Pedestal support design for precise chamber matching and process control

Abstract

A processing chamber and method for calibrating components of a processing chamber while the chamber region is under reduced pressure are described. The processing chamber includes a motor shaft connected to the processing chamber by a plurality of motor bolts. A support plate is positioned below the chamber floor to accommodate deflection of the chamber floor due to reduced pressure within the chamber region. A bellows assembly extending from the chamber floor to the support plate maintains the reduced pressure within the chamber.

Description

Technical Field

[0001]

[0001] Embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to pedestals for batch processing chambers. In particular, embodiments of the present disclosure relate to pedestal supports for batch processing chambers that enable improved chamber matching accuracy.

Background Art

[0002]

[0002] In some chamber designs for atomic layer deposition (ALD) or chemical vapor deposition (CVD) processes, precursors and gases are simultaneously supplied to the surface of a large substrate support or a plurality of substrate supports through a plurality of gas distribution plates. The gas distribution plates are either away from or opposite to the substrate surface, forming one or more operating gaps. Such chambers can be very sensitive to the consistency and uniformity of the gaps between different processing stations when the chamber is in use. The small gaps (e.g., less than 5 mm) in some multi-station deposition systems can make the processes executed at separate stations very susceptible to the effects of small gap deviations.

[0003]

[0003] Many processing systems and processing tools operate with very narrow space requirements. For example, a multi-substrate ALD chamber can process with a gap between the substrate surface and the gas distribution system of less than 5 mm. These small spaces minimize chemical consumption by reducing the processing area, minimize the ALD cycle time and purge time, and maximize throughput.

[0004]

[0004] The substrate supports of some processing chambers use a motor assembly having a shaft and at least one support surface. The shaft extends through the bottom of the processing chamber and maintains the support surface. Vibration from the motor can cause precession motion variations and changes in the orientation of the axis of rotation of the axis of rotation. This change in the direction of the axis of rotation can cause a mismatch in the rotational gap.

[0005]

[0005] Furthermore, large-capacity batch processing chambers often suffer from chamber floor deflection as a result of the low-pressure environment within the processing chamber. When a substrate actuator or motor assembly is directly attached to the chamber floor, the deflection of the chamber floor causes problems with the reproducibility of chamber matching.

[0006]

[0006] Chamber calibration activities, including a process spacing process and a pedestal leveling process, are generally performed under ambient environmental conditions. Changes in spacing and leveling need to be eliminated, especially in processing chambers where substrates move continuously between processing stations with small spacing.

[0007]

[0007] Therefore, there is a need in the art for an apparatus and method for calibrating under both atmospheric pressure conditions and low-pressure conditions.

Summary of the Invention

[0008]

[0008] One or more embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a processing chamber including a chamber body, a support plate, a support column, a motor, and a bellows. The chamber body has a chamber floor and side walls that define an internal region, and the chamber floor has a top surface and a bottom surface that define the thickness of the chamber floor, and an opening that penetrates the thickness of the chamber floor. The support plate has a top surface and a bottom surface that define the thickness of the support plate, and the top surface of the support plate contacts the bottom surface of the chamber floor. The support plate has an opening that extends through the thickness of the support plate and is aligned with the opening that penetrates the thickness of the chamber floor. The support column penetrates the support plate and the chamber floor, and the support column has a rotation axis, a bottom end outside the internal region, and a top end inside the internal region of the chamber body. The motor is connected to the bottom surface of the support plate and is configured to rotate the support column around the rotation axis and move the support column along the length of the rotation axis. The bellows is configured such that the support column extends through the bellows and can separate the reduced-pressure environment within the internal region from the ambient environment outside the chamber body while allowing movement of the chamber floor.

[0009]

[0009] Additional embodiments of the present disclosure include aligning the top surface of one or more substrate support surfaces disposed within the chamber region with the chamber lid to establish a processing gap, wherein the one or more substrate support surfaces extend through an opening in the chamber floor and are connected to an opening in a support plate attached to the bottom surface of the chamber floor, and creating a reduced pressure environment within the chamber region and deflecting the chamber floor towards the chamber region while maintaining the processing gap.

