Multi-zone heater with minimum RF loss and method therefor

Abstract

An exemplary substrate support assembly may include an electrostatic chuck body defining a substrate support surface that defines a substrate holder. The substrate support assembly may include a support handle coupled to the electrostatic chuck body. The substrate support assembly may include an upper heater embedded within the electrostatic chuck body. The upper heater may include a central heater region and one or more annular heater regions concentric with the central heater region. The substrate support assembly may include a lower heater embedded within the electrostatic chuck body at a location below the upper heater. The lower heater may include a plurality of arcuate heater regions.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application claims the benefit and priority of U.S. nonprovisional application No. 17 / 371,592, filed July 9, 2021, entitled “Multi-zone heater with minimal RF loss,” the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety for all purposes.

[0002] This technology relates to components and apparatus for semiconductor manufacturing. More specifically, this technology relates to substrate support assemblies and other semiconductor processing equipment. Prior Technology

[0003] Integrated circuits are made possible through processes that create complex patterned material layers on the surface of a substrate. The production of patterned materials on a substrate requires controlled methods for material formation and removal. The temperatures during these processes can directly affect the final product. Substrate temperature is typically controlled and maintained by components that support the substrate during processing. Internal heating devices can generate heat within the support, and this heat can be conductively transferred to the substrate. In some technologies, substrate supports can also be used to generate substrate-level plasma and electrostatically attach the substrate to the support. Plasma generated near the substrate can lead to component bombardment and the formation of parasitic plasma in unfavorable areas of the chamber. These conditions can also cause discharges between the electrodes of the substrate support. Furthermore, the use of a substrate to generate heat and plasma can lead to interference effects.

[0004] Because various processing steps can utilize increased temperatures and the formation of substrate-level plasma, the constituent materials of the substrate support may be exposed to temperatures that affect the electrical operation of the component. Therefore, there is a need for improved systems and methods for producing high-quality components and structures. This technology addresses these and other needs. Summary of the Invention

[0005] An exemplary substrate support assembly may include an electrostatic chuck body defining a substrate support surface defining a substrate holder. The substrate support assembly may include a support stem coupled to the electrostatic chuck body. The substrate support assembly may include an upper heater embedded within the electrostatic chuck body. The upper heater may include a central heater region and one or more annular heater regions concentric with the central heater region. The substrate support assembly may include a lower heater embedded within the electrostatic chuck body below the upper heater. The lower heater may include a plurality of arcuate heater regions.

[0006] In some embodiments, the substrate support assembly may include a plurality of AC power rods extending through a support handle, each of the plurality of heater power rods being electrically coupled to a corresponding heater area. Each of the plurality of heater power rods may be spaced at least 2 mm apart within the support handle. The substrate support assembly may include an RF rod extending through the support handle and electrically coupled to an electrostatic chuck body. The RF rod may be spaced at least 3 mm apart within the support handle from each of the plurality of heating rods. The substrate support assembly may include a first heater return rod coupled to each of a central heater area and one or more annular heater areas. The substrate support assembly may include a second heater return rod coupled to each of a plurality of arcuate heater areas. A lower heater may be positioned at a distance between approximately 2 mm and 10 mm from the upper heater. The inner edge of each of the plurality of arcuate heater areas may be positioned radially inward of the substrate base. The outer edge of each of the plurality of arcuate heater areas may be positioned at a distance from the center of the substrate base, the center of which is aligned with or radially outward of the peripheral edge of the substrate base.

[0007] Some embodiments of this technology may also cover a substrate support assembly including an electrostatic chuck body that defines a substrate support surface defining a substrate holder. The substrate support assembly may include a support handle coupled to the electrostatic chuck body. The substrate support assembly may include an upper heater embedded within the electrostatic chuck body. The substrate support assembly may include a lower heater embedded within the electrostatic chuck body below the upper heater. The lower heater may include a plurality of lower heater regions.

[0008] In some embodiments, each of the plurality of lower heater regions may include a heating coil. The inner edge of each of the plurality of lower heater regions may be located radially outward at least about 50% of the radius of the substrate base. Each of the plurality of lower heater regions may include an arcuate or wedge-shaped configuration. The plurality of lower heater regions may include at least four lower heater regions. The upper heater may include a plurality of upper heater regions. The plurality of upper heater regions may include a circular heater region and at least two annular circular heater regions located radially outward of the circular heater region. The substrate support assembly may include an RF mesh embedded within an electrostatic chuck body above the upper heater. The plurality of lower heater regions may collectively form an annular shape defining an open central region.

[0009] Some embodiments of this technology may also cover methods for processing a substrate. The method may include heating an upper heater embedded within a substrate support assembly. The method may include heating at least one of a plurality of lower heater regions embedded within the substrate support assembly below the upper heater, and the lower heater includes heating the top surface of the substrate support assembly. The method may include allowing a precursor to flow into a processing chamber. The method may include generating a plasma of the precursor within a processing region of the processing chamber. The method may include depositing material on the substrate. In some embodiments, the upper heater may include a plurality of upper heater regions. Heating the upper heater may include heating at least one of the plurality of upper heater regions. The method may include clamping a semiconductor substrate to a support surface of a substrate platform using a clamping voltage.

[0010] This technology can offer many advantages over conventional systems and techniques. For example, embodiments of this technology can provide substrate supports that can provide better edge heating capabilities to enhance film deposition at wafer edge regions. These and other embodiments, along with their many advantages and features, are described in more detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Simple Explanation of the Diagram

[0011] A further understanding of the nature and advantages of the disclosed technology can be achieved by referring to the remainder of the specification and the accompanying drawings.

[0012] Figure 1A shows a schematic top view of an exemplary processing tool according to some embodiments of the present technology.

[0013] Figure 1B shows a schematic partial cross-sectional view of an exemplary processing system according to some embodiments of the present technology.

[0014] Figure 2 shows a schematic isometric view of the transfer portion of an exemplary substrate processing system according to some embodiments of the present technology.

[0015] Figure 3 shows a schematic partial cross-sectional view of an exemplary semiconductor processing chamber according to some embodiments of the present technology.

[0016] Figure 4 shows a schematic partial cross-sectional view of an exemplary substrate support assembly according to some embodiments of the present technology.

