Method for moving circuit board processing modules and workpieces

Abstract

To provide a substrate processing module and a method of moving a workpiece.SOLUTION: The substrate processing module includes a shutter stack and two process stations. A shutter stack is disposed between the process stations. The method of moving a workpiece includes moving a supporting portion from a first location to a shutter stack in a first direction, retrieving the workpiece from the shutter stack, and moving the supporting portion to a second location. The transfer chamber assembly and method allows for moving workpieces to and from the shutter stack to the two process stations. A central transfer robot of the substrate processing module is configured to grip both substrates and shutter discs, allowing for one robot when typically two robots would be required.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2A

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to apparatuses and methods, and more particularly, to a substrate processing module and a method of moving a workpiece.

Background Art

[0002] Conventional cluster tools are configured to perform one or more processes during substrate processing. For example, a cluster tool may include a PVD chamber for performing a physical vapor deposition (PVD) process on a substrate, an ALD chamber for performing an atomic layer deposition (ALD) process on a substrate, a CVD chamber for performing a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) process on a substrate, and / or one or more other processing chambers.

[0003] The above-described cluster tool includes a transfer system for moving workpieces such as substrates and shutter disks to various processing chambers within the system and for moving workpieces such as substrates and shutter disks between various processing chambers within the system. For example, a carousel system having a number of arms is used to grip either a substrate or a shutter disk. When the carousel system is rotated, the workpiece moves to or from various processing chambers within the cluster tool. The carousel typically has different gripping arms with different forms and functions depending on the desired workpiece to be gripped.

[0004] One drawback of this technology is that the carousel is typically designed to grip either a substrate or a shutter disk, which leads to the use of a number of types of carousels or gripping arms. Further, the shutter garage for storing workpieces is often located in the non-high-vacuum portion of the cluster tool, and it is necessary to pump down the vacuum when transferring the workpiece from the stack to other parts of the tool.

[0005] Therefore, what is needed is a substrate processing module that can transport both the substrate and the shutter disk using a single transport system. [Overview of the Initiative]

[0006] Embodiments disclosed herein include a substrate processing module and a method for moving a workpiece. The substrate processing module and method enable the movement of a shutter disk and a substrate using the same transport system.

[0007] In one embodiment, a transfer chamber assembly is provided. The transfer chamber assembly includes a shutter stack and two processing areas. The shutter stack is positioned between the processing areas. The shutter stack is configured to house one or more workpieces. One or more workpieces include a substrate or a shutter disk. The shutter stack includes a shutter base, one or more shutter disk supports, and a substrate support. One or more shutter disk supports are coupled to the shutter base. One or more shutter disk supports are configured to support a shutter disk. The substrate support is coupled to the shutter base. The substrate support is configured to support a substrate.

[0008] In another embodiment, a transfer chamber assembly is provided. The transfer chamber assembly includes a shutter stack, two processing areas, and a central transfer device. The shutter stack is positioned between the processing areas. The shutter stack is configured to house one or more workpieces. One or more workpieces include a substrate or a shutter disk. The shutter stack includes a shutter base, one or more shutter disk supports, and a substrate support. One or more shutter disk supports are coupled to the shutter base. One or more shutter disk supports are configured to support a shutter disk. The substrate support is coupled to the shutter base. The substrate support is configured to support a substrate. The central transfer device includes one or more transfer arms. The transfer arms are configured to transfer at least one of the one or more workpieces from the shutter stack to one of the processing areas.

[0009] In yet another embodiment, a method for moving a workpiece is provided. This method includes moving the outer end from a first location to a shutter stack in a first direction, removing the workpiece from the shutter stack, and moving the outer end to a second location. The workpiece is a substrate or a shutter disk.

[0010] To enable a more detailed understanding of the features of this disclosure listed above, some of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, the disclosure outlined above may be described in more detail. However, it should be noted that the accompanying drawings illustrate only exemplary embodiments and should therefore not be considered limiting to the scope of this disclosure, as they may accept other equally valid embodiments. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0011] [Figure 1A]This is a partial cross-sectional view of a substrate on which multiple film layers formed and / or processed by using the methods and / or apparatus disclosed herein are deposited. [Figure 1B] This is a partial cross-sectional view of a substrate covered, lined, and filled with features formed thereon by a deposited material layer formed and / or processed using the methods and / or apparatus disclosed herein. [Figure 2A] This is a plan view of a processing system including a processing module, which contains a process station for processing substrates, according to one or more embodiments. [Figure 2B] This is a plan view of an alternative configuration of a processing system comprising a plurality of processing modules, each containing a process station for processing substrates, according to one or more embodiments. [Figure 3A] This is an isometric view of the processing module shown in Figure 2A, according to one or more embodiments. [Figure 3B] This is a plan view of the processing module shown in Figure 2A, according to one or more embodiments. [Figure 4A] This is a partial cross-sectional view of a portion of the processing module in Figure 2A, showing a substrate support in a transfer position below the process station of the processing module, according to one or more embodiments. [Figure 4B] This is a partial cross-sectional view of the processing module in Figure 2A, showing a substrate support lifted to a process position to thereby form a sealed substrate process volume, according to one or more embodiments. [Figure 4C] This is a partial cross-sectional view of a portion of the processing module in Figure 2A, showing an alternative configuration for a substrate support located in a transfer position below the process station of the processing module, according to one or more embodiments. [Figure 4D] This is a partial cross-sectional view of the processing module in Figure 2A, showing an alternative configuration of the substrate support shown in Figure 4C, which is lifted to a process position to thereby form a sealed substrate process volume, according to one or more embodiments. [Figure 5A]This is a schematic plan view of a robot, according to one or more embodiments, that helps move substrates between process stations in the processing module of Figure 2A. [Figure 5B] This is an isometric view of one embodiment of the robot shown in Figure 5A, according to one or more embodiments. [Figure 5C] These are plan views of alternative robot configurations to the robot configurations shown in Figures 5A and 5B, according to one or more embodiments. [Figure 6] This is a partial cross-sectional view of the process station of the processing module shown in Figure 4B, according to one or more embodiments. [Figure 7A] This is an isometric view of a processing module, including a structural support assembly that helps maintain coplanarity between the processing surface of the source assembly and the substrate support surface located within the processing module, according to one or more embodiments. [Figure 7B] This is an enlarged isometric view of a structural support assembly located on the upper wall of the chamber of the processing module shown in Figure 7A, according to one or more embodiments. [Figure 8] This is a side cross-sectional view of a processing module formed along the cutting line 8-8 shown in Figure 7A, according to one or more embodiments. [Figure 9A] This is a plan view of an alternative configuration of the processing module shown in Figure 2A, according to one or more embodiments. [Figure 9B] Figure 9A is a plan view of the lower part of the processing module body, showing the motion path of a paddle robot within the processing module according to one or more embodiments. [Figure 10A] This is a side view of a shutter disk positioned on a skirt and an electrostatic chuck (ESC) according to several embodiments. [Figure 10B] This is a side view of a shutter disk positioned on a skirt and an electrostatic chuck (ESC) according to several embodiments. [Figure 10C] This is a side view of a shutter disk positioned on a skirt and an electrostatic chuck (ESC) according to several embodiments. [Figure 10D] Top view of a shutter disk according to one embodiment. [Figure 11A] Top view of a support portion according to one embodiment. [Figure 11B] Side view of a support portion according to one embodiment. [Figure 11C] Diagram showing the movement of a support portion according to some embodiments. [Figure 11D] Diagram showing the movement of a support portion according to some embodiments. [Figure 12A] Diagram showing a shutter stack in a first position according to one embodiment. [Figure 12B] Diagram showing a shutter stack in a second position according to one embodiment. [Figure 12C] Diagram showing a shutter stack in a first position according to some embodiments. [Figure 12D] Diagram showing a shutter stack in a first position according to some embodiments. [Figure 13] Flow chart of operations of a method for moving a workpiece according to one embodiment.

Best Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0012] For ease of understanding, where possible, the same reference numerals have been used to denote the same elements common to the figures. It is contemplated that the elements and features of one embodiment can be beneficially incorporated into other embodiments without specific recitation.

[0013] Embodiments disclosed herein include a substrate processing module and a method for moving a workpiece. The substrate processing module includes a shutter stack and two processing areas. The shutter stack is located between the processing areas. The method for moving a workpiece includes moving a support portion from a first location to the shutter stack in a first direction, removing the workpiece from the shutter stack, and moving the support portion to a second location. This substrate processing module and method enables moving a workpiece to the shutter stack and moving the workpiece from the shutter stack to the two processing areas. The central transfer robot of the substrate processing module is configured to grip both the substrate and the shutter disk, enabling the use of one robot where two robots would normally be required. Placing the shutter stack in a high vacuum environment reduces the need to pump up and pump down the vacuum when transferring the substrate from the shutter stack to the processing areas. Embodiments of this disclosure, but which are not limited, may be useful for transferring substrates and shutter disks in the same apparatus.

[0014] In one embodiment of the disclosure described herein, the substrate processing system shown in Figure 2A includes an atmospheric pressure or ambient pressure input and output handling station, also known as a front end 220, a substrate processing module 250 on which a number of process stations 260 are arranged, and at least one intermediate section 202. Substrates are transferred from the front end 220 or the processing module 250 to the intermediate section 202, or from the intermediate section 202 to the front end 220 or the processing module 250. While the disclosure described herein generally shows a processing module including six process stations, this configuration is not intended to limit the scope of the invention described herein. This is because, alternatively, the processing module 250 may include two or more process stations 260, for example four or more process stations 260 (e.g., Figures 9A-9B), eight or more process stations 260, ten or more process stations 260, or even twelve or more process stations 260. However, in process sequences used to form next-generation devices, including multilayer stacks for on-chip inductor applications, optical film stack applications, hard mask applications, pattern formation applications, and memory applications, a configuration of processing module 250 including six or twelve process stations is considered to improve substrate throughput, system footprint, and CoO compared to more conventional designs known in the art, due to the number of layers formed and the similar processing time used to form each layer.

[0015] Processing systems such as the processing system 200 shown in Figures 2A and 2B are used to form one or more thin films on the surface of a substrate S and / or on a previously formed or processed layer on the substrate S. Figure 1A shows a portion 101 of the substrate S on which multiple thin film layers 102 and 103 are formed, and Figure 1B shows multiple film layers extending on a previously formed layer 122 formed on a conductive layer 121 of the substrate S.

[0016] Figure 1A shows multiple film layers 104 sequentially deposited on a portion 101 of a substrate S, or on layers previously formed on the substrate S. For example, using the processing system shown in Figure 2A, which has access to six process stations 260A-260F within a substrate processing module 250, the substrate can be sequentially moved along the circumference of an imaginary circle 252 (Figure 3B) passing through the center of each process station 260. Each process station 260A-260F can be configured independently or similarly to enable a deposition process, such as PVD, CVD, ALD (atomic layer deposition), or other types of deposition or etching processes. For example, metal layers 102A to 102C can be deposited on a substrate, and the metal layers 102A to 102C can be made of metal; reactive metal layers 103A to 103C can be deposited on a substrate, and the reactive metal layers 103A to 103C can be made of reactive metal (e.g., metal nitride), and the metal of the reactive metal layers 103A to 103C is the same metal as the metal of metal layers 102A to 102C. In this example, during a substrate processing sequence performed in processing module 250, process stations 260B, 260D, and 260F are used to form reactive metal layers 103A-103C (e.g., TaN, TiN, AlN, or SiN layers) on the exposed surface of the substrate using a reactive PVD deposition process, in such a manner that the process sequence enables the formation of a metal layer followed by a reactive metal layer, while process stations 260A, 260C, and 260E are used to form pure metal layers 102A-102C (e.g., Ta, Ti, Al, Co, or Si layers) using a non-reactive PVD deposition process. By sequentially moving and processing the substrate at all process stations 260A-260F, a multilayer stack of pure metal / reactive metal / pure metal / reactive metal / pure metal / reactive metal can be formed.Alternatively, the substrates for the thin film layers 102 and 103 can be made of different materials. In this case, sputtering targets of the first material type are sputtered at process stations 260A, 260C, and 260E, and targets of the second type are sputtered at process stations 260B, 260D, and 260F to form interlayers of the first and second types of materials. Here, for example, interlayers of metal layers 102A-102C and dielectric layers 103A-103C, or interlayers of metal layers 102A-102C and semiconductor layers 103A-103C, such as interlayers of molybdenum and silicon, can be formed. Similarly, multilayer films of the same material can be formed, in which case all layers 102A-102C and 103A-103C are made of the same material, and the substrate is moved sequentially to each process station, depositing the same material on the substrate at each process station 260. The selection of sputtering target material and processing parameters (e.g., processing pressure), as well as the choice of whether the properties of the gas used to form the plasma within the process station 260 are inert or reactive, are user-selectable in such a way that they give the user or operator of the processing system 200 flexibility in controlling the material and material properties of the films in the film stack formed thereon. In substrate processing sequences used to form repeating stacked layer configurations, such as those shown in Figure 1A, where the stacked layer deposition process (e.g., the process for forming thin film layers 102 and 103) has similar chamber processing times, it has been found that a considerable increase in throughput and improvement in CoO are observed when using one or more system configurations and methods disclosed herein. In one example, a substrate processing sequence including a stacked layer deposition process with a processing time of less than 90 seconds, e.g., between 5 and 90 seconds, has been found to be considerably more advantageous than current conventional processing system designs when combined with the addition of shorter substrate transfer overhead times achieved using the architectures described herein, which will be discussed further later.