[0010]

[0010] Additional embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a processing chamber including a chamber body, a support plate, a support post, a motor, a bellows, and a plurality of processing stations. The chamber body has a chamber floor and side walls defining an internal region, and the chamber floor has a top surface and a bottom surface defining the thickness of the chamber floor and an opening extending through the thickness of the chamber floor. The support plate has a top surface and a bottom surface defining the thickness of the support plate, the top surface of the support plate contacts the bottom surface of the chamber floor, and the support plate has an opening extending through the thickness of the support plate and aligned with the opening extending through the thickness of the chamber floor. The support post extends through the support plate and the chamber floor, and the support post has a rotation axis, a bottom end outside the internal region, and a top end inside the internal region of the chamber body. The motor is connected to the bottom surface of the support plate and is configured to rotate the support post about the rotation axis and move the support post along the length of the rotation axis, and the bellows is configured such that the support post extends through the bellows and can separate the reduced pressure environment within the internal region from the ambient atmosphere outside the chamber body while allowing movement of the chamber floor. The plurality of processing stations are disposed within the internal region of the chamber body, and the plurality of processing stations are configured to perform one or more deposition processes.

[0011]

[0011] The bellows is configured such that the support post extends through the bellows, enabling movement of the chamber floor while separating the decompressed environment within the internal region from the ambient atmosphere outside the chamber body. The bellows is configured to be able to deflect the chamber floor under reduced pressure without affecting the alignment of the support post. At least one alignment pin is configured to maintain the positioning of the support plate relative to the chamber floor, and each of the at least one alignment pin is disposed within an aperture formed in the top surface of the support plate and an aperture formed in the bottom surface of the chamber floor. When the internal region is under a decompressed environment, the central portion of the chamber floor deflects towards the internal region, increasing the gap between the bottom surface of the chamber floor and the top surface of the support plate within the central portion, and this gap remains under ambient conditions.

[0012]

[0012] To enable a more detailed understanding of the above features of the present disclosure, a more detailed description of the present disclosure, briefly summarized above, can be obtained by referring to the embodiments, some of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. However, it should be noted that the accompanying drawings show only typical embodiments of the present disclosure, and thus the present disclosure should not be considered as limiting its scope since other equally valid embodiments can be recognized.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0013]

Figure 1

[0013] Shows an isometric cross-sectional view of a processing chamber according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.

Figure 2

[0014] Is a cross-sectional view of a processing chamber according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.

Figure 3A

[0015] Shows a cross-sectional view of a processing chamber according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.

Figure 3B

[0016] Shows a cross-sectional view of a processing chamber according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.

Figure 4A

[0017] Shows a detailed view of a bellows assembly according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.

Figure 4B

[0018] Shows a detailed view of a bellows assembly according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.

Figure 5

[0019] Shows a cross-sectional view of a processing chamber floor according to one or more embodiments.

Figure 5A

[0020] Shows a detailed cross-sectional view of a processing chamber floor according to one or more embodiments.

Figure 6

[0021] Shows a schematic view of a support plate according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.

Figure 7

[0022] Shows a schematic view of a processing platform according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0014]

[0023] Before describing some exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure, it is to be understood that the present disclosure is not limited to the details of the structures or process steps described in the following description. The present disclosure is capable of other embodiments and can be practiced or implemented in various ways.

[0015]

[0024] As used in this specification and the appended claims, the term "substrate" refers to the surface or a portion of the surface on which the process acts. It will be understood by those skilled in the art that, unless the context clearly dictates otherwise, a reference to a substrate can also refer to only a portion of the substrate. Further, a reference to deposition on a substrate can mean both an exposed substrate and a substrate having one or more films or features deposited or formed thereon.

[0016]

[0025] As used herein, "substrate" refers to any substrate or material surface formed on a substrate on which film processing is performed during the manufacturing process. For example, the substrate surface on which processing can be performed can be, depending on the application, silicon, silicon oxide, strained silicon (developed by IBM), silicon on insulator (SOI), carbon-doped silicon oxide, amorphous silicon, doped silicon, germanium, gallium arsenide, glass, sapphire, and other materials such as metals, metal nitrides, metal alloys, and other conductive materials. The substrate includes, but is not limited to, semiconductor wafers. The substrate can be exposed to a pretreatment process for polishing, etching, reducing, oxidizing, hydroxylation, annealing, UV curing, electron beam curing, and / or firing the substrate surface. In addition to directly film-treating the surface of the substrate itself, in the present disclosure, any of the disclosed film treatment steps may be performed on a lower layer formed on the substrate, as will be disclosed in more detail below, and the term "substrate surface" is intended to include the lower layer as indicated by the context. Therefore, for example, when a film / layer or a partial film / layer is deposited on the substrate surface, the exposed surface of the newly deposited film / layer becomes the substrate surface.