[0017] Figure 5 shows a schematic top view of an exemplary upper heater according to some embodiments of the present technology.

[0018] Figure 6 shows a schematic top view of an exemplary lower heater according to some embodiments of the present technology.

[0019] Figure 7 shows a schematic partial cross-sectional top view of an exemplary substrate support handle according to some embodiments of the present technology.

[0020] Figure 8 illustrates exemplary operations in a processing method according to some embodiments of the present technology.

[0021] Several accompanying drawings are included as illustrations. It should be understood that these drawings are for illustrative purposes and are not intended to be to scale unless otherwise stated. Furthermore, as illustrations, these drawings are provided to aid understanding and may not include all appearances or information compared to actual representations, and may include exaggerated material for illustrative purposes.

[0022] In the accompanying drawings, similar components and / or features may have the same element symbols. Furthermore, various components of the same type can be distinguished by adding letters after the element symbol to differentiate them. If only the first element symbol is used in the specification, the description applies to any similar part having the same first element symbol, regardless of the letter. Implementation

[0023] Plasma-enhanced deposition processes can excite one or more component precursors to promote film formation on a substrate. Any number of material films can be produced to develop semiconductor structures, including conductive and dielectric films, as well as several films that facilitate material transport and removal. For example, a hard mask film can be formed to facilitate substrate patterning while protecting the underlying material for additional retention. In numerous processing chambers, numerous precursors can be mixed in a gas panel and delivered to a processing region within the chamber where the substrate can be positioned. While the components of the capping layer may affect the flow distribution into the processing chamber, many other processing variables can similarly affect the uniformity of deposition.

[0024] As component feature sizes decrease, tolerances on the substrate surface can decrease, and variations in material properties on the film can affect component realization and uniformity. Many chambers include characteristic process signatures, which can introduce residual inhomogeneities on the substrate. Temperature differences, flow pattern uniformity, and other processing characteristics can affect the film on the substrate, resulting in film uniformity variations across the substrate for material production or removal. For example, misalignment of turbulent deposition gas flow and / or baffle orifices and gas chamber panels can lead to uneven flow of the deposition gas. In some cases, the baffle may not distribute the precursor stream uniformly to the edge regions of the substrate. Furthermore, in some embodiments, the substrate support or heater on which the substrate is disposed may include one or more heating mechanisms to heat the substrate. Film deposition can be affected when heat is transferred or lost in different ways between regions of the substrate; for example, hotter portions of the substrate may be characterized by thicker deposition or different film properties relative to colder portions. This temperature inhomogeneity can be attributed to, for example, temperature fluctuations around the pedestal shaft and can particularly affect the edge regions of the substrate.

[0025] This technology can incorporate a substrate support assembly including multiple heaters, each heater comprising multiple heater regions. For example, a substrate support assembly according to some embodiments of this technology may include an upper heater having multiple heater regions designed to mitigate radial film thickness non-uniformity and a lower heater having multiple heater regions designed to mitigate azimuthal film thickness non-uniformity. Each heater region can be independently controllable, thereby enabling precise control of the temperature distribution on the substrate support assembly to minimize hot and cold spots, thereby improving film uniformity on the wafer. Additionally, embodiments may space the heaters apart from each other and sufficiently far from the RF grid to minimize RF coupling losses and / or DC leakage current.

[0026] While the remainder of the disclosure will routinely identify specific deposition processes utilizing the disclosed techniques, it will be readily understood that these systems and methods are equally applicable to other deposition, etching, and cleaning chambers, as well as processes that may occur within the described chambers. Therefore, the techniques should not be considered limited to use with these specific deposition processes or chambers. Before describing additional variations and modifications to the system according to embodiments of the present technology, this disclosure will discuss one possible system and chamber according to embodiments of the present technology, which may include a base according to embodiments of the present technology.

[0027] Figure 1A shows a top view of one embodiment of a substrate processing tool or system 100 with deposition, etching, baking, and curing chambers according to some embodiments of the present technology. In the figure, a set of front-opening unified pods 102 supplies substrates of various sizes, which are received by robotic arms 104a and 104b within a fab interface 103 and placed in a loading gate or low-pressure holding area 106 before being transported to one of the substrate processing areas 108, and located in a chamber system or quad units 109a-c, each of which can be a substrate processing system having a transport area fluidly coupled to a plurality of processing areas 108. Although a quad system is illustrated, it should be understood that platforms combining independent chambers, dual chambers, and other multi-chamber systems are also included in the present technology. A second robotic arm 110, housed in a transfer chamber 112, can be used to transfer a substrate wafer from a holding region 106 to a quadruple section 109 and back, and the second robotic arm 110 can be housed in the transfer chamber, to which each of the quadruple sections or processing systems can be connected. Each substrate processing region 108 can be equipped to perform multiple substrate processing operations, including any number of deposition processes, including cyclic layer deposition, atomic layer deposition, chemical vapor deposition, physical vapor deposition, as well as etching, pre-cleaning, annealing, plasma treatment, degassing, orientation, and other substrate processing.

[0028] Each quad section 109 may include a transfer area that can receive and transfer a substrate from and to the second robotic arm 110. The transfer area of ​​the chamber system may be aligned with a transfer chamber having the second robotic arm 110. In some embodiments, the robot may approach the transfer area laterally. In subsequent operations, components of the transfer section may vertically translate the substrate into the overlying processing area 108. Similarly, the transfer area may also be used to rotate the substrate between locations within each transfer area. The substrate processing area 108 may include any number of system components for depositing, annealing, curing, and / or etching a film of material on the substrate or wafer. In one configuration, two sets of processing areas (e.g., the processing areas in quad sections 109a and 109b) may be used to deposit material on the substrate, while a third set of processing chambers (e.g., the processing chambers or areas in quad section 109c) may be used to cure, anneal, or process the deposited film. In another configuration, all three sets of chambers (e.g., all twelve chambers shown) may be configured to deposit and / or cure films on the substrate.

