Rotating Substrate Support

Abstract

To provide a substrate processor, and more specifically, a substrate support for promoting more uniform processing in the whole surface area of a substrate in a reaction chamber.SOLUTION: A device for processing a substrate may include a reaction chamber, a substrate support having a support surface positioned in the reaction chamber for supporting the substrate, and a rotating motor. The motor is controlled and configured to generate bidirectional rotary motion around an axis vertical to the support surface, between the reaction chamber and the substrate support.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE The present disclosure relates generally to substrate processing equipment, and specifically to a substrate support that promotes a more uniform process across the surface on a substrate within a reaction chamber. [Background technology]

[0002] Integrated circuits comprise multiple layers of materials deposited by various techniques, including chemical vapor deposition (CVD), atomic layer deposition (ALD), plasma-enhanced CVD (PECVD), and plasma-enhanced ALD (PEALD). Therefore, depositing materials onto semiconductor substrates is a critical step in the process of manufacturing integrated circuits. While uniform processing across the surface of the substrate is important, processing results often vary for a variety of reasons.

[0003] Figure 1 shows the results of film deposition using a PECVD system and the film thickness distribution on the substrate. Film thickness variations can occur in the range of approximately 17 nm on a layer of approximately 170 nm due to various reasons, such as temperature distribution, gas exhaust direction, and / or non-uniformity of the electric field strength due to variations in the parallelism of the electrodes.

[0004] To alleviate this problem, a rotating substrate support may be applied, but designing such a rotating substrate support can be difficult.

[0005] All descriptions, including descriptions of problems and solutions described in this section, are included in this disclosure solely for the purpose of providing a context for the disclosure and should not be construed as an admission that any or all of the descriptions were known or constitute prior art at the time the invention was made. Summary of the Invention [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] This Summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form that are described in more detail below in the Detailed Description of Exemplary Embodiments of this Disclosure. This Summary is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used to limit the scope of the claimed subject matter.

[0007] In some embodiments, an apparatus for treating a substrate is provided. The apparatus disclosed herein can enable tunable material deposition and / or treatment on a substrate, for example, to achieve more uniform material deposition and / or treatment on the substrate.

[0008] In various embodiments, an apparatus for processing a substrate may include a reaction chamber, a substrate support disposed within the reaction chamber and including a support surface for supporting a substrate, and a motor for rotational motion, the motor being controlled and configured to generate bidirectional rotational motion between the reaction chamber and the substrate support about an axis perpendicular to the support surface. In various embodiments, the motor may be controlled and configured to generate n rotational motions (where n=1, 2, 3, . . .). In various embodiments, n may be 1. In various embodiments, the motor may be controlled and configured to change the direction of rotation when n rotational motions (where n=1, 2, 3, . . .) are reached. In various embodiments, the motor can be controlled and configured to change the direction of rotation from a first rotational direction to a second, opposite rotational direction, or vice versa, when n rotational motions (where n=1, 2, 3, . . .) are reached.

[0009] In various embodiments, the apparatus may further comprise a controller operably connected to the motor for controlling the bidirectional rotational motion produced by the motor, hi various embodiments, the apparatus may further comprise a rotation angle measurement device operably connected to the controller for measuring the rotation angle between the reaction chamber and the substrate support.

[0010] In various embodiments, the substrate support may comprise an electrical device, which may be connected to a station within the apparatus using wiring, and the wiring may be configured and arranged to enable n or more rotational movements (where n=1, 2, 3, ...) between the reaction chamber and the substrate support. In various embodiments, the electrical device may be an electrode of a plasma generation apparatus, and the wiring may be RF wiring. In various embodiments, the electrical device may be a temperature sensor (e.g., a thermocouple) for measuring temperature, and the wiring may be a temperature signal line. In various embodiments, the electrical device may be a heater for heating the substrate, and the wiring may be a power line for the heater. In various embodiments, the wiring may comprise a curled cord that enables n or more rotational movements (where n=1, 2, 3, ...) between the reaction chamber and the substrate support.