[0017]

[0026] As used in this specification and the appended claims, terms such as "precursor", "reactant", "reactive gas", etc. are used interchangeably to refer to any gas species that can react with the substrate surface or a film formed on the substrate surface.

[0018]

[0027] One or more embodiments of the present disclosure advantageously provide a support plate for a pedestal assembly configured to prevent the pedestal assembly from moving when the chamber is under reduced pressure, maintaining leveling calibration and processing spacing. Some embodiments provide a support plate for a landing pad that is tightly controlled for an indexer motor for a narrow calibration window. Further embodiments provide a bellows assembly that separates the reduced pressure environment within the chamber from the atmosphere.

[0019]

[0028] The present disclosure provides a substrate support for use in a single substrate or multiple substrate (also referred to as batch) processing chamber. FIGS. 1 and 2 show a processing chamber 100 according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. FIGS. 3A and 3B show a processing chamber 100 having a support plate 320 and a bellows assembly 340 to mitigate the effect of deflection of the processing chamber 100 under a reduced pressure environment. FIG. 1 shows the processing chamber 100 shown as a cross-sectional isometric view according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. FIG. 2 shows a cross-section of the processing chamber 100 according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. FIG. 3A shows a cross-section of the processing chamber 100 according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. FIG. 3B shows a cross-section of the processing chamber 100 under reduced pressure according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. Accordingly, some embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a processing chamber 100 incorporating a substrate support 200, a support plate 320, and a bellows assembly 340.

[0020]

[0029] The processing chamber 100 has a housing 102 having sidewalls 104 and a chamber floor 106. The housing 102 defines a processing region 109, also referred to as an internal region 109, along a chamber lid 300.

[0021]

[0030] The illustrated processing station 110 includes three main components, a chamber lid 300 (also referred to as a lid), a pump / purge insert 330, and a gas injector 112. The processing chamber 100 further includes a plurality of processing stations 110. The processing station 110 is disposed within an internal region 109 of the housing 102 and is positioned in a circular arrangement around the rotation axis 211 of the substrate support 200. Each processing station 110 includes a gas distribution plate 112 (also referred to as a gas injector) having a front face 114. In some embodiments, the respective front faces 114 of the gas injectors 112 are substantially in the same plane. The processing station 110 is defined as an area where processing can be performed. For example, in some embodiments, the processing station 110 is defined as an area bounded by the support surface 231 of the substrate support 200 and the front face 114 of the gas injector 112, as described below. In the illustrated embodiment, the heater 230 functions as a substrate support surface and forms part of the substrate support 200.

[0022]

[0031] The processing station 110 can be configured to execute any suitable process and provide any suitable process conditions. The type of gas distribution plate 112 used depends, for example, on the type of process being executed and the type of showerhead or gas injector. For example, a processing station 110 configured to operate as an atomic layer deposition apparatus can have a showerhead or a vortex type gas injector. On the other hand, a processing station 110 configured to operate as a plasma station can have one or more electrode and / or ground plate configurations to generate plasma while flowing a plasma gas towards the substrate. The embodiment shown in FIG. 2 has different types of processing stations 110 on the left side of the drawing (processing station 110a) than on the right side of the drawing (processing station 110b). Suitable processing stations 110 include, but are not limited to, heat treatment stations, microwave plasmas, three-electrode CCPs, ICPS, parallel plate CCPs, UV exposure, laser processing, pumping chambers, annealing stations, and metrology stations.

[0023]

[0032] As shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B, due to the low-pressure environment within the internal region 109, the chamber floor 106 can deflect inwardly towards the internal region 109. The illustrated embodiment shows a symmetric deflection about the support post 190, or an opening in the chamber floor 106 for the support post 190. One of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that this merely represents possible deflection configurations. In some embodiments, the chamber floor 106 deflects asymmetrically such that components attached to the bottom of the chamber floor or chamber housing tilt. The deflection of the chamber floor 106 causes problems with the reproducibility of chamber matching in embodiments where support posts, wafer actuators, or pedestals are directly attached to the chamber floor.