[0029] As shown, the second robotic arm 110 may include two arms for simultaneously transporting and / or retrieving multiple substrates. For example, each quad section 109 may include two inlets 107 along the surface of the housing of the transport area, which may be laterally aligned with the second robotic arm. The inlets and outlets may be defined along a surface adjacent to the transport chamber 112. In some embodiments, such as those shown, the first inlet and outlet may be aligned with a first substrate support among a plurality of substrate supports in the quad section. Furthermore, the second inlet and outlet may be aligned with a second substrate support among a plurality of substrate supports in the quad section. In some embodiments, the first substrate support may be adjacent to the second substrate support, and the two substrate supports may define a first column of substrate supports. As shown in the configuration, the second column of substrate supports may be positioned after the first column of substrate supports, laterally outward from the transport chamber 112. The two arms of the second robotic arm 110 may be spaced apart to allow both arms to simultaneously enter the quad section or chamber system to transport or retrieve one or two substrates to substrate supports within the transport area.

[0030] Any one or more transport regions described may be combined with additional chambers separate from the manufacturing systems shown in the different embodiments. It should be understood that processing system 100 envisions additional configurations of chambers for the deposition, etching, annealing, and curing of material films. Furthermore, any number of other processing systems may be used in conjunction with this technology, which may be combined with a transport system for performing any particular operation (e.g., substrate movement). In some embodiments, a processing system that can provide access to multiple processing chamber regions while maintaining a vacuum environment in each portion (e.g., the aforementioned holding and transport regions) may allow operations to be performed in multiple chambers while maintaining a specific vacuum environment between discrete processes.

[0031] Figure 1B shows a schematic cross-sectional front view of one embodiment of an exemplary processing tool (e.g., a through-chamber system) according to some embodiments of the present technology. Figure 1B may illustrate a cross-sectional view through any two adjacent processing regions 108 of any four-part section 109. The front view may illustrate the configuration or fluid coupling of one or more processing regions 108 with a transfer region 120. For example, a continuous transfer region 120 may be defined by a transfer region housing 125. The housing may define an open internal volume in which a plurality of substrate supports 130 may be disposed. For example, as shown in Figure 1A, the exemplary processing system may include four or more substrate supports 130 distributed within the housing surrounding the transfer regions. The substrate supports may be a base as shown, but many other configurations may also be used. In some embodiments, the base may be vertically translated between the transfer region 120 and the processing region covering the transfer region. The substrate supports may be vertically translated along a path between a first position and a second position within the chamber system along the central axis of the substrate supports. Therefore, in some embodiments, each substrate support 130 may be axially aligned with the overlay processing area 108 defined by one or more chamber components.

[0032] An open transfer area can provide the transfer device 135 (e.g., a turntable) with the ability to engage and move (e.g., rotate) substrates between various substrate supports. The transfer device 135 can rotate about a central axis. This allows substrates to be positioned within any processing area 108 of the processing system for processing. The transfer device 135 may include one or more end actuators that can engage substrates from above, below, or engage the outer edges of substrates to move around substrate supports. The transfer device may receive substrates from a transfer chamber robot, such as the previously described robot 110. The transfer device can then rotate the substrates to alternative substrate supports to facilitate the transfer of additional substrates.

[0033] Once positioned and awaiting processing, the transfer device can position end actuators or arms between substrate supports, allowing the substrate supports to be lifted through the transfer device 135 and the substrate to be transferred into processing area 108, which can be vertically offset from the transfer area. For example, as shown, substrate support 130a can transfer the substrate into processing area 108a, while substrate support 130b can transfer the substrate into processing area 108b. This can occur with other substrate supports and processing areas, as well as additional substrate supports and processing areas in embodiments that include additional processing areas. In this configuration, when operatively engaged to process the substrate (e.g., in a second position), the substrate supports can at least partially define the processing area 108 from below, and the processing area can be axially aligned with the associated substrate support. The processing area can be defined from above by panel 140 and other overlay components. In some embodiments, each processing area can have a separate overlay component, although in some embodiments the components can accommodate multiple processing areas 108. Based on this configuration, in some embodiments, each processing region 108 may be fluidly coupled to the delivery region while being fluidly isolated from above from each other processing region within the chamber system or quadruple section.

[0034] In some embodiments, panel 140 may operate as an electrode of the system for generating localized plasma within processing region 108. As shown, each processing region may utilize or incorporate a separate panel. For example, panel 140a may be included to define processing region 108a from above, and panel 140b may be included to define processing region 108b from above. In some embodiments, a substrate support may serve as a mating electrode for generating capacitively coupled plasma between the panel and the substrate support. Depending on the volumetric geometry, pumping liner 145 may define processing region 108 at least partially radially or laterally. Similarly, a separate pumping liner may be used for each processing region. For example, pumping liner 145a may define processing region 108a at least partially radially, and pumping liner 145b may define processing region 108b at least partially radially. In embodiments, baffle 150 may be positioned between cover 155 and panel 140, and may again include a separate baffle to facilitate fluid distribution within each processing region. For example, a baffle plate 150a may be included for distribution to the processing area 108a, and a baffle plate 150b may be included for distribution to the processing area 108b.

[0035] Cover 155 may be a separate component for each processing region, or may include one or more common types. In some embodiments, cover 155 may be one of two separate covers for the system. For example, a first cover 158 may be mounted on a transfer region housing 125. The transfer region housing may define an open volume, and the first cover 158 may include a plurality of holes through the cover to divide the overlying volume into specific processing regions. In some embodiments, as illustrated, cover 155 may be a second cover and may be a single component defining a plurality of holes 160 for delivering fluid to the respective processing regions. For example, cover 155 may define a first hole 160a for delivering fluid to processing region 108a, and cover 155 may define a second hole 160b for delivering fluid to processing region 108b. Additional holes may be defined for additional processing regions within each portion (when included). In some embodiments, each quad section 109 or multiple processing region portion that can accommodate more or fewer than four substrates may include one or more distal plasma units 165 for delivering plasma effluent into the processing chamber. In some embodiments, a separate plasma unit may be incorporated into each chamber treatment area, although fewer distal plasma units may be used in some embodiments. For example, as shown, a single distal plasma unit 165 may be used for multiple chambers, such as two, three, four or more chambers, up to all chambers of a particular quadruple section. In embodiments of this technology, conduits may extend from the distal plasma unit 165 to each orifice 160 for delivering plasma effluent for treatment or cleaning.

