concentric with one another. For example, the arcuate cooling passage segment 134 may comprise a first arcuate cooling passage segment 136a extending along a first arcuate cooling path 138a and a second arcuate cooling passage segment 136b extending along a second arcuate cooling path 138b. In such an embodiment, the first arc-shaped cooling path 138a may have a smaller radius than the radius of the second arc-shaped cooling path 138b.

[0065] In some embodiments, the multiple arc-shaped cooling passage segments may further include a third arc-shaped cooling passage segment 136c extending along a third arc-shaped cooling path 138c. In such embodiments, the second arc-shaped cooling path 138b may have a radius smaller than that of the third arc-shaped cooling path 138c.

[0066] The various arc-shaped cooling passage segments described above may, in some cases, be joined by bridging cooling passage segments 140 extending between the endpoints of the arc-shaped cooling paths 138a and 138b or the pair of arc-shaped cooling paths 138a-c, thereby forming a continuous chain of cooling passage segments 134.

[0067] In the illustrated example, the coolant can flow through multiple cooling passage segments 134, thereby flowing through a third arc-shaped cooling passage segment 136c, then through a second arc-shaped cooling passage segment 136b, and finally through a first arc-shaped cooling passage segment 136a. With this configuration, the amount of cooling may be greater near the periphery of the second section 112b and decrease near the center of the second section 112b.

[0068] Figure 6A shows a top view of the first side surface 114c of the third portion 112c, and Figure 6B shows a bottom view of the second side surface 116c of the third portion 112c. As shown, the lift pin hole 164 extends through the third portion 112c as well.

[0069] As described above, the first portion 112a, the second portion 112b, and the third portion 112c may be connected or fused to each other, for example, through brazing or joint connections, so that the first portion 112a, the second portion 112b, and the third portion 112c substantially form a continuous thermal mass, thereby enabling rapid heat transfer from one or more heating element segments 122 to one or more cooling passage segments. Figures 7 and 8 show isometric exploded views of the base 104 and illustrate how one or more heating element segments 122 may be inserted into the heating element channel 150 and one or more cooling passage segments 134 may be inserted into the cooling passage channel 152 before the first portion 112a, the second portion 112b, and the third portion 112c are connected to each other and connected to the stem 110.

[0070] While both the heating element channel 150 and the cooling passage channel 152 are shown to be located on the second sides 116a and 116b of the first portion 112a and the second portion 112b, it should be understood that either or both of the heating element channel 150 and the cooling passage channel 152 may be located on the first sides 114b and / or 114c of the second portion 112b and the third portion 112c, respectively. In some embodiments, either or both of the heating element channel 150 and the cooling passage channel 152 may be formed on both the first sides 114b and 114c and the second sides 116a and 116b of the first portion 112a, the second portion 112b, and the third portion 112c.

[0071] The main body 112 of the base 104 (for example, if a multi-piece body 112 is used, the first part 112a, the second part 112b, and the third part 112c) may be made of, for example, an aluminum alloy. The high thermal conductivity of aluminum allows for rapid heat transfer to and from the body, thereby enabling rapid temperature changes.

[0072] The coolant flowing through one or more cooling passage segments may be a liquid, such as water, glycol, or a perfluorinated inert polyether liquid such as Galden® (provided by Solvay Specialty Polymers).

[0073] A base as described herein can be used in semiconductor process chambers where the base must withstand a wide range of temperatures. For example, one stage of a semiconductor process may require the base to be heated up to 400°C (or its wafer support surface to be heated), while another stage of the same semiconductor process (e.g., with the wafer remaining on the base between stages) may require cooling to a much lower temperature, such as 10°C, 40°C, or 50°C. It may be necessary to achieve such temperatures while maintaining the chamber housing itself (or its inner walls) at a high temperature, such as 80°C, 90°C, 100°C, 110°C, 120°C, 130°C, 140°C, or 150°C. By incorporating both heating and cooling functions within the base, a base as disclosed herein may have the ability to provide the aforementioned base temperatures when used in a high-temperature chamber, such as a chamber where the chamber wall temperature is higher than the desired base temperature during some stages of semiconductor processing.