[0024]

[0033] FIGS. 3A and 3B show an embodiment in which the processing chamber 100 further includes a bellows assembly 340 for attaching the bottom end 192 of the support post 190 outside the internal region 109 while maintaining a low-pressure state within the internal volume 109. The chamber floor 106 has a top surface 116 and a bottom surface 118 that define the thickness of the chamber floor 106. The chamber floor 106 further includes an opening 120 that allows the support post 190 to pass through. In some embodiments, the opening 120 in the chamber floor 106 is concentrically positioned on the axis of rotation 211 of the substrate support 200. The deflection of the chamber floor 106 typically occurs at the central portion 122 of the chamber floor. Due to the decrease in pressure within the internal region 109, the chamber floor 106 deflects inwardly towards the internal region 109. The bellows assembly 340 is configured to allow the chamber floor 106 to deflect under vacuum without affecting the alignment of the support post 190, as will be further described below.

[0025]

[0034] The support plate 320 is connected to the bottom surface 118 of the chamber floor 106. The support plate 320 has a top surface 322 and a bottom surface 324 that define the thickness TP of the support plate. The top surface 322 is in contact with the bottom surface 118 of the chamber floor 106. In some embodiments, as will be described in more detail below and as shown in FIG. 3B, a gap 301 may exist between the top surface 322 of the support plate 320 and the bottom surface 118. The gap 301 may increase vertically as a result of the low atmospheric pressure conditions existing within the internal region 109. The gap 301 may be larger at the central portion 122 of the chamber floor 106 than at the outer peripheral portion 124 of the chamber floor 106.

[0026]

[0035] In some embodiments, the outer peripheral portion 124 of the chamber floor 106 is not substantially affected by deflection when the internal region 109 is in a reduced pressure environment. When used in this way, the term "not substantially affected" means that the outer 5%, 10%, 15%, 20%, or 25% of the chamber floor 106 does not move more than 0.5 mm relative to the support plate 320. In some embodiments, the outer peripheral portion 124 is defined as the outer 25% of the distance from the center of the opening of the chamber floor 106 to the side wall 104.

[0027]

[0036] The support plate 320 further includes an opening 328 that extends through the thickness of the support plate. The opening 328 of the support plate 320 is aligned with the opening 120 of the chamber floor 106, and the opening 120 of the chamber floor 106 is concentrically positioned on the rotation axis 211 of the substrate support 200. In some embodiments, the opening 120 of the chamber floor 106 and the opening 120 of the chamber floor 106 are circular and have substantially the same diameter.

[0028]

[0037] As shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B, the bellows assembly 340 is configured to expand or contract in consideration of the displacement of the chamber floor 106. FIG. 4A shows the bellows assembly 340 in a contracted state where there is no deflection of the chamber floor. FIG. 4B shows the bellows assembly 340 in an expanded state where the chamber floor 106 deflects due to a low-pressure atmosphere or a reduced-pressure environment in the internal region 109, and a gap 301 is formed between the chamber floor 106 and the support plate 320. In some embodiments, the bellows assembly 340 is configured to attach the bottom end 192 of the support post 190 outside the internal region 109 while still maintaining the low-pressure conditions within the internal region 109. The bellows assembly 340 separates the reduced-pressure environment within the internal region 109 from the ambient atmosphere outside the chamber body while allowing movement of the chamber floor 106. The ambient atmosphere exists outside the chamber body and inside the gap 301.

[0029]

[0038] The bellows assembly 340 includes a top plate 342, a bottom plate 344, and an expandable bellows 346 between the top plate 342 and the bottom plate 344. In some embodiments, the bottom plate 344 is in contact with the motor 370. At least two fasteners 345 extend through the mounting holes of the motor 370 to secure the motor 370 to the bottom plate 344. In some embodiments, the top plate 342 is connected to the chamber floor 106 and creates a fluid-tight seal that can maintain a reduced pressure within the internal region 109. In some embodiments, a top flange 348 having a bottom surface 350 is connected to the top plate 342 and the chamber floor 106 and creates a fluid-tight seal that can maintain a reduced pressure within the internal region 109. In some embodiments, the top flange 348 has a larger surface area than the top plate 342. In some embodiments, the top flange 348 has a larger diameter than the top plate 342. In some embodiments, the top flange 348 has an outer end that is farther from the support post than the outer end of the top plate 342. In embodiments where the top flange 348 and the top plate 342 are circular bodies, the top flange 348 has a diameter larger than the diameter of the top plate 342 such that the top flange 348 completely covers the top plate 342. Each of the top plate 342, the bottom plate 344, and the top flange 348 has an opening sufficient to allow the support post 190 to pass therethrough.