[0017] The substrates loaded into processing module 250 do not need to be processed at each of the process stations 260A to 260F. For example, each of the process stations 260A to 260F can use the same sputtering target material, and a number of substrates equal to the number of process stations 260 are loaded into processing module 250, with each substrate being processed at a different process station 260 to deposit the same material film layer on the substrate. Then, all these substrates are removed from processing module 250, and an equal number of substrates are loaded into processing module 250 again, with each of these substrates being processed at a different single process station. Alternatively, different processes are performed at adjacent process stations arranged along the circumference of an imaginary circle. For example, a first deposition process to deposit a first type of film layer is performed at process stations 260A, 260C, and 260E, and a second deposition process to deposit a second type of film layer is performed at process stations 260A, 260C, and 260E. However, in this case, each individual substrate is exposed to only two process stations 260. For example, the first substrate is exposed to only process stations 260A and 260B, the second substrate to only process stations 260C and 260D, and the third substrate to only process stations 260E and 260F. The substrates are then removed. Similarly, each substrate process in the system can be handled by up to all process stations 260, and the processes performed at each process station 260 can be the same process, or they can be different processes from one or all of the remaining process stations 260.

[0018] Referring to Figure 1B, a feature 126 extending into the dielectric layer 122 is shown. Here, this feature, such as a trench, contact, or via, is formed within and through the dielectric layer 122, for example, by pattern etching the dielectric layer 122 through a patterned mask (not shown). In Figure 1B, feature 126 is a conductive via located within a via opening 128, which extends downward to a conductive layer 121 previously formed on a substrate (not shown), such as a copper layer used in integrated circuit devices. To form feature 126 within the via opening 128, a barrier layer 123 is first formed on the top surface or field 127 of the dielectric layer 122, on the sidewall of the via opening 128, and on the portion of the conductive layer 121 exposed at the bottom of the via opening 128. The barrier layer 123 may include a single material layer or two or more stacked different materials. For example, a double layer consisting of a tantalum film layer followed by a tantalum nitride film layer can be used, and each sublayer of the double layer can be formed in one or more of the process stations 260A to 260F in Figure 2A. Next, a seed layer 124, for example, a thin layer of copper, is formed on the previously deposited barrier layer 123. The seed layer 124 is used to facilitate the plating of a copper layer 125 on the seed layer 124 with a copper plating tool separate from the processing system 200. Here, using the processing system 200, a tantalum double layer can be sputtered from a tantalum target onto the same substrate at process stations 260A and 260B, then a tantalum nitride layer can be deposited on the tantalum layer by reactive sputtering of the tantalum target in an inert gas-nitrogen gas plasma at process stations 260C and 260D to form a tantalum nitride layer on the tantalum layer, and a copper seed layer can be formed on the tantalum nitride layer by sputtering a copper target in an inert gas plasma at process stations 260E and 260F.Alternatively, a tantalum layer can be deposited on the substrate at process station 260A or 260D, a tantalum nitride layer at process station 260B or 260E, and a copper seed layer at process station 260C or 260F. In this configuration, the first substrate is processed sequentially at process stations 260A–260C, and the second substrate is processed sequentially at process stations 260D–260F. As will be discussed further later, a substrate processing sequence such as the one shown in Figure 1B, used for the purpose of depositing material in a set of processing sequences, is expected to achieve a considerable increase in throughput when using one or more of the system designs and methods disclosed herein.

[0019] Referring again to Figure 2A, the processing system 200 generally includes a processing module 250, an intermediate section 202 coupled between the processing module 250 and the front end 220, and a system controller 299. As shown in Figure 2A, the intermediate section 202 includes a pair of load lock chambers 230A, 230B and a pair of intermediate robot chambers 280A, 280B. The load lock chambers 230A, 230B are each separately connected to the front end 220 through corresponding first valves 225A, 225B on one side of the load lock chamber and each connected to one of the intermediate robot chambers 280A, 280B through corresponding second valves 235A, 235B. During operation, a front-end robot (not shown) of the front end 220 moves a substrate from the front end 220 to the load lock chamber 230A or 230B, or removes a substrate from the load lock chambers 230A, 230B. Next, intermediate robots 285A, 285B in one of the associated intermediate robot chambers 280A, 280B, connected to one of the associated load lock chambers 230A, 230B, move the substrate from load lock chamber 230A or load lock chamber 230B to the corresponding intermediate robot chamber 280A, 280B. In one embodiment, the intermediate section 202 further includes pre-cleaning / degassing chambers 292 connected to the intermediate robot chamber 280, for example, pre-cleaning / degassing chamber 292A connected to intermediate robot chamber 280A and pre-cleaning / degassing chamber 292B connected to intermediate robot chamber 280B. The substrate loaded from the front end 220 into one of the load lock chambers 230A, 230B is moved by the associated intermediate robot 285A or 285B from load lock chamber 230A or 230B into pre-cleaning / degassing chamber 292A or 292B. In pre-cleaning / degassing chambers 292A and 292B, the substrate is heated to volatilize any adsorbed moisture or other volatile materials from the substrate and then subjected to a plasma etching process to remove any residual contaminants on the substrate.Subsequently, the substrate is returned to the corresponding intermediate robot chamber 280A or 280B by the appropriate associated intermediate robot 285A or 285B, and then moved onto the substrate support 672 (Figures 4A, B) of the process station 260, in this case process station 260A or 260F, of the substrate processing module 250. In some embodiments, as shown in Figures 4A and 4B, once placed on the substrate support 672, the substrate S remains on the substrate support 672 until all its processing in the processing module 250 is complete.

[0020] Here, the pressure inside load lock chambers 230A and 230B is set to approximately 10 degrees lower than atmospheric pressure. -3 To reduce the pressure to approximately Torr, load lock chambers 230A and 230B are each connected to a vacuum pump (not shown), such as a roughing pump, and the output of the pumps is connected to an exhaust duct (not shown). To reduce the pressure inside the load lock chambers, each load lock chamber 230A or 230B can be connected to its own vacuum pump, a vacuum pump shared with one or more components in the processing system 200, or a house exhaust other than a vacuum pump. In each case, when the first valve 225A or 225B is open, and the interior of the load lock chambers 230A, 230B is exposed to atmospheric pressure or ambient pressure conditions, a valve (not shown) can be provided on the exhaust pipe of the load lock chambers 230A, 230B to the pump or house exhaust to isolate, or substantially isolate, the pumping outlet of the load lock chambers 230A, 230B connected to the vacuum pump or house exhaust from the internal volume of the load lock chambers 230A, 230B.

[0021] For example, after the substrate is processed in the pre-cleaning / degassing chamber 292B, the intermediate robot 285B removes the substrate from the pre-cleaning / degassing chamber 292B. To expose the opening 504B (Figures 3A and 4A) formed in the wall of the processing module 250, the process chamber valve 244B, located between the intermediate robot chamber 280B and the processing module 250, is opened, and the intermediate robot 285B moves the substrate through the opening 504B to the process station 260F of the processing module 250, where the substrate is received and processed in one or more of the process stations of the processing module 250. Similarly, the substrate can be moved from the front end 220 through the load lock chamber 230A to the pre-cleaning / degassing chamber 292A, and then moved to the processing module 250 through the process chamber valve 244A (Figure 2A) and the opening 504A in the wall of the processing module 250, so that it can be received at the process station 260A. Alternatively, the process chamber valves 244A and 244B can be eliminated, and the intermediate robot chambers 280A and 280B can be directly fluid-connected to the inside of the processing module 250 without interruption.

[0022] The load lock chambers 230A and 230B and the intermediate robot chambers 280A and 280B are configured to transfer substrates from the front end 220 into the processing module 250 and from the processing module 250 into the front end 220, respectively. Therefore, in the case of the first intermediate robot chamber 280A, the process chamber valve 244A is opened to remove a substrate placed in the process station 260A of the processing module 250, and the intermediate robot 285A removes the substrate from the process station 260A and moves the substrate through the open second valve 235A connected between the intermediate robot chamber 280A and the load lock chamber 230A into the load lock chamber 230A. The end effector of the intermediate robot 285A, having moved the substrate, retracts from the load lock chamber 230A, the second valve 235A of the load lock chamber 230A is closed, and optionally, the internal volume of the load lock chamber 230A is isolated from the vacuum pump connected to the load lock chamber 230A. Next, the first valve 225A connected to the load lock chamber 230A is opened, and the robot in the front end 220 picks up the substrate in the load lock chamber 230A and moves the substrate to a storage location, for example, a cassette or front-opening unified pod (FOUP) 210 located within the front end 220 or connected to the side wall of the front end 220. Similarly, the substrate can also be moved from the location of the process station 260F to the front end 220 using the intermediate robot chamber 280B, intermediate robot 285B, load lock chamber 230B, and the associated valves 235B and 225B of the load lock chamber 230B. While the substrate is being moved from the processing module 250 to the front end 220, different substrates can be placed in the pre-cleaning / degassing chambers 292A and 292B connected to the intermediate robot chambers 280A and 280B through which the substrate being moved to the front end 220 passes.Each pre-cleaning / degassing chamber 292A, 292B is isolated by a valve from the intermediate robot chambers 280A, 280B to which it is mounted, thus ensuring the passage of different substrates from the processing module 250 to the front end 220 without interfering with the processing of substrates within the corresponding pre-cleaning / degassing chambers 292A, 292B.

[0023] The system controller 299 controls the operation and operational parameters of automated components within the processing system 200. Generally, most of the movement of the board by this processing system is performed using various automated devices disclosed herein by the use of commands sent by the system controller 299. The system controller 299 is a general-purpose computer used to control one or more components within the processing system 200. The system controller 299 is generally designed to facilitate the control and automation of one or more processing sequences from the processing sequences disclosed herein and typically includes a central processing unit (CPU) (not shown), memory (not shown), and support circuits (or I / O) (not shown). Software instructions and data can be encoded and stored in memory (e.g., non-transient computer-readable medium) to instruct the CPU. A program (or computer instruction) that can be read by the processing units in the system controller determines which tasks are executable within the processing system. For example, the non-transient computer-readable medium includes a program configured to perform one or more of the methods described herein when executed by the processing units. The program preferably includes codes for performing tasks relating to the movement, support, and / or positioning of the substrate, as well as monitoring, execution, and control of various process policy tasks and various processing module process policy steps during execution.

[0024] Referring to Figure 2B, an alternative structure of processing system 200A is shown, in which a transfer chamber 240 is placed between the load lock chambers 230A, 230B and one or more processing modules 250. While not intended to limit the scope of the disclosure herein, processing system 200A shown in Figure 2B does not include separate intermediate robot chambers 280A, 280B or pre-cleaning / degassing chambers 292A, 292B. Here, by using the intermediate transfer chamber 240 in which a transfer chamber robot 242 is located, it is possible to connect multiple processing modules 250 to a single front end 220. Here, the transfer chamber 240, when viewed in plan, is rectangular overall and includes four vertical walls 246 in the overall plan, of which processing modules 250 are mounted, and the load lock chambers 230A, 230B are connected to the fourth wall through second valves 235A, 235B and process chamber valves 244A, 244B, respectively. Here, while the second valves 235A and 235B of the load lock chambers 230A and 230B, respectively, are closed, the front-end robot places the substrate into one of the load lock chambers 230A and 230B. Then, the first valves 225A and 225B of the load lock chambers 230A and 230B, respectively, are closed, and the second valves 235A and 235B of the load lock chambers 230A and 230B are opened, allowing the transfer chamber robot 242 (schematically shown in Figure 2B) to remove the substrate from either the load lock chamber 230A or 230B and place the substrate into one of the first process stations 260A of the processing module 250 through the processing system valve 248. The processing system valve 248 can be selectively opened at station 260A to move a substrate into or out of its processing module, and can be closed to separate the internal volume of the transfer chamber 240 from the internal volume of the processing module 250 (e.g., the transfer area 401).

[0025] Since the processing system 200A does not have intermediate robot chambers 280A, 280B and / or pre-cleaning / degassing chambers 292A, 292B as in the processing system 200 of Figure 2A, the substrate pre-cleaning is performed in one or more processing modules 250, such as process station 260A, to enable the pre-cleaning process to be performed before depositing a film layer on the substrate.

[0026] Referring to Figures 2A, 3A-3B, 4A-4B, 5, and 8, additional details of the components within the processing module 250 and the internal area of ​​the processing module 250 are shown. As shown in Figures 4A and 4B, a removable central cover 690 extends over the central opening 713 (Figures 2A, 3B, and 8) of the upper wall 616 of the processing module 250. The central cover 690 is removable to allow access to the internal transfer area 401 of the processing module 250 in order to perform service work on the central transfer robot 245 of the processing module 250. At least one substrate transfer opening, and in the case of the processing module 250 in Figures 3A and 4A-4B, two substrate transfer openings 504A, 504B, extend inward from the outer surface of the surrounding wall 619 into the transfer area 401 of the processing module 250. The transfer openings 504A and 504B allow the intermediate robots 285A and 285B or the central transfer robot 245 to transfer a substrate located outside the processing module 250 to a position on the substrate support 672 located on the support arm 308 of the central transfer robot 245. Alternatively, the transfer openings 504A and 504B allow the intermediate robots 285A and 285B or the central transfer robot 245 to remove a substrate from the substrate support 672 located on the support arm 308 of the central transfer robot 245.

[0027] Figures 4A and 4B show the process station 260F of Figures 2A and 3A-3B, with an opening 504B opening into the process station 260F of the processing module 250. In this example, the location of the opening 504A corresponds to a location adjacent to the process station 260A. The processing module 250 is configured to include a central transfer robot 245 (Figures 3A, 3B), from which several support arms 308 extend radially. In some embodiments, as shown in Figure 5A, the number of support arms 308 is equal to the number of process stations 260 in the processing module 250. However, the number of support arms 308 of the central transfer robot 245 can be less than or more than the number of process stations 260 in the processing module 250. In one embodiment, the number of support arms 308 is greater than the number of process stations 260 in order to enable the transfer of more substrates at once within the transfer area and / or to allow some support arms 308 to support additional hardware components, such as pasting discs and / or shutter discs (not shown) used to perform PVD pasting operations to remove contamination from the surface of the PVD target. PVD pasting operations are typically performed within a process station 260, between two substrate PVD deposition processes performed in the same substrate process station 260.

[0028] The process stations 260 are arranged along an imaginary circle 252 (Figure 3B) with a central axis 253 (i.e., an axis parallel to the Z direction) at its center, such that the center of each process station coincides with the central axis 253, and are spaced equally apart from one another in the circumferential direction. For example, if process station 260F is a PVD type process station 260, the center of the PVD target lies on a portion of the imaginary circle 252, and the centers of the targets of the remaining process stations 260A to 260E are spaced equally apart from one another in the circumferential direction along the imaginary circle 252. The circumferential distance between the centers of two adjacent process stations 260, measured along the imaginary circle 252, can be between approximately 700 mm and 1000 mm, for example, between 800 mm and 900 mm. In some embodiments, the circumferential spacing between the centers of two adjacent process stations 260, measured along an imaginary circle 252, can be between approximately 1 and 2 times the diameter of the substrate (e.g., substrates with diameters of 150 mm, 200 mm, 300 mm, or 450 mm), which is more than approximately 0.5 times the diameter of the substrate being processed in the processing system and less than approximately 3 times the diameter of the substrate being processed in the processing system.

[0029] Referring to Figures 3A-3B, 4A-4B, and 5A-5B, the central transfer robot 245 is a carousel-type robot assembly 501 including a central support 305 to which the proximal ends 561 of the support arms 308 are fixed by screw fasteners (not shown) or the like. The central support 305 is rotated by a carousel motor 457 (Figures 4A-4B and 8) located below the processing module 250 and may include a stepper motor or servo motor coupled to the lower wall 618 (Figure 4A). The carousel motor 457 may include a drive shaft 457A. The drive shaft 457A is coupled to the central support 305 and coincides with the central axis 253 such that when the drive shaft of the carousel motor 457 rotates, it rotates the central support 305 and each of the support arms 308 along an arc about the central axis 253. In this specification, the uppermost surface of the rotating volume through which the support arms 308 and substrate support 672 pass when the support arms 308 and substrate support 672 are rotated by the carousel motor 457 is generally referred to as the transfer plane, and the transfer plane is parallel to the XY plane in Figure 4A. The central support 305 and each of the support arms 308 are located within a transfer region 401, which is separately evacuated by a vacuum pump 454, and the vacuum pump 454 can be a turbopump, cryopump, rough pump or other useful device capable of maintaining the pressure within the transfer region 401 of the processing module 250 at a desired pressure. The central support 305 is generally located on a central opening 723 (Figure 8) formed in the lower wall 618 of the lower monolith 720. As will be discussed further later, the process running in the process station 260 can be controlled and executed at a different vacuum pressure than the transfer area 401, and the transfer area 401 and the processing area 460 of the process station 260 can be separated separately so that the process running in the process station 260 can use a variety of different processing gases without concern for contamination of the transfer area 401 or other adjacent process stations 260.

[0030] In some embodiments, the support arm 308 is configured to support a substrate support 672 configured to support a substrate to be processed in the processing area of ​​the process station 260. The substrate placed on the substrate support 672, which is placed on the support arm 308, is positioned such that the center of the substrate lies on a portion of the imaginary circle 252, within the permissible limits of the placement of the substrate thereon. Similarly, the region or support portion 560 (Figure 4A) on each support arm 308 where the substrate support rests is also aligned with the imaginary circle 252 (Figures 3B and 5A) to allow the center of the support portion 560 to move on the imaginary circle 252 as the support portion 560 pivots around the central axis 253 when the central support 305 is rotated around the central axis 253.

[0031] In addition to the process station 260, vacuum pump 265, and central transfer robot 245, Figure 3B further discloses one or more shutter stacks 310 located within a substrate processing module 250. The shutter stacks 310 can be located between any two process stations 260. In some embodiments, a number of shutter stacks 310 are located within the substrate processing module 250 such that the number of shutter stacks 310 is equal to the number of process stations 260 within the substrate processing module 250. In some embodiments, six shutter stacks 310 are arranged such that one shutter stack 310 is located between each of six process stations 260. The shutter stacks 310 can be located radially outward from the central transfer robot 245. In some embodiments, a number of support portions 560 of the central transfer robot 245 are further configured to transfer substrates to and from the shutter stacks 310. Multiple support sections 560 can extend radially outward from the central transfer robot 245 to at least partially above or below the shutter stack 310.

[0032] The shutter stack 310 can provide shutter disks to the substrate processing module 250. The shutter disks can be used to perform preconditioning of the process station 260 during the initial burning of the chambers constituting the process station 260, or they can be used in-situ for target or process kit cleaning. The shutter disks can also be used for paste processes within the process station 260. Paste processes are in-situ conditioning process steps that use existing materials (targets or gases) or add new materials (e.g., gases) to form a blank cover film over all process environment surfaces within the process station 260 to reduce other performance effects due to defects or lifespan. The shutter disks are used to protect surfaces that would not ordinarily be exposed to the process without them.

[0033] The substrates can also be stored using the shutter stacks 310 between processing operations within the process station 260. In this embodiment, the substrates are moved from one of the process stations 260 to the shutter stacks 310 before being moved to a second process station 260 or before being transported outside the substrate processing module 250. This embodiment is useful in preventing congestion within the substrate processing module 250 when one or more processing operations take longer to complete than other processes, or when it is beneficial to rest the substrates before subsequent processing operations. In some embodiments, one or more of the shutter stacks 310 are used to provide shutter disks, while the remaining shutter stacks are used for the purpose of storing the substrates between processing operations. In some embodiments, the shutter stacks 310 are cooling or annealing chambers such that the substrates are cooled or annealed between process stations 260. In some embodiments, the number of support portions 560 is increased by the number of shutter stacks 310 present in the substrate processing module 250.

[0034] Placing the shutter stack 330 outside the process station 260 allows the shutter disks and / or substrates contained within the shutter stack to be transported without interrupting the vacuum of the substrate processing module 250. Reducing the need to interrupt the vacuum shortens the processing time of the substrate processing module 250 and lowers user costs. Additional details of the shutter stack 310 are shown in the discussion of Figures 12A-12D below.

[0035] Referring to Figure 5B, one configuration of a central transfer robot useful for transferring substrate supports 672 between process stations 260A-260F in Figures 2A and 2B is shown. Here, the central support 305 includes a centrally located through-opening 500, which extends around a central axis 253, and a drive shaft 457A of a carousel motor 457 (Figure 4A) located below the processing module 250 is connected into the through-opening 500 to rotate the central support 305 around the central axis 253. Each support arm 308 includes an extension arm portion 506 positioned between the support portion 560 and the proximal end 561. The extension arm portion 506 has at least one, in this case two, cutout regions 510 for weight reduction and heat transfer reduction, extending parallel to the entire radius on both sides of the radius extending from the central axis 253. In some configurations, the extension arm portion 506 ends in a C-shaped end region 508 when viewed in plan, forming part of the support portion 560. In some configurations, the C-shaped end region 508 includes opposing ends 514, 516 separated by a distance smaller than the diameter 520 of the through-opening 518 that the C-shaped end region 508 partially encloses. The periphery flange 670 (Figure 4A) of the substrate support 672, whose layout is circular overall, has an inner and outer diameter, and the periphery flange 670 is configured to rest on the support portion 560 during the movement of the substrate support 672 between process stations 260 and before the substrate support 672 is lifted from the support portion 560 at the process station 260.

[0036] Referring to Figures 4A-4B, in some embodiments, the support arm 308 includes a plurality of electrical contacts 453 (Figure 4B) positioned on the upper surface of the support arm 308 and within the support portion 560. The electrical contacts 453 are used to supply power to one or more electrical elements formed within the body 643 (Figure 6) of the substrate support 672 while the substrate support 672 is supported on the support arm 308. Thus, the combination of the body 623 and the electrical contacts 673 can be considered an electrostatic chuck (ESC). The one or more electrical elements formed within the substrate support 672 may include a resistive heating element 642 (Figure 6) coupled to two or more electrical contacts 673 (Figure 4A) formed on the lower surface of the substrate support 672, and / or one or more chucking electrodes 641 (Figure 6) separately coupled to two or more additional electrical contacts 673 formed on the lower surface of the substrate support 672. As schematically shown in Figures 4A-4B, the electrical contacts 453 are electrically coupled to one or more power sources, such as a DC chucking power source 458 and / or a heater power source 459, by the use of slip rings 456 adapted to allow electrical connections to be made to the electrical contacts 453 while the support arms 308 are rotating by the carousel motor 457. A number of conductors or wires 455 are used to connect these one or more power sources to the electrical contacts 453. The conductors or wires 455 are routed through the drive shaft 457A, the central support 305, and the support arms 308 located within the transfer area 401 of the processing module 250. For example, three wires coupled to the power source 458 and two wires coupled to the power source 459 are provided through their respective support arms 308 so that each of those wires can be connected separately to the electrical contacts 453. Therefore, while the substrate S and substrate support 672 are being transported within the transport region 401, the substrate can remain chucked to the substrate support 672 and maintain a desired temperature. When the substrate support 672 is positioned on the support portion 560, the electrical contacts 673 of the substrate support 672 are electrically coupled to the electrical contacts 453 of the support arm 308.The ability to chuck and heat the substrate S during the transfer process allows for greater rotational speeds to be achieved by the carousel motor 457 during the transfer process without the concern of losing the substrate, and enables consistent maintenance of the substrate temperature between processes performed at each process station 260.

[0037] Figure 5C is a plan view of the central transfer robot 245, which includes an alternative robot structure, a dual-arm robot 540, which includes two end effectors 530, 532. The central transfer robot 245, which includes the dual-arm robot 540, may be useful when the substrate processing sequence performed in the processing module 250 does not involve, or does not require, sequentially transferring substrates in both directions along a path extending along an imaginary circle 252. In this configuration of the processing module 250, the substrate supports 672 do not need to be movable in the lateral plane (i.e., the XY plane) such that each substrate support 672 is maintained in one position in the XY plane below the process station 260, and during processing, the substrates are transferred between the laterally fixed substrate supports 672 by the dual-arm robot 540.