[0074] Such a configuration also offers several additional advantages. For example, if power to one or more heating element segments 122 is reduced or stopped, such as to reduce the temperature of the first side 114 of the body 112, the cooling provided by one or more cooling passage segments 134 can be used to more rapidly lower the temperature of the first portion 112a and the first side 114 of the body 112. Similarly, if it is desired to heat the first side 114 of the body 112, the amount of active cooling provided by one or more cooling passage segments 134 can be reduced by stopping or slowing down the flow of coolant through one or more cooling passage segments 134, thereby allowing the heat that may be provided by one or more heating element segments 122 to heat the first side 114 of the body 112 more effectively. This makes it possible to rapidly heat the first side 114 of the body 112 from a low temperature to a high temperature. A base 104 incorporating such features can be used in semiconductor processing tools in which semiconductor wafers are processed using semiconductor processing operations that require continuous operation performed on semiconductor wafers at different temperatures. In such processes, the time required to increase or decrease the temperature of the semiconductor wafer can significantly impact the total time required to complete the semiconductor processing operation. In such situations, using the base 104 having the features described above allows for faster heating and / or cooling operations, thereby reducing the contribution of such heating / cooling to the total time required to complete the semiconductor processing operation. This shortens the overall duration of such semiconductor processing operations, enabling the processing of more semiconductor wafers within the same timeframe and increasing wafer processing throughput.

[0075] Another advantage is that when power is applied to one or more heating element segments 122 to generate heat, a coolant can be simultaneously circulated through one or more cooling passage segments 134. This draws heat from one or more heating element segments 122 to the region of the body 112 between the heating element segments 122 and the cooling passage segments 134, thereby heating the first side 114 of the body 112 to a relatively high temperature, e.g., 200°C to 400°C, while keeping the rest of the body 112 at a lower temperature. This may allow the temperature of the stem 110 to be kept lower than the temperature of the top of the body 112. This avoids a potentially hazardous situation where the stem 110, which may protrude from the bottom of the chamber, becomes dangerously hot to any person nearby, or becomes dangerously hot to components adjacent to the stem 110, such as elastomer seals that may be used to seal the stem 110 or other nearby components and are susceptible to damage when exposed to high temperatures, such as melting.

[0076] Such pedestals can be used to heat wafers to desired temperatures, particularly in certain types of semiconductor processing chambers and processes where it may be necessary to maintain the pedestal temperature (and therefore wafer temperature) at relatively low temperatures, e.g., 50°C to 200°C, with greater precision than other types of pedestal heating systems. In many applications where heated pedestals are used in semiconductor processing chambers, the target temperatures in which such pedestals are intended to operate may be in the range of 300°C to 400°C or higher. Such high temperatures are generally outside the range in which heat transfer fluids suitable for use in semiconductor processing systems, such as Galden® (maximum temperature less than 300°C) or glycol (maximum temperature less than 200°C), can operate without degradation or malfunction. Therefore, pedestals intended to operate at such high temperatures generally utilize resistance heating elements to reach and maintain these temperatures.

[0077] Simultaneously, the surrounding environment, such as the process chamber and / or other components within the process chamber, is typically at a much lower temperature, e.g., 100°C to 300°C lower. Due to the large temperature difference between such a pedestal and its surrounding environment, significant heat transfer occurs through heat transfer mechanisms by radiation, convection, and conduction (particularly through radiative heat transfer). Therefore, a temperature control system for the pedestal must constantly operate to maintain it at a desired target temperature, because the heat transferred to such a pedestal by an integrated heater system is rapidly dissipated due to the large temperature difference present. To maintain such a pedestal at a desired target temperature, the resistive heater system within such a pedestal is typically energized until the pedestal temperature rises to a specified upper temperature threshold (e.g., measured by one or more temperature sensors within the pedestal), at which point the energization to the resistive heater system is stopped. At this point, the pedestal begins to cool, and the resistive heater is energized again when the pedestal temperature reaches a specified lower temperature threshold, and this cycle can be repeated. Because heat loss is rapid in such systems, resistive heaters can generally operate at high duty cycles, and even if the temperature overshoots at the end of the duty cycle, it may take only a relatively short time to return to the target temperature range.

[0078] However, when such pedestals are used in a low-temperature range, for example, between 50°C and 200°C, the heat transfer coefficient, particularly the radiant heat transfer coefficient, can be much lower than in the high-temperature case described above. Therefore, it may be necessary to significantly reduce the operation of the resistive heater in order to maintain such low temperatures. Somewhat unexpectedly, at the same time, it is more difficult to precisely maintain a pedestal that reaches a specific target temperature in such a low-temperature range, for example, an aluminum pedestal. This is because the cooling rate of the pedestal decreases at such low temperatures, and any temperature overshoot that may occur may take a very long time to return to the target temperature range. As a result, the pedestal temperature may spend a much larger proportion of time above the desired target temperature due to overshoot, which is what usually happens when the pedestal in question is maintained at a much higher temperature, for example, above 300°C.