[0036] In some embodiments, the purification channel 170 may extend through or near the transfer area housing of each substrate support 130. For example, a plurality of purification channels may extend through the transfer area housing to provide fluid inlets and outlets for fluid-coupled purification gases to deliver them into the transfer area. The number of purification channels may be the same or different, including more or less than the number of substrate supports within the processing system. For example, the purification channel 170 may extend through the transfer area housing below each substrate support. In the case of the two substrate supports 130 illustrated, a first purification channel 170a may extend through the housing near substrate support 130a, and a second purification channel 170b may extend through the housing near substrate support 130b. It should be understood that any additional substrate support may similarly have a vertical purification channel extending through the transfer area housing to provide purification gas into the transfer area.

[0037] As the purified gas is delivered through one or more purification channels, it can similarly exit through the pumping liner 145, which provides all exit paths from the treatment system. Therefore, in some embodiments, both the treatment precursor and the purified gas can exit through the pumping liner. The purified gas can flow upwards to the associated pumping liner; for example, purified gas flowing through purification channel 170b can exit the treatment system from the pumping liner 145b.

[0038] As indicated, processing system 100 (or more specifically, a quadruple or chamber system combining processing system 100 or other processing systems) may include a transfer portion located below the illustrated processing chamber region. Figure 2 shows a schematic isometric view of the transfer portion of an exemplary chamber system 200 according to some embodiments of the present technology. Figure 2 may illustrate additional features or variations of the transfer region 120 described above and may include any components or features described. The illustrated system may include a transfer region housing 205 defining a transfer region in which a plurality of components may be included. The transfer region may be additionally defined from above at least in part by a processing chamber or a processing region fluidly coupled to the transfer region, such as the processing chamber region 108 shown in quadruple 109 of Figure 1A. The sidewalls of the transfer region housing may define one or more access positions 207 through which substrates can be transferred and retrieved, for example, via a second robotic arm 110 as described above. The entry / exit position 207 may be a slit valve or other sealable entry / exit position, which in some embodiments includes a door or other sealing mechanism to provide a sealed environment within the transfer area housing 205. Although two such entry / exit positions 207 are shown, it should be understood that in some embodiments, only a single entry / exit position 207 and entry / exit positions on multiple sides of the transfer area housing may be included. It should also be understood that the dimensions of the illustrated transfer portion can be configured to accommodate any substrate size, including substrates of 200 mm, 300 mm, 450 mm or larger or smaller, including substrates characterized by any number of geometries or shapes.

[0039] Within the transfer area housing 205, there may be a plurality of substrate supports 210 positioned around the volume of the transfer area. Although four substrate supports are illustrated, it should be understood that any number of substrate supports are similarly included in embodiments of the present invention. For example, according to embodiments of the present invention, more than or about three, four, five, six, eight or more substrate supports 210 may be accommodated in the transfer area. A second robotic arm 110 may transport substrates to one or both of substrate supports 210a or 210b through inlet / outlet 207. Similarly, the second robotic arm 110 may retrieve substrates from these locations. A lifting pin 212 may protrude from the substrate support 210 and may allow the robot to access beneath the substrate. In some embodiments, the lifting pin may be fixed to the substrate support, or fixed in a position where the substrate support may be recessed downwards, or the lifting pin may additionally be raised or lowered through the substrate support. The substrate support 210 may be vertically translatable and, in some embodiments, may extend into the processing chamber region of the substrate processing system, such as processing chamber region 108 located above the transfer area housing 205.

[0040] The transfer area housing 205 can provide an inlet / outlet 215 for an alignment system, which may include an aligner that can extend through a hole in the transfer area housing as shown and can operate with a laser, camera, or other protruding monitoring element or be transmitted through an adjacent hole. This can determine whether the substrate being translated is correctly aligned. The transfer area housing 205 may also include a transfer device 220 that can operate in various ways to position substrates and move substrates between various substrate supports. In one example, the transfer device 220 can move substrates on substrate supports 210a and 210b to substrate supports 210c and 210d, which can allow additional substrates to be transferred into the transfer chamber. Additional transfer operations may include rotating substrates between substrate supports for additional processing in overlapping processing areas.

[0041] The conveying device 220 may include a central hub 225, which may include one or more shafts extending into the conveying chamber. An end actuator 235 may be coupled to the shafts. The end actuator 235 may include a plurality of arms 237 extending radially or laterally outward from the central hub. Although an arm is shown extending from a central body, the end actuator may additionally include individual arms, each coupled to a shaft or the central hub in various embodiments. Any number of arms may be included in embodiments of the art. In some embodiments, the number of arms 237 may be similar to or equal to the number of substrate supports 210 included in the chamber. Thus, as shown, for four substrate supports, the conveying device 220 may include four arms extending from the end actuators. The arms may be characterized by any number of shapes and profiles, such as straight or curved profiles, and include any number of distal profiles, including hooks, loops, forks, or other designs for supporting substrates and / or providing access to substrates, such as for alignment or engagement.

[0042] End actuator 235 or components or portions thereof may be used to contact the substrate during transfer or movement. These components and end actuators may be made of or comprise a variety of materials, including conductive and / or insulating materials. In some embodiments, these materials may be coated or plated to withstand contact with precursors or other chemicals that may enter the transfer chamber from the upper processing chamber.

[0043] Furthermore, materials can be provided or selected to withstand other environmental characteristics, such as temperature. In some embodiments, a substrate support can be used to heat a substrate disposed on the support. The substrate support can be configured to raise the surface or substrate temperature to greater than or about 100°C, greater than or about 200°C, greater than or about 300°C, greater than or about 400°C, greater than or about 500°C, greater than or about 600°C, greater than or about 700°C, greater than or about 800°C, or higher. Any of these temperatures can be maintained during operation, so that components of the conveying device 220 can be exposed to any of these specified or included temperatures. Therefore, in some embodiments, any material can be selected to adapt to these temperature states, and materials such as ceramics and metals, characterized by relatively low coefficients of thermal expansion or other beneficial properties, can be included.

[0044] Component couplers can also be used in high-temperature and / or corrosive environments. For example, in cases where both the end actuator and the end portion are ceramic, the coupler may include press-fit fittings, snap-fit ​​fittings, or other fittings that may not include other materials (e.g., bolts) that may expand and contract with temperature, potentially causing cracking of the ceramic. In some embodiments, the end portion may be continuous with the end actuator and may be integrally formed with the end actuator. Any number of other materials that may facilitate operation or resistance during operation can be used and are similarly covered by this technology.