[0030]

[0039] The support post 190 extends through the opening 328 of the support plate 320 and the opening 120 of the chamber floor 106. The bottom end 192 of the support post 190 is positioned outside the internal region 109, and the top end is positioned inside the internal region 106 of the chamber body.

[0031]

[0040] In some embodiments, as shown in detail in FIGS. 5 and 5A, the chamber floor 106 includes a top surface 116 having at least one ledge 126, 130 concentrically disposed around the opening 120, and at least one ledge 126, 130 extends a partial distance through the thickness of the chamber floor.

[0032]

[0041] In some embodiments, at least one alignment pin 150 is configured to maintain the positioning of the support plate 320 relative to the chamber floor 106. Each of the at least one alignment pin 150 is disposed within one or more of the apertures 152 formed in the top surface 322 of the support plate 320 or the apertures 154 formed in the bottom surface 118 of the chamber floor 106. In some embodiments, there are at least three alignment pins 150 spaced around the opening 120. In some embodiments, at least one alignment pin 150 is disposed within the outer peripheral portion 124 of the chamber floor 106.

[0033]

[0042] Referring again to FIGS. 4A and 4B, in some embodiments, the motor 370 is connected to the bottom end 192 of the support post 190. The motor 370 is configured to rotate the support post 190 about the axis of rotation 211 and move the support post 190 along the length of the axis of rotation 211. In some embodiments, the top surface of the motor 370 is in contact with the bottom surface 324 of the support plate 320. At least two fasteners 191 extend through the mounting holes of the motor 370 to secure the motor 370 to the support plate 320.

[0034]

[0043] As shown in FIG. 6, the support plate 320 has a polygon. In some embodiments, the support plate 320 can be of any shape including a disk or a rectangular plate. In some embodiments, at least one alignment pin 150 is non-removably attached to the top surface 322 of the support plate.

[0035]

[0044] In some embodiments, the support plate 320 includes a raised protrusion 326 that protrudes above the top surface 322 of the support plate 320. The raised protrusion 326 has a substantially circular shape and extends around the support plate 320. When the support plate 320 is aligned with the chamber floor 106, the raised protrusion 326 contacts the bottom surface 118 of the chamber floor 106, thereby creating a clearance gap under the central portion 122 of the chamber floor 106. In some embodiments, the support plate 320 is attached to the bottom surface 118 of the chamber floor 106 by a fastener 134 that extends through an opening in the support plate 320 and is screwed into a threaded hole in the chamber floor 106. The fastener is disposed within the exterior 124 of the chamber floor 106.

[0036]

[0045] FIG. 7 shows a processing platform 400 according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. The embodiment shown in FIG. 7 merely represents one possible configuration and should not be construed as limiting the scope of the disclosure. For example, in some embodiments, the processing platform 400 may have one or more of the processing chamber 100, buffer station 420, and / or robot 430 configurations in a number different from that of the illustrated embodiment.

[0037]

[0046] The exemplary processing platform 400 includes a central transfer station 410 having a plurality of sides 411, 412, 413, 414. The illustrated transfer station 410 has a first side 411, a second side 412, a third side 413, and a fourth side 414. Although four sides are shown, those skilled in the art will understand that any suitable number of sides may exist for the transfer station 410, for example, depending on the overall configuration of the processing platform 400. In some embodiments, the transfer station 410 has three sides, four sides, five sides, six sides, seven sides, or eight sides.

[0038]

[0047] The transfer station 410 has a robot 430 disposed therein. The robot 430 can be any suitable robot capable of moving a substrate during processing. In some embodiments, the robot 430 has a first arm 431 and a second arm 432. The first arm 431 and the second arm 432 can move independently of the other arm. The first arm 431 and the second arm 432 can move in the x-y plane and / or along the z-axis. In some embodiments, the robot 430 includes a third arm (not shown) or a fourth arm (not shown). Each arm can move independently of the other arms.

[0039]

[0048] The illustrated embodiment includes six processing chambers 100, two of which are connected to each of the second side 412, the third side 413, and the fourth side 414 of the central transfer station 410. Each of the processing chambers 100 can be configured to perform a different process.

[0040]

[0049] The processing platform 400 can also include one or more buffer stations 420 connected to the first side 411 of the central transfer station 410. The buffer stations 420 can perform the same function or different functions. For example, a buffer station can hold a cassette of substrates that are processed and returned to the original cassette, or one of the buffer stations can hold unprocessed substrates that are moved to another buffer station after processing. In some embodiments, one or more of the buffer stations are configured to pre-treat, pre-heat, or clean the substrates before and / or after processing.

[0041]

[0050] The processing platform 400 may also include one or more slit valves 418 between either the central transfer station 410 and the processing chamber 100. The slit valve 418 can be opened and closed to isolate the internal area within the processing chamber 100 from the environment within the central transfer station 410. For example, if the processing chamber generates plasma during processing, closing the slit valve of that process chamber can help prevent stray plasma from damaging the robot within the transfer station.

[0042]

[0051] The processing platform 400 can be connected to a factory interface 450 to enable loading of substrates or substrate cassettes into the processing platform 400. A robot 455 within the factory interface 450 can be used to transfer substrates or cassettes to and from the buffer station. Substrates or cassettes can be moved within the processing platform 400 by the robot 430 of the central transfer station 410. In some embodiments, the factory interface 450 is the transfer station of another cluster tool (i.e., another multi-chamber processing platform).

[0043]

[0052] A controller 495 is provided and can be coupled to various components of the processing platform 400 to control its operation. The controller 495 can be a single controller that controls the entire processing platform 400, or multiple controllers that control individual parts of the processing platform 400. For example, the processing platform 400 of some embodiments includes separate controllers for one or more of the individual processing chambers 100, the central transfer station 410, the factory interface 450, and / or the robot 430.

[0044]

[0053] In some embodiments, the processing chamber 100 further includes a controller 495 connected to a plurality of substantially coplanar support surfaces 231 configured to control one or more of a first temperature or a second temperature. In one or more embodiments, the controller 495 controls the moving speed of the substrate support.

[0045]

[0054] In some embodiments, the controller 495 includes a central processing unit (CPU) 496, a memory 497, and a support circuit 498. The controller 495 can control the processing platform 400 directly or via a computer (or controller) associated with a particular process chamber and / or support system component.

[0046]

[0055] The controller 495 may be one of any form of general-purpose computer processor that can be used in an industrial environment to control various chambers and sub-processors. The memory 497 of the controller 495 or the computer-readable medium may be one or more readily available memories such as random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), floppy disks, hard disks, optical storage media (e.g., compact disks and digital video disks), flash drives, or other forms of digital storage, local or remote. The memory 497 can hold an instruction set operable by the processor (CPU 496) to control the parameters and components of the processing platform 400.

[0047]

[0056] Support circuit 498 is coupled to CPU 496 to support the processor in a conventional manner. These circuits include a cache, power supply, clock circuit, input / output circuit, and subsystems, etc. When one or more processes are executed or invoked by the processor, they can be stored in memory 498 as software routines that cause the processor to control the operation of processing platform 400 or individual processing chambers in the manner described herein. The software routines may also be stored and / or executed by a second CPU (not shown) located remotely from the hardware controlled by CPU 496.

[0048]

[0057] Some or all of the processes and methods of the present disclosure can also be implemented in hardware. Thus, the process can be implemented in software and executed using a computer system in hardware, such as an application specific integrated circuit or other type of hardware implementation, or as a combination of software and hardware. When executed by a processor, the software routines transform a general-purpose computer into a dedicated computer (controller) that controls chamber operation so that the process is executed.

[0049]

[0058] In some embodiments, controller 495 has one or more configurations for executing individual processes or sub-processes to execute the method. Controller 495 can be connected and configured to operate intermediate components to perform the functions of the method. For example, controller 495 can be connected to and configured to control one or more of a gas valve, actuator, motor, slit valve, pressure reduction control, or other components.