[0079] However, the pedestals described herein can be operated to provide very stable temperature control at lower temperatures, for example, in the range of 50°C to 200°C. For example, if the coolant flowing through the cooling passage segment is kept at a temperature somewhat lower than the target temperature, for example, below 50°C, below 40°C, below 30°C, below 20°C, below 15°C, below 14°C, below 13°C, below 12°C, below 11°C, below 10°C, below 9°C, below 8°C, below 7°C, below 6°C, or below 5°C, the coolant (even at a temperature close to the target temperature, for example, below 5°C or below 10°C) may act to rapidly cool the pedestal when the pedestal temperature overshoots the target temperature due to heating provided by the resistive heater. In some embodiments, the coolant may also be kept at a temperature at least 5°C lower than the target temperature.

[0080] In many cases, the coolant passage segment and the heater segment can operate as a two-stage temperature control system. For example, the coolant passage segment may act as a first temperature control mechanism, acting as a heater when the temperature of the base bulk material in the area surrounding the coolant passage segment is lower than the coolant temperature, and acting as a cooler when the temperature of the base bulk material in the area surrounding the coolant passage segment is higher than the coolant temperature. Similarly, the heater segment can generally act as a second temperature control mechanism that functions only by its heating capacity, for example, it may be able to add heat to the base but not remove heat from it.

[0081] In such embodiments, a first temperature control mechanism may be used to perform bulk heating of the base to heat it to a temperature close to the target temperature, but not exceeding it, for example, within 10°C of the target temperature, and then a second temperature control mechanism may be used to supply additional heat to the base to further heat it to the target temperature, for example, to the last 10°C. If the second temperature control mechanism, i.e., the heater segment, supplies excessive power to the base and the base temperature overshoots the target temperature, the first temperature control mechanism can remove the excess heat from the base, allowing the base to cool more rapidly to the target temperature. This reduces the time during which the base temperature may exceed the target temperature, and thus the temperature at the wafer-base interface is more stable than when the first temperature control mechanism is not used.

[0082] The first temperature control mechanism provides a temperature control system that can heat and cool the pedestal to the coolant temperature relatively rapidly, but its accuracy may be low because it is difficult to rapidly change the coolant temperature to deal with transient heating or cooling events in the pedestal. Therefore, the first temperature control mechanism alone can only provide relatively inadequate temperature control. For example, if the pedestal is kept at the target temperature using only the first temperature control mechanism, process conditions in the chamber may temporarily supply additional heat to the pedestal over a certain period of time, for example, from a plasma that may form in the chamber above the pedestal. In such cases, it may be necessary to lower the coolant temperature somewhat to offset the increased heat load. However, this can take time because the coolant is generally supplied from an external reservoir or source containing a volume of coolant that is typically several times larger than the volume of coolant in the cooling passage segment at any given moment. Changing the temperature of the coolant typically requires changing the entire volume of coolant by heating or cooling it, which takes time.

[0083] In contrast, the second temperature control mechanism offers a rapid response time and can switch between heating and non-heating modes much more quickly than the first temperature control mechanism. However, the second temperature control mechanism can only offer its rapid response time for heating, not cooling.

[0084] By integrating both the first and second temperature control mechanisms into a base, it is possible to leverage the advantages of both temperature control mechanisms to provide an integrated temperature control system that can rapidly respond to both heating and cooling, even in low-temperature regimes where heat loss is significantly reduced by radiative cooling.

[0085] Figures 9 and 10 illustrate schematic diagrams of a semiconductor processing tool featuring a pedestal as shown in Figure 1. The semiconductor processing tool may include a semiconductor processing chamber 102 having an internal volume that houses a showerhead 106 and a pedestal 104. The stem of the pedestal 104 may extend through an opening at the bottom of the semiconductor processing chamber 102 and may optionally be connected to a vertical lift mechanism 109, which can be controlled to raise and / or lower the pedestal 104 relative to the semiconductor processing chamber 102. Figure 9 illustrates the pedestal 104 in a lowered position relative to the semiconductor processing chamber 102, and Figure 10 illustrates the pedestal 104 in an raised position relative to the semiconductor processing chamber 102. The semiconductor processing chamber 102 may include, for example, a lift pin 121 extending upward through a lift pin hole 164 in the pedestal 104. The lift pin 121 acts to support the semiconductor wafer 123 when the base 104 is in the lowered position, thereby providing a gap between the semiconductor wafer 123 and the base 104, into which the end effector of a wafer handling robot (not shown) can be inserted to place the semiconductor wafer into or remove it from the semiconductor processing chamber 102. For example, as shown in Figure 10, when the base is in the raised position, the semiconductor wafer 123 may instead be placed directly on the first side surface 114 of the body 112 of the base 104. One or more process gases may then be flowed over the semiconductor wafer 123 via the showerhead 106, for example, the showerhead 106 may have a number of small gas distribution ports distributed across its underside, which act to supply process gas over the entire semiconductor wafer 123 during wafer processing operations. In some embodiments, the showerhead 106 and / or base 104 can function as electrodes used to supply high-frequency power to any gas that may be present in the gap between the showerhead 106 and base 104, thereby enabling the generation and use of plasma during wafer processing operations.