[0045] Figure 3 illustrates a schematic partial cross-sectional view of an exemplary semiconductor processing chamber 300 according to some embodiments of the present technology. Figure 3 may include one or more components discussed above with respect to Figure 2 and may illustrate further details relating to the chamber. The chamber 300 may be used to perform semiconductor processing operations, including the deposition of dielectric material stacks as previously described. The chamber 300 may show a partial view of a processing region of a semiconductor processing system and may not include all components (e.g., the additional capping components described above), which are understood to be included in some embodiments of the chamber 300.

[0046] As described above, Figure 3 illustrates a portion of a processing chamber 300. The chamber 300 may include a nozzle 305 and a substrate support assembly 310. Together with the chamber sidewalls 315, the nozzle 305 and the substrate support 310 may define a substrate processing area 320 in which plasma can be generated. The substrate support assembly may include an electrostatic chuck body 325, which may include one or more components embedded or disposed within the body. In some embodiments, the components contained within the top disc may not be exposed to the processing material and may be completely retained within the chuck body 325. The electrostatic chuck body 325 may define a substrate support surface 327 and may be characterized by its thickness and length or diameter, depending on the specific geometry of the chuck body. In some embodiments, the chuck body may be elliptical and may be characterized by one or more radial dimensions passing through the chuck body from a central axis. It should be understood that the top discs may be of any geometry, and when discussing radial dimensions, they may define any length starting from the center position of the chuck body.

[0047] The electrostatic chuck body 325 may be coupled to a shank 330, which may support the chuck body and may include channels for conveying and receiving electrical and / or fluid lines that may be coupled to internal components of the chuck body 325. The chuck body 325 may include associated channels or components for operation as an electrostatic chuck, although in some embodiments this component may serve as or include components for a vacuum chuck or any other type of chuck system. The shank 330 may be coupled to the chuck body on a second surface opposite the substrate support surface. In some embodiments, the electrostatic chuck body 325 may be formed of a conductive material (e.g., a metal like aluminum or any other material that is thermally and / or electrically conductive) and may be coupled to a power source (e.g., a DC power source, a pulsed DC power source, an RF bias power source, a pulsed RF source, or a bias power source, or a combination of these or other power sources) through a filter, which may be an impedance matching circuit to enable the electrostatic chuck body 325 to operate as an electrode. In other embodiments, the top of the electrostatic chuck body 325 may be formed of a dielectric material. In such embodiments, the electrostatic chuck body 325 may include a separate electrode. For example, the electrostatic chuck body 325 may include a first bipolar electrode 335a, which may be embedded within the chuck body near the substrate support surface. Electrode 335a may be electrically coupled to a DC power supply 340a. Power supply 340a may be configured to provide energy or voltage to the conductive chuck electrode 335a. This can be operated to form a precursor plasma within the processing region 320 of the semiconductor processing chamber 300, although other plasma operations can be similarly maintained. For example, electrode 335a may also serve as a clamping mesh electrically grounded for a capacitive plasma system including an RF source 307 electrically coupled to a nozzle 305. For example, electrode 335a may serve as a ground path for the RF power supply from the RF source 307, while also serving as an electrical bias voltage to the substrate to electrostatically clamp the substrate to the substrate support surface. Power supply 340a may include filters, power supplies, and a plurality of other electrical components configured to provide clamping voltage.

[0048] The electrostatic chuck body may also include a second bipolar electrode 335b, which may also be embedded within the chuck body near the substrate support surface. Electrode 335b may be electrically coupled to a DC power supply 340b. Power supply 340b may be configured to provide energy or voltage to the conductive chuck electrode 335b. Furthermore, electrical components and details regarding bipolar clamping according to some embodiments will be further described below, and any design can be implemented using the processing chamber 300. For example, additional plasma-related power supplies or components may be incorporated.

[0049] During operation, the substrate can at least partially contact the substrate support surface of the electrostatic chuck body, which can create a contact gap and substantially generate a capacitive effect between the base surface and the substrate. A voltage can be applied to the contact gap, which can generate an electrostatic force for clamping. Power supplies 340a and 340b can provide charge that migrates from the electrodes to the substrate support surface where it can accumulate, and can generate a charge layer at the substrate with a Coulomb attraction with the opposite charge, and can electrostatically hold the substrate to the substrate support surface of the chuck body. This charge migration can occur through the flow of current through the dielectric material of the chuck body, based on the finite resistance within the dielectric used for Johnsen-Rahbek type clamping, which can be used in some embodiments of this technology.

[0050] The chuck body 325 may also define a recessed region 345 within the substrate support surface, which can provide a recessed pocket in which a substrate can be disposed. The recessed region 345 may be formed in an inner region of the top disk and can be configured to receive a substrate for processing. As shown, the recessed region 345 may include a central region of the electrostatic chuck body and can be sized to accommodate any type of substrate size. The substrate may be located within the recessed region and encompassed by an outer region 347 that surrounds the substrate. In some embodiments, the height of the outer region 347 may be such that the substrate is flush with or recessed below the surface height of the substrate support surface at the outer region 347. In some embodiments, the recessed surface may control edge effects during processing, which can improve deposition uniformity across the entire substrate. In some embodiments, an edge ring may be disposed around the periphery of the top disk and may at least partially define a recess in which the substrate can be disposed. In some embodiments, the surface of the chuck body may be substantially flat, and the edge ring may completely define the recess in which the substrate can be disposed.

[0051] In some embodiments, the electrostatic chuck body 325 and / or handle 330 may be an insulating or dielectric material. For example, oxides, nitrides, carbides, and other materials may be used to form the components. Exemplary materials may include ceramics, including alumina, aluminum nitride, silicon carbide, tungsten carbide, and any other metal or transition metal oxides, nitrides, carbides, borides, or titanates, as well as combinations of these materials and other insulating or dielectric materials. Different grades of ceramic materials may be used to provide composite materials configured to operate within specific temperature ranges; therefore, in some embodiments, different grades of similar ceramic materials may be used for the top disk and handle. In some embodiments, dopants may also be added to modulate electrical properties. Exemplary dopant materials may include yttrium, magnesium, silicon, iron, calcium, chromium, sodium, nickel, copper, zinc, or any number of other elements known to be incorporated into ceramic or dielectric materials.

