Heated substrate support with thermal baffles
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- TW · TW
- Patent Type
- Patents
- Current Assignee / Owner
- APPLIED MATERIALS INC
- Filing Date
- 2020-08-14
- Publication Date
- 2026-08-01
AI Technical Summary
Conventional substrate supports in processing chambers suffer from heat loss and temperature variations due to inefficient heat transfer and distribution, primarily caused by heat being transported away from the substrate to the susceptor and stem, leading to inefficiencies in substrate processing.
The introduction of a substrate support with a heat shield featuring a plurality of cavities and a heat shield between the heater and the lower surface to reduce heat transfer loss, combined with independent heating elements for uniform substrate heating.
The solution effectively reduces heat loss to the susceptor's lower surface and enhances heat transfer to the substrate, ensuring more uniform temperature distribution and improved processing efficiency.
Smart Images
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Abstract
Description
[Technical Field] The embodiments disclosed herein generally relate to substrate processing equipment, and more specifically to substrate supports used in substrate processing equipment. [Previous Technology] Substrate processing equipment generally includes a processing chamber configured to perform certain processes on a substrate, such as chemical vapor deposition, atomic layer deposition, annealing, or the like. Substrate supports used in the processing chamber typically include a base to support the substrate and a hollow rod coupled to a conduit for fluids, power, gases, or the like to the base. The base may also include a heater mounted therein to provide heat to the substrate for certain substrate processing. Using a conventional base as an example, the inventors have observed that heat from the heater is transferred away from the substrate, resulting in heat loss to the bottom surface of the base and the rod. Furthermore, using a conventional base as an example, the inventors have observed temperature variations across the upper surface of the base. Therefore, the inventors have provided embodiments of reinforced substrate supports. [Summary of the Invention] This document provides embodiments of a substrate support for use in a processing chamber. In some embodiments, a substrate support for use in a processing chamber includes a base having an upper surface and an opposite lower surface for supporting a substrate, a first heater disposed in the base between the upper and lower surfaces, and a heat baffle having a plurality of cavities fluidly isolated from each other between the first heater and the lower surface to reduce heat transfer from the first heater to the lower surface of the base. In some embodiments, a substrate support for use in a processing chamber includes a first plate having an upper surface for supporting a substrate and a lower surface relative to the upper surface; a second plate having an upper surface coupled to the lower surface of the first plate and a lower surface relative to the upper surface, wherein the second plate includes a first heater mounted therein; a third plate coupled to the second plate, wherein the third plate includes a heat baffle having a plurality of holes arranged therein; and a first gas passage extending from the lower surface of the third plate through the second plate to the upper surface of the first plate. In some embodiments, a processing chamber includes a chamber body defining an internal volume; and a substrate support, at least partially disposed within the internal volume, and including a base coupled to a hollow rod, wherein the base includes a first plate having an upper surface for supporting a substrate and a lower surface relative to the upper surface; a second plate having an upper surface coupled to the lower surface of the first plate and a lower surface relative to the upper surface, wherein the second plate includes a first heater mounted therein; a third plate coupled to the second plate, wherein the third plate includes a heat baffle comprising a plurality of holes disposed therein and a lower surface coupled to the hollow rod; and a first gas passage extending from the lower surface of the third plate to the upper surface of the first plate. Other and further embodiments of this disclosure are described below.
Implementation Method
Claims
1. A substrate support for use in a processing chamber, comprising: a base having an upper surface and an opposing lower surface for supporting a substrate; a first heater disposed in the base between the upper surface and the lower surface; and heat baffles having a plurality of cavities fluidly isolated from each other between the first heater and the lower surface to reduce heat transfer from the first heater to the lower surface of the base, wherein the heat baffles are formed in a thin-walled shape such that the walls of the heat baffles have a thickness less than a height.
2. The substrate support as claimed in claim 1, wherein the base includes a first plate having an upper surface for supporting the substrate and a lower surface opposite the upper surface, and a second plate coupled to the lower surface of the first plate, wherein the second plate includes the first heater embedded therein. and a third plate coupled to the second plate, wherein the heat baffles are arranged in the third plate.
3. The substrate support as claimed in claim 2 further includes a second heater disposed in the base between the upper surface and the lower surface, wherein the second heater is configured to heat a peripheral region of the first plate.
4. The substrate support as claimed in claim 2, wherein the first heater is disposed in a groove formed on a lower surface of the second plate.
5. The substrate support as claimed in claim 2, wherein the lower surface of the first plate includes a groove, and the second plate is disposed in the groove such that a lower surface of the second plate is coplanar with the lower surface of the first plate.
6. The substrate support as claimed in claim 2, wherein the first plate includes a plurality of gas channels passing through the first plate and terminating in a plurality of edge holes arranged around a peripheral region to provide a cleaning gas to an edge of the substrate.
7. The substrate support as claimed in claim 6, wherein the plurality of edge holes are fluidly coupled to an annular gas channel disposed in the third plate, and wherein the third plate includes a plurality of radial gas channels extending from a central region of the third plate to the annular gas channel.
8. The substrate support as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 7, further comprising a first gas channel extending through the base, wherein the upper surface of the base includes gas grooves fluidly coupled to the first gas channel to provide at least one of back-side gas or vacuum clamping to the substrate.
9. The substrate support as described in any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the base comprises stainless steel.
10. A substrate support for use in a processing chamber, comprising: a first plate having an upper surface for supporting a substrate and a lower surface relative to the upper surface; a second plate having an upper surface coupled to the lower surface of the first plate and a lower surface relative to the upper surface, wherein the second plate includes a first heater mounted therein; a third plate coupled to the second plate, wherein the third plate includes heat baffles including a plurality of holes arranged therein, wherein the heat baffles are formed in a thin-walled shape such that the walls of the heat baffles have a thickness less than a height; and a first gas passage extending from the lower surface of the third plate through the second plate to the upper surface of the first plate.
11. The substrate support as claimed in claim 10, further comprising a second gas channel extending from the lower surface of the third plate to a plurality of edge holes in a peripheral region of the first plate to provide cleaning gas to an edge of the substrate.
12. The substrate support as claimed in claim 11, wherein the first plate includes an annular groove in the peripheral region, and the plurality of edge holes are arranged in a surface formed by the annular groove.
13. The substrate support as claimed in claim 11, wherein the second gas channel includes a plurality of radial gas channels extending from a central region of the third plate to a peripheral region of the third plate, and a plurality of channels extending from the annular gas channel to a corresponding one of the plurality of edge holes.
14. The substrate support as claimed in claim 13, further comprising a diaphragm disposed between the third plate and the second plate, and configured to reduce or prevent gas leakage from the annular gas channel.
15. The substrate support as described in any one of claims 10 to 14, wherein the plurality of cavities comprise a total surface area of the heat baffles of about 60% to about 95%.
16. A processing chamber comprising: a chamber body defining an internal volume; and a substrate support member at least partially disposed in the internal volume and including a base coupled to a hollow rod, wherein the base includes: a first plate having an upper surface for supporting a substrate and a lower surface relative to the upper surface; a second plate having an upper surface coupled to the lower surface of the first plate and a lower surface relative to the upper surface, wherein the second plate includes a first heater mounted therein; a third plate coupled to the second plate, wherein the third plate includes heat baffles including a plurality of holes disposed therein and a lower surface coupled to the hollow rod, wherein the heat baffles are formed in a thin-walled shape such that the walls of the heat baffles have a thickness less than a height; and a first gas passage extending from the lower surface of the third plate to the upper surface of the first plate.
17. The processing chamber as described in claim 16, wherein the first gas passage is coupled to a vacuum pump.
18. The processing chamber as claimed in claim 16 further includes a second gas passage extending from the lower surface of the third plate to a plurality of edge holes in a peripheral region of the first plate to provide a cleaning gas to an edge of the substrate.
19. The processing chamber as described in any one of claims 16 to 18, wherein the heat baffles are formed in a thin-walled honeycomb shape.
20. The processing chamber as claimed in any one of claims 16 to 18, wherein the lower surface of the first plate is coplanar with the lower surface of the second plate.