[0050]

[0059] In some embodiments, the controller 590 is connected to the motor 370 and configured to align or level the support post 190. In some embodiments, the controller 590 is connected to a plurality of sensors configured to measure one or more processing clearances between the substrate, the showerhead, the lift pin operating surface, the flatness of the top surface, the deflection of the support post 190, the deflection of the support post 190 due to reduced pressure, the deflection of the motor 370 due to reduced pressure, the deflection of the support plate 320 due to reduced pressure, and the parallelism of the heater with respect to the showerhead.

[0051]

[0060] Additional embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a method of calibrating the processing chamber 100 under reduced pressure in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. The method includes aligning the top surface of one or more substrate support surfaces 231 disposed within the internal region 109 with the chamber lid 300 to establish a processing clearance, wherein the one or more substrate support surfaces 231 are connected to support posts 190 extending through openings 120 in the chamber floor 106 and openings in a support plate 320 attached to the bottom surface 118 of the chamber floor 106, establishing the processing clearance, generating a reduced pressure environment within the internal region 109, and deflecting the chamber floor 106 toward the internal region 109 while maintaining the processing clearance. The processing clearance is between 1 mm and 2 mm.

[0052]

[0061] Throughout this specification, references to "one embodiment", "certain embodiments", "one or more embodiments", or "an embodiment" mean that the particular feature, structure, material, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the present disclosure. Thus, the appearances of the phrases "in one or more embodiments", "in certain embodiments", "in one embodiment", or "in an embodiment" in various places throughout this specification are not necessarily referring to the same embodiment of the present disclosure. Furthermore, the particular features, structures, materials, or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments.

[0053]

[0062] The disclosure of this specification has been described with reference to specific embodiments, but those skilled in the art will understand that the described embodiments are merely examples of the principles and applications of this disclosure. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and changes can be made to the methods and apparatuses of this disclosure without departing from the spirit and scope of this disclosure. Therefore, this disclosure can include modifications and changes within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. a chamber body having a chamber floor and sidewalls defining an interior region, the chamber floor having top and bottom surfaces defining a thickness of the chamber floor and an opening extending through the thickness of the chamber floor; a support plate having a top surface and a bottom surface defining a thickness of the support plate, the top surface of the support plate contacting the bottom surface of the chamber floor, the support plate having an opening extending through the thickness of the support plate, the opening being aligned with the opening through the thickness of the chamber floor; a support column extending through the support plate and the chamber floor, the support column having an axis of rotation, a bottom end outside the interior region of the chamber body and a top end inside the interior region; a motor connected to the bottom surface of the support plate and configured to rotate the support column about the axis of rotation and move the support column along a length of the axis of rotation; a bellows through which the struts can extend and configured to isolate a reduced pressure environment in the interior region from an atmospheric environment outside the chamber body while allowing movement of the chamber floor; Including, The bellows a top plate connected to the chamber floor; a base plate connected to one or more of the support plate or the motor; a bellows flange connected to the top plate and to the top surface of the chamber floor, the bellows flange having a diameter greater than a diameter of the top plate; Including, The processing chamber, wherein the top plate and the bellows flange are configured to create a fluid-tight seal that maintains a reduced pressure within the interior region.

2. The processing chamber of claim 1 , wherein the bellows is configured to allow the chamber floor to flex under reduced pressure without affecting the alignment of the posts.

3. 10. The processing chamber of claim 1, wherein the support column further comprises a plurality of support arms connected to the support column, each of the support arms having a support pedestal having a substrate support surface.

4. 10. The processing chamber of claim 1, further comprising at least one alignment pin configured to maintain positioning of the support plate relative to the chamber floor, each of the at least one alignment pin being disposed within an aperture formed in the top surface of the support plate and an aperture formed in the bottom surface of the chamber floor.

5. The processing chamber of claim 4 , wherein there are at least three alignment pins.

6. 5. The processing chamber of claim 4, wherein the at least one alignment pin is positioned within a perimeter of the chamber floor, the perimeter of the chamber floor being substantially immune to deflection when the interior region is in a reduced pressure environment.

7. 5. The processing chamber of claim 4, wherein the at least one alignment pin is positioned within a perimeter of the chamber floor, the perimeter being defined as the outer 25% of the distance from the center of the opening in the chamber floor to the sidewall.