[0011] In various embodiments, the substrate support may be coupled to a rotatable shaft, and a motor may rotate the shaft. In various embodiments, the rotatable shaft may protrude through a hole in the wall of the reaction chamber, the motor may be located outside the reaction chamber, and a seal arm may be provided around the rotating shaft to seal the reaction chamber. In various embodiments, the substrate support may be supported on the shaft.

[0012] In various embodiments, a method of forming a film on a substrate supported by a substrate support can include providing the substrate in a reaction chamber, supplying a gas to the substrate, rotating the substrate support n times (where n=1, 2, 3, . . .) in a first rotational direction, rotating the substrate support n times (where n=1, 2, 3, . . .) in a second, opposite rotational direction, and stopping the supply of gas to the substrate. In various embodiments, forming the film can be performed by plasma-enhanced atomic layer deposition (PEALD) or plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD).

[0013] In various embodiments, in a method of controlling an apparatus for processing a substrate, the apparatus includes a reaction chamber, a substrate support disposed within the reaction chamber for supporting the substrate, and a motor for rotation between the substrate support and the reaction chamber, and controlling the apparatus includes controlling a number of rotations in a first rotation direction to be substantially equal to a number of rotations in a second, opposite rotation direction.

[0014] These and other embodiments will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description of specific embodiments which refer to the accompanying drawings, and the invention is not limited to any particular embodiment disclosed.

[0015] A more complete understanding of the exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure can be obtained by reference to the detailed description and claims when considered in conjunction with the following illustrative drawings. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0016] [Figure 1] Figure 1 shows the results of film deposition and film thickness distribution using a PECVD device. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of an exemplary reactor apparatus. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of an exemplary curl cord. [Figure 4] Figure 4A is a schematic diagram of a conventional reaction chamber with a rotating substrate support, and Figure 4B is a schematic diagram of an exemplary reaction chamber with a rotating substrate support. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a timing sequence diagram according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0017] It will be appreciated that elements in the figures are illustrated for simplicity and clarity and have not necessarily been drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions of some of the elements in the figures may be exaggerated relative to other elements to help to improve understanding of the illustrated embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0018] Although certain specific embodiments and examples are disclosed below, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the present disclosure extends beyond the specifically disclosed embodiments and / or applications of the present disclosure, as well as obvious modifications and equivalents thereof, and therefore it is not intended that the scope of the present disclosure should be limited by the specific embodiments described herein.

[0019] The figures shown herein are not meant to be actual drawings of any particular materials, apparatus, structures or devices, but merely representations used to describe embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0020] As used herein, the term "substrate" may refer to any underlying material or materials that may be used or upon which a device, circuit, or film may be formed.

[0021] As used herein, the term "atomic layer deposition" (ALD) can refer to a vapor deposition process in which deposition cycles, preferably multiple consecutive deposition cycles, are performed in a process chamber. Typically, during each cycle, a precursor chemisorbs to a deposition surface (e.g., the surface of a substrate or a previously deposited underlying surface, such as a material deposited using a previous ALD cycle) to form a monolayer or submonolayer that does not readily react with additional precursors (i.e., a self-limiting reaction). If desired, a reactant (e.g., another precursor or reactant gas) can then be introduced into the process chamber for use in converting the chemisorbed precursor to the desired material on the deposition surface. Typically, this reactant can further react with the precursor. Additionally, a purge step can also be utilized during each cycle to remove excess precursor from the process chamber after conversion of the chemisorbed precursor and / or to remove excess reactants and / or reaction by-products from the process chamber. Additionally, the term "atomic layer deposition," as used herein, is also meant to include processes denoted by related terms, such as "chemical vapor deposition atomic layer deposition," "atomic layer epitaxy" (ALE), molecular beam epitaxy (MBE), gas source MBE, or metalorganic MBE, as well as chemical beam epitaxy when performed with alternating pulses of precursor compositions, reactive gases, and purge (e.g., inert carrier) gases.

[0022] As used herein, the term "chemical vapor deposition" (CVD) can refer to any process in which a substrate is exposed to one or more volatile precursors that react and / or decompose on the substrate surface to produce a desired deposit.