[0038] In some embodiments, the two end effectors 530, 532 of the dual-arm robot 540 are independently operable, extending from a central axis 505 and swinging in an arc around the central axis 505. The central axis 505 extends in the Z direction (for example, perpendicular to the plane in Figure 5C) and typically coincides with the central axis 253 of the processing module 250. Each end effector 530, 532 is operably coupled to a central hub 536, which consists of a rotatable upper hub and a rotatable lower hub (not shown) that can rotate independently around the central axis 505. The end effector 530 includes a first fork 537a and a first arm 538. The first hub arm 542 has its first end connected to the central hub 536, and its end far from the end effector 536a is connected to the first arm 538 at the first wrist connection 544. The first wrist connection 544 allows the first arm to pivot around the first wrist axis Ω1, so that the first end effector 530 can rotate around the first wrist axis Ω1. Similarly, by the first hub arm moving in an arc around the central axis 505, the first wrist connection 544, and therefore the first wrist axis Ω1, can also pivot around the central axis 505. The end effector 532 includes a second fork 537b and a second arm 546. The second hub arm 548 has its first end connected to a rotatable upper hub, and its end far from the second end effector 532 is connected to the second arm 546 at the second wrist connection 550. The second wrist joint 550 allows the second arm 546 to pivot around the second wrist axis Ω2, thereby enabling the second end effector 532 to rotate around the second wrist axis Ω2. Similarly, the second wrist joint 550, and therefore the second wrist axis Ω2, can also pivot around the central axis 505 by the second hub arm 548 moving in an arc around the central axis 505.Furthermore, since the first and second end effectors 530 and 532 are operably connected to the central hub 536 through a rotatable upper hub and a rotatable lower hub, respectively, the forks 537a and 537b of the end effectors 530 and 532 can overlap perpendicularly to each other to move a different board into the processing module 250, for example, by having one fork 537a or 537b receive and retract a board from the board support 672, while the other fork 537a or 537b moves a different board into the processing module 250 to place a board on the board support 672 after the first board has been removed from the board support 672.

[0039] The forks 537a and 537b of the first and second end effectors 530 and 532 can each extend to their maximum distance from the central axis 505 when the arms (first arm 538 and first hub arm 542 or second arm 546 and second hub arm 548) are aligned together, i.e., when the arms together form a straight path. In this orientation of the arms, one of the first and second forks 537a or 537b is in a load or unload position for receiving or leaving the substrate with respect to the substrate support 672. From this position, the corresponding fork 537a or 537b retracts toward the central hub 536 due to the arcuate motion of the upper or lower hub around the central axis 505 and the arcuate motion of one of the first or second arms 538 or 546 around the corresponding first wrist axis Ω1 or second wrist axis Ω2. By placing the dual-arm robot 540 within the processing module 250 and positioning the central axis 505 at the location of the central axis 253, the forks 537a and 537b can operate independently of each other to access any substrate support 672 of any of the process stations 260A to F. Thus, using the robot with the structure of the dual-arm robot 540, it is possible to move a substrate from any of the process stations 260A to F to any other of the process stations 260A to F without passing through any of the intermediate process stations 260A to F along the imaginary circle 252.

[0040] Figures 4A-4B and 46 include cross-sectional views of parts of the process station 260F and processing module 250, which are intended to provide a general overview of the various components and attributes of the process station that can be located within the processing module 250. While the configuration of the process station 260F shown in these figures is adapted to perform a PVD deposition process, this process station configuration is not intended to limit the scope of the disclosures described herein. This is because, as described above, one or more of the process stations 260 within the processing module 250 can be adapted to perform CVD, PECVD, ALD, PEALD, etching, thermal processes (e.g., RTP, annealing, cooling, thermal management control) or other useful semiconductor or planar display panel substrate processing steps. However, a processing module 250 primarily comprising a process station configured to perform a PVD deposition process, or a processing module 250 comprising only a process station configured to perform a PVD deposition process, is considered advantageous for some semiconductor device fabrication applications compared to other processing module configurations that utilize other deposition and etching processes, due to the lower likelihood of process cross-contamination (e.g., lower likelihood of residual gas cross-contamination) and the higher deposition rates generally achieved by the PVD process.

[0041] The process station 260 generally includes a source assembly 470, a process kit assembly 480, and a substrate support operating assembly 490, which, when used together, enable the execution of a desired process within the processing area 460 of the process station 260. In various embodiments of the disclosure described herein, the processing area 460 within each process station 260 is configured to be separately separable from the transfer area 401 of the processing module 250, thereby substantially preventing electromagnetic energy, vapors, gases, or other undesirable contaminants from adversely affecting the substrate and the process being executed in adjacent process stations or within the transfer area 401. When separated from the transfer area 401, the processing area 460 is generally surrounded by one or more processing surfaces of the source assembly 470, one or more processing area components 685 within the process kit assembly 480, and the substrate support 672 during the substrate processing steps performed within the process station 260.

[0042] As discussed above and shown in Figure 4A, the source assembly 470 of the process station 260F is configured to perform a PVD deposition process. In this configuration, the source assembly 470 includes a target 472, a magnetron assembly 471, a source assembly wall 473, a lid 474, and a sputtering power supply source 475. In this configuration, the processing surface 472A of the PVD target 472 generally defines at least a portion of the upper part of the processing area 460. The magnetron assembly 471 includes a magnetron region 479 in which the magnetron 471A is rotated during processing by the use of a magnetron rotary motor 476. The target 472 and the magnetron assembly 471 are typically cooled by supplying a cooling fluid (e.g., DI water) to the magnetron region 479 from a fluid recirculation device (not shown). To facilitate the sputtering process performed in the processing area 460 during the PVD deposition process, the magnetron 471A includes multiple magnets 471B configured to generate a magnetic field that extends below the processing surface 472A of the target 472.

[0043] In alternative configurations of the process station 260 adapted to perform CVD, PECVD, ALD, PEALD, etching, or thermal processes, the source assembly 470 generally includes different hardware components. In one example, the source assembly 470 of a process station adapted to perform a PECVD deposition or etching process typically includes a gas distribution plate or showerhead configured to supply a precursor gas or etching gas into the processing area 460 during processing, across the surface of a substrate placed within the process station 260. In this configuration, one or more processing surfaces defining at least a portion of the processing area 460 are the underside of the gas distribution plate or showerhead (e.g., the surface in contact with the processing area). In this configuration, the magnetron assembly 471 and target are not used, and instead of the sputtering power source 475, an RF power source configured to bias the gas distribution plate can be used.

[0044] The substrate support actuation assembly 490 includes a pedestal lift assembly 491 and a pedestal assembly 492. The pedestal lift assembly 491 includes a lift actuator assembly 768 and a lift mounting assembly 766, the lift mounting assembly 766 being coupled to the lower wall 618 of the processing module 250. The lift actuator assembly 768 may include a stepper or servo motor actuated lead screw assembly, a linear motor assembly, a pneumatic cylinder actuated assembly, or other conventional mechanical linear actuation mechanism. During operation, the lift actuator assembly 768 and the lift mounting assembly 766 are configured to position the pedestal assembly 492 in a transport position located vertically below the support arm 308 (Z direction) (i.e., the transport plane) and in a processing position vertically above the support arm 308 (Figure 4B) by the use of one or more mechanical actuators (e.g., a servo motor, a stepper motor, a linear motor) located within the lift actuator assembly 768. The lift actuator assembly 768 is coupled to the pedestal shaft 492A, which is supported by bearings (not shown) coupled to the lower wall 618 to guide the pedestal shaft 492A as it is moved in parallel by the lift actuator assembly 768. A bellows assembly (not shown) is used to form a seal between the outer diameter of the pedestal shaft 492A and a portion of the lower wall 618 such that the vacuum environment created in the transfer area 401 by the use of the vacuum pump 454 is maintained during normal operation. The use of a separate, dedicated pedestal lift assembly 491 configured to precisely position the substrate S and substrate support 672 at desired processing positions within each process station 260, and further capable of independently and desirablely aligning with components within the source assembly 470 (e.g., target 472) within the process station 260, is considered considerably more advantageous than conventional designs in which multiple substrates are placed on a single support structure that cannot be independently aligned and adjusted.An example of the importance and problems related to the positioning and alignment of the substrate S with respect to the components of the source assembly 470 will be discussed later with reference to Figures 7A and 7B.

[0045] The pedestal assembly 492 includes a support plate assembly 494 coupled to a plate support element 493 coupled to a pedestal shaft 492A. The pedestal assembly 492 includes a heater power supply 498, an electrostatic chuck power supply 499, and a back gas source 497.

[0046] In some embodiments, the support plate assembly 494 includes a plurality of electrical contacts 496 (Figure 4A) located on the upper surface of the support plate 494A. The heater power supply 498 and the electrostatic chuck power supply 499 are each electrically coupled to two or more of the electrical contacts 496. The electrical contacts 496 are used to supply power to one or more electrical elements formed within the substrate support 672 when the substrate support 672 is lifted by the support plate 494A from the support portion 560 of the support arm 308. The electrical contacts 496 are configured to face electrical contacts 673 formed on the lower surface of the substrate support 672. In some embodiments, a separate pair of electrical contacts 673 formed on the lower surface of the substrate support 672 are configured to face the electrical contacts 496 of the support plate 494A. In one embodiment, this separate pair of electrical contacts 673 is physically separated from the electrical contacts 673 configured to face the electrical contacts 453 of the support arm 308. In this configuration, the substrate support 672 includes two separate sets of contacts, each adapted to produce electrical connections similar to those of electrical elements (e.g., resistive heating elements, chucking electrodes) embedded in the substrate support 672. The resistive heating elements located within the substrate support 672 are coupled to two or more electrical contacts 496 on a support plate 494A coupled to the output of a heater power supply 498 and two or more electrical contacts 673 that electrically connect when the substrate support 672 is placed in the processing position (Figure 4B). One or more chucking electrodes located within the substrate support 672 are coupled to two or more electrical contacts 673 that electrically connect to two or more electrical contacts 496 on the support plate 494A. In one example, three wires coupled to the output of a heater power supply 498 and two wires coupled to an electrostatic chuck power supply 499 are provided through a pedestal shaft 492A so that the wires can be separately connected to their respective paired electrical contacts 496.In some embodiments, at least partially, a reliable and separable electrical connection is formed between the electrical contacts 496 and their corresponding mating electrical contacts 673 by allowing a portion of the weight of the substrate support 672 to press the surface of the electrical contact 673 against the mating surface of the respective electrical contact 496 when the substrate support 672 is placed in a processing position within the process station 260. Thus, the substrate support 672 allows the substrate to chuck and heat the substrate while the substrate support 672 is placed on the support plate 494A during processing.

[0047] In some embodiments, the support plate assembly 494 includes a separable back gas connection 495 configured to face a back gas receiving surface formed around a back gas port 671 formed on the back side of the substrate support 672. The back gas connection 495 is coupled to a back gas source 497, which is configured to supply back gas (e.g., N2, He, Ar) to the back gas port 671 formed in the substrate support 672 during processing, the back gas port 671 is connected to a gas passage formed in the substrate support 672 and to a space formed between the substrate and the substrate support 672, where the substrate is placed on the substrate receiving surface of the substrate support 672. Thus, the separable back gas connection 495 is configured to be repeatedly and securely connected to the back gas receiving surface of the substrate support 672 when the substrate support 672 is placed on the support plate 494A, and to be separated from the substrate support 672 when the support plate 494A is in a transport position (i.e., below the support arm 308). In some embodiments, at least partially, the separable back gas connection 495 includes a machined metal sealing surface or a compliant sealing surface configured to face a polished mating surface of the back gas receiving surface, in order to form a reproducible airtight seal formed when a portion of the weight of the substrate support 672 presses against the surface of the separable back gas connection 495 when the substrate support 672 is placed in a processing position within the process station 260.

[0048] As shown in Figures 4A-4B and 6, the process kit assembly 480 generally includes a plurality of processing area components 685 and a sealing assembly 485 positioned on and / or within the process station upper opening 734 of the chamber upper wall 616 of the processing module 250. In the example configuration of the process station 260 disclosed in Figures 4A-4B and 6, the processing area components 685 include a base plate 481, a process area shield 482, a separation ring 483, a station wall 484, a covering ring 486, a deposition ring 488, and an inner shield 489, and together these components define at least partially the processing area 460 of the process station 260. The base plate 481 is configured to support the process area shield 482, isolation ring 483, station wall 484, sealing assembly 485, covering ring 486, deposition ring 488, and inner shield 489, and the base plate 481 allows these components to be arranged as a single assembly and to be removed through a central opening 713 formed in the upper wall 616 of the processing module 250. The isolation ring 483, formed from dielectric material, is configured to support the target 472 and to be positioned on the station wall 484, which is located on the base plate 481. The isolation ring 483 is used to electrically isolate the target 472 from the grounded station wall 484 when the target 472 is biased by the sputtering power source 475.

[0049] The process kit assembly 480 further includes several sealing elements 1001 (e.g., O-rings) used to prevent atmospheric gases from entering the processing area 460 during normal processing. Furthermore, to enable isolation of the processing area 460 from the external environment during processing, the source assembly 470 is configured to form a seal with a portion of the process kit assembly 480 by using the sealing elements 1001, and the process kit assembly 480 is configured to form a seal with the upper surface of the chamber upper wall 616 by similarly using the sealing elements 1001.

[0050] The station wall 484 includes a first port 484A coupled to a vacuum pump 265, which is configured to exhaust gas from the processing area 460 during processing through the top of the shield 489, the bottom of the target 472, and a peripheral gap formed between the separation ring 483 and a portion of the station wall 484. The station wall 484 further includes a second port 484B coupled to a gas source 699, which is configured to supply one or more process gases (e.g., Ar, N2) to the processing area 460 through a peripheral plenum 484C during processing.

[0051] The process area shield 482 is located beneath the station wall 484. The process area shield 482 is typically used to collect sputtered deposits from the target 472, to enclose a portion of the processing area 460, and, in some configurations, to support a sealing assembly 485, as shown in Figure 6. In this configuration, the process area shield 482 is adapted to form a seal on the surface 484D of the station wall 484 on which the process area shield 482 is supported, and similarly, to form a seal between the surface 485D of the lower plate 485B of the sealing assembly 485 and the lower surface 482A of the process area shield 482. The seals formed between the process area shield 482 and the portion of the station wall 484, and between the process area shield 482 and the portion of the lower plate 485B, can be formed, respectively, by using an O-ring (not shown), welding, or other conventional sealing methods.

[0052] In some embodiments, the sealing assembly 485 includes an upper plate 485A, a lower plate 485B, and a compliant member 485C positioned between the upper plate 485A and the lower plate 485B. In some embodiments, as shown in Figure 6, the compliant member 485C includes a flexible bellows assembly configured to be compliant in at least one direction, such as the vertical (i.e., the Z direction), and configured to prevent gas from passing through it during processing. This flexible bellows assembly may be a stainless steel or Inconel bellows assembly with its opposite ends sealed welded to the upper plate 485A and the lower plate 485B.

[0053] During processing, when the substrate and substrate support 672 are positioned in the processing location below the source assembly 470 as shown in Figures 4B and 6, a portion of the substrate support 672 or a component attached to the substrate support 672, collectively referred herein as the “sealing portion” of the substrate support 672, forms a “seal” with a portion of the sealing assembly 485, thus being adapted to substantially fluidly separate the processing area 460 from the transfer area 410. Thus, in the example configuration of the process station 260 disclosed in Figures 4A-4B and 6, the substrate support 672, the target 472, the sealing assembly 485, and a plurality of processing area components 685, including the process area shield 482, station wall 484, and separation ring 483, substantially enclose and define the processing area 460. In some embodiments, the “seal” formed between the sealing portion of the substrate support 672 and the upper plate 485A of the sealing assembly 485 is formed in a sealing region 487 formed by physical contact between the surface of the sealing portion of the substrate support 672 and the surface of this portion of the sealing assembly 485. In some low-temperature applications, the seal is formed by using a wiper seal, a U-cup seal, or an O-ring (not shown) positioned at the interface between the surface of the sealing portion of the substrate support 672 and the surface of this portion of the sealing assembly 485. In some high-temperature applications, such as applications at temperatures above 200°C, the seal is formed by a metal-metal or metal-ceramic contact formed at the interface between the sealing portion of the substrate support 672 and this portion of the sealing assembly 485. In some embodiments, the flexible bellows assembly of the sealing assembly 485 is configured such that the sealing portion of the substrate support 672 is stretched vertically when placed in contact with the surface of this portion of the sealing assembly 485 by using the lift actuator assembly 768 of the substrate support actuation assembly 490.The compliant nature of the flexible bellows assembly allows for minimizing misalignment or differences in planarity between the surface of the sealing portion of the substrate support 672 and the surface of this portion of the sealing assembly 485, enabling the formation of a reliable and repeatable seal in the sealing region 487 over many cycles. As shown in Figures 4A-4D and 6, the substantially parallel orientation / alignment of the sealing portion of the substrate support 672, the sealing portion of the sealing assembly 485, the processing surface of the substrate, and the underside of the source assembly 470 (e.g., the underside of the target 472) further enables the formation of a reliable and repeatable seal, while also allowing for the easy formation and / or maintenance of angular alignment between the processing surface of the substrate and the underside of the source assembly 470 during processing. The issue of angular misalignment between the processing surface of the substrate and the underside of the source assembly 470 will be discussed further later with reference to Figures 7A-7B and 8.

[0054] However, in some alternative embodiments, the sealing assembly 485 simply comprises a wiper seal, a U-cup seal, or an O-ring (not shown) positioned at the interface between the sealing surface of the substrate support 672 and the lower surface 482A of the process area shield 482 to form a seal when the substrate support 672 is placed in the processing position. In this configuration, the diameter of the portion of the substrate support 672 in which the sealing surface is formed is larger than the inner diameter of the process area shield 482 so that a seal can be formed between the sealing surface and the lower surface 482A while the substrate support is placed in the processing position during the processing step.

[0055] After the substrate processing step is performed at the first process station 260, the substrate S and substrate support 672 are lowered so that the substrate S and substrate support 672 are positioned on the support arm 308. The central transfer robot 245 then rotates the central support 305 around the central axis 253 extending through the central support 305, causing the support arm 308, substrate S, and substrate support 672 to swing along an arc, thereby moving the substrate support 672 and substrate S to a position below the second process station 260. At this position, the substrate S is lifted again to the processing position on the same substrate support 672 by a pedestal lift assembly 491 dedicated to the second process station 260. After processing of the substrate S is complete, the substrate S and substrate support 672 are returned to the end of the support arm 308 and transferred to the next process station 260. Next, the substrate S and substrate support 672 are lifted, the substrate S is processed, the substrate S and substrate support 672 are lowered, and the substrate support 672 and substrate S are transported. This processing cycle can be repeated multiple times.

[0056] During the transfer sequence of the substrate S and substrate support 672 within the processing module 250, the processing area 460 of each process station 260 is directly connected to the transfer area 401. This structural design reduces system cost by eliminating the need for dedicated slit valves to separate each process station from the transfer area, as seen in more conventional designs. Therefore, it further reduces substrate transfer overhead time (i.e., increases throughput) by reducing the number of steps required to transfer the substrate, while simultaneously enabling the balancing of the pressure in the processing area 460 and the pressure in the transfer area 401, and achieving the desired base pressure throughout the processing module 250 more easily and quickly. The system design disclosed herein further reduces complexity and cost by eliminating the need for separate processing chamber structures (e.g., separate welded compartments) and support hardware (e.g., individual support frames, slit valves, etc.) required in conventional processing system designs. Furthermore, this design and transfer sequence offers additional advantages because the processing areas 460 of each process station 260 can be isolated separately and selectively by controlling the movement and position of the substrate support 672 based on commands sent from the system controller 299 (Figure 2A) using substrate support actuation assemblies 490 located in each process station 260. For example, it may be desirable to process the substrates separately in these process stations by placing the substrate S and substrate support 672 in processing positions within process stations 260A and 260B, while process stations 260C, 260D, 260E, and 260F remain in a non-separated state by keeping the substrate support 672 in these positions in the transfer position, thus enabling fluid coupling between the processing area 460 and the transfer area 401 in these process stations.

[0057] Figures 4C-4D are schematic cross-sectional views of a processing module 250 including an alternative configuration of the process station 260F according to one embodiment. In this configuration, the processing module 250 includes an alternative central transfer robot 245, which includes a plurality of support arms 309 configured to transfer and place one or more substrates onto the substrate support surface 591A of the support chuck assembly 590. The substrate support surface 591A is formed on the support chuck assembly 590, which is attached to the pedestal lift assembly 491.

[0058] Figure 4C shows a support chuck assembly 590 positioned at a substrate receiving position or a substrate transfer position. Figure 4D shows the support chuck assembly 590 while positioned at a substrate processing position. The configuration of the support chuck assembly 590 shown in Figures 4C to 4D is designed such that the substrate support element 591 of the support chuck assembly 590 is a dedicated substrate support element for a single process station 260, and the substrate support element 591 of the support chuck assembly 590 remains attached to a component of the pedestal lift assembly 491, and the design is limited to vertically moving the substrate, such as moving the substrate between the substrate receiving position and the processing position.

[0059] The support chuck assembly 590 includes a plate support 594, which is configured to support and hold the substrate support element 591 and is coupled to the pedestal shaft 592A. The support chuck assembly 590 includes a heater power supply 498, an electrostatic chuck power supply 499, and a backside gas source 497. The heater power supply 498 and / or the electrostatic chuck power supply 499 are each electrically coupled to one or more electrical elements formed within the substrate support element 591. In this configuration, the body of the substrate support element 591 includes one or more resistive heating elements embedded therein. These resistive heating elements are located within the body of the substrate support element 591 and are electrically coupled to the output connection of the heater power supply 498. One or more chucking electrodes located within the body of the substrate support element 591 are electrically coupled to the power supply 499. In one example, three wires coupled to the output of the heater power supply 498 and two wires coupled to the power supply 499 are provided through a pedestal shaft 592A so that the wires can be separately connected to their respective corresponding electrical elements.

[0060] The support chuck assembly 590 includes a backside gas port 595 formed within the substrate support element 591. The backside gas port 595 is coupled to a backside gas source 497, which is configured to supply backside gas (e.g., N2, He, Ar) to the gas passage formed in the substrate support element 591 and to the space formed between the substrate and the surface of the substrate support element 591 during processing.

[0061] As similarly discussed above, when the substrate and support chuck assembly 590 are positioned in a processing location below the source assembly 470 during processing (Figure 4D), the support chuck assembly 590 or a portion of the components attached to the support chuck assembly 590 includes a sealing surface 596 adapted to form a “seal” with a portion of the sealing assembly 485 to substantially separate the processing area 460 from the transfer area 410. In some embodiments, this “seal” formed between the sealing surface 596 and the upper plate 485A of the sealing assembly 485 is formed within the sealing area 487 by physical contact made between the surface of the sealing surface 596 and the surface of this portion of the sealing assembly 485. As similarly discussed above, in some low-temperature applications, this seal is formed by the use of a wiper seal, a U-cup seal, or an O-ring (not shown) positioned at the interface between the sealing surface 596 of the support chuck assembly 590 and the surface of this portion of the sealing assembly 485. Furthermore, in some high-temperature applications, such as applications at temperatures above 200°C, this seal is formed by a metal-metal or metal-ceramic contact formed at the interface between this portion of the sealing surface 596 of the support chuck assembly 590 and this portion of the sealing assembly 485.

[0062] Referring to Figure 4C, the central transfer robot 245 includes a plurality of support arms 309 configured to pick up one or more substrates and place them on the substrate support surface 591A of the support chuck assembly 590. In one embodiment, the central transfer robot 245 includes a central support 305 and a plurality of support arms 309 attached to the central support 305, configured to raise and lower the support arms 309 in the Z direction at least from a transfer position to a substrate drop-off position below the transfer position. The support arms 309 are mounted, molded and configured in the same way as the support arms 308 described above, except that they are configured to transfer substrates between process stations 260, rather than to transfer substrates and substrate supports 672 between process stations 260. In one embodiment, each support arm 309 includes a plurality of substrate support elements 309A located on the underside of the support arm 309, so that a substrate supported on the support surface 309C of the substrate support element 309A can be placed directly on the support surface 591A of the substrate support element 591. To ensure that the support arm 309 can receive and transport all possible substrates, the inner edge 309B of the opposing substrate support element 309A is positioned at a distance shorter than the minimum possible outer dimension of the substrate. The top surface and upper cutout (not shown) of the substrate support element 591 are configured to align with the orientation of the substrate support element 309A so that the substrate support element 309A does not come into contact with or obstruct the substrate support element 591 after the substrate is placed on the support surface 591A, and so that the support arm can be rotated around the central axis 253 to move the support arm 309 to a position not on the support chuck assembly 590.

[0063] A robot arm configuration similar to that of the substrate support element 309A portion of the support arm 309, or the end of a robot arm, can also be used as part of the end effector of the intermediate robots 285A, 285B to pick up and drop off the substrate on the support surface 591A of the substrate support element 591, or instead on the support surface 674 of the body 643 of the substrate support 672. Similarly, as discussed above, in one embodiment, the intermediate robots 285A, 285B include a lift mechanism (not shown) configured to raise and lower at least the end effector (not shown) of the intermediate robots 285A, 285B to the transport position and the substrate drop-off position below the transport position, and from the transport position and the substrate drop-off position below the transport position. To prevent the substrate support element 309A from contacting or obstructing the substrate support element 591 or substrate support 672 after the substrate is placed on the substrate support element 591 or substrate support 672, and to ensure that the end effector retracts from a position not on the support chuck assembly 590 or the substrate support 672, one or more cutouts (not shown) on the top surface and upper part of the substrate support element 591 or substrate support 672 are configured to match the orientation of the substrate support element 309A when placed on the end effector (not shown) of the intermediate robots 285A, 285B.

[0064] Processing system 200, which includes the use of a robotic end effector having a support element such as the support element 309A shown in Figure 4C, has been found useful because it allows the substrate to be placed on the substrate support surface of the substrate support 672 or support chuck assembly 590 without the need to use a separate substrate lift assembly (e.g., lift pins, lift hoops, and lift actuators) commonly used in the art for the purpose of separating the substrate from the substrate support surface during substrate exchange operations. In addition to reducing the cost and complexity of the process station 260, the use of this type of robotic end effector further eliminates the need to form holes in the substrate support 672 or support chuck assembly 590 that would be necessary to allow lift assembly components (e.g., lift pins) to access the substrate placed on the substrate receiving surface, and further eliminates the need to seal the holes formed in the substrate support 672 or support chuck assembly 590 in order to fluidly separate the processing area 460 from the transfer area 401 during processing. Accordingly, in one or more embodiments described herein, the substrate support 672 or support chuck assembly 590 does not include through holes (e.g., lift pin holes) used to receive substrate lift components, and in some cases, the substrate support 672 or support chuck assembly 590 may include only a single through hole, e.g., a back gas port 671 or a back gas port 595, used to supply back gas to the substrate during processing.

[0065] The alternative process station configurations shown in Figures 4C-4D include a substrate transfer sequence that does not involve moving the substrate support together with the substrate; nevertheless, the processing module 250 in this case includes the same basic structural configuration and advantages as the transfer area 401 and processing area 460 described above. For example, the processing area 460 of each process station 260 can be isolated separately and selectively by controlling the movement and position of the support chuck assembly 590 based on commands sent from the system controller 299 (Figure 2A) using the substrate support operating assembly 490 of each process station 260.

[0066] As discussed above with respect to Figures 1A and 1B, each process station 260A to 260F is configured to perform the desired process on the substrate separately. In one example, deposition processes are performed separately at multiple process stations within the processing module 250. These separately performed deposition processes may include sequentially depositing layers on the substrate by a PVD process as the substrate is processed sequentially at process stations 260A to 260F. During the PVD deposition or sputtering process, a bias is applied to the target 472 by the power supply 475. When a bias is applied to the target, ionized gas atoms formed by the applied bias supplied to the sputtering gas supplied from the gas source 699 collide with the surface of the target, causing a portion of the target material to be ejected from the surface of the target 472. The ejected or sputtered bundle of material, including ionized and neutral atoms of the target material, generally travels toward the bottom of the formed processing area 460 and toward the surface of the substrate S and the shields of the process kit assembly 480 (e.g., inner shield 489, process area shield 482). The direction of the bundle of ionized target atoms emitted from the surface of the target 472 can be altered by grounding or by applying a direct current (DC) or radio frequency (RF) bias to one of the electrodes formed on the substrate support 672. Therefore, in some embodiments, the heater power supply 498 and the electrostatic chuck power supply 499 include DC or RF power sources configured to apply a bias to one or more chucking electrodes or heating elements positioned within the substrate support 672. The chucking electrodes positioned within the substrate support element 591 are generally located just below (e.g., 0.1 mm to 1 mm) the dielectric material positioned on the substrate support surface of the substrate support 672. However, because not all sputtered atoms can be ionized during processing, and due to the structural configuration of the PVD chamber, the PVD process is considered a line-of-sight deposition process.The line-of-sight deposition process is a deposition process that, in terms of wafer-within-wafer (WIW) deposition uniformity, is affected during the PVD deposition process by the shape of the target and the parallelism of the target 472 to the surface of the substrate. For example, if the target-substrate distance at one edge of the substrate is smaller than that at the opposite edge of the substrate, the thickness will vary across the substrate due to corner misalignment. Therefore, as will be discussed later with respect to Figures 7A-7B, due to the strain on the upper and lower walls 616 and 618 of the chamber caused by the pressure difference between the external ambient pressure region 403 (Figure 4A) and the transfer region 401 and processing region 460, the surface of the target 472 tends to bend during processing compared to when no vacuum pressure is provided in the transfer region 401 and processing region 460, such as during maintenance work, and tends to form an angle with respect to the surface of the substrate support 672. This deflection of the target 472 within each process station 260 also increases when the size of the processing module 250 increases, due to the large overall span (e.g., diameter > 3m) of the chamber upper wall 616 and lower wall 618 need to spread out in the XY plane to allow the substrate to be placed in the transfer area 401 and transferred between process stations 260 when the substrate size increases (e.g., ≥ 300mm). To minimize the effects of the strain on the chamber upper wall 616 and lower wall 618, the processing module 250 is operated under vacuum (e.g., 10 to 10). -8 Structural support assemblies 710 are used to minimize strain on the upper and lower walls 616 and 618 of the chamber, and to improve the parallelism of the source assemblies 470 of process stations 260A-260F relative to each other, regardless of whether they are under ambient pressure (e.g., 760 Torre).

[0067] After the PVD processing step is performed at process station 260, the bias voltage on target 472 is returned to zero, the generated plasma is extinguished, and the substrate S and substrate support 672 are lowered and returned to the support arm 308, as discussed above with respect to the embodiments shown in Figures 4A and 4B.

[0068] In addition to the deposition process, one or more target basting processes (e.g., cleaning an oxide layer or a layer formed by reactive sputtering from the target surface) and / or chamber cleaning processes can be additionally performed within the process station. In one example, to enable the PVD deposition process to be performed on a basting disk and / or shutter disk (e.g., a substrate-sized metal disk) instead of a substrate to clean the surface of the target 472, the basting disk and / or shutter disk are placed on a pedestal lift assembly 491 during the basting process and moved to the processing position by the pedestal lift assembly 491.

[0069] Referring next to Figures 7A, 7B, and 8, additional structures and details of the processing module 250 are shown. Here, as shown in Figure 7A, the processing module 250 includes a lower monolith 720 that forms the bottom or base of the processing module 250, and an upper monolith 722 that is sealed to and supported on the lower monolith 720. In some embodiments, the lower monolith 720 and the upper monolith 722 are welded, brazed or fused together by some preferred means to form a vacuum airtight joint at the interface between the lower monolith 720 and the upper monolith 722. In some embodiments, the lower monolith 720 has an overall plate-like structure with seven side facets (Figure 2A) and includes a lower wall 618, which includes a central opening 723 located within a central recess 724 (Figure 8) located within a central region, and a plurality of process station lower openings 725 (Figure 8 shows two process station lower openings), each corresponding to the location of a process station 260. A plurality of pedestal assemblies 492 extend downward from the lower wall 618 through it, two of which are shown in Figure 8. A lower support structure 727, including a support frame 728, is used to support the lower monolith 720 and the upper monolith 722 and to position the processing module 250 at a desired vertical position above the floor (not shown).

[0070] In some embodiments, the upper monolith 722 has an overall plate-like structure with eight small sides (Figure 2A) that align with the small sides of the lower monolith 720. The upper main section 711, including the chamber upper wall 616, includes a central opening 713 (Figure 8) located within a central region, and a plurality of process station upper openings 734 (Figures 4A-4D, 7B, and 8), each of which corresponds to the location where the process kit assembly 480 and source assembly 470 of the process station 260 are located. Forming the central opening 713 in the chamber upper wall 616 in a manner that its diameter falls within a diameter ratio range of less than approximately 0.5 and greater than 0.3 has been found to allow user access to the central region of the processing module 250 through the central opening 713, and, surprisingly, does not unfavorably increase the strain of the chamber upper wall 616 during processing (e.g., under vacuum) by removing material from the center of the chamber upper wall 616. The diameter ratio is defined by the ratio of the diameter of the central opening to the diameter of the outer circumference of the transfer region 401 on the inner surface 721A of the periphery region 721 (i.e., the unsupported length of the chamber upper wall 616). In this configuration, a removable central cover 690 extends over the central opening 713, but the removable central cover 690 is generally not coupled to the chamber upper wall 616 or used to provide additional structural support to the chamber upper wall 616. The removable central cover 690 includes a seal (not shown) to prevent external ambient gases from leaking into the transfer region 401 when the transfer region 401 is maintained under vacuum by the vacuum pump 454. The inner surface 721A of the periphery region 721 of the lower monolith 720 and upper monolith 722 form the outer edge of the transfer region 401. The access openings 504A and 504B penetrate a portion of the inner surface 721A and extend through either a portion of the wall of the upper monolith 722 (Figures 4A-4D) or a portion of the wall of the lower monolith 720 (not shown).

[0071] As discussed above, the strain on the upper and lower walls 616 and 618 of the chamber, caused by the pressure difference between the ambient pressure region 403 and the transfer region 401 and processing region 460, causes a portion of the source assembly 470 (e.g., the surface of the target 472) to flex and tend to form an angle with respect to the surface of the substrate support 672 during processing. To minimize the strain on the upper and lower walls 616 and 618 of the chamber, a structural support assembly 710 is used to minimize the strain on the upper and / or lower walls 618 of the chamber and improve the parallelism of the source assembly 470, regardless of whether the processing module 250 is under vacuum or ambient pressure. Due to manufacturing limitations, cost limitations, and limitations related to the transport of the assembled upper and lower monoliths 722 and 720, the upper wall 616 of the chamber typically has an average wall thickness (in the Z direction) between 50 mm and 100 mm, and the lower wall 618 has an average wall thickness (in the Z direction) between 75 mm and 150 mm. To help ensure this parallelism, the upper monolith 722 includes a structural support assembly 710 comprising an upper support element 701 and a plurality of mounting elements 702, each of which has a first end connected to the upper chamber wall 616. In some embodiments, the first ends of the mounting elements 702 are connected to the upper chamber wall 616 by bolting, welding, or even by integrally forming the mounting elements 702 as part of the upper chamber wall 616. This array of mounting elements 702 is positioned between each of the process stations 260 on the upper chamber wall 616 and connected to the upper chamber wall 616 between each of the process stations 260. In some embodiments, each of this array of mounting elements has a first end connected to the first wall at a radial position located in a radial direction 735 extending between two adjacent process station openings. In one example, as shown in Figure 7B, the radial position of each mounting element is aligned along the radial direction 735 extending between each pair of process station openings, and is located closer to the center than the upper process station opening 734 (for example, at a smaller radius extending from the central axis 253).In some configurations, the mounting element 702 includes a vertical section 714A (Figure 8) and further includes a radial section 714B (Figure 7B) extending radially from the central axis 253.

[0072] In some embodiments, to minimize deflection of the chamber upper wall 616, the upper support element 701 generally includes a toroidal structural element coupled to the second end of each mounting element 702. As shown in Figures 7A–7B, in some configurations, this toroidal shape is not a complete toroid and may include one or more small faces (e.g., six small faces are shown) and one or more flat mounting surfaces (e.g., a top and a bottom surface). The upper support element 701 is coupled to each of the mounting elements 702 by bolting them together (i.e., bolts 703), by welding them together, or by integrally forming them as part of the upper support element 701. The vertical section 714A of the mounting element 702 is configured to position the upper support element 701 at a distance 808 between approximately 150 mm and approximately 450 mm from the mounting surface (e.g., the exposed top surface) of the chamber upper wall 616. To support the upper chamber wall 616 and counteract the load induced by the applied vacuum pressure (e.g., about 14.7 psig) and minimize the strain on the upper chamber wall 616, the cross section of the upper support element 701 includes a cross section height 806 and a cross section width 807, as shown in Figure 8, configured to provide the upper chamber wall 616 with the desired additional stiffness by at least its area moment of inertia. In one example, the transfer region 401 is subjected to a pressure lower than, for example, 1 Torr, e.g., 10 -3 Tor~10 -8Due to the vacuum pressure applied during processing, which is maintained at a pressure between the torsions, the upper wall 616 of the 3-meter-diameter chamber is subjected to a total force of approximately 716,000 N (161,000 pounds). In some embodiments, the upper support element 701 and mounting element 702 are formed from the same material used to form the components of the upper monolith 722 and lower monolith 720 (e.g., the upper wall 616 and lower wall 618 of the chamber), such as aluminum (e.g., 6061Al). In some embodiments, the upper support element 701 and mounting element 702 are formed from a material having a higher modulus of elasticity (E) than the material used to form the components of the upper monolith 722 and lower monolith 720, such as stainless steel (e.g., 304SST, 316SST), and the components of the upper monolith 722 and lower monolith 720 are formed from aluminum. In one example, the upper support element 701 has a cross-sectional height 806 between approximately 50 mm and 125 mm, a cross-sectional width 807 between approximately 75 mm and 200 mm, and a central opening 805 with an inner diameter between approximately 750 mm and 900 mm. In this configuration, the upper support element 701 is configured to withstand a vacuum-induced load applied to the upper chamber wall 616, which includes a central opening 713 within the upper chamber wall 616 having a diameter smaller than the inner diameter of the central opening 805, for example, a central opening 713 with a diameter less than 85% or less than 95% of the inner diameter of the central opening 805. In some embodiments, the combination of the structural support assembly 710 and the structure of the chamber upper wall 616 is configured to minimize the angular deflection or angular misalignment of the processing surface 472A of the target 472 with respect to a transverse plane 801 (Figure 8) parallel to the XY plane, to an inclination angle between approximately 0.1 mm and approximately 0.25 mm (e.g., an angle between approximately 0.02 and 0.05 degrees) measured edge-to-edge (rise) across a 300 mm diameter (e.g., run) centered on the center of the target 472.In some embodiments, the combination of the structural support assembly 710 and the structure of the chamber upper wall 616 is configured to minimize the angular misalignment of the processing surface 472A of the target 472 with respect to the exposed surface of the substrate S placed on the substrate support 672 to an inclination angle between approximately 0.1 mm and approximately 1 mm (e.g., an angle between approximately 0.02 and 0.2 degrees) measured edge-to-edge (e.g., rise) across the 300 mm diameter (e.g., run) of the substrate S. Not intended to limit the scope of the disclosures described herein, in some cases, the angular misalignment between the processing surface 472A and the transverse plane 801 causes deflection of the chamber upper wall 616 (e.g., primary bending mode shape (1). st The bending mode shape can be maximized along the radial direction extending from the central axis.

[0073] Although not shown in Figure 8, in some embodiments, a second structural support assembly 710 is coupled to the lower wall 618, as well as a structural support assembly 710 is coupled to the upper wall 616 of the chamber. Thus, in some embodiments, the processing module 250 may include a first structural support assembly 710 on the upper wall 616 and a second structural support assembly 710 on the lower wall 618 to improve the parallelism of the source assemblies 470 of all process stations 260, regardless of whether the transfer area 401 within the processing module 250 is under vacuum or ambient pressure.

[0074] Figures 9A and 9B show an example of an alternative configuration of the processing module 250, which includes four process stations, different from the six-process station configuration mainly described above. Thus, Figures 9A and 9B show an additional processing module concept, which is the paddle robot processing module 900. In this configuration, four process stations 260 are provided, each having the same overall configuration as the process station 260 in Figures 2A-8 of this specification, but in contrast to those, these four process stations are located at the four corners of a rectangular housing 902, and the substrate supports 672A-672D do not move from one process station 260 to another, as described with respect to Figures 4C-4D. The rectangular housing 902 includes an upper body 904 and a lower body 906, configured similarly to the upper monolith 722 and lower monolith 720 described above. Figure 9A includes the upper body 904 and lower body 906 of the paddle robot processing module 900, and Figure 9B includes only the lower body 906 portion of the paddle robot processing module 900. The upper body 904 includes a chamber upper wall configured to support the source assemblies 470 and process kit assemblies 480 of each process station 260A to 260D. The lower body 906 similarly includes a lower wall configured to support the support chuck assemblies 590 within each process station 260A to 260D.

[0075] The first and second process chamber valves 244A and 244B are positioned on one common wall of the four walls of the paddle robot processing module 900 in such a manner that a substrate can be loaded onto the first substrate support 672A through these valves using a robot such as the intermediate robot 285 in Figure 2A. The substrate support 672A is then lifted to a processing position in the first process station 260A, where the substrate is processed, such as by depositing a sputtered film layer onto it. The substrate can then be moved from the substrate support 672A to the substrate support 672B by the first paddle robot 908A for processing in the next process station 260B. Alternatively, the first substrate may be loaded onto the first substrate support 672A, and then, without processing on the first substrate support 672A, the first substrate may be moved to the second substrate support 672B by the first paddle robot 908A, and then the second substrate may be loaded onto the first substrate support 672A for processing. Similarly, the second paddle robot 908B may move two additional substrates between the fourth substrate support 672D and the third substrate support 672C. The processing performed on the first and second substrates at the corresponding process stations, and optionally additional processing performed on the additional substrates at the corresponding process stations, can be performed simultaneously or substantially simultaneously.

[0076] Each paddle robot 908A, 908B includes a rotatable base 910A, 910B, from which paddle arms 912A, 912B extend, ending with paddle end effectors 914A, 914B. The rotatable bases 910A, B are connected to motors (not shown) located below a rectangular housing and are rotatable to position the paddle end effectors 914A, 914B on one of the respective substrate supports 672A-D. Furthermore, rest stations 916A-D are positioned along an arc-shaped path 995 through which the paddle end effectors 914A, 914B swing, such that substrates can be directly stored in the rest stations 916A-D between or between processes at the process station 260.

[0077] Figures 10A-C show side views of shutter disks 1300a, 1300b, and 1300c arranged on a skirt 680 and an electrostatic chuck (ESC) 622 according to several embodiments. For example, the skirt 680 may be the covering 486 described above with respect to Figure 6. The skirt 680 includes skirt features 680a-c. For example, the ESC may include the body 643 described above with respect to Figure 6.

[0078] The shutter disks 1300a, 1300b, and 1300c are configured to protect the underlying components (e.g., the body 643) from unwanted deposits. As shown, the shutter disks 1300a, 1300b, and 1300c include a disk body 1301 and one or more disk features 1310a-c. The disk body 1301 may include any material used in the art for shutter disks, such as titanium (Ti), aluminum-silicon-carbon (AlSiC), stainless steel (SST), aluminum (Al), and any combination thereof. Disk feature 1310a (Figure 10A) includes a rounded portion on the bottom surface 1330 of the shutter disk 1300a such that the body 1301 protrudes further from the center of the shutter disk than the top surface 1331 of the shutter disk. Disk feature 1310b (Figure 10B) includes a rounded portion on the bottom surface 1330 of the shutter disk 1300b such that the body 1301 protrudes from the center of the shutter disk by approximately the same distance as the top surface 1331 of the shutter disk. Disk feature 1310c (Figure 10C) includes a rounded portion on the bottom surface 1330 of the shutter disk 1300a such that the body 1301 protrudes further from the center of the shutter disk than the top surface 1331 of the shutter disk. Furthermore, disk feature 1310c includes a lip extending downward from the bottom surface 1330. Disk features 1310a, 1310b, and 1310c can be uniformly arranged around the edge of the disk body 1301, or they can be arranged only on some parts of the edge. According to one embodiment, the shutter disk includes two or more of the disk features 1310a and 1310b.

[0079] Disk features 1310a to c enable stress reduction of the disk body 1301 during high-temperature processing. For example, disk features 1310a to c reduce stress on the disk body 1301 if the shutter disks 1300a to c experience bowing. The shutter disks 1300a to c are sized such that they are placed on the ESC and skirt in such a manner that the shutter disks still protect the ESC and skirt even if the shutter disks experience bowing. In some cases, bowing occurs due to a rapid rise and / or fall in temperature. For example, the shutter disks 1300 to c are configured to withstand bowing of up to approximately 1 mm or more. This bowing can be in the direction toward the top surface 1331 or in the direction toward away from the top surface. Furthermore, the shutter disks 1300a to c are configured to withstand sideways (i.e., perpendicular to the bottom surface 1330 and top surface 1331) expansion or shift of up to approximately 0.5 mm or more of at least one port of the main body 1301.

[0080] Figure 10D shows a top view of one of the shutter discs 1300a-c according to several embodiments. The shutter discs 1300a-c include a plurality of long grooves 1320 extending from the side of the body 1301 to the center C of the body. The shutter discs 1300a-c include a plurality of short grooves 1321 extending from the side of the body 1301 to the center C of the body. The length of the long grooves 1320 is equal to or longer than the length of the short grooves 1321. The long grooves 1320 and short grooves 1321 can follow any path, such as a straight path. As shown in Figure 10D, the long grooves 1320 and short grooves 1321 have an arc curve. This arc curve can have any angle, such as about 10°. The long grooves 1320 and short grooves 1321 can have a depth of about 0.25 mm to about 0.50 mm.

[0081] The long grooves 1320 and short grooves 1321 guide the deposited material away from the underlying components without depositing material within the grooves themselves, further protecting those components. The long grooves 1320 and short grooves 1321 carry the deposited material away from the underlying components, further protecting those components. The long grooves 1320 and short grooves 1321 have an inclination angle with respect to the deposit plane.

[0082] Shutter disks 1300a-c can have a diameter of approximately 300 mm or more. This large diameter allows for the protection of the components beneath, even if the shutter disks 1300a-c experience warping. This extends the service life and reduces ownership costs by delaying the replacement of protected components, especially with respect to thick film deposition of approximately 5000 nm or more.

[0083] Figure 11A shows a side view of a support section (also called a transfer system) 560 according to one embodiment. Figure 11B shows a top view of the support section 560 according to one embodiment. As shown, the support section 560 includes a support section body 1405, a first grabber 1401, a second grabber 1402, and a support section actuator 1410. The first and second grabbers 1401 and 1402 are each coupled to the support section body 1405. The first grabber 1401 and the second grabber 1402 are configured to grip a workpiece (e.g., a substrate S or one of the shutter disks 1300a to c). The support section 560 is configured to maintain a constant rotational direction of the workpiece during transfer. For substrates having layers deposited only on certain parts of the substrate, a constant and consistent rotational direction of the workpiece is desirable.

[0084] In some embodiments, the first gripper 1401 and the second gripper 1402 include horizontal surfaces such that the workpiece is firmly seated on the first and second grippers. In other embodiments, the first gripper 1401 and the second gripper 1402 include fasteners or other mechanisms (not shown) for securing the workpiece to the support portion 560. The support portion actuator 1410 is configured to move the support portion 560 in the Z direction relative to the central support 305 (Figure 5B). The support portion actuator 1410 may include any actuator used in the art, such as a pneumatic actuator, an electric motor, a hydraulic actuator, a stepper motor, a brush motor or other suitable actuator. In some embodiments, the entire central support 305 moves in the Z direction, and therefore the support portion 560 moves in the Z direction.

[0085] Figure 11C shows the movement of the support portion 560 according to one embodiment. The support portion 560 starts from a first position 1420. At the first position 1420, the support portion 560 does not grip the shutter disk or substrate.

[0086] Next, the support portion 560 is moved to a second position 1421. For example, the carousel motor 457 rotates the central transfer robot 245 (Figure 5B) so that the support portion 560 rotates to the second position 1421. The second position 1421 is positioned so that the support portion 560 can grasp a shutter disk (for example, one of the shutter disks 1300a to c in Figures 10A to D). In some embodiments, this shutter disk is located in a shutter stack 310. The support portion actuator 1410 is configured to move the support portion 560 in the Z direction to grasp the shutter disk. In some embodiments, the lift actuator 599 moves the entire central support 305 in the Z direction, and therefore the support portion 560 moves in the Z direction to grasp the shutter disk.

[0087] Next, the support portion 560 is moved to a third position 1422. For example, the carousel motor 457 rotates the central transfer robot 245 (Figure 5B) so that the support portion 560 rotates to the third position 1422. For example, the third position 1422 is located within a processing area (e.g., a process station 260). The support portion actuator 1410 is configured to move the support portion 560 in the Z direction to place the shutter disk in the processing area. In some embodiments, the lift actuator 599 moves the entire central support 305 in the Z direction, and therefore the support portion 560 moves in the Z direction to place the shutter disk.

[0088] Figure 11D shows the motion of the support portion 560 according to one embodiment. The support portion 560 starts from a first position 1420. At the first position 1420, the support portion 560 does not grip the shutter disk or substrate.

[0089] Next, the support portion 560 is moved to a second position 1421. For example, the carousel motor 457 rotates the central transfer robot 245 (Figure 5B) so that the support portion 560 rotates to the second position 1421. The second position 1421 is positioned so that the support portion 560 can grasp a substrate (e.g., substrate S). In some embodiments, this substrate is placed inside the shutter stack 310. The support portion actuator 1410 is configured to move the support portion 560 in the Z direction to grasp the substrate. In some embodiments, the lift actuator 599 moves the entire central support 305 in the Z direction, and therefore the support portion 560 moves in the Z direction to grasp the substrate.

[0090] Next, the support portion 560 is moved to a third position 1422. For example, the central transfer robot 245 (Figure 5B) is rotated so that the support portion 560 rotates to the third position 1422. For example, the third position 1422 is located within a processing area (e.g., a process station 260). The support portion actuator 1410 is configured to move the support portion 560 in the Z direction to place the substrate in the processing area. In some embodiments, the entire central support 305 is moved in the Z direction by the lift actuator 599, and therefore the support portion 560 is moved in the Z direction to place the substrate.

[0091] Other positions can be included in either example shown in Figures 11C and 11D. For example, the support portion 560 can be moved to four, five, or even six or more positions. Each position can be set in any angle increment from approximately 0° to approximately 360°. The support portion 560 can be moved uniformly from one position to another, or its outer end can be moved in stages.

[0092] In some embodiments, the first position 1420 is located in a secondary processing area (e.g., another process station 260). In these embodiments, the second position 1421 can be bypassed, and thus the substrate S moves from the secondary processing area to the processing area of ​​the second position 1421. These embodiments enable two-stage processing of the substrate, which is first processed in the secondary processing area and then processed in the processing area.

[0093] Figure 12A shows a shutter stack 1500A in a first position 1591 according to one embodiment. The shutter stack 1500A is configured to hold one or more shutter disks 1300 and one or more substrates S. In some embodiments, the shutter stack 1500A includes only the substrates S. In some embodiments, the shutter stack 1500A includes only one or more shutter disks 1300a-c. This shutter stack 1500A can be used in place of the shutter stack 330 described above.

[0094] As shown, the shutter stack 1500A includes a stack base 1502, one or more shutter disk supports 1505, a substrate support 1501, and a stack actuator 1503. One or more shutter disk supports 1505 and the substrate support 1501 are coupled to the stack base 1502. One or more shutter disk supports 1505 are configured to support shutter disks 1300a-c. The substrate support 1501 is configured to support a substrate S. The stack actuator 1503 is coupled to the stack base 1502. The stack actuator 1503 is configured to move the stack base 1502 in a desired direction. For example, the stack actuator 1503 is configured to move the stack base 1502 in the Z direction. The stack actuator 1503 may include any actuator used in the art, such as a pneumatic actuator, an electric motor, a hydraulic actuator, a stepper motor, a brush motor, or other suitable actuator.

[0095] Although only one set of shutter disk supports 1505 and corresponding shutter disks 1300 are shown, it is understood that the shutter stack 1500A may include any number of sets of shutter disk supports 1505 and the same number of corresponding shutter disks 1300a-c. Similarly, although only one substrate support 1501 and corresponding substrate S are shown, it is understood that the shutter stack 1500A may include any number of sets of substrate supports 1501 and the same number of corresponding substrate S.

[0096] In the first position 1591 shown in Figure 12A, the support portion 560 grips the shutter disks 1300a to c. The distance between the upper part 1501T of the substrate support 1501 and the shutter disk support 1505 is such that the support portion 560 fits between the stack base 1502 and the upper part.

[0097] Figure 12B shows a shutter stack 1500A in a second position 1592 according to one embodiment. The second position 1592 is at a lower height than the first position 1591. In the second position 1592 shown in Figure 12B, the support portion 560 is gripping the substrate S. Therefore, the shutter stack 1500A is configured so that the support portion 560 can grip either the substrate S or the shutter disk 1300.

[0098] Although only two positions 1591 and 1592 are shown in Figures 12A and B, it should be understood that any number of positions of the shutter stack 1500A are possible. For example, in a configuration of the shutter stack 1500A including multiple substrate supports 1501, there are many possible positions of the shutter stack, each position including the stack base 1502 at a different height. Furthermore, the shutter stack 1500A may also include lift pins (not shown) that allow for enhanced control of the Z-direction movement of the workpiece.

[0099] Figure 12C shows a shutter stack 1500B in a first position 1593 according to one embodiment. This shutter stack 1500B can be used in place of the shutter stack 330 described above. The shutter stack 1500B is similar to the shutter stack 1500B, but does not include a stack actuator. That is, the shutter stack 1500B is set in a single position 1593. Instead, as shown in Figure 12D, the support portion 560 moves in the Z direction relative to the shutter stack 1500B. For example, the support portion actuator 1410 (Figures 11A and B) is used to move the support portion 560. In some embodiments, the entire central support 305 moves in the Z direction by a lift actuator 599, and therefore the support portion 560 moves in the Z direction. In some embodiments, the actuators shown in Figures 15C and 15D are used in conjunction with the shutter stack 1500A, so that the shutter stack and the outer end 1032 work together to grip the shutter disks 1300a-c and / or the substrate S, respectively.

[0100] The shutter stacks 1500A and 1500B, respectively, allow for the removal of workpieces (i.e., substrates and shutter disks) without interrupting the vacuum. Reducing the time spent interrupting and restoring the vacuum increases the throughput of the cluster tool. Furthermore, according to some embodiments, the shutter stacks 1500A and 1500B include a cooling system, such as a radiative cooling system. This cooling system lowers the temperature of the shutter disks 1300a-c, extends the service life of the shutter disks, and reduces the user's cost of ownership. The shutter stacks 1500A and 1500B may further include one or more sensors (not shown). These sensors notify the support portion 560 when it is placed in the shutter stack.

[0101] Figure 13 is a flowchart of the operation of Method 1600 for moving a workpiece according to one embodiment. The operation of Method 1600 is described with respect to Figures 11A-D, 12A-D and 13, but those skilled in the art will understand that a system configured to perform the operations of this method in any order is within the scope of the embodiments described herein. Embodiments of Method 1600 can be used in combination with one or more of the systems and system operations described herein, such as the substrate processing module 250 in Figures 2A and 2B. Method 1600 can be stored in the system controller 299 of the substrate processing module 250 as a computer-readable medium containing instructions that cause the transfer chamber assembly to perform this method when executed by the system controller's processor, or can be made accessible from the system controller 299 of the substrate processing module 250. The entire Method 1600 can be performed in a vacuum environment, such as an ultrahigh vacuum (UHV) environment.

[0102] Method 1600 begins with operation 1610, in which operation 1610 moves a support portion (e.g., support portion 560) from a first location (e.g., first position 1420) to a shutter stack (e.g., a shutter stack 310, 1500A, or 1500B located at a second position 1421) in a first direction. The first direction can be a straight line or a direction along an arc-shaped path. According to one embodiment, the support portion is configured to grip a shutter disk and a substrate. According to one embodiment, the support portion is part of a central transfer robot (e.g., central transfer robot 245).

[0103] In operation 1620, the support portion removes the workpiece (e.g., shutter disk 1300 or substrate S) from the shutter stack. According to some embodiments, operation 1620 includes moving the support portion in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction. For example, moving the support portion relative to the shutter stack (as shown in Figures 12C and D). According to one embodiment, removing the workpiece includes either removing the shutter disk from the shutter stack or removing the substrate from the shutter stack, with the removal of the shutter disk and the removal of the substrate being performed at different heights in the second direction.

[0104] According to some embodiments, operation 1620 includes moving the shutter stack in a second direction. For example, moving the shutter stack relative to a support portion (as shown in Figures 12A and 12B). According to one embodiment, removing the workpiece includes either removing the shutter disk from the shutter stack or removing the substrate from the shutter stack, with the removal of the shutter disk and the removal of the substrate being performed at different heights in the second direction.

[0105] In some embodiments, operation 1620 includes both moving the support portion in a second direction and moving the shutter stack in a second direction.

[0106] In operation 1630, the support portion moves to a second location (e.g., a third location 1422). The second location includes a processing area (e.g., a process station 260).

[0107] It should be understood that Method 1600 can be performed using multiple workpieces. For example, a central transfer robot may include multiple support parts and therefore be able to move multiple workpieces simultaneously. Furthermore, Method 1600 may include returning the support parts to their previous positions (e.g., first position 1420, second position 1421). For example, after operation 1630, when the substrate is placed in the processing area, the support parts may return to the second position to retrieve the shutter disk and place the shutter disk in the processing area.

[0108] As described above, a substrate processing module and a method for moving a workpiece are provided. The substrate processing module includes a shutter stack and two processing areas. The shutter stack is positioned between the processing areas. The method for moving a workpiece includes moving a support portion from a first location to the shutter stack in a first direction, removing the workpiece from the shutter stack, and moving the support portion to a second location. This substrate processing module and method enable moving a workpiece to the shutter stack and moving the workpiece from the shutter stack to the two processing areas.

[0109] The central transfer robot of the substrate processing module is configured to grip both the substrate and the shutter disk, allowing one robot to handle tasks that would normally require two. Placing the shutter stack in a high vacuum environment reduces the need to pump up and down the vacuum when transferring the substrate from the shutter stack to the processing area.

[0110] While the above description applies to embodiments of the present disclosure, other embodiments and additional embodiments of the present disclosure may be devised without departing from the basic scope of the present disclosure, and the scope of the present disclosure is determined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. These are multiple walls that partially define the transport area. The first wall, and A second wall positioned opposite the first wall, The plurality of walls comprising, A process station coupled to the first wall and connected to the transfer area, Processing area, and A process station opening is located in the first wall between the processing area and a substrate support operating assembly that controls the movement of the substrate support from below the substrate support. The process station comprises, A shutter stack is arranged in the transfer area and configured to support one or both of the shutter disk and the substrate, Stack base including shutter disk support, The substrate support, which is coupled to the stack base and has an upper part, and A stack actuator coupled to the stack base and configured to move the stack base between the first wall and the second wall, The shutter stack comprises, A substrate processing module equipped with the following features.

2. The substrate processing module according to claim 1, wherein the shutter stack is arranged adjacent to the process station.

3. The substrate processing module according to claim 1, wherein the Z-direction is defined as the axis between the first wall and the second wall, and the stack actuator moves the stack base in the Z-direction.

4. The substrate processing module according to claim 1, wherein the substrate support is disposed between the stack base and the first wall.

5. The substrate processing module according to claim 1, wherein the stack base is arranged on the second wall.

6. The substrate processing module according to claim 1, wherein the shutter stack is configured to simultaneously support the shutter disk on the shutter disk support and the substrate on the upper part.

7. The substrate processing module according to claim 1, wherein the shutter disk support is disposed between the stack base and the upper part.

8. These are multiple walls that partially define the transport area. The first wall, and A second wall positioned opposite the first wall, The plurality of walls comprising, A process station coupled to the first wall and connected to the transfer area, Processing area, and A process station opening is located in the first wall between the processing area and a substrate support operating assembly that controls the movement of the substrate support from below the substrate support. The process station comprises, A support portion having a surface configured to secure the workpiece, A shutter stack is arranged in the transfer area and configured to support one or both of the shutter disk and the substrate, A stack base including a shutter disk support, and The substrate support, which is coupled to the stack base and has an upper part, The shutter stack comprises, An actuator configured to move one of the support portion or the stack base relative to the other, A substrate processing module equipped with the following features.

9. The substrate processing module according to claim 8, wherein the upper part is configured to fix the substrate.

10. These are multiple walls that partially define the transport area. The first wall, and A second wall positioned opposite the first wall, The plurality of walls comprising, A process station coupled to the first wall and connected to the transfer area, Processing area, and A process station opening is located in the first wall between the processing area and a substrate support operating assembly that controls the movement of the substrate support from below the substrate support. The process station comprises, A shutter stack is arranged in the transfer area and configured to support one or both of the shutter disk and the substrate, A stack base including a shutter disk support, and The substrate support, which is coupled to the stack base and has an upper part, The shutter stack comprises, An actuator configured to move the stack base relative to the other, A substrate processing module equipped with the following features.

11. The substrate processing module according to claim 10, wherein the Z-direction is defined as the axis between the first wall and the second wall, and the actuator moves the stack base in the Z-direction.

12. The substrate processing module according to claim 10, wherein the shutter disk support is disposed between the stack base and the upper part.

13. The substrate processing module according to claim 10, wherein the stack base is coupled to the second wall.

14. The substrate processing module according to claim 10, wherein the process station is adjacent to the shutter stack.

15. The substrate processing module according to claim 10, wherein the first wall is positioned between the process station and the shutter stack.

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