[0052] The electrostatic chuck body 325 may also include an embedded heater 350 contained within the chuck body. In embodiments, the heater 350 may include a resistance heater or a fluid heater. In some embodiments, the electrode 335 may operate as a heater, but by separating these operations, more individual control can be provided, and extended heater coverage can be provided while limiting the area of ​​plasma formation. The heater 350 may include a polymer heater bonded to or coupled to the chuck body material, although the conductive element may be embedded within the electrostatic chuck body and configured to receive current (e.g., alternating current) to heat the top disk. The current may be delivered through the shank 330 via a channel similar to the DC power supply discussed above. The heater 350 may be coupled to a power supply 365, which may supply current to the resistance heating element to facilitate heating of the associated chuck body and / or substrate. In embodiments, the heater 350 may include multiple heaters, and each heater may be associated with a region of the chuck body; therefore, an exemplary chuck body may include a number of regions similar to or greater than the number of heaters. If present, in some embodiments, the clamping mesh electrode 335 may be positioned between the heater 350 and the substrate support surface 327, and in some embodiments which will be further described below, a distance may be maintained between the electrode and the substrate support surface within the chuck body.

[0053] The heater 350 is capable of regulating the temperature across the electrostatic chuck body 325 and the substrate located on the substrate support surface 327. The heater may have an operating temperature range for heating the chuck body and / or the substrate to above or about 100°C, and the heater may be configured to heat to above or about 125°C, above or about 150°C, above or about 175°C, above or about 200°C, above or about 250°C, above or about 300°C, above or about 350°C, above or about 400°C, above or about 450°C, above or about 500°C, above or about 550°C, above or about 600°C, above or about 650°C, above or about 700°C, above or about 750°C, above or about 800°C, above or about 850°C, above or about 900°C, above or about 950°C, and above or about 1000°C. The heater can also be configured to operate within any range between any two of these numbers, or within a smaller range included in any of these ranges.

[0054] In some embodiments, chamber 300 may include a purge gas source, such as a purge gas source fluidly coupled to the bottom of chamber body 315. The purge gas source may supply purge gas to chamber 300 to remove any membranes that have been deposited on various components of chamber 300, such as support assembly 310.

[0055] Figure 4 shows a schematic partial cross-sectional view of a substrate support assembly 400 according to some embodiments of the present technology. As described above, the present technology can be used in some embodiments for film deposition and curing within a single chamber. The substrate support assembly 400 may be similar to substrate support assemblies 130, 210, and / or 310 and may include any of the features, components, or characteristics of the aforementioned supports, including any associated components or power sources. The substrate support assembly 400 may include a support handle 405, which may be made of a conductive material. An electrostatic chuck body 425, which may include one or more components embedded or disposed within a body, may be positioned on top of the support handle 405. In some embodiments, the components contained within a top disk may not be exposed to the processing material and may be completely retained within the chuck body 425. The electrostatic chuck body 425 may define a substrate support surface 427.

[0056] The electrostatic chuck body 425 may include one or more RF electrodes 430, which may be embedded within the chuck body near the substrate support surface. For example, the electrodes 430 may include a clamping mesh operating as an electrical ground for a capacitive plasma system including an RF source electrically coupled to a nozzle. An RF rod 460 may couple the RF electrodes 430 to a power supply 465 (e.g., an RF power supply and / or a DC power supply) that provides energy and / or voltage to the electrodes. For example, the electrodes 430 may serve as a ground path for the RF power supply from the RF source, while also serving as an electrical bias to the substrate to electrostatically clamp the substrate to the substrate support surface 427.

[0057] During operation, the substrate can at least partially contact the substrate support surface 427 of the electrostatic chuck body 425, which can create a contact gap and essentially generate a capacitive effect between the surfaces of the base and the substrate. A voltage can be applied to the contact gap, which can generate an electrostatic force for clamping. Charge migrates from the electrodes to the substrate support surface 427, where it can accumulate and generate a charge layer at the substrate with a Coulomb attraction with the opposite charge, and can electrostatically hold the substrate on the substrate support surface 427 of the chuck body. This charge migration can occur through the flow of current through the dielectric material of the chuck body, based on the finite resistance within the dielectric used for Johnsen-Rahbek type clamping, which can be used in some embodiments of this technology.

[0058] The electrostatic chuck body 425 may include an upper heater 435, which may include one or more heating elements, such as conductive plates and / or heating coils. As an example only, wires may be provided within the electrostatic chuck body 425 in a radially extending spiral or other meandering shape to provide relatively uniform heating on the substrate support surface 427. The upper heater 435 may be divided into a plurality of upper heater zones 440, each upper heater zone 440 being formed by its own conductive plate and / or heating coil. The upper heater 435 may be divided into any number of upper heater zones 440. For example, the upper heater 435 may include at least one or about one upper heater zone, at least two or about two upper heater zones, at least three or about three upper heater zones, at least four or about four upper heater zones, at least five or more upper heater zones. As shown, the upper heater 435 is divided into three upper heater zones 440. For example, the central circular heater area 440a is surrounded by an inner annular upper heater area 440b and an outer annular upper heater area 440c, and each upper heater area 440 is concentric with the substrate support.

[0059] The upper heater 435 can be located at a sufficient distance below the RF electrode 430 to prevent RF coupling loss and DC leakage current, while still being close enough to the substrate support surface 427 to effectively heat the substrate support surface 427. For example, the upper heater 435 can be positioned between 2 mm and 10 mm from the RF electrode, between 3 mm and 9 mm from the RF electrode 430, between 4 mm and 8 mm from the RF electrode 430, or between 5 mm and 7 mm from the RF electrode 430.

