Chamber component for improved cleaning efficiency

Abstract

This document describes a preheating ring and a processing chamber having the preheating ring. In one example, the processing chamber for film deposition includes a chamber volume, a substrate support disposed within the chamber volume, the substrate support having a radially outward surface, and a preheating ring surrounding the substrate support. The preheating ring includes a tapered wall facing the radially outward surface. The tapered wall narrows towards the top surface of the preheating ring and towards the substrate support.

Description

Chamber Component for Improving Cleaning Efficiency Embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to a chamber component for processing a substrate and a processing system having the chamber component. More specifically, the embodiments described herein relate to a preheating ring in a semiconductor processing chamber. Semiconductor substrates are processed for a variety of applications, including the manufacture of integrated components and micro-components. One method of substrate processing includes depositing a material such as a dielectric material or a conductive metal on the upper surface of the substrate in a processing chamber. For example, epitaxy is a deposition process for growing a thin, ultra-pure layer (usually silicon or germanium) on the surface of a substrate. Materials can be deposited in a horizontal flow chamber by flowing a processing gas parallel to the surface of the substrate positioned on a support and thermally decomposing the processing gas to deposit the material from the processing gas onto the substrate surface. During epitaxial deposition, the processing gas is heated and flows over the top surfaces of the substrate and the pedestal. The temperature of the processing gas is adjusted as it passes through a gas heating component to increase the activation energy for forming a film or layer on the substrate as the processing gas flows over the substrate. During processing, the temperature of the processing gas between the front end and the rear end of the substrate changes. Additional purge gas introduced into the chamber may interact with the processing gas temperature and flow path, resulting in further processing variations. Non-uniformities in the processing gas temperature and flow path result in non-uniform deposition along the length of the substrate and unwanted deposition on the chamber components. To compensate for non-uniform deposition, the substrate is rotated and additional gas heating components are used. However, a significant amount of processing gas is still lost due to unwanted deposition. Chamber cleaning cycles are used to clean the unwanted deposits. Each cleaning cycle increases the cleaning cost, the downtime of the operating chamber, and reduces the product. Therefore, there is a need to improve the chamber cleaning efficiency within the processing chamber by reducing unwanted deposition. A preheating ring and a processing chamber having the preheating ring are described herein. In one example, a processing chamber for film deposition includes a chamber volume, a substrate support disposed within the chamber volume, the substrate support having a radially outward surface, and a preheating ring surrounding the substrate support. The preheating ring includes a tapered wall facing the radially outward surface. The tapered wall narrows towards the top surface of the preheating ring and towards the substrate support. This document describes a preheating ring and a processing chamber having the preheating ring. In one example, the preheating ring includes an annular body. The annular body includes a top surface, an outer bottom surface, an outer wall, an inner wall, an inner bottom surface, and a tapered wall. The outer bottom surface is disposed parallel to the top surface. The outer wall extends between the top surface and the outer bottom surface. The inner wall is disposed substantially parallel to the outer wall and extends from the outer bottom surface toward the top surface, with at least a portion of the top surface extending radially inward of the inner wall. The inner bottom surface is disposed substantially parallel to the outer bottom surface and extends radially inward from the inner wall. The tapered wall extends between the top surface and the inner bottom surface, the tapered wall forming an angle greater than 0 degrees and less than 90 degrees with respect to the inner bottom surface, and the tapered wall having a length of about 1 mm to about 30 mm. This document describes a preheating ring having a tapered body and a processing chamber having the preheating ring. The tapered body of the preheating ring can be advantageously used in a semiconductor processing chamber, such as an epitaxial deposition chamber. The tapered body of the preheating ring is configured to provide flow control of a purge gas into a processing volume within the deposition chamber, and thus improve chamber cleaning efficiency. A processing gas (e.g., a precursor gas) reacts with the surface of a substrate to form a film. The reaction rate of forming the film increases as the temperature of the processing gas increases. Before the processing gas flows over the substrate, the processing gas is typically heated by a heating component (e.g., a preheating ring). However, the lateral flow path of the processing gas on the substrate is interrupted by a purge gas flow. The purge gas flow pushes the laterally flowing processing gas in an upward direction toward chamber components within the processing volume. Chamber components such as an upper transmissive window may undesirably be coated with materials deposited from the processing gas. Deposition on the upper transmissive window is undesirable because the radiation passing through the window is reduced, resulting in process variations, while the substrate deposition rate and film quality are decreased. In addition, the undesirable deposition yield results in an undesired increase in the frequency of cleaning chamber components. The preheating ring having a tapered body reduces the amount of purge gas of the processing gas flow interacting with the upper window, thereby extending the maintenance interval while improving the quality and productivity of the deposited film. FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional side view of a processing chamber 100 (e.g., a deposition chamber). In one example, the processing chamber 100 is an epitaxial deposition chamber. The processing chamber 100 is used to grow an epitaxial film on a substrate (e.g., substrate 102). The processing chamber 100 generates a precursor cross-flow across the top surface 150 of the substrate 102. The processing chamber 100 includes an upper main body 156, a lower main body 148 disposed below the upper main body 156, and a flow module 112 disposed between the upper main body 156 and the lower main body 148. The upper main body 156, the flow module 112, and the lower main body 148 form a chamber main body. The processing chamber 100 further includes a substrate support 106, an upper transmissive window 108, a lower transmissive window 110, a plurality of upper lamps 141, and a plurality of lower lamps 143. As shown, a controller 120 communicates with the processing chamber 100 and is used to control the processing, such as the processing described herein. The substrate support 106 is disposed between the upper transmissive window 108 and the lower transmissive window 110. The plurality of upper lamps 141 are disposed between the upper transmissive window 108 and the cover 154. The cover 154 includes a plurality of sensors 153 disposed therein for measuring the temperature inside the processing chamber 100. The plurality of lower lamps 143 are disposed between the lower transmissive window 110 and the ground 152. The plurality of lower lamps 143 form a lower lamp assembly 145. A processing volume 136 is formed between the upper transmissive window 108 and the lower transmissive window 110. The upper transmissive window 108 can have a dome shape or be substantially flat. The upper transmissive window 108 is supported by an upper support ring 149. The upper support ring 149 is connected to the outer edge of the upper transmissive window 108 and is disposed between the upper main body 156 and the flow module 112. The upper transmissive window 108 is light transmissive and can include a quartz material. The lower transmissive window 110 can also be dome-shaped or substantially flat. The lower transmissive window 110 has an opening in the center for the shaft 118 of the substrate support 106 to be disposed therethrough. The outer edge of the lower transmissive window 110 is supported by a lower support ring 155. The lower support ring 155 is disposed between the lower main body 148 and the flow module 112. The lower transmissive window 110 is light transmissive and can include a quartz material. The substrate support 106 is disposed in the processing volume 136. The substrate support 106 includes a top surface 158 on which a substrate 102 is disposed. The substrate support 106 is connected to the shaft 118. This shaft is connected to a motion assembly 121. The motion assembly 121 includes one or more actuators and / or adjustment devices that provide movement and / or adjustment of the shaft 118 and / or the substrate support 106 within the processing volume 136. In one example, the motion assembly 121 includes a rotational actuator 122 that rotates the shaft 118 and / or the substrate support 106 about the longitudinal axis A of the processing chamber 100. The motion assembly 121 further includes a vertical actuator 124 to raise and lower the substrate support 106 in the z direction (e.g., the vertical axis). The motion assembly includes a tilt adjustment device 126 and a lateral adjustment device 128. The tilt adjustment device 126 is used to adjust the planar orientation of the substrate support 106 relative to the axis A, and the lateral adjustment device 128 is used to adjust the position of the shaft 118 and the substrate support 106 left and right within the processing volume 136 (i.e., in the x / y plane). The substrate support 106 includes lift pin holes 107. Each lift pin hole 107 is sized to receive a corresponding lift pin 132. The lift pins 132 are used to lift the substrate 102 from the substrate support 106. When the substrate support 106 is lowered from the processing position to the transfer position, the lift pins 132 can rest on the lift pin stoppers 134. When the substrate support 106 is lowered, the lift pin stoppers 134 cause the lift pins 132 to extend through the substrate support 106, thereby lifting the substrate 102 from the substrate support 106 to facilitate access to the underside of the substrate 102 for robotic transfer. In one or more embodiments, the flow module 112 includes a plurality of process gas inlets 114, a plurality of purge gas inlets 164, and one or more exhaust outlets 116. The plurality of process gas inlets 114 and the plurality of purge gas inlets 164 are disposed on a side of the flow module 112 opposite the one or more exhaust outlets 116. In one or more embodiments, a mask 146 is disposed below the plurality of process gas inlets 114 and the one or more exhaust outlets 116. The mask 146 is coupled to the flow module 112. The mask 146 is disposed above the purge gas inlets 164. The mask 146 is configured to support the preheat ring 166 and direct the gas flow. In some embodiments, the mask 146 extends vertically above the preheat ring to direct the process gas flow path. A liner 163 is disposed on the inner surface of the flow module 112 to protect the flow module 112 from the reactive gases used during the deposition process. The process gas inlets 114 and the purge gas inlets 164 are positioned to maintain the flow of the process gas substantially parallel to the top surface 150 of the substrate 102 disposed within the processing volume 136. The process gas inlets 114 are fluidly connected to a process gas source 151. The purge gas inlets 164, 165 are fluidly connected to a purge gas source 162. In some embodiments, a second plurality of purge gas inlets 165 may be disposed within the lower transmissive window 110 near the motion assembly 121 to form an upward flow path circumferentially around the axis 118, allowing the purge gas to enter the processing volume 136. The one or more exhaust outlets 116 are fluidly connected to an exhaust pump 157. Each of the process gas source 151 and the purge gas source 162 can be configured to supply one or more precursors or process gases into the processing volume 136. In some embodiments, at least one heater 168 is disposed adjacent to a preheating ring 166 within the processing chamber 100. The heater 168 is used to heat the preheating ring 166. The heat radiated from the preheating ring 166 increases the activation energy of the processing gas flowing through the preheating ring 166 and toward the top surface 150 of the substrate 102. The preheating ring 166 is disposed above and around the outer edge of the substrate support 106 such that an overlap and a gap are defined between the innermost vertical surface of the preheating ring 166 and the outermost horizontal surface of the substrate support 106. The preheating ring 166 may be formed of one or more parts. The preheating ring 166 has a top surface parallel to the direction of the gas flow through the top surface 150 of the substrate 102 and the substrate support 106. In some embodiments, the top surface of the preheating ring 166 is substantially flat, allowing the processing gas to flow at a 90-degree angle or substantially close to a 90-degree angle relative to the centerline 180 of the processing chamber. In some embodiments, the heater 168 is disposed below the preheating ring 166 such that the heater 168 contacts the preheating ring 166 and is formed through the wall and lining 163 of the flow module 112. In some embodiments, the preheating ring is directly connected to a power source to heat the preheating ring through conduction. The power source is coupled to a controller 120 that controls the operation of the heater 168 and other processing system components. The controller 120 includes a central processing unit (CPU) 159 (e.g., a processor), a memory 135 containing instructions, and support circuitry 137 for the CPU 159. The controller 120 controls various items directly or via other computers and / or controllers. In one or more embodiments, the controller 120 is communicatively coupled to a dedicated controller, and the controller 120 serves as a central controller. FIG. 2 is a partial schematic cross-sectional view of the preheating ring assembly 200 of the processing chamber 100 of FIG. 1. The processing volume 136 includes an upper processing volume 136a and a lower processing volume 136b divided by the preheating ring assembly 200 and the substrate support 106. The preheating ring assembly 200 includes a preheating ring 166 and a mask 146. In some embodiments, a liner 163 is disposed on the innermost surfaces of the flow module 112 and the upper support ring 149 and the lower support ring 155. The liner 163 protects the flow module 112 and the upper support ring 149 and the lower support ring 155 from undesired deposition. The flow module 112 includes a plurality of process gas inlets 114 connected to a gas inlet surface 202 disposed adjacent to the preheating ring 166. The preheating ring 166 has an annular shape and is depicted as having a tapered wall 260. Although the tapered wall 260 is shown as reaching an endpoint 210 near the innermost surface of the preheating ring 166 as a cusp, it is contemplated that the endpoint 210 can be circular, curved, concave, or convex, in the shape of a gear (e.g., a gear), substantially flat, chamfered, etc., or some combination thereof. In some embodiments, the endpoint 210 overlaps the outermost edge of the substrate support 106. The overlap 270 causes the purge gas flow path 222 to maintain an angled trajectory while allowing the substrate support to move upwardly toward the preheating ring 166 for processing. In some embodiments, the outermost edge 272 of the substrate support 106 has a tapered body parallel to the tapered wall 260 to further facilitate the purge flow path 222 trajectory. In some embodiments, a gap 280 is defined between the overlapping preheating ring 166 and the substrate support 106. The gap 280 can be narrowed by the upward movement of the substrate support such that the purge flow through the gap 280 is blocked. The blocked purge gas flow reduces the amount of purge gas flowing into the upper processing volume 136a. During the deposition operation, the process gas inlet 114 guides process gas inwardly into the upper process volume 136a. The process gas flows through the process gas inlet 114 in an upward flow and then laterally toward the exhaust outlet 116 (as shown in FIG. 1), while flowing over the substrate 102 to deposit a film. The purge gas inlets 164, 165 guide a purge gas flow into the lower process volume 136b. The purge gas exits from the purge gas inlet 164 (and 165 in FIG. 1) and enters the lower process volume 136b. The purge gas reduces the amount of process gas entering the lower process volume 136b from the upper process volume 136a. The reduction in the amount of process gas (i.e., reaction gas) entering the lower process volume 136b advantageously reduces the amount of material deposited on the substrate because the process gas is maintained within the upper process volume 136a. Since the purge gas flow prevents the process gas from migrating into the lower process volume 136b, undesired depositions in the lower process volume 136b are effectively reduced, resulting in a reduced cleaning frequency. In some embodiments, the purge gas is a non-reactive gas (i.e., an inert gas), such as helium (He), neon (Ne), argon (Ar), krypton (Kr), xenon (Xe), or radon (Rn). In some embodiments, the purge gas is injected into the lower process volume 136b at a higher pressure than the process gas, such that the purge gas flows into the upper process volume 136a. In some embodiments, combinable with other embodiments, the process gas is injected into the upper process volume 136a at a higher flow rate (or velocity), causing suction of the purge gas at the gap 280 such that the purge gas flows into the upper process volume 136a. In some embodiments, the process parameters for maintaining a continuous purge gas flow into the upper process volume 136a are programmed into the controller 120 to initiate process control to adjust the flow rate (e.g., volumetric or mass flow rate) of the process gas, the purge gas, the temperature, or the pressure of the chamber. The flow path 212 for the process gas within the upper processing volume 136a is mixed with the purge gas that travels along the flow path 222 from the gap 280 disposed between the substrate support 106 and the preheating ring 166 into the upper processing volume 136a. The flow path 222 of the purge gas entering the upper processing volume 136a is guided by the angle 220 of the conical wall 260 of the preheating ring 166. For example, the conical wall 260 of the preheating ring 166 guides the purge gas into the upper processing volume 136a at an angle less than 90 degrees but greater than 0 degrees. Details of the conical wall 260 are discussed in Figure 3 below. The purge gas in the flow path 222 interrupts the lateral process gas of the flow path 212, mixes the gas, and results in a combined gas flow force 250 that is less than 45 degrees relative to the substrate 102. The combined gas flow force 250 advantageously reduces the flow angle towards the chamber components (such as the upper transmissive window 108), and thus reduces the amount of undesirable deposition on those chamber components. Additionally, the reduction of the unintended deposition increases the cleaning efficiency because the cycle of cleaning the chamber is shortened due to the reduced unintended deposition. Furthermore, the combined gas flow force 250 concentrates the process gas to the center of the substrate 102 to improve the uniform film deposition on the substrate 102. Similar to the deposition process, the first cleaning cycle utilizes the advantageous configuration of the preheating ring 166 with the conical wall 260, as described above. Since the cleaning gas is guided along the upward direction (e.g., the combined gas flow force 250 path), the cleaning gas improves the cleaning of the chamber components (such as the upper transmissive window 108). During the cleaning cycle, the purge gas flows into the lower processing volume 136b. The purge gas flows into the upper processing volume 136a and pushes the cleaning gas towards the chamber components exposed to the upper processing volume 136a, on which undesirable materials may be deposited. Since the purge gas guides a larger amount of cleaning gas into contact with the chamber components exposed in the upper processing volume 136a, the sediment removal and cleaning efficiency are significantly improved, resulting in a longer interval between cleaning cycles desirably. In some embodiments, a second cleaning cycle is performed to clean the lower transmissive window 110 of FIG. 1. The substrate support 106 is actuated away from the preheating ring 166 (i.e., in the downward direction) to increase the distance in the gap 280. The increased gap 280 facilitates cleaning of the lower transmissive window 110 when the cleaning gas enters the lower processing volume 136b from the upper processing volume 136a. In some embodiments, the controller 120 is instructed to reduce the pressure of the purge gas within the lower processing volume 136b to reduce the flow resistance of the cleaning gas flowing into the lower processing volume 136b. Alternatively, the pressure and / or flow rate of the cleaning gas in the upper processing volume 136a is increased to facilitate flow into the lower processing volume 136b. In some embodiments, a combination of increased pressure and / or flow rate of the cleaning gas and reduced pressure of the purge gas is used to effect cleaning of the lower transmissive window 110. Additionally, it is contemplated that the first cleaning cycle and the second cleaning cycle are phases of a single cleaning cycle. For example, in phase 1, the upper transmissive window 108 can be cleaned for a predetermined amount of time, and then in phase 2, the lower transmissive window 110 can be cleaned for a predetermined amount of time. In some embodiments, the second cleaning cycle is performed less frequently than the first cleaning cycle. FIG. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the preheating ring 166 of FIG. 1 according to an embodiment. The preheating ring 166 has a conical body 301, and the conical body 301 includes an inner portion 302 and an outer portion 304 that share a top surface 326. The terms "inner" and "outer" should be understood as referring to the corresponding terms starting from the center of the ring 166. Thus, the term "inner" is the region closest to the center of the ring 166 and the term "outer" is the region farther from the center of the ring 166. The body 301 has a height 306 of about 2 mm to about 8 mm, such as about 3 mm to about 7 mm, such as about 4 mm to about 6 mm, such as about 5 mm. The body 301 has a length 318 of about 30 mm to about 70 mm, such as about 40 mm to about 60 mm, such as about 50 mm. The outer portion 304 includes a part of the top surface 326, an inner surface 328, a bottom surface 332, and an outer surface 330. The outer portion 304 has a height 306 (the same as the height 306 of the body 301) and a length 310 of about 2 mm to about 25 mm, such as about 3 mm to about 15 mm, such as about 4 mm to about 10 mm, such as about 5 mm to about 7 mm, such as about 5 mm. The inner portion 302 includes a part of the top surface 326, a bottom surface 334, and a conical wall 260. The conical wall 260 extends from a starting point 336 to an end point 210. The length of the conical wall 260 is about 1 mm to about 30 mm, such as about 1 mm to about 25 mm, such as about 1 mm to about 20 mm, such as about 1 mm to about 16 mm, such as about 1 mm to about 10 mm, such as about 1 mm to about 5 mm, such as about 1 mm to about 3 mm, such as about 2 mm to about 30 mm, such as about 3 mm to about 30 mm, such as about 5 mm to about 30 mm, such as about 10 mm to about 30 mm, such as about 16 mm to about 30 mm, such as about 20 mm to about 30 mm, such as about 25 mm to about 30 mm, such as greater than about 1 mm, greater than about 2 mm, greater than about 3 mm, greater than about 5 mm, greater than about 10 mm, greater than about 16 mm, greater than about 20 mm, greater than about 25 mm, greater than about 29 mm, such as less than about 30 mm, less than about 25 mm, less than about 20 mm, less than about 16 mm, less than about 10 mm, less than about 5 mm, less than about 3, less than about 2 mm, less than about 1.5 mm, such as about 5 mm to about 20 mm, such as about 7 mm to about 18 mm, such as about 10 mm to about 16 mm, such as about 2 mm to about 10 mm, such as about 2 mm to about 7 mm, such as about 2 mm to about 5 mm, such as about 2 mm to about 3 mm, such as about 20 mm to about 30 mm, to about 23 mm to about 30 mm, such as about 26 mm to about 30 mm. The longer length of the conical wall 260 can achieve a blocking effect for reducing the purified gas entering the upper processing volume 136a. The shorter length of the conical wall 260 can achieve a flow effect for increasing the purified gas entering the upper processing volume 136a.The inner portion 302 and the outer portion 304 are continuous between the intersection of the inner surface 328 and the bottom surface 334 and extend a vertical length 308 to the top surface 326. The vertical length 316 is from about 1 mm to about 21.8 mm, such as from about 1.4 mm to about 12 mm, such as from about 1.6 mm to about 7 mm, such as from about 1.6 mm to about 4 mm, such as from about 1.6 to about 2 mm, such as about 1.8 mm. The inner portion 302 has a height 308 of from about 1 mm to about 23.2 mm, such as from about 2.1 mm to about 13.2 mm, such as from about 2.5 mm to about 10 mm, such as from about 2.6 mm to about 7.5 mm, such as from about 2.7 mm to about 5 mm, such as from about 2.8 mm to about 4 mm, such as from about 2.9 mm to about 3.5 mm, such as from about 3 mm to about 3.4 mm, such as about 3.2 mm. The inner portion 302 has a length 324 of from about 10 mm to about 70 mm, such as from about 20 mm to about 60 mm, such as from about 25 mm to about 55 mm, such as from about 30 mm to about 50 mm, such as from about 35 mm to about 45 mm, such as from about 37 mm to about 43 mm, such as about 40 mm. The starting point 336 of the conical wall 260 is located on the bottom surface 334, and the end point 210 of the conical wall 260 is located on the top surface 326. The horizontal length 322 between the starting point 336 and the end point 210 is from about 1.5 mm to about 5.5 mm, such as from about 2 mm to about 5 mm, such as from about 2.5 mm to about 4.5 mm, such as from about 2.5 mm to about 4 mm, such as from about 2.5 mm to about 3.5 mm, such as from about 2.8 mm to about 3.2 mm, such as about 3 mm. The horizontal length 322 and the conical wall 260 define an angle 220 of from about 1 degree to about 89 degrees, such as an angle of from 5 degrees to about 85 degrees, such as an angle of from about 10 degrees to about 80 degrees, such as an angle of from about 15 degrees to about 75 degrees, such as an angle of from about 20 degrees to about 70 degrees, such as an angle of from about 25 degrees to about 65 degrees, such as an angle of from about 30 degrees to about 60 degrees, such as an angle of from about 35 degrees to about 55 degrees, such as an angle of from about 40 degrees to about 50 degrees, such as about 45 degrees, such as greater than about 1 degree angle, greater than about 5 degree angle, greater than about 10 degree angle, greater than about 15 degree angle, greater than about 20 degree angle, greater than about 25 degree angle, greater than about 30 degree angle, greater than about 35 degree angle, greater than about 40 degree angle, greater than about 45 degree angle, greater than about 50 degree angle, greater than about 55 degree angle, greater than about 60 degree angle, greater than about 65 degree angle, greater than about 70 degree angle, greater than about 75 degree angle, greater than about 80 degree angle, greater than about 85 degree angle, such as less than about 80 degree angle, less than about 75 degree angle, less than about 70 degree angle, less than about 65 degree angle, less than about 60 degree angle, less than about 55 degree angle, less than about 50 degree angle, less than about 45 degree angle, less than about 40 degree angle, less than about 35 degree angle, less than about 30 degree angle, less than about 25 degree angle, less than about 20 degree angle, less than about 15 degree angle, less than about 10 degree angle, less than about 5 degree angle. It should be understood that the angle 220 can geometrically change the described length or height.The body 301 is shown as having a curved edge 314. In some embodiments, the radius of the circular edge is from about 0.1 mm to about 5.5 mm, such as from about 0.3 mm to about 3 mm, such as from about 0.5 mm to about 1 mm, such as from about 0.5 mm to about 0.75 mm, such as about 0.5 mm. In other embodiments, the edge 314 is chamfered. The shape of the preheating ring 166 of FIG. 3 is shown as having a substantially "L" - shaped cross - sectional shape. However, it is contemplated that the body 301 may incorporate other geometric features, including but not limited to keyways for positioning and longer or shorter tapered features. In some embodiments, the thermal mass of the inner portion 302 of the body 301 exceeds the thermal mass of the outer portion 304 of the preheating ring 166. Similarly, the thermal mass of the preheating ring 166 disposed above the plane extending along the bottom surface 334 is greater than the thermal mass of the preheating ring 166 disposed below the bottom surface 334. FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the preheating ring 166 according to one embodiment. The preheating ring 166 is annular and includes the features discussed above, such as the top surface 326, the end point 210 of the tapered wall 260, the inner surface 328, and the outer surface 330. The preheating ring 166 may be made of graphite (such as carbon graphite). In some embodiments, the preheating ring 166 is coated with silicon carbide (SiC). The preheating ring 166 is capable of handling conditions above about 1300 degrees Celsius without warping, such as from about 900 degrees Celsius to about 1300 degrees Celsius, such as from about 1000 degrees Celsius to about 1295 degrees Celsius, such as from about 1200 degrees Celsius to about 1290 degrees Celsius, such as from about 1250 degrees Celsius to about 1285 degrees Celsius, such as from about 1270 degrees Celsius to about 1280 degrees Celsius. The preheating ring 166 has an inner diameter of 90 millimeters (mm) to about 400 mm and an outer diameter of about 200 mm to about 500 mm. FIG. 5 is an enlarged schematic cross-sectional view of the preheating assembly 500. The preheating assembly 500 includes a preheating ring 166 and a substrate support 106. In the example shown in FIG. 5, each of the preheating ring 166 and the substrate support 106 has a tapered edge. In some embodiments, the substrate support 106 may have an upper surface 502, a lower surface 504, and a radially outward surface 506. The outer surface 506 connects the upper surface 502 and the lower surface 504 to define a disk shape. The upper surface 502 may be substantially flat or may include grooves to position the substrate 102 thereon and / or therein. In some embodiments, the upper surface 502 is parallel to the lower surface 504 and spaced a length 508 of about 2 mm to about 25 mm, such as about 3 mm to about 15 mm, such as about 4 mm to about 10 mm, such as about 5 mm to about 7 mm, such as about 5 mm. In some embodiments, the radially outward surface 506 may have a taper substantially parallel to the tapered wall 260 of the preheating ring 166. In some embodiments, the radially outward surface 506 may have an angle 516 greater than the angle 220 such that the gap 280 narrows in the direction of the upper surface 502, thereby causing a constriction (i.e., restriction) of the gap 280. The constriction in the gap 280 advantageously blocks the purge gas flow through the gap 280, thereby controlling the amount of purge gas flowing into the upper processing volume 136a. In some examples, the angle 516 may be from about 1 degree to about 89 degrees, such as an angle of 5 degrees to about 85 degrees, such as an angle of about 10 degrees to about 80 degrees, such as an angle of about 15 degrees to about 75 degrees, such as an angle of about 20 degrees to about 70 degrees, such as an angle of about 25 degrees to about 65 degrees, such as an angle of about 30 degrees to about 60 degrees, such as an angle of about 35 degrees to about 55 degrees, such as an angle of about 40 degrees to about 50 degrees, such as about 45 degrees, such as greater than about 1 degree angle, greater than about 5 degrees angle, greater than about 10 degrees angle, greater than about 15 degrees angle, greater than about 20 degrees angle, greater than about 25 degrees angle, greater than about 30 degrees angle, greater than about 35 degrees angle, greater than about 40 degrees angle, greater than about 45 degrees angle, greater than about 50 degrees angle, greater than about 55 degrees angle, greater than about 60 degrees angle, greater than about 65 degrees angle, greater than about 70 degrees angle, greater than about 75 degrees angle, greater than about 80 degrees angle, greater than about 85 degrees angle, such as less than about 80 degrees angle, less than about 75 degrees angle, less than about 70 degrees angle, less than about 65 degrees angle, less than about 60 degrees angle, less than about 55 degrees angle, less than about 50 degrees angle, less than about 45 degrees angle, less than about 40 degrees angle, less than about 35 degrees angle, less than about 30 degrees angle, less than about 25 degrees angle, less than about 20 degrees angle, less than about 15 degrees angle, less than about 10 degrees angle, less than about 5 degrees angle.The radially outward surface 506 may have a length of from about 1 mm to about 30 mm, such as from about 1 mm to about 25 mm, such as from about 1 mm to about 20, such as from about 1 mm to about 16 mm, such as from about 1 mm to about 10 mm, such as from about 1 mm to about 5 mm, such as from about 1 mm to about 3 mm, such as from about 2 mm to about 30 mm, such as from about 3 mm to about 30 mm, such as from about 5 mm to about 30 mm, such as from about 10 mm to about 30 mm, such as from about 16 mm to about 30 mm, such as from about 20 mm to about 30 mm, such as from about 25 mm to about 30 mm, such as greater than about 1 mm, greater than about 2 mm, greater than about 3 mm, greater than about 5 mm, greater than about 10 mm, greater than about 16 mm, greater than about 20 mm, greater than about 25 mm, greater than about 29 mm, such as less than about 30 mm, less than about 25 mm, less than about 20 mm, less than about 16 mm, less than about 10 mm, less than about 5 mm, less than about 3, less than about 2 mm, less than about 1.5 mm, such as from about 5 mm to about 20 mm, such as from about 7 mm to about 18 mm, such as from about 10 mm to about 16 mm, such as from about 2 mm to about 10 mm, such as from about 2 mm to about 7 mm, such as from about 2 mm to about 5 mm, such as from about 2 mm to about 3 mm, such as from about 20 mm to about 30 mm, to from about 23 mm to about 30 mm, such as from about 26 mm to about 30 mm. The radially outward surface 506 may have a horizontal length 510 of from about 1.5 mm to about 5.5 mm, such as from about 2 mm to about 5 mm, such as from about 2.5 mm to about 4.5 mm, such as from about 2.5 mm to about 4 mm, such as from about 2.5 mm to about 3.5 mm, such as from about 2.8 mm to about 3.2 mm, such as about 3 mm. Although the radially outward surface 506 is shown as extending to the curved endpoint 512 near the outermost surface of the substrate support 106, it is contemplated that the endpoint 512 may be circular, curved, concave, or convex, shaped like a gear (e.g., a gear), substantially flat, chamfered, etc., or some combination thereof. In one or more embodiments, the endpoint 512 is disposed below the preheat ring 166. The overlap 570 horizontally defined between the endpoint 512 of the substrate support 106 and the endpoint 210 of the preheat ring 166 facilitates the gas to travel along the purge gas flow path 222 (FIG. 2) to maintain an angled trajectory while enabling the substrate support to move upward toward the preheat ring 166 for processing. In some embodiments, the gap 280 between the overlapping preheat ring 166 and the substrate support 106 is narrowed by the upward movement of the substrate support, such that the purge flow through the gap 280 is blocked. Blocking the purge gas flow controls (e.g., reduces) the amount of purge gas flow entering the upper processing volume 136a. The edge 514 of the substrate support 106 is circular, having a radius of from about 0.1 mm to about 5.5 mm, such as from about 0.3 mm to about 3 mm, such as from about 0.5 to about 1 mm, such as from about 0.5 mm to about 0.75 mm, such as about 0.5 mm. In some embodiments, the edge 514 is chamfered. All numerical values are indicative of values that are "about" or "approximate" and take into account experimental error and variations that would be expected by a person of ordinary skill in the art. For example, + or - 10% of the indicated value can be used to describe the term "about" or "approximate". In another example, + or - 10% degrees are used to describe experimental error and variations for angles, such as the terms "substantially flat" or "substantially parallel". Although the foregoing is directed to embodiments of the present disclosure, other and further embodiments of the present disclosure may be devised without departing from the basic scope thereof, and the scope of the present disclosure is determined by the appended claims. 100: Processing chamber 102: Substrate 106: Substrate support 107: Lift pin hole 108: Upper transmission window 110: Transmission window 112: Flow module 114: Processing gas inlet 116: Exhaust outlet 118: Shaft 120: Controller 121: Motion component 122: Rotary actuator 124: Vertical actuator 126: Tilt adjustment device 128: Lateral adjustment device 132: Pin 134: Pin stopper 135: Memory 136: Processing volume 137: Support circuit 141: Upper lamp 143: Lower lamp 145: Lamp assembly 146: Mask 148: Main body 149: Support ring 150: Top surface 151: Processing gas source 152: Ground 153: Sensor 154: Cover 155: Support ring 155: Support ring 156: Upper main body 157: Exhaust pump 158: Top surface 159: CPU 162: Purge gas source 163: Lining 164: Purge gas inlet 165: Purge gas inlet 166: Preheating ring 168: Heater 180: Center line 200: Preheating ring assembly 202: Gas inlet surface 210: End point 212: Flow path 220: Angle 222: Purge gas flow path 250: Resultant gas flow 260: Conical wall 270: Overlap 272: Outermost edge 280: Gap 301: Conical body 302: Inner part 304: Outer part 306: Height 308: Height 310: Length 314: Edge 316: Vertical length 318: Length 322: Horizontal length 324: Length 326: Top surface 328: Inner surface 330: Outer surface 332: Bottom surface 334: Bottom surface 336: Starting point 500: Preheating assembly 136a: Upper processing volume 136b: Processing volume 502: Upper surface 504: Lower surface 506: Radially outward surface 516: Angle 512: End point 570: Overlap 514: Edge In order to understand in detail the manner of the above-described features of the present disclosure, a more specific description of the present disclosure briefly summarized above can be obtained by referring to the embodiments, some of which are shown in the accompanying drawings. However, it should be noted that the accompanying drawings only show exemplary embodiments and should not be regarded as limiting the scope, and other equivalent embodiments are allowed. FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional side view of a processing chamber according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 2 is a partial schematic cross-sectional view of a processing chamber according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a preheating ring according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a preheating ring according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 5 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a preheating assembly according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. For ease of understanding, wherever 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 may be beneficially incorporated into other embodiments without further recitation. Domestic deposit information (please note in the order of deposit institution, date, number) None Foreign deposit information (please note in the order of deposit country, institution, date, number) None 102: Substrate 106: Substrate support 108: Upper transmission window 112: Flow module 114: Process gas inlet 136a: Upper processing volume 136b: Processing volume 146: Mask 149: Upper support ring 155: Support ring 156: Upper body 163: Lining 164: Purge gas inlet 166: Preheating ring 200: Preheating ring assembly 202: Gas inlet surface 212: Flow path 220: Angle 222: Purge gas flow path 250: Resultant gas flow 260: Conical wall 270: Overlap 272: Outermost edge 280: Gap

Claims

1. A processing chamber for film deposition, comprising: A processing chamber having a single chamber volume; A substrate support is disposed in the cavity volume, and the substrate support has a radially outward surface; and a preheating ring surrounding the substrate support, the preheating ring including: a tapered wall facing the radially outward surface, the tapered wall narrowing toward a top surface of the preheating ring and toward the substrate support.

2. The processing chamber as claimed in claim 1, wherein the radially outward surface of the substrate support is substantially flat.

3. The processing chamber as claimed in claim 1, wherein the conical wall is substantially flat.

4. The processing chamber as claimed in claim 1, wherein the conical wall is substantially parallel to the radially outward surface.

5. The processing chamber as claimed in claim 4, wherein the top surface is substantially flat.

6. The processing chamber as claimed in claim 1, wherein the preheating ring further comprises: A top surface; An outer bottom surface disposed parallel to the top surface; an outer wall extending between the top surface and the outer bottom surface; An inner wall, which is disposed substantially parallel to the outer wall and extends from the outer bottom surface toward the top surface, at least a portion of the top surface extending radially inward from the inner wall; and an inner bottom surface, which is disposed substantially parallel to the outer bottom surface and extends radially inward from the inner wall.

7. The processing chamber as claimed in claim 6, wherein the conical wall extends between the top surface and the inner bottom surface of the preheating ring.

8. The processing chamber as claimed in claim 7, wherein the conical wall extends relative to the plane of the inner bottom surface at an angle greater than 0 degrees and less than 90 degrees, and the conical wall has a length of about 1 millimeter (mm) to about 30 millimeters (mm).

9. A preheating ring for a substrate processing chamber, the preheating ring comprising: The preheating ring has an annular body comprising: a top surface; an outer bottom surface disposed parallel to the top surface; an outer wall extending between the top surface and the outer bottom surface; an inner wall disposed substantially parallel to the outer wall and extending from the outer bottom surface toward the top surface, at least a portion of the top surface extending radially inward from the inner wall; an inner bottom surface disposed substantially parallel to the outer bottom surface and extending radially inward from the inner wall; and a conical wall extending between the top surface and the inner bottom surface, the conical wall forming an angle greater than 0 degrees and less than 90 degrees relative to the inner bottom surface, the length of the conical wall being approximately 1 millimeter (mm) to approximately 30 mm.

10. The preheating ring as claimed in claim 9, wherein the conical wall is about 1 mm to about 16 mm.

11. The preheating ring as claimed in claim 9, wherein the top surface is substantially flat.

12. The preheating ring as claimed in claim 9, wherein the top surface has a length of about 30 mm to about 70 mm.

13. The preheating ring as claimed in claim 9, wherein the conical wall is at an angle of about 20 degrees to about 70 degrees.

14. The preheating ring as claimed in claim 9, wherein the ring body is made of graphite.

15. The preheating ring as claimed in claim 14, wherein the ring body is composed of silicon carbide-coated carbon graphite.

16. The preheating ring as claimed in claim 9, wherein a thermal mass between a plane aligned with the inner bottom surface and the top surface is greater than a thermal mass between the plane aligned with the inner bottom surface and the outer bottom surface.

17. The preheating ring as claimed in claim 9, wherein a thermal mass between a plane aligned with the inner wall and the outer wall is less than a thermal mass between the plane aligned with the inner wall and an intersection of the top surface and the conical wall.

18. The preheating ring as claimed in claim 9, wherein the annular body has an outer diameter of about 200 mm to about 500 mm.

19. The preheating ring as claimed in claim 9, wherein the ring body has an inner diameter of about 90 mm to about 400 mm.

20. The preheating ring as claimed in claim 9, wherein a length of the top surface is longer than a combined length of the inner bottom surface and the outer bottom surface.

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