8. 2. The processing chamber of claim 1, wherein when the interior region is in a reduced pressure environment, a central portion of the chamber floor flexes toward the interior region, increasing a gap between the bottom surface of the chamber floor and the top surface of the support plate within the central portion, the gap being maintained at atmospheric conditions.

9. aligning a top surface of one or more substrate support surfaces disposed within the chamber region with the chamber lid to establish a processing gap, the one or more substrate support surfaces being connected to posts extending through openings in the chamber floor and through openings in a support plate attached to a bottom surface of the chamber floor; creating a reduced pressure environment within the chamber region to deflect the chamber floor toward the chamber region while maintaining the processing gap; A processing method comprising: a bellows extending through the support columns includes a top plate connected to the chamber floor, a bottom plate connected to the support plate and / or a motor connected to a bottom surface of the support plate, and a bellows flange connected to the top plate and the top surface of the chamber floor and having a diameter greater than a diameter of the top plate; The method further comprising creating a fluid-tight seal with the top plate and the bellows flange to maintain a reduced pressure within the chamber region.

10. 10. The method of claim 9, wherein the processing gap is between 1 mm and 2 mm.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein the motor is configured to rotate the support about an axis of rotation of the support and to move the support along a length of the axis of rotation.

12. 10. The method of claim 9, wherein the bellows is configured to isolate a reduced pressure environment within the chamber region from an ambient environment outside a chamber body while still allowing movement of the chamber floor.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the bellows is configured to allow the chamber floor to flex under reduced pressure without affecting alignment of the posts.

14. 13. The method of claim 12, wherein at least one alignment pin is configured to maintain positioning of the support plate relative to the chamber floor, each of the at least one alignment pin being disposed within an aperture formed in a top surface of the support plate and an aperture formed in a bottom surface of the chamber floor.

15. 15. The method of claim 14, wherein the at least one alignment pin is positioned within a perimeter of the chamber floor, the perimeter of the chamber floor being substantially immune to deflection when the chamber region is subjected to a reduced pressure environment.

16. 10. The processing method of claim 9, wherein when the chamber region is in the reduced pressure environment, a center portion of the chamber floor flexes toward the chamber region, increasing a gap between the bottom surface of the chamber floor and the top surface of the support plate within the center portion, and the gap is maintained at atmospheric conditions.

17. a chamber body having a chamber floor and sidewalls defining an interior region, the chamber floor having top and bottom surfaces defining a thickness of the chamber floor and an opening extending through the thickness of the chamber floor; a support plate having a top surface and a bottom surface defining a thickness of the support plate, the top surface of the support plate contacting the bottom surface of the chamber floor, the support plate having an opening extending through the thickness of the support plate, the opening being aligned with the opening through the thickness of the chamber floor; a support post extending through the support plate and the chamber floor, the support post having an axis of rotation, a bottom end outside the interior region of the chamber body, and a top end inside the interior region; a motor connected to the bottom surface of the support plate and configured to rotate the support column about the axis of rotation and move the support column along a length of the axis of rotation; a bellows through which the struts can extend and configured to isolate a reduced pressure environment in the interior region from an atmospheric environment outside the chamber body while allowing movement of the chamber floor; a plurality of processing stations disposed within the interior region of the chamber body and configured to perform one or more deposition processes; Including, the bellows is configured to allow the struts to extend therethrough and to isolate the reduced pressure environment in the interior region from an ambient environment outside the chamber body while allowing movement of the chamber floor; The bellows a top plate connected to the chamber floor; a base plate connected to one or more of the support plate or the motor; a bellows flange connected to the top plate and to the top surface of the chamber floor, the bellows flange having a diameter greater than a diameter of the top plate; Including, the top plate and the bellows flange are configured to create a fluid-tight seal that maintains a reduced pressure within the interior region; the bellows is configured to allow the chamber floor to flex under reduced pressure without affecting alignment of the columns; at least one alignment pin configured to maintain positioning of the support plate relative to the chamber floor, each of the at least one alignment pin disposed within an aperture formed in the top surface of the support plate and an aperture formed in the bottom surface of the chamber floor; A processing chamber wherein when the interior region is in a reduced pressure environment, a central portion of the chamber floor deflects toward the interior region, increasing a gap between the bottom surface of the chamber floor and the top surface of the support plate within the central portion, and the gap is maintained at atmospheric conditions.

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