[0060] The electrostatic chuck body 425 may include a lower heater 445, which may include one or more heating elements, such as conductive plates and / or heating coils. The lower heater 445 may be divided into multiple lower heater regions 450, each lower heater region 450 being formed by its own conductive plate and / or heating coil. The lower heater 445 may be divided into any number of lower heater regions 450. For example, the lower heater 445 may include at least one or about one lower heater region, at least two or about three lower heater regions, at least four or about four lower heater regions, at least five or about five lower heater regions, at least six or about six lower heater regions, at least seven or about eight lower heater regions, at least nine or about nine lower heater regions, at least ten or more lower heater regions, or more. As shown, the lower heater 445 is divided into four lower heater regions 450. For example, each lower heater region 440 may be arc-shaped and may extend along a portion of the radius of the substrate support surface 427.

[0061] The lower heater 445 can be located at a sufficient distance below the upper heater 435 to prevent leakage current, while still being close enough to the substrate support surface 427 to effectively heat the substrate support surface 427. For example, the lower heater 445 can be positioned between 2 mm and 10 mm from the upper heater 435, 3 mm and 9 mm from the upper heater 435, 4 mm and 8 mm from the upper heater 435, or 5 mm and 7 mm from the upper heater 435. Although the arcuate heater area for heating the edge region of the substrate support surface 427 is shown as part of the lower heater 445, some embodiments may use such a heater area arrangement as the upper heater 435, covering the entire heater area as the lower heater 445.

[0062] Each heating element of the upper heater 435 and the lower heater 445 can be coupled to a power supply 470 (e.g., supplying AC and / or DC current to the power supply of the respective heater) to heat the top disk. Current can be transmitted to the heater through one or more rods or wires 437 disposed within channels formed in the handle 405 and the electrostatic chuck body 425. In some embodiments, a temperature sensor can extend along the rods or wires 437. Each heater may have an operating temperature range for heating the chuck body 425 and / or the substrate to above or about 100°C, and heater 435 may be configured to heat to temperatures above or about 125°C, above or about 150°C, above or about 175°C, above or about 200°C, above or about 250°C, above or about 300°C, above or about 350°C, above or about 400°C, above or about 450°C, above or about 500°C, above or about 550°C, above or about 600°C, above or about 650°C, above or about 700°C, above or about 750°C, above or about 800°C, above or about 850°C, above or about 900°C, above or about 950°C, above or about 1000°C, or higher. Each heater can also be configured to operate within any range contained in any two of these numbers, or within a smaller range contained in any of these ranges. Each heater zone with its respective heater can be controlled independently, which may allow each heater zone to operate (or deactivate) at its own temperature to address radial and / or azimuth non-uniformity issues, although in some cases, some or all heater zones may be heated to the same temperature.

[0063] Improved temperature control of the substrate support surface is possible by providing upper and lower heaters within the substrate assembly, as described herein. Specifically, by enabling each heater zone to function as an adjustment knob to control the temperature (and subsequent deposition rate) within a given substrate region above the substrate support surface, the independent temperature of each heater zone can be used to address radial and / or azimuth non-uniformity issues. Furthermore, by adequately isolating the heaters from the RF electrodes, RF coupling losses and DC leakage currents can be reduced and / or minimized.

[0064] Figure 5 shows a schematic top view of an upper heater 500 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The upper heater 500 can be any heater previously described, such as those included in the substrate support assembly 400, or any other number of bases or chucks. The upper heater 500 can be embedded in a disc or chuck body as described above (e.g., ceramic comprising aluminum nitride), and is characterized by any of the features, configurations, or characteristics discussed above for any substrate support. The upper heater 500 can be divided into a plurality of upper heater regions 505. For example, the upper heater 500 can be divided into three upper heater regions 505. For example, a central circular heater region 505a is surrounded by an inner annular upper heater region 505b and an outer annular upper heater region 505c, each upper heater region 505 being concentric with each other. This arrangement of the upper heater regions 505 allows for radial adjustment of the temperature of the substrate support surface and the substrate.

[0065] The dimensions of each upper heater region 505 can be adjusted to meet the needs of a specific application. In a particular embodiment, the central heater region 505a may extend radially outward to at least 30% or about 40% of the radial distance from the substrate support surface, at least 50% or about 60% of the radial distance from the substrate support surface, or more. The inner diameter of the inner annular upper heater region 505b may begin at at least 30% or about 40% of the radial distance from the substrate support surface, at least 50% or about 60% of the radial distance from the substrate support surface, or more. The outer diameter of the inner annular heater region 505b may extend radially outward to at least or about 60%, 65%, 70%, 75%, 80%, 85%, or more of the radial distance from the substrate support surface. The inner diameter of the outer annular upper heater region 505c may begin to be at least or about 70%, 75%, 80%, 90%, or more of the radial distance from the substrate support surface. The outer diameter of the outer annular heater region 505c may extend radially outward to at least or about 100%, at least or about 105%, at least or about 110%, at least or about 115%, at least or about 120%, at least or about 125%, or more, of the radial distance from the substrate support surface. In some embodiments, some or all of the upper heater regions 505 may be in contact with each other, while in other embodiments, one or more of the upper heater regions 505 may be separated by small gaps. These gaps may be less than or about 15 mm wide, less than or about 10 mm wide, less than or about 5 mm wide, or even smaller.

[0066] Figure 6 shows a schematic top view of a lower heater 600 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The lower heater 600 can be any heater previously described, such as the heater included in the substrate support assembly 400, or any other number of bases or chucks. The lower heater 600 can be embedded in a disc or chuck body as described above (e.g., ceramic comprising aluminum nitride), and is characterized by any of the features, configurations, or characteristics discussed above for any substrate support. The lower heater 600 can be divided into a plurality of lower heater regions 605. For example, the lower heater 600 can be divided into four lower heater regions 605. For example, each lower heater region 605 can be arcuate in shape, and the lower heater regions 605 together form an annular shape defining an open interior. This configuration of the lower heater 600 allows the temperature of the edge regions of the substrate support surface to be heated independently of the central portion of the substrate support surface, which can mitigate radial film thickness non-uniformity problems, especially near the peripheral edge regions. For example, one or more lower heater regions 605 can be powered to provide additional heat to one or more actuation regions on the edge region of the substrate support surface near the substrate support surface. Furthermore, using an arc-shaped lower heater region 605 allows for azimuth adjustment of the substrate support surface and substrate temperature.

[0067] The dimensions of each lower heater region 605 can be adjusted to meet the needs of a specific application. For example, the inner edge of each of the plurality of arc-shaped heater regions is located radially inward of the substrate base. In a particular embodiment, the inner diameter of each lower heater region 605 may begin to be at least or about 50%, at least or about 60%, at least or about 70%, at least or about 80%, or more of the radial distance from the substrate support surface. The outer edge of each lower heater region may be located at a distance from the center of the substrate base, the center of the substrate base being aligned with or radially outward of the peripheral edge of the substrate base. For example, the outer diameter of each lower heater region 605 may extend radially outward to at least or about 100% of the radial distance to the substrate support surface, at least or about 105% of the radial distance to the substrate support surface, at least or about 110% of the radial distance to the substrate support surface, at least or about 115% of the radial distance to the substrate support surface, at least or about 120% of the radial distance to the substrate support surface, at least or about 125% of the radial distance to the substrate support surface, or more.

[0068] Although four lower heater zones are shown, it should be understood that more or fewer lower heater zones may be provided in various embodiments, with a greater number of heater zones providing greater granularity to control the temperature of smaller, more restricted radial and / or azimuthal regions of the substrate support surface. Furthermore, the lower heater zones are not limited to an arcuate shape. In some embodiments, other shapes, such as wedge-shaped regions, may be used. One or more additional rows of lower heater zones may be provided to achieve greater radial control of the temperature of the substrate support surface. Some or all of the lower heater zones may extend entirely to the center of the substrate support surface and / or within 50% of the radial distance from the center.

[0069] Figure 7 shows a schematic cross-sectional top view of a substrate support handle 700 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The handle 700 can be used to support any of the aforementioned heaters, such as those included in the substrate support assembly 400, or any other number of bases or chucks. The handle 700 may include a plurality of heating wires or heating rods 705 that can deliver power from a power source to various heater zones. For example, main heating rods 705a may each be coupled to and power one of a plurality of upper heater zones. As shown, three main heating rods 705a are provided, each supplying power to one upper heater zone, such as the upper heater in the configuration shown in Figure 5. Auxiliary heating rods 705b may each be coupled to one of a plurality of lower heater zones and deliver power to one of the lower heater zones. As shown, four auxiliary heating rods 705a are provided, each supplying power to one lower heater zone, such as the lower heater in the configuration shown in Figure 6. The handle 700 may include one or more heater return rods 710, which can be used as current return connections for one or more heaters. For example, the handle 700 may include a single main return rod 710a that can be connected to each upper heater zone. A single auxiliary return rod 710a may be connected to each lower heater zone. The handle 700 may include one or more RF rods 715 that can each couple an RF grid or other electrode of the substrate support to an RF power source to facilitate plasma formation and / or generate clamping force at the substrate support surface of the substrate support. Additional connections may be included in some embodiments. For example, the handle 700 may include one or more thermocouples 720 that can be used to monitor the temperature of one or more heater zones of the substrate support. Additionally, a purge channel 725 may be provided for supplying purge gas to the back side of the substrate.

[0070] To prevent AC / DC and / or RF current leakage, the various rods can meet minimum spacing requirements. For example, each heater / RF rod can maintain a spacing of at least or about 8 mm (from centerline to centerline), at least or about 9 mm, at least or about 10 mm, at least or about 11 mm, at least or about 12 mm, at least or about 13 mm, at least or about 14 mm, at least or about 15 mm or more. The distance between any part of each AC rod 705 and / or return rod 710 can be at least or about 2 mm, at least or about 3 mm, at least or about 4 mm, at least or about 5 mm or longer. The distance between any part of the RF rod 715 and the heating rod 705 and / or return rod 710 can be at least or about 3 mm, at least or about 4 mm, at least or about 5 mm, at least or about 6 mm, or longer.

[0071] It should be understood that the arrangement of the rods within the handle 700 is merely an example, and many variations exist. The configuration of the handle 700 can be modified to meet the needs of specific applications. For example, for a substrate support with more or fewer heater zones, this arrangement may be adapted to include more or fewer heating rods and / or return rods. In some embodiments, each heater zone may have a dedicated return rod, rather than sharing a return rod. To maintain minimal spacing between the rods to prevent current leakage, the rod dimensions can be increased to accommodate a greater number of heater zones.

[0072] Figure 8 illustrates the operation of an exemplary method 800 for semiconductor processing according to some embodiments of the present technology. The method can be performed in various processing chambers, including the processing system 100 described above or chamber 300, which may include substrate support assemblies according to embodiments of the present technology, such as substrate support assemblies 130, 210, 310 and / or 400 described herein. Method 800 may include a number of optional operations that may or may not be specifically associated with some embodiments of the method according to the present technology.

[0073] Method 800 may include a processing method that may include operations for forming a hard mask film or other deposition operations. The method may include optional operations prior to the commencement of method 800, or the method may include additional operations. For example, method 800 may include operations performed in a different order than those shown. In some embodiments, method 800 may include heating an upper heater embedded within a substrate support assembly in operation 805 to heat the top surface of the substrate support assembly. For example, AC or DC current may be supplied to one or more heating elements forming the upper heater to heat the top of the electrostatic chuck body. In some embodiments, the upper heater may include a plurality of heater regions, each of which may be heated during operation 805. For example, the upper heater may include a circular central heater region surrounded by one or more annular heater regions. In operation 810, method 800 may include heating at least one of a plurality of lower heater regions embedded within a substrate support assembly below the upper heater. For example, AC or DC current may be supplied to the heating elements constituting the lower heater region to be heated. In some embodiments, the lower heater regions may be arc-shaped and may collectively form an annular lower heater, which can be used to provide additional heat to the peripheral edge region of the substrate support surface. Depending on the requirements of a particular deposition process, various upper and / or lower heater regions may be heated to the same and / or different temperatures.

[0074] In some embodiments, method 800 may include clamping a semiconductor substrate to a support surface of a substrate platform using a clamping voltage. In operation 815, one or more precursors may flow into a processing chamber. For example, precursors may flow into a chamber, such as chamber 300. In operation 820, plasma of the precursors may be generated within the processing region, for example, by providing RF power to the panel to generate plasma. In operation 825, material formed in the plasma may be deposited onto the substrate.

[0075] In the foregoing description, numerous details have been set forth for illustrative purposes in order to provide an understanding of various embodiments of the present technