Method and apparatus for correcting warpage

Abstract

[0006] Methods and apparatuses for processing substrates are described herein. For example, a substrate processing system may include a process chamber including a first processing region and a second processing region, a carrier disposed in the first processing region, the carrier including a first thermoelectric module (TEM) and configured to support the substrate while the substrate is being heated or cooled, a chuck disposed in the second processing region, the chuck including a second TEM and configured to receive the substrate from the carrier and support the substrate while the substrate is being heated or cooled, and a system controller configured to monitor a temperature of at least one of the substrate, the carrier, or the chuck during processing, the system controller providing a current to at least one of the first TEM or the second TEM based on the temperature of at least one of the substrate, the carrier, or the chuck.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] Embodiments of the present disclosure relate generally to methods and apparatus for processing substrates, and more particularly to methods and apparatus configured to control the temperature of a substrate during processing, for example, for bow correction. [Background technology]

[0002]

[0002] With the rapid growth of technology, microchips are becoming smaller, but there is a growing trend to pack more and more transistors into high-density integrated circuits, for example, due to the demand for smaller footprints. A manufacturing line may include one or more front-end-of-line (FEOL) and back-end-of-line (BEOL) processes, such as physical vapor deposition (PVD), chemical vapor deposition (CVD), lithography, curing, molding (e.g., for both fan-out wafer-level packaging (FOWLP) and integrated fan-out (InFO)), warpage correction, etc. Such processes are typically performed at relatively high temperatures to promote chemical reactions, allowing, for example, substrate structure changes, film growth, and material removal, to provide a more robust substrate.

[0003]

[0003] Therefore, during such high-temperature processes, thermal management of the substrate is essential to avoid defects that may occur at the micro-level, thus affecting overall yield. For example, because plasma processing temperatures can exceed 200°C, thermal management of the substrate can be a key factor in achieving acceptable contact resistance (Rc). Furthermore, thermal management of the substrate can be essential to prevent substrate warpage, which can lead to increased stress levels due to, for example, coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) mismatch and dielectric film defects that can degrade device performance. Furthermore, failure to control temperature gradients across the substrate can cause stress levels to exceed critical limits, potentially leading to plastic deformation of the substrate, which can then result in pattern misregistration, pattern misalignment, and ultimately device failure.

[0004] Conventional methods / apparatus configured for thermal management of a substrate during one or more of the above-mentioned processes may include compressors, cryopumps, chillers, etc. to cool the substrate. However, such methods / apparatus include many moving parts, which often have rotation and / or vibration issues, are relatively large, have relatively long or extended cool-down periods, and may not provide adequate or accurate temperature control. Summary of the Invention

[0005]

[0005] Methods and apparatus for processing a substrate are described herein. In some embodiments, the apparatus may include a substrate processing system comprising: a process chamber including a first processing region and a second processing region; a carrier disposed in the first processing region and including a first thermoelectric module (TEM) and configured to support the substrate while the substrate is being heated or cooled; a chuck disposed in the second processing region and including a second TEM and configured to receive the substrate from the carrier and support the substrate while the substrate is being heated or cooled; and a system controller configured to monitor a temperature of at least one of the substrate, the carrier, or the chuck during processing, and to provide current to at least one of the first TEM or the second TEM based on the temperature of at least one of the substrate, the carrier, or the chuck.

[0006]

[0006] According to at least some embodiments of the present disclosure, a method for processing a substrate includes positioning the substrate on at least one of a carrier disposed in a first processing region and including a first thermoelectric module (TEM) or a chuck disposed in a second processing region and including a second TEM, and during the process, monitoring the temperature of at least one of the substrate, carrier, or chuck, and supplying current to at least one of the first TEM or the second TEM based on the temperature of at least one of the substrate, carrier, or chuck.

[0007] According to at least some embodiments of the present disclosure, a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform a method for processing a substrate, the method including: positioning the substrate on at least one of a carrier disposed in a first processing region and including a first thermoelectric module (TEM) or a chuck disposed in a second processing region and including a second TEM; monitoring a temperature of at least one of the substrate, the carrier, or the chuck during processing; and providing a current to at least one of the first TEM or the second TEM based on the temperature of at least one of the substrate, the carrier, or the chuck.

[0008]

[0008] Other and further embodiments of the present disclosure are described below.

[0009]

[0009] The embodiments of the present disclosure summarized above and described in more detail below can be understood by reference to the exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure illustrated in the accompanying drawings. However, the accompanying drawings merely illustrate typical embodiments of the present disclosure and therefore should not be considered limiting in scope, as the present disclosure may admit of other equally effective embodiments. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic diagram of an apparatus for processing substrates in accordance with at least some embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is a schematic side view of a thermoelectric module (TEM) according to at least some embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a schematic side view of a pedestal including the TEM of FIG. 2 in accordance with at least some embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 4] 1 is a schematic top view of a substrate support surface of a pedestal including multiple TEMs arranged in an array on the substrate support surface in accordance with at least some embodiments of the present disclosure. FIG. [Figure 5] FIG. 1 is a flow diagram of a method for processing a substrate in accordance with at least some embodiments of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011]

[0015] To facilitate understanding, the same reference numerals have been used, wherever possible, to designate identical elements common to the figures. The figures are not drawn to scale and may be simplified for clarity. Elements and features of one embodiment may be beneficially incorporated in other embodiments without further recitation.

[0012]

[0016] The present disclosure provides methods and apparatus for controlling substrate temperature while the substrate is being processed. For example, the apparatus may be embodied in a process chamber including a processing region configured to receive one or more substrates on a support surface of a substrate support configured to support the substrate while the substrate is being processed. The substrate support includes one or more TEMs configured to control the temperature of the substrate by transferring heat to / from the substrate. The methods and apparatus described herein do not use moving parts, reduce or eliminate rotational or vibration problems typically associated with conventional methods and apparatus using compressors, cryopumps, cooling devices, etc., and provide accurate temperature control of the substrate while being compact in size and having a relatively short cool-down period.

[0013]

[0017] The methods and apparatuses described herein can be implemented in one or more processing chambers used in substrate manufacturing. For example, the processing chambers can be used in one or more FEOL and BEOL processes, such as curing, molding (e.g., for both FOWLP and InFO), and straightening. In some embodiments, the methods and apparatuses described herein can be used in conjunction with a straightening apparatus. For example, the apparatus can be embodied in a system including a process chamber including two processing regions configured for non-contact straightening of one or more substrates. More specifically, the first processing region can be configured to accept one or more substrates (e.g., substrates requiring straightening) on a carrier configured to support the substrates while they are being heated (or cooled). The carrier can include one or more TEMs that can be used to facilitate heating of the substrates. During heating of the substrates, the carrier allows thermal expansion of the substrates, thereby allowing the substrates to fully expand and straighten the substrate bow. After thermal expansion of the substrates, the substrates can be transferred to a chuck disposed in the second processing region. The chuck includes one or more TEMs configured to rapidly cool the substrates. Rapid cooling of the substrate facilitates maintaining the substrate in a thermally expanded state (e.g., unwarped or substantially flattened). Thus, the systems described herein provide a fast, inexpensive, and non-contact method for straightening substrate bow.

[0014]

[0018] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a system 100 used to process substrates in accordance with at least some embodiments of the present disclosure. System 100 may be embodied in one or more devices. For example, in the illustrated embodiment, the illustrated system 100 comprises a process chamber 102 including a chamber body 105 defined by sidewalls 107, a bottom surface 109, and a top surface 111. The chamber body 105 encloses two processing regions, a first processing region 104 and a second processing region 106 (e.g., made of one or more metals, such as aluminum, steel, etc.), that can accept one or more types of substrates for processing. In at least some embodiments, while substrates are being processed in the first processing region 104 and the second processing region 106, the chamber body 105 may be configured to provide a vacuum environment to, for example, eliminate / reduce thermal cooling dynamics while the substrate is being heated, cooled, transferred, etc., between the first processing region 104 and the second processing region 106. In at least some embodiments, system 100 may include two separate, standalone processing chambers, each containing a respective processing region. Alternatively, the system 100 may include two or more process chambers that are part of a common tool or platform, such as a cluster tool.

[0015]

[0019] In some embodiments, the process chamber 102 may be configured for various substrate packaging applications, such as 2.5D substrate back-end packaging. In such embodiments, the first processing region 104 of the process chamber 102 may include a first heating device 108 configured to heat the substrate to a first temperature. The first heating device 108 may include, for example, one or more of a heater, a gas supply, etc. For example, in at least some embodiments, the first heating device 108 may include one or more of a heater 110 and a gas supply 112. In at least some embodiments, the heater 110 may be a lamp, a coil, etc., and may be configured to provide radiant heating, resistive heating, etc. For example, in at least some embodiments, the heater 110 may be an infrared heat lamp. The heater 110 may be used to facilitate heating the substrate (and / or one or more process gases) to the first temperature. Additionally, the gas supply 112 may be any gas supply suitable for supplying one or more heated process gases into the first processing region, including, but not limited to, a gas supply showerhead, a gas supply ring, etc. For example, in at least some embodiments, the gas supply 112 may be a gas supply showerhead configured to supply one or more heated gases, such as nitrogen, argon, helium, neon, krypton, radon, or other inert gases, into the first processing region 104 to heat the substrate to a first temperature. For example, in at least some embodiments, the gas supply 112 may be configured to supply hot nitrogen gas into the first processing region 104 to heat the substrate to a first temperature, as described in more detail below.

[0016]

[0020] The first processing region 104 may include one or more temperature sensors 114 (temperature sensors 114) configured to monitor the temperature of the substrate and / or carrier configured to support the substrate while the substrate is being heated to a first temperature. The temperature sensors 114 may include, but are not limited to, thermopile sensors, non-contact sensors, such as infrared sensors, etc. For example, in at least some embodiments, the temperature sensors 114 may include one or more infrared temperature sensors (two infrared sensors are shown in FIG. 1 ). The temperature sensors 114 are operably coupled to the system controller 113 of the process chamber 102 to monitor the temperature of the substrate (and / or carrier), e.g., in situ, while the substrate is being heated. The temperature sensors 114 may be positioned at different locations within the first processing region 104, such as on the sidewalls 107, on or adjacent the first heating device 108, on the bottom surface 109, etc. In at least some embodiments, such as the illustrated embodiment, the temperature sensors 114 are located on the bottom surface 109 adjacent to the carrier of the first processing region.

[0017]

[0021] The first processing region 104 may include a carrier 118 configured to support a substrate (e.g., silicon, germanium, glass, etc.) while the substrate is heated to a first temperature. The carrier 118 supports the substrate and may be heated to one or more temperatures, such as the glass transition temperature (T g ) may be made of a suitable process-compatible material that can be heated to a temperature of 1000 K. Examples of such suitable materials include, but are not limited to, metals or other types of materials that have relatively good heat transfer properties. For example, carrier 118 may be made of metals, including, but not limited to, steel, aluminum, copper, etc. For example, in at least some embodiments, carrier 118 may be made of aluminum.

[0018]

[0022] Additionally, the carrier 118 may have one or more geometric configurations, such as circular, rectangular, oval, etc. For example, in at least some embodiments, the carrier 118 may have a generally circular configuration. The inventors have found that a circular configuration can provide adequate thermal surface area contact with the substrate, thereby reducing heat loss from the bottom or top surface of the substrate. The carrier 118 includes a substrate support surface configured to support the substrate and to allow the substrate to fully expand (e.g., about 10 microns) while the substrate is heated to the first temperature.

[0019]

[0023] A lift assembly 120 (e.g., including one or more of a motor, an actuator, an indexer, etc.) is disposed within the first processing region 104 and configured to control the vertical position of the carrier 118. The vertical position of the carrier 118 is controlled to facilitate transfer of a substrate through openings 122 (e.g., slit valve openings) located along various locations of the process chamber, for example, for loading / unloading substrates into and out of the process chamber 102 and transferring substrates between the first processing region 104 and the second processing region 106. For example, the openings 122 may be formed through both the sidewall 107 and the interior wall 103 separating the first processing region 104 and the second processing region 106 at a height proximate to the carrier 118. In some embodiments, the openings 122 may be retractably sealable, for example, to control pressure and temperature conditions in the first processing region 104 and the second processing region 106.

[0020]

[0024] A system controller 116 is provided and coupled to various components of the process chamber 102 to control operation of the process chamber 102 for processing substrates. The system controller 116 includes a central processing unit (CPU) 119, support circuits 121, and memory or non-transitory computer-readable storage media 123. The system controller 116 is operatively coupled to and controls one or more energy sources 124, either directly or via a computer (or controller) associated with a particular process chamber and / or support system components. Additionally, the system controller 116 is configured to receive input, for example from a temperature sensor, to control the one or more energy sources 124 so that the temperature of the substrate does not exceed a threshold value while the substrate is being processed.

[0021]

[0025] The system controller 116 may be any form of general-purpose computer processor that can be used in an industrial environment to control various chambers and sub-processors. The memory of the system controller 116, or non-transitory computer-readable storage medium 122, may be one or more of readily available memory, such as random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), floppy disk, hard disk, optical storage medium (e.g., compact disk or digital video disk), flash drive, or any other form of local or remote digital storage. Support circuits 121 are coupled to the CPU 119 to support the CPU 119 in a conventional manner. The support circuits 121 include cache, power supplies, clock circuits, input / output circuits and subsystems, and the like. The methods of the present invention described herein, such as substrate processing methods (e.g., non-contact straightening), may be stored in the memory 122 as software routines 126 that can be executed or invoked to control the operation of one or more energy sources 124 in the manners 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 the CPU 119.

[0022]

[0026] The one or more energy sources 124 may power the process chamber 102 and its components using either or both DC and RF power. The one or more energy sources 124 may be used to power, for example, the system controller 116, the first heating device 108 including the heater 110 and the gas supply device 112, the lift assembly 120, the temperature sensor 114, one or more robots in the process chamber 102, one or more TEMs disposed on a carrier 118, or a chuck disposed in the second processing region 106, as described in more detail below.

[0023]

[0027] A gas supply 128 is coupled to the process chamber 102 and configured to supply one or more heated process gases suitable for heating the substrate into the first processing region 104 and the second processing region 106, e.g., via the gas supply 112. As described above, the process gas may be, for example, nitrogen, argon, helium, neon, krypton, radon, or other inert gases. The gas supply 128 is configured to supply the heated process gases into the first processing region 104 and the second processing region 106 to heat the substrate to a first temperature. In at least some embodiments, the gas supply 128 may include a heating device (not shown) capable of heating the process gas to a sufficient temperature. Alternatively or additionally, the heater 110 may be configured to heat the process gas before it is injected into the first processing region 104 via the gas supply 112. For example, in at least some embodiments, the gas supply 128 supplies heated process gas, e.g., nitrogen, to the gas supply 112 of the first heating device 108 to heat the warped substrate (and / or carrier 118) to a temperature above the glass transition temperature (T g The substrate can be heated to the glass transition temperature T gto a temperature above the glass transition temperature T 2 of the substrate (and / or the carrier 118), allowing the substrate to expand freely on the carrier 118, thereby flattening or straightening the substrate to a non-warped or substantially flat configuration. In at least some embodiments, the carrier 118 and substrate may be heated to thermal equilibrium. As will be appreciated, the substrate (and / or carrier 118) may be heated to a temperature above the glass transition temperature T 2 of the substrate (and / or the epoxy on the substrate, if present). g Heating to the glass transition temperature T and / or to thermal equilibrium may depend on one or more factors, including, but not limited to, the type of material comprising the substrate, epoxy, and / or carrier. For example, the inventors have found that the glass transition temperature T of most currently used substrates is approximately 100°C. g was found to be a temperature of about 150°C to about 200°C. However, the actual glass transition temperature T g may be higher or lower than the above temperature range depending on the composition of the substrate.

[0024]

[0028] A vacuum source 130 (or pump) may be coupled to the gas supply 128 and exhaust port (not shown) in the chamber body 105 of the processing chamber 102 to control pressure during processing and / or to evacuate hot gases from the first processing region 104 and the second processing region 106, as described in more detail below. In at least some embodiments, the vacuum source 130 may be configured to provide a suction force to a chuck disposed in the second processing region 106, as described in more detail below.

[0025]

[0029] One or more robots are disposed within the first processing region 104 and / or the second processing region 106. For example, in at least some embodiments, a robot 132 may be disposed within each of the first processing region 104 and the second processing region 106. The robot 132 may be any robot suitable for transferring substrates into and out of the first processing region 104 and the second processing region 106, as well as between the first processing region 104 and the second processing region 106. For example, in at least some embodiments, the robot 132 may be configured to receive substrates, for example, from a load lock (not shown) coupled to the process chamber 102, and to position and remove the substrates from the carrier 118 and chucks disposed within the second processing region 106. The robot 132 may also be configured to transfer substrates from the first processing region 104 to the second processing region 106 (and vice versa), for example, via a path 134 (shown in dotted lines in FIG. 1 ) defined through the interior wall 103. For example, in at least some embodiments, the robot 132 in the first processing region 104 may measure the temperature of a previously processed substrate, e.g., the glass transition temperature T g The carrier 118 containing the substrate, heated to and / or to thermal equilibrium between the substrate and the carrier, may be transferred through the passageway 134 to hand the carrier 118 containing the substrate to the robot 132 in the second processing region 106. The robot 132 in the second processing region 106 may then transfer the substrate to a chuck located within the second processing region 106, as described in more detail below.

[0026]

[0030] The substrate 136 may be made of one or more materials, including, but not limited to, silicon, germanium, glass, etc. For example, in at least some embodiments, the substrate 136 may be made of silicon, such as a through-silicon via (TSV) interposer substrate assembly. Additionally, one or more solder bumps (not explicitly shown) may be disposed on the substrate 136 and configured to support one or more corresponding IC chips 138. An epoxy mold 140 may be used to fully or partially encapsulate the substrate 136. For example, in at least some embodiments, the epoxy mold 140 may be used to encapsulate only one or more solder bumps on the substrate 136, such as an epoxy mold underfill. Additionally, in at least some embodiments, the epoxy mold 140 may be used to encapsulate both the one or more solder bumps and the IC chip 138, as shown in FIG. 1 .

[0027]

[0031] Continuing with reference to FIG. 1 , the second processing region 106 may be substantially identical to the first processing region 104. For example, the second processing region 106 may include one or more heating devices. More specifically, the second processing region 106 may include a second heating device 142 configured to maintain the substrate 136 at a first temperature during transfer of the substrate 136 from the first processing region 104 to the second processing region 106. For example, in at least some embodiments, the second heating device 142 may include a gas supply device 144. The gas supply device 144 may be any gas supply device, including, but not limited to, a gas distribution showerhead, a gas distribution ring, or the like. For example, in at least some embodiments, the gas supply device 144 may be a gas distribution ring disposed above the chuck 146. For example, in at least some embodiments, the gas supply device 144 may be disposed above the chuck 146 and extend radially outward from the chuck 146. The gas supply 144 may be configured to heat the substrate 136 at a first temperature, for example, to a glass transition temperature T 1 of the substrate (and / or epoxy on the substrate, if present), before cooling the substrate 136, as described in more detail below. gand / or configured to supply one or more hot gases, e.g., nitrogen, to maintain thermal equilibrium between the substrate and the carrier. Alternatively or additionally, as described above with respect to the first heating device 108, in at least some embodiments, the second heating device 142 may further include a heater (e.g., a lamp, a coil, etc.) configured to provide radiant heating, resistive heating, etc. For example, in at least some embodiments, the heater may be an infrared heat lamp configured to heat the substrate and / or process gases.

[0028]

[0032] The chuck 146 may include one or more pins (or supports) 148 configured to allow the carrier 118 containing the substrate 136 to be positioned over the chuck 146 when the chuck 146 is in the first position. The pins 148 correspond to a plurality of exposed slots in the carrier 118. For illustrative purposes, three pins 148 are shown in FIG. 1 . Additionally, in at least some embodiments, an array of pins may be provided. For example, instead of having only one pin corresponding to an exposed area of the carrier, two or more pins in the array of pins may correspond to each exposed slot, e.g., for additional support or stability.

[0029]

[0033] Furthermore, the chuck 146 is movable from a first position for receiving the substrate 136 from the carrier 118 to a second position for cooling the substrate 136. More specifically, the chuck 146 is in the first position when the substrate 136 is being transferred from the carrier 118 to the chuck 146. In the first position, the chuck 146 is in a lowered configuration and the pins 148 are exposed (e.g., not covered by the chuck 146, see, e.g., FIG. 1 ). The robot 132, under the control of the system controller 116, positions the carrier 118 by aligning the exposed slots in the carrier 118 with the pins 148. Once aligned, the robot 132 moves the carrier 118 above the chuck 146 and lowers the carrier 118 so that the substrate 136 can be positioned on the pins 148. With the substrate 136 positioned on the pins 148 and the carrier 118 no longer positioned above the chuck 146, the chuck 146 can be moved to the second position. In the second position, the chuck 146 is in a raised configuration, the pins 148 are no longer exposed (eg, covered by the chuck 146 ), and the substrate 136 is supported by the upper surface of the chuck 146 .

[0030]

[0034] A plurality of internal cooling channels 150 may be provided in the chuck 146 and configured to supply one or more suitable cooling fluids for rapidly cooling the substrate 136 when the substrate 136 is positioned on the chuck 146, for example, with the chuck in an elevated configuration. The cooling fluid may be, for example, chilled water or other suitable heat transfer fluid (e.g., a dielectric fluid, such as GALDEN®). For example, in at least some embodiments, the cooling fluid used to rapidly cool the substrate 136 may be chilled water.

[0031]

[0035] Additionally, a plurality of conduits or channels 152 or other suitable device cables that provide suction from the vacuum source 130 are defined within the chuck 146 and are configured to provide suction to the upper surface of the chuck 146 during processing, as described in more detail below.

[0032]

[0036] 2 is a diagram of a TEM 200 according to at least some embodiments of the present disclosure. The TEM 200 may be disposed on the carrier 118 and / or the chuck 146. The TEM 200 includes an array of p-type and n-type doped semiconductor elements. For illustrative purposes, two p-type and two n-type doped semiconductor elements (collectively referred to hereinafter as semiconductor elements 202) are shown. In at least some embodiments, the semiconductor elements 202 may be arranged in an array such that the semiconductor elements 202 are electrically connected in series and thermally connected in parallel to each other.

[0033]

[0037] The semiconductor device 202 may be disposed between two or more dielectric / non-conductive substrates, including, but not limited to, glass, ceramic, mica, and / or other suitable dielectric / non-conductive substrates, such as those made from liquids or gases. For example, in at least some embodiments, the semiconductor device 202 may be disposed between two ceramic substrates 204. The ceramic substrates 204 may be connected to the semiconductor device 202 via electrical interconnects 206, such as parallel or series wires, which may be connected to corresponding ones of the ceramic substrates 204 via one or more suitable connection methods, such as bonding. The electrical interconnects 206 are connected to one or more power sources for providing electrical current to the TEM 200. For illustrative purposes, the electrical interconnects 206 are shown connected to one or more energy sources 124, which may include a DC power supply 221.

[0034]

[0038] The use of an array of TEMs allows for highly uniform cooling / heating and precise temperature control across the surface of the substrate support, with or without cooling channels. Furthermore, depending on the configuration of the TEMs, e.g., series or parallel, various zonal temperature control schemes can be used. For example, by reversing the polarity of the current through the TEMs, the TEMs can be used to heat the substrate rather than cool it, resulting in a highly versatile device that can be tailored based on user requirements. For example, in at least some embodiments, the substrate support (e.g., carrier 118 and / or chuck 146) including the TEMs 200 allows for zonal heating and / or cooling within the same substrate support, as described in more detail below. For example, heating of the substrate 136 can be performed while the substrate is positioned on the carrier 118, and cooling of the substrate 136 can be performed while the substrate is positioned on the chuck 146, or vice versa.

[0035]

[0039] 3 is a diagram of a substrate support 300 that can be used with the carrier 118 and chuck 146, including the TEMs 200 of FIG. 2, in accordance with at least some embodiments of the present disclosure. Due to the compact size of the TEMs 200, an array of TEMs 200 can be integrated into the substrate support 300 (e.g., within the base 302 of the substrate support 300), with or without other cooling capabilities, such as heat sinks or other suitable cooling capabilities. In at least some embodiments, such as when the substrate support 300 includes fluid channels 304 for supplying one or more coolants, such as process chilled water (PCW) or other suitable coolants, the TEMs 200 can be positioned relatively close to the fluid channels 304. For example, in at least some embodiments, the TEMs 200 can be positioned in a top layer 307 of the substrate support 300 above the fluid channels 304, which is an upper surface capable of supporting a substrate. Alternatively or additionally, the TEMs 200 can be positioned in the top layer 307 of the substrate support 300 below the fluid channels 304. Unlike conventional methods and apparatus that use compressors, chillers, and / or cryopumps to cool a substrate (e.g., substrate 136), the methods and apparatus described herein can achieve sub-zero temperatures to cool a substrate in a relatively rapid manner, for example, using an array of TEMs in conjunction with PCW.

[0036]

[0040] 4 is a top view of a substrate support surface of a substrate support 300 including a plurality of TEMs arranged in an array on a top layer 307, according to at least some embodiments of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 4, a plurality of TEMs 200 may be arranged in an array on the top layer 307 to ensure sufficient transfer of heat to / from the substrate. For example, in at least some embodiments, the array of TEMs 200 may include TEMs arranged adjacent to the periphery of the top layer 307 and a TEM arranged adjacent to the center of the top layer 307. Other arrangements / configurations of TEMs may also be used.

[0037]

[0041] As described above, various zonal heating and / or cooling schemes may be used to achieve one or more desired effects. For example, in at least some embodiments, the system controller 116 may be configured to control each TEM 200 such that a TEM positioned adjacent the periphery (e.g., a first portion) of the top layer 307 may be used to heat the substrate 136 and a TEM positioned adjacent the center (e.g., a second portion) of the top layer 307 may be used to cool the substrate 136, or vice versa. Alternatively or additionally, the system controller 116 may be configured to independently control each TEM 200 such that other temperature control arrangements and / or configurations of the TEMs 200 may also be used. Additional electrical interconnects, switches, power supplies, etc. may be provided to achieve various control arrangements. For example, in at least some embodiments, a switch 400 may be connected to the DC power supply 221 and the system controller 116 and configured to independently supply current to each TEM 200 to achieve one or more various temperature control arrangements.

[0038]

[0042] One or more sensors may be disposed on the top layer 307. For example, in at least some embodiments, one or more thermocouples 402 may be disposed in / on the top layer 307 and may be in communication with the system controller 116. During processing, the thermocouples 402 may be configured to measure the temperature of the top layer 307, the substrate 136, and / or each TEM 200 and provide the measured temperatures to the system controller 116. In at least some embodiments, for example, one or more of the thermocouples 402 may be configured to provide a temperature measurement of the top layer 307 and / or the substrate 136, and one or more of the thermocouples 402 may be configured to provide a temperature measurement of a corresponding one of the TEMs 200.

[0039]

[0043] 5 is a flow diagram of a method 500 for processing a substrate in accordance with at least some embodiments of the present disclosure. The method 500 generally begins at 502, where a substrate is positioned on a substrate support (e.g., at least one of a carrier disposed in a first processing region or a chuck disposed in a second processing region). For example, at 502, the warped substrate may be placed on a carrier 118 to bring the warped substrate (and / or the carrier 118) to a glass transition temperature (T g Similarly, at 502, the substrate processed in the first processing region can be transferred to the chuck 146 in the second processing region, and the heated, unwarped substrate can be rapidly cooled to maintain the substrate in an unwarped state.

[0040]

[0044] At 504, the temperature of a substrate support (e.g., carrier 118 or chuck 146) disposed within a processing region of the processing chamber and / or a substrate (e.g., substrate 136) supported thereon is monitored during processing. For example, one or more thermocouples (e.g., thermocouple 402) may be used to monitor the substrate support (or substrate support surface) and / or the substrate during processing of the substrate. For example, in at least some embodiments, such as when substrate 136 is disposed on carrier 118 or chuck 146, one or more thermocouples 402 may be used to monitor the temperature of carrier 118 or chuck 146 when substrate 136 is being heated or cooled, respectively, or vice versa.

[0041]

[0045] Further, based on the temperature of the substrate support and / or substrate, current may be supplied to one or more TEMs (e.g., TEM 200) disposed on the substrate support in 504 to cool or heat the substrate. For example, in at least some embodiments, a thermocouple may be configured to monitor / measure the temperature of the substrate support and / or substrate and provide the temperature measurements of the substrate support and / or substrate to a system controller (e.g., system controller 116). In response to receiving the temperature measurements, the system controller may supply current to the TEM. For example, depending on the configuration (e.g., polarity) of the TEM, the current through the TEM may either be used to cool the substrate or to heat the substrate. For example, if the substrate 136 is disposed on the carrier 118, the current through the TEM may be used to heat the substrate 136. Similarly, if the substrate 136 is disposed on the chuck 146, the current through the TEM may be used to cool the substrate 136. By varying the amount of current supplied to the TEM, the cooling / heating effect may be increased or decreased (e.g., the temperature may be controlled).

[0042]

[0046] While the forgoing is directed to embodiments of the present disclosure, other and further embodiments of the disclosure may be devised without departing from the basic scope thereof.

Claims

1. 1. A substrate processing system, comprising: a process chamber including a first processing region and a second processing region; a carrier disposed in the first processing region, the carrier including a plurality of first arrays of thermoelectric modules (TEMs), the carrier configured to support the substrate while the substrate is being heated or cooled; a chuck disposed within the second processing region, the chuck including an array of a plurality of second TEMs, the chuck configured to receive the substrate from the carrier and support the substrate while the substrate is being heated or cooled; a controller configured to monitor a temperature of at least one of the substrate, the carrier, or the chuck during operation, and to supply current to some of the plurality of first TEMs to cool a first portion of the substrate and to supply current to some of the plurality of first TEMs to heat a second portion of the substrate that is different from the first portion of the substrate, or to supply current to some of the plurality of second TEMs to cool the first portion of the substrate and to supply current to some of the plurality of second TEMs to heat the second portion of the substrate that is different from the first portion of the substrate, based on the temperature of the at least one of the substrate, the carrier, or the chuck; Equipped with the controller supplies current to the plurality of first TEMs of the carrier to heat the substrate to a glass transition temperature so that the substrate is straightened, and supplies current to the plurality of second TEMs of the chuck to rapidly cool the substrate so that the substrate remains unwarped. system.

2. 10. The system of claim 1, wherein each of the first plurality of TEMs and the second plurality of TEMs includes a plurality of p-type doped and n-type doped semiconductor elements.

3. 3. The system of claim 2, wherein the plurality of p-type doped and n-type doped semiconductor elements are arranged in an array such that the p-type doped and n-type doped semiconductor elements are electrically connected in series with each other and thermally connected in parallel with each other.

4. 3. The system of claim 2, wherein each of the plurality of first TEMs and the plurality of second TEMs includes two ceramic substrates, and the plurality of p-type doped and n-type doped semiconductor devices are disposed between the two ceramic substrates and connected to electrical interconnects connected to the two ceramic substrates.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein each of the plurality of first TEMs and the plurality of second TEMs is connected to a power source via the electrical interconnect.

6. The system of claim 1 , 2 , or 4 , wherein the carrier and the chuck each include a plurality of channels configured to receive a coolant for cooling the substrate.

7. A method for processing a substrate, comprising: Positioning the substrate on at least one of a carrier disposed in a first processing region and including a first array of thermoelectric modules (TEMs) or a chuck disposed in a second processing region and including a second array of TEMs; monitoring a temperature of at least one of the substrate, the carrier, or the chuck during operation, and based on the temperature of the at least one of the substrate, the carrier, or the chuck, supplying current to some of the plurality of first TEMs to cool a first portion of the substrate and to some of the plurality of first TEMs to heat a second portion of the substrate different from the first portion of the substrate, or supplying current to some of the plurality of second TEMs to cool the first portion of the substrate and to some of the plurality of second TEMs to heat the second portion of the substrate different from the first portion of the substrate, wherein current is supplied to the plurality of first TEMs of the carrier to heat the substrate to a glass transition temperature such that bowing of the substrate is corrected, and current is supplied to the plurality of second TEMs of the chuck to rapidly cool the substrate so that the substrate remains unbowed; A method comprising:

8. 8. The method of claim 7, wherein each of the first plurality of TEMs and the second plurality of TEMs includes a plurality of p-type doped and n-type doped semiconductor elements.

9. 9. The method of claim 8, wherein the plurality of p-type doped and n-type doped semiconductor elements are arranged in an array such that the p-type doped and n-type doped semiconductor elements are electrically connected in series with each other and thermally connected in parallel with each other.

10. 8. The method of claim 7, wherein each of the plurality of first TEMs and the plurality of second TEMs includes two ceramic substrates, and a plurality of p-type doped and n-type doped semiconductor devices are disposed between the two ceramic substrates and connected to electrical interconnects connected to the two ceramic substrates.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein each of the first plurality of TEMs and the second plurality of TEMs is connected to a power source via the electrical interconnect.

12. 12. The method of claim 7, 8, 10, or 11, further comprising supplying a coolant to a plurality of channels in at least one of the carrier or the chuck.

13. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium that, when executed by a processor, Positioning the substrate on at least one of a carrier disposed in a first processing region and including a first array of thermoelectric modules (TEMs) or a chuck disposed in a second processing region and including a second array of TEMs; monitoring a temperature of at least one of the substrate, the carrier, or the chuck during operation, and based on the temperature of the at least one of the substrate, the carrier, or the chuck, supplying current to some of the plurality of first TEMs to cool a first portion of the substrate and to some of the plurality of first TEMs to heat a second portion of the substrate different from the first portion of the substrate, or supplying current to some of the plurality of second TEMs to cool the first portion of the substrate and to some of the plurality of second TEMs to heat the second portion of the substrate different from the first portion of the substrate, wherein current is supplied to the plurality of first TEMs of the carrier to heat the substrate to a glass transition temperature such that bowing of the substrate is corrected, and current is supplied to the plurality of second TEMs of the chuck to rapidly cool the substrate so that the substrate remains unbowed; A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon instructions for performing a method for processing a substrate, the method comprising:

14. 14. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein each of the first plurality of TEMs and the second plurality of TEMs includes a plurality of p-type doped and n-type doped semiconductor elements.

15. 15. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein the plurality of p-type doped and n-type doped semiconductor elements are arranged in an array such that the p-type doped and n-type doped semiconductor elements are electrically connected in series with each other and thermally connected in parallel with each other.

16. 14. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein each of the plurality of first TEMs and the plurality of second TEMs includes two ceramic substrates, and a plurality of p-type doped and n-type doped semiconductor devices are disposed between the two ceramic substrates and connected to electrical interconnects connected to the two ceramic substrates.

17. 17. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein each of the plurality of first TEMs and the plurality of second TEMs is connected to a power source via the electrical interconnect.

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