[0023] As used herein, the terms "film" and "thin film" can refer to any continuous or discontinuous structure and material deposited by the methods disclosed herein. "Films" and "thin films" can include, for example, 2D materials, nanorods, nanotubes, or nanoparticles, or planar partial or complete molecular layers, or partial or complete atomic layers, or clusters of atoms and / or molecules. "Films" and "thin films" can include materials or layers that have pinholes, yet are at least partially continuous.

[0024] Reactor apparatuses used for ALD, CVD, and the like can be used in a variety of applications, including the deposition and etching of materials on substrate surfaces. Referring to FIG. 2 , reactor apparatus 50 may include a reaction chamber 4 and a substrate support 5 (susceptor) disposed within reaction chamber 4. Substrate support 5 may include a support surface 6 for supporting a substrate. Motor 8 may be capable of rotational motion, and motor 8 is controlled and configured to generate bidirectional rotational motion between reaction chamber 4 and substrate support 5 about an axis perpendicular to support surface 6.

[0025] The motor 8 may be controlled and configured to generate n rotational motions (where n=1, 2, 3, . . .). The motor 8 may be controlled and configured to change the direction of rotation when n rotational motions (where n=1, 2, 3, . . .) are reached. The motor 5 may be controlled and configured to change the direction of rotation from a first rotational direction to a second opposite rotational direction, or vice versa, when n rotational motions (where n=1, 2, 3, . . .) are reached.

[0026] The apparatus 50 may further comprise a controller 130 operatively connected to the motor 8 for controlling the bidirectional rotational motion produced by the motor 8. The apparatus 50 may comprise a rotation angle measuring device 70, e.g., an encoder, operatively connected to the controller 130 for measuring the rotation angle between the reaction chamber 4 and the substrate support 5.

[0027] The substrate support 5 may include an electrical device, which may be connected to a station in the apparatus 50 using wiring, which is constructed and arranged to allow n or more rotational movements (where n=1, 2, 3, ...) between the reaction chamber 4 and the substrate support 5. The electrical device may be an electrode 80 of a plasma generator, and the wiring may be RF wiring 12. The electrical device may be a temperature sensor (e.g., a thermocouple) for measuring temperature, and the wiring may be temperature signal wire 15. The electrical device may be a heater 9 for heating the substrate, and the wiring may be power wire 17 for the heater 9.

[0028] Referring to FIG. 3, the wiring may comprise a curled cord that allows n or more rotational movements between the reaction chamber 4 and the substrate support 5 (where n=1, 2, 3, . . . ).

[0029] The substrate support 5 may be coupled to a rotatable shaft 7, and a motor 8 rotates the shaft 7. The rotatable shaft 7 may protrude through a hole in the wall of the reaction chamber 4, and the motor 8 may be located outside the reaction chamber 4, and a magnetic seal 48 may be provided around the rotatable shaft 7 to seal the reaction chamber 4.

[0030] The substrate support 5 may also include a tool frame 40 that connects to a motor 8. A flange 42 may be connected to the frame 40 by bolts 44. The flange 42 may be movably connected to the rotatable shaft 7 by suitable means, for example, by bearings 46. A bellows 49 is connected between the bottom of the reaction chamber 4 and a magnetic seal 48.

[0031] The reaction chamber 4 may include a reaction space (i.e., an upper chamber) that can be configured to process one or more substrates, and / or a lower chamber space 114 (i.e., a lower chamber). The lower chamber space 114 may be configured for the loading and unloading of substrates from the reaction chamber.

[0032] The reaction space 112 and the lower chamber space 114 may be separated by the substrate support 5. The reaction space 112 and the lower chamber space 114 may be substantially fluidly separated or isolated from one another. For example, the substrate support 5 may fluidly separate the reaction space 112 and the lower chamber space 114 by forming at least a partial seal (i.e., at least restricting fluid flow) between the substrate support 6 and the chamber sidewall 111 of the reaction chamber 4, which is disposed proximate the outer edge of the substrate support 5.

[0033] The substrate and substrate support 5 can be movable relative to one another. For example, one or more lift pins (not shown) may be configured to allow the substrate to be separated from the substrate support 5 and to allow the substrate to be placed in contact with (i.e., supported by) the substrate support 5. The substrate support 5 can be moved up and down such that the substrate support 5 moves relative to the substrate, for example, by a substrate support elevator. In various embodiments, the lift pins can be moved up and down such that the substrate moves relative to the substrate support 5, for example, by a lift pin elevator / platform. The substrate support 5 and / or the lift pins can be stationary while the other moves. The substrate support 5 and / or the lift pins can be configured to move relative to the other.

[0034] During substrate processing (e.g., during PEALD, PECVD, etc.), as electrons travel from the distribution system (e.g., showerhead) to the substrate support 5, an electric field can form around the substrate support 5 and support surface 6. The electric field around different portions of the substrate support 5 or support surface 6 may be different, potentially resulting in different processing results for different portions of the substrate corresponding to different nearby electric fields. Additionally, temperature distributions and gas exhaust directions may be different, causing different processing results.

[0035] 4 and 5, a method for treating a substrate in a reaction chamber is illustrated. It will be appreciated that embodiments of the present disclosure may also be utilized in reaction chambers configured for a number of deposition processes, including, but not limited to, PEALD, PECVD, metalorganic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD), molecular beam epitaxy (MBE), and physical vapor deposition (PVD). Embodiments of the present disclosure may also be utilized in reaction chambers configured to treat a substrate with reactive precursors, which may also include etching processes such as reactive ion etching (RIE), inductively coupled plasma etching (ICP), and electron cyclotron resonance etching (ECR).

[0036] To avoid differences in processing results and tangled wires, the motor 8 may be controlled and configured to generate bidirectional rotational motion within a predetermined angle, preferably within about 180 degrees. Figure 5 illustrates an exemplary method. The method includes the steps of: supplying a substrate into a reaction chamber 4; supplying a gas to the substrate; rotating the substrate support 5 n times (where n = 1, 2, 3, . . .) in a first rotational direction; rotating the substrate support 5 n times (where n = 1, 2, 3, . . .) in a second, opposite rotational direction; and stopping the supply of gas to the substrate.

[0037] During step 102 of providing a substrate in reaction chamber 4, the substrate is provided in reaction chamber 4. Reaction chamber 4 may form part of an annular deposition reactor, such as a PEALD reactor or a PECVD reactor. The various steps of the methods described herein may be performed in a single reaction chamber or may be performed in multiple reaction chambers, such as the reaction chambers of a cluster tool.

[0038] During step 104, a gas is supplied into reaction chamber 4. "Gas" can refer to a material that is a gas, vaporized solid, and / or vaporized liquid at ambient temperature and pressure, and may consist of a single gas or a mixture of gases, depending on the circumstances. The gas can be a process gas, i.e., a gas introduced through a gas distribution assembly, such as a showerhead, other gas distribution device, etc., can be used.

[0039] During step 106, the substrate support 5 is rotated 180 degrees from the initial position. Rotation may be performed gradually or periodically, preferably gradually, to improve film thickness uniformity. During step 108, the substrate support 5 is rotated back from 180 degrees to -180 degrees. During step 110, the substrate support 5 is rotated back from -180 degrees to the initial position. During step 112, the gas is turned off, completing the process.

[0040] Therefore, the bidirectional rotation can improve, i.e., reduce the non-uniformity of the film thickness. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 4, the wires can be prevented from being damaged by the rotation.

[0041] The exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure described above do not limit the scope of the present invention, as these embodiments are merely examples of embodiments of the present invention. Any equivalent embodiments are intended to be within the scope of the present invention. Indeed, various modifications of the present disclosure in addition to those shown and described herein may become apparent to those skilled in the art from the description, including alternative useful combinations of the described elements. Such modifications and embodiments are also intended to be included within the scope of the appended claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0042] 4. Reaction Chamber 5. Substrate support (susceptor) 6 Support surface 7 shaft 8 motors 9. Heater 12 RF wiring 15 Temperature signal line 17 Power line 40 Tool Frame 42 flange 44 volts 46 bearings 48 Magnetic Seal 49 Bellows 50 Reactor equipment 70 Rotation angle measuring device 80 electrodes 112 Reaction Space 114 Lower chamber space 130 Control device

Claims

1. 1. An apparatus for treating a substrate, comprising: a reaction chamber; a substrate support disposed within the reaction chamber and having a support surface for supporting the substrate; an at least partial seal between a sidewall of the reaction chamber and an outer edge of the substrate support, the at least partial seal fluidly separating a lower chamber volume of the reaction chamber below the substrate support from a reaction volume of the reaction chamber above the substrate support; a motor for rotary motion, the motor controlled and configured to produce bidirectional rotary motion between the reaction chamber and the substrate support about an axis perpendicular to the support surface.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the motor is controlled and configured to generate n rotational motions, where n=1, 2, 3, . . .

3. 3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein n is 1.

4. The device of claim 2 , wherein the motor is controlled and configured to change the direction of rotation of the rotational movement when the rotational movement reaches n times (where n=1, 2, 3, . . . ).

5. 5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the motor is controlled and configured to change the rotation direction from a first rotation direction to a second opposite rotation direction, or vice versa, when the rotational movement reaches n times (where n=1, 2, 3, ...).

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the apparatus comprises a controller operatively connected to the motor for controlling the bidirectional rotational motion produced by the motor.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the apparatus comprises a rotation angle measurement device operatively connected to the controller for measuring a rotation angle between the reaction chamber and the substrate support.

8. 10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the substrate support comprises an electrical device, the electrical device connects to a station within the apparatus using wiring, the wiring constructed and arranged to enable n or more rotational movements between the reaction chamber and the substrate support, where n=1, 2, 3, ...

9. 9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the electrical device is an electrode of a plasma generating device and the wiring is RF wiring.

10. 9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the electrical device is a temperature sensor for measuring temperature and the wiring is a temperature signal line.

11. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the electrical device is a heater for heating the substrate, and the wiring is a power supply line for the heater.

12. 12. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the wiring comprises a curled cord that allows n or more rotational movements between the reaction chamber and the substrate support (where n=1, 2, 3, ...).

13. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the substrate support is coupled to a rotatable shaft, and the motor rotates the shaft.

14. 14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the rotatable shaft protrudes through a hole in a wall of the reaction chamber, the motor is located outside the reaction chamber, and a seal is provided around the rotatable shaft to seal the reaction chamber.

15. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the substrate support is supported on the shaft.

16. 1. A method for forming a film on a substrate supported by a substrate support, comprising: providing a substrate into a reaction chamber; supplying a gas to the substrate; rotating the substrate support n times (where n=1, 2, 3, ...) in a first rotational direction; rotating the substrate support n times (where n=1, 2, 3, ...) in a second, opposite rotational direction; and ceasing the supply of the gas to the substrate; a method of providing at least a partial seal between a sidewall of the reaction chamber and an outer edge of the substrate support, the at least partial seal fluidly separating a lower chamber space of the reaction chamber below the substrate support from a reaction space of the reaction chamber above the substrate support.

17. 17. The method of claim 16, wherein forming the film is performed by plasma-enhanced atomic layer deposition (PEALD) or plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD).

18. A method of controlling an apparatus for processing a substrate, the apparatus comprising: a reaction chamber; a substrate support disposed in the reaction chamber for supporting the substrate; and a motor for rotating between the substrate support and the reaction chamber, wherein controlling the apparatus includes controlling a number of rotations in a first rotation direction to be substantially equal to a number of rotations in a second, opposite rotation direction; a method of providing at least a partial seal between a sidewall of the reaction chamber and an outer edge of the substrate support, the at least partial seal fluidly separating a lower chamber space of the reaction chamber below the substrate support from a reaction space of the reaction chamber above the substrate support.

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