[0086] The gas introduced into the semiconductor processing chamber 102 during wafer processing can be discharged from the semiconductor processing chamber 102 via an exhaust system. For example, the semiconductor processing chamber 102 may have an annular exhaust plenum 103 below a base 104 connected to a vacuum pump 105, thereby enabling the gas to be exhausted from the semiconductor processing chamber 102 in a roughly azimuthal uniform manner.

[0087] As described above, the base 104 can be configured to move vertically up and down relative to the semiconductor processing chamber 102. A bellows seal 111 can be provided to seal the space between the semiconductor processing chamber 102 and the stem 110 (or connected components). In this example, the stem 110 is connected to a base plate that covers the stem 110, thereby sealing the internal volume of the stem 110, and is therefore supplied by a non-reactive gas source 107. The non-reactive gas introduced into the stem 110 needs to rise through the stem 110 and be discharged from the base 104 through a gas port 154 on the first side 114 of the body 112 of the base 104. However, in other embodiments, for example, when the non-reactive gas is not supplied to the body 112, or when the non-reactive gas is supplied to the body 112 but via a gas supply line extending to the body 112, the stem 110 may have an open bottom, for example, in equilibrium with the ambient atmosphere.

[0088] The inlet passage 146 and outlet passage 148 may be fluidly connected to a coolant reservoir 115 (which may incorporate a heat exchanger). A coolant pump 113 may be connected to one of the inlet passages 146 and outlet passage 148 and used to circulate coolant from the coolant reservoir 115 through one or more cooling passage segments 134 in the base 104.

[0089] Somewhat similarly, the heating element power cable 144 may be electrically connected to the power supply 119. Relays or other power regulating devices may be included to allow the amount of power supplied to one or more heating element segments 122 to be controlled by the controller 101. The controller 101 may also be communicatively connected to the coolant pump 113, allowing the controller 101 to control the flow of coolant through one or more coolant passage segments. One or more thermocouples 132 may also be communicatively coupled to the controller 101, if present. The controller can control the power supply to the coolant pump 113 and one or more heating element segments to cool, heat, or maintain the base 104 to a specific temperature, for example.

[0090] In some embodiments, for example, in an atomic layer etching tool, the body 112 and / or stem 110 may be coated with a corrosion-resistant coating to reduce the possibility of metal contamination of the wafer during processing due to the etching removal of the material of the body 112 and / or stem 110. Such coatings may include, for example, anodizing coatings such as hard anodizing coatings, plating, and coatings of materials applied via atomic layer deposition (e.g., in a separate chamber or in the same chamber in which the wafer is processed). In some cases, such coatings may include silicon oxide coatings, aluminum oxide coatings, or other ceramic coatings. In yet another case, such coatings may include plating such as nickel plating.

[0091] The controller 101 may be programmed to control any of the processes disclosed herein, for example, a process for controlling a pedestal, as well as other processes or parameters not described herein, depending on the processing requirements and / or the type of system. Such processes include supplying processing gas, setting temperature (e.g., heating and / or cooling), setting pressure, setting vacuum, setting power, setting radio frequency (RF) generator, setting RF matching circuit, setting frequency, setting flow rate, setting fluid supply, setting position and operation, loading and unloading wafers into and out of chambers and other transfer tools connected to or interlocked with a particular system, and / or loading and unloading wafers into and out of a load lock.

[0092] For example, the controller may be configured to maintain the base temperature within a set temperature or temperature range (hereinafter simply referred to as the set temperature, which is understood to refer to both a single desired temperature or a desired temperature range) within the range of 50°C to 200°C, as described above. The set temperature may be, for example, within 50°C to 55°C, within 55°C to 60°C, within 60°C to 65°C, within 65°C to 70°C, within 70°C to 75°C, within 75°C to 80°C, within 80°C to 85°C, within 85°C to 90°C, within 90°C to 95°C, within 95°C to 100°C, within 100°C to 105°C, within 105°C to 110°C, within 110°C to 115°C, within 115°C to 120°C, within 120°C to 125°C, within 125°C to 130°C, The temperature may be within the range of 130°C to 135°C, 135°C to 140°C, 140°C to 145°C, 145°C to 150°C, 150°C to 155°C, 155°C to 160°C, 160°C to 165°C, 165°C to 170°C, 170°C to 175°C, 175°C to 180°C, 180°C to 185°C, 185°C to 190°C, 190°C to 195°C, or 195°C to 200°C.

[0093] To this end, the controller can cause one or more heat exchangers and / or one or more heaters and / or one or more chillers (e.g., forming a temperature control system) in or connected to the reservoir 115 to heat and / or cool the coolant in the reservoir to a temperature of 50°C or less above the set temperature or temperature range. For example, such temperatures include 40°C or less of the set temperature or temperature range, 30°C or less of the set temperature or temperature range, 20°C or less of the set temperature or temperature range, 15°C or less of the set temperature or temperature range, 14°C or less of the set temperature or temperature range, 13°C or less of the set temperature or temperature range, 12°C or less of the set temperature or temperature range, 11°C or less of the set temperature or temperature range, 10°C or less of the set temperature or temperature range, 9°C or less of the set temperature or temperature range, 8°C or less of the set temperature or temperature range, 7°C or less of the set temperature or temperature range, 6°C or less of the set temperature or temperature range, and 5°C or less of the set temperature or temperature range (with respect to the refrigerant being heated and / or cooled to a temperature within X°C and below a certain temperature range, this will be understood to include heating or cooling the refrigerant to a temperature X°C lower than the lower limit of the set temperature or set temperature range, as well as heating or cooling to a temperature between X°C and the lower limit of the set temperature or set temperature range). In certain embodiments, the controller can cause a heat exchanger and / or heater in or connected to the reservoir 115 to heat and / or cool the coolant in the reservoir to a temperature of 20°C or less above the set temperature or temperature range, for example, 10°C or less above the set temperature or temperature range.

[0094] The controller may also control a power supply 119, or, for example, a relay or contactor 125, to control the application of power to one or more heating element segments 122 located within the base. The controller may, for example, control the application of power to one or more heating element segments 122, thereby causing power to be applied to one or more heating element segments 122 until, for example, the temperature of the base 104 measured by a thermocouple 132 or similar temperature sensor falls below a designated first threshold temperature (e.g., a temperature higher than the temperature at which the coolant is controlled, but lower than the set temperature or temperature range), the temperature sensor indicates that it has reached a second threshold temperature (e.g., a temperature associated with the set temperature or set temperature range (e.g., the upper limit of the set temperature range)). In some cases, the first threshold temperature may be the lower limit of the set temperature range (if a range is used), and the second threshold temperature may be the upper limit of the set temperature range. In other embodiments, the first and / or second threshold temperatures may be set above the lower limit and below the upper limit of the set temperature range, respectively.

[0095] In a broad sense, a controller may be defined as an electronic device having various integrated circuits, logic, memory, and / or software that receive and issue instructions, control operations, enable cleaning operations, enable endpoint measurements, etc. 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, i.e., 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 may define operating parameters for performing a particular process on or for a semiconductor wafer or for a system. Operating parameters may, in some examples, be part of a recipe defined by a process engineer to realize 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.

[0096] 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 the 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 operations, review the history of past fabrication operations, review trends or performance criteria from multiple fabrication operations, modify 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 processing step 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, for example, by comprising one or more separate 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 that communicate with one or more integrated circuits that are remotely located (e.g., at the platform level or as part of a remote computer) and combined to control the processes in the chamber.

[0097] Exemplary bases provided in this disclosure may be mounted in or on a semiconductor processing tool having a plasma etching chamber or module, a deposition chamber or module, a spin rinse chamber or module, a metal plating chamber or module, a cleaning chamber or module, a bevel edge etching chamber or module, a physical vapor deposition (PVD) chamber or module, a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) chamber or module, an atomic layer deposition (ALD) chamber or module, an atomic layer etching (ALE) chamber or module, an ion implantation chamber or module, a tracking chamber or module, and any other semiconductor processing system that may be used in connection with or for the fabrication and / or manufacture of semiconductor wafers.

[0098] 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.

[0099] The use of ordinal labels in this disclosure and claims, e.g., (a), (b), (c)... or (1), (2), (3)..., where present, should be understood not to indicate a specific order or sequence (except to the extent to which such order or sequence is explicitly indicated). For example, if there are three steps labeled (i), (ii), and (iii), it should be understood that these steps can be performed in any order (or simultaneously, if not contraindicated) unless otherwise indicated. For example, if step (ii) involves handling an element formed in step (i), then step (ii) can be considered to occur at some point after step (i). Similarly, if step (i) involves handling an element formed in step (ii), the reverse should be understood. The use of the ordinal label "first," e.g., "first item," here should not be interpreted as implicitly or essentially suggesting the necessarily existence of a "second" instance, e.g., "second item."

[0100] The phrases "for each <item> of one or more <items>" and "for each <item> of one or more <items>" should be understood, when used herein, to include both single-item groups and multi-item groups; that is, the phrase "for each..." should be understood to be used in the sense that it is used in programming languages ​​to refer to each item in the population of items being referenced. For example, if the population of items being referenced is a single item, "each" refers only to that single item (despite the fact that the dictionary definition of "each" often defines a term that refers to "one of two or more things"), and does not mean that there must be at least two of those items. Similarly, the terms "set" or "subset" should not be considered by themselves to necessarily include multiple items, and it will be understood that a set or subset can include one or more members (unless the context indicates otherwise).

[0101] When the term "between" is used herein, and when it is used in the context of a range of values, unless otherwise indicated, it should be understood to include the start and end values ​​of that range. For example, between 1 and 5 should be understood to include the digits 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5, not just the digits 2, 3, and 4.

[0102] The term "operably connected" should be understood to mean a state in which two components and / or systems are directly or indirectly connected, for example, a state in which at least one component or system can control the other. For example, a controller can be described as operably connected to a resistive heating unit, which includes the controller being connected to a subcontroller of the resistive heating unit, electrically connected to a relay configured to controllly connect or disconnect the resistive heating unit and a power supply, and the power supply being capable of providing an amount of power that can power the resistive heating unit to produce the desired degree of heating. The controller itself is unlikely to be able to directly supply such power to the resistive heating unit due to the currents involved, but it is still understood that the controller is operably connected to the resistive heating unit.

[0103] The examples and embodiments described herein are for illustrative purposes only, and those skilled in the art will understand that various modifications or changes thereto are proposed. Various design alternatives can be implemented, although various details have been omitted for clarity. Therefore, these examples should be considered illustrative rather than restrictive, and this disclosure should not be limited to the details provided herein, and may be modified within the scope of this disclosure.

[0104] While the above disclosure focuses on several specific exemplary embodiments, it should be understood that it is not limited to the examples described, but is equally applicable to similar variations and mechanisms, and such similar variations and mechanisms are also considered to be within the scope of this disclosure. However, this disclosure covers at least the embodiments numbered below.

[0105] Embodiment 1: A pedestal configured to support a semiconductor wafer during a semiconductor processing operation, the pedestal comprising a body having a first side and a second side opposite to the first side of the body; one or more heating element segments disposed within the body and within a first cylindrical region; one or more cooling passage segments disposed within a second cylindrical region within the body; and a stem connected to the second side of the body, wherein the first cylindrical region is interposed between the second cylindrical region and the first side of the body, and the second cylindrical region is interposed between the first cylindrical region and the second side of the body.

[0106] Embodiment 2: The apparatus according to Embodiment 1, wherein the one or more heating element segments are a plurality of heating element segments, and the plurality of heating element segments include a plurality of arc-shaped heating element segments.

[0107] Embodiment 3: The apparatus according to Embodiment 2, wherein the arc-shaped heating element segments are concentric with each other.

[0108] Embodiment 4: The apparatus according to Embodiment 2, wherein the plurality of arc-shaped heating element segments include a first heating element segment extending along a first arc-shaped heating path, a second heating element segment extending along a second arc-shaped heating path, and a third heating element segment extending along a third arc-shaped heating path, wherein the first arc-shaped heating path has a radius smaller than the radius of the second arc-shaped heating path and smaller than the radius of the third arc-shaped heating path.

[0109] Embodiment 5: The apparatus according to Embodiment 4, wherein the first arc-shaped heating path, the second arc-shaped heating path, and the third arc-shaped heating path are concentric with respect to each other.

[0110] Embodiment 6: The apparatus according to Embodiment 4, wherein the radius of the second arc-shaped heating path is equal to the radius of the third arc-shaped heating path.

[0111] Embodiment 7: The apparatus according to any of Embodiments 4 to 6, wherein the plurality of heating element segments further include a fourth heating element segment extending along a fourth arc-shaped heating path and a fifth heating element segment extending along a fifth arc-shaped heating path, wherein the radius of the second arc-shaped heating path and the radius of the third arc-shaped heating path are smaller than the radius of the fourth arc-shaped heating path and the radius of the fifth arc-shaped heating path.

[0112] Embodiment 8: The apparatus according to Embodiment 7, wherein the first arc-shaped heating path, the fourth arc-shaped heating path, and the fifth arc-shaped heating path are concentric with respect to each other.

[0113] Embodiment 9: The apparatus according to Embodiment 7, wherein the radius of the fourth arc-shaped heating path is equal to the radius of the fifth arc-shaped heating path.

[0114] Embodiment 10: An apparatus according to any of Embodiments 7 to 9, wherein the first arc-shaped heating path, the second arc-shaped heating path, the third arc-shaped heating path, the fourth arc-shaped heating path, and the fifth arc-shaped heating path at least partially define a plurality of arc-shaped heating paths collectively, and the plurality of heating element segments further include a plurality of bridging heating element segments, each bridging heating element segment extending between the respective endpoints of a pair of adjacent arc-shaped heating paths in the plurality of arc-shaped heating paths.

[0115] Embodiment 11: An apparatus according to any one of Embodiments 1 to 10, wherein the one or more cooling passage segments are a plurality of cooling passage segments, and the plurality of cooling passage segments include a plurality of arched cooling passage segments.

[0116] Embodiment 12: The apparatus according to Embodiment 11, wherein the arc-shaped cooling passage segments are concentric with each other.

[0117] Embodiment 13: The apparatus according to Embodiment 11 or Embodiment 12, wherein the plurality of arc-shaped cooling passage segments include a first cooling passage segment extending along a first arc-shaped cooling path and a second cooling passage segment extending along a second arc-shaped cooling path, wherein the first arc-shaped cooling path and the second arc-shaped cooling path are concentric with respect to each other, and the first arc-shaped cooling path has a radius smaller than the radius of the second arc-shaped cooling path.

[0118] Embodiment 14: The apparatus according to Embodiment 13, wherein the first arc-shaped cooling path and the second arc-shaped cooling path are concentric with respect to each other.

[0119] Embodiment 15: The apparatus according to Embodiment 13 or Embodiment 14, wherein the plurality of arc-shaped cooling passage segments further include a third cooling passage segment extending along a third arc-shaped cooling path, the first arc-shaped cooling path and the third arc-shaped cooling path are concentric with respect to each other, and the radius of the second arc-shaped cooling path is smaller than the radius of the third arc-shaped cooling path.

[0120] Embodiment 16: The apparatus according to Embodiment 15, wherein the first arc-shaped cooling path and the third arc-shaped cooling path are concentric with respect to each other.

[0121] Embodiment 17: The apparatus according to Embodiment 15, wherein the first arched cooling path, the second arched cooling path, and the third arched cooling path at least partially define a plurality of arched cooling paths collectively, and the plurality of cooling path segments further include a plurality of bridging cooling path segments, each bridging cooling path segment extending between two endpoints of the plurality of arched cooling paths.

[0122] Embodiment 18: The apparatus according to any one of Embodiments 1 to 17, wherein the body comprises a first part having a first side and a second side, a second part having a first side and a second side, and a third part having a first side and a second side, the second part being interposed between the first part and the third part, the first side of the first part being also the first side of the body, the second side of the first part being joined or fused to the first side of the second part, and the second side of the second part being joined or fused to the first side of the third part.

[0123] Embodiment 19: The apparatus according to Embodiment 18, wherein at least one of the second side of the first part and the first side of the second part includes a heating element channel, the heating element channel housing one or more heating element segments.

[0124] Embodiment 20: An apparatus according to any one of Embodiments 1 to 19, wherein one or more heating element segments have a D-shaped cross-section.

[0125] Embodiment 21: An apparatus according to any of Embodiments 18 to 20, wherein at least one of the second side of the second part and the first side of the third part includes a cooling passage channel, and the cooling passage channel accommodates one or more cooling passage segments.

[0126] Embodiment 22: An apparatus according to any one of Embodiments 18 to 21, wherein one or more cooling passage segments are tubular.

[0127] Embodiment 23: The apparatus according to Embodiment 22, wherein one or more cooling passage segments have an annular cross-section.

[0128] Embodiment 24: The apparatus according to Embodiment 18, wherein the second side of the first part is brazed to the first side of the second part, and the second side of the second part is brazed to the first side of the third part.

[0129] Embodiment 25: An apparatus according to any of Embodiments 18 to 24, wherein the first part, the second part, and the third part are all made of an aluminum alloy.

[0130] Embodiment 26: An apparatus according to any of Embodiments 1 to 24, wherein the main body is made of an aluminum alloy.

[0131] Embodiment 27: An apparatus according to any one of Embodiments 1 to 26, further comprising a temperature sensor coupled to the main body.

[0132] Embodiment 28: The apparatus according to Embodiment 27, further comprising: a power supply; a coolant reservoir having a temperature control system; a coolant pump; and a controller configured to control the temperature control system and maintain the coolant stored in the coolant reservoir within a first temperature range 5°C to 50°C lower than a set temperature; to control the coolant pump and cause the coolant to flow from the coolant reservoir through one or more cooling passage segments; and to cause the one or more heating element segments to receive power from the power supply until a temperature sensor indicates that the temperature of the base is equal to or above the set temperature.

Claims

1. A device for facilitating the processing of semiconductor wafers, A base configured to support a semiconductor wafer during semiconductor processing operations, wherein the base is A main body having a first side surface and a second side surface opposite to the first side surface of the main body, One or more heating element segments are arranged inside the main body and within the first cylindrical region, One or more cooling passage segments are arranged within the second cylindrical region inside the main body, The stem connected to the second side of the main body Pedestal Equipped with, The first cylindrical region is interposed between the second cylindrical region and the first side surface of the main body. The second cylindrical region is interposed between the first cylindrical region and the second side surface of the main body. Device.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, The one or more heating element segments are a plurality of heating element segments, The plurality of heating element segments include a plurality of arc-shaped heating element segments, Device.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2, The plurality of arc-shaped heating element segments comprises a first heating element segment extending along a first arc-shaped heating path, a second heating element segment extending along a second arc-shaped heating path, and a third heating element segment extending along a third arc-shaped heating path. The first arc-shaped heating path has a radius smaller than the radius of the second arc-shaped heating path and a radius smaller than the radius of the third arc-shaped heating path. Device.

4. The apparatus according to claim 3, The plurality of heating element segments further comprises a fourth heating element segment extending along a fourth arc-shaped heating path and a fifth heating element segment extending along a fifth arc-shaped heating path. The radius of the second arc-shaped heating path and the radius of the third arc-shaped heating path are smaller than the radius of the fourth arc-shaped heating path and the radius of the fifth arc-shaped heating path. Device.

5. The apparatus according to claim 4, The first arc-shaped heating path, the second arc-shaped heating path, the third arc-shaped heating path, the fourth arc-shaped heating path, and the fifth arc-shaped heating path define, at least partially, a plurality of arc-shaped heating paths collectively. The plurality of heating element segments further comprises a plurality of bridging heating element segments, each bridging heating element segment extending between the respective endpoints of a pair of adjacent arch-shaped heating paths in the plurality of arch-shaped heating paths. Device.

6. The apparatus according to claim 5, The plurality of arc-shaped cooling passage segments comprises a first cooling passage segment extending along a first arc-shaped cooling path and a second cooling passage segment extending along a second arc-shaped cooling path. The first arc-shaped cooling path and the second arc-shaped cooling path are concentric with each other. The first arc-shaped cooling path has a radius smaller than the radius of the second arc-shaped cooling path. Device.

7. The apparatus according to claim 6, The plurality of arc-shaped cooling passage segments further comprises a third cooling passage segment extending along a third arc-shaped cooling path, The first arc-shaped cooling path and the third arc-shaped cooling path are concentric with each other. The radius of the second arc-shaped cooling path is smaller than the radius of the third arc-shaped cooling path. Device.

8. The apparatus according to claim 7, An apparatus in which the first arc-shaped cooling path and the third arc-shaped cooling path are concentric with respect to each other.

9. The apparatus according to claim 7, The first arc-shaped cooling path, the second arc-shaped cooling path, and the third arc-shaped cooling path, at least partially, collectively define a plurality of arc-shaped cooling paths. The plurality of cooling passage segments further comprises a plurality of bridging cooling passage segments, each bridging cooling passage segment extending between two endpoints of the arc-shaped cooling paths in the plurality of arc-shaped cooling paths. Device.

10. The apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, The aforementioned main body is A first portion having a first side and a second side, A second part having a first side and a second side, A third part having a first side and a second side Includes, The second part is interposed between the first part and the third part, The first side of the first portion is also the first side of the body, The second side of the first portion is joined or fused to the first side of the second portion. The second side of the second portion is joined or fused to the first side of the third portion. Device.

11. The apparatus according to claim 10, At least one of the second side surface of the first portion and the first side surface of the second portion is provided with a heating element channel. The heating element channel accommodates one or more heating element segments. Device.

12. The apparatus according to claim 10, At least one of the second side of the second portion and the first side of the third portion is provided with a cooling passage channel. The cooling passage channel accommodates one or more cooling passage segments. Device.

13. The apparatus according to claim 10, The apparatus wherein one or more cooling passage segments are tubular.

14. The apparatus according to claim 10, The second side of the first part is brazed to the first side of the second part. The second side of the second portion is brazed to the first side of the third portion. Device.

15. The apparatus according to claim 10, An apparatus in which the first part, the second part, and the third part are all made of an aluminum alloy.

16. The apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, The apparatus wherein one or more heating element segments have a D-shaped cross-section.

17. The apparatus according to claim 16, The apparatus wherein one or more cooling passage segments have an annular cross-section.

18. The apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, The aforementioned device is made of an aluminum alloy.

19. The apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, A device further comprising a temperature sensor, the temperature sensor being coupled to the main body.

20. The apparatus according to claim 19, Power supply and A coolant reservoir with a temperature control system, Coolant pump and It is a controller, The temperature control system is controlled to maintain the coolant stored in the coolant reservoir within a first temperature range of 5°C to 50°C lower than the set temperature. Control the coolant pump and flow the coolant from the coolant reservoir through one or more cooling passage segments. The one or more heating element segments receive power from the power supply until the temperature sensor indicates that the temperature of the base is above the set temperature. A controller configured in such a way A device that further enhances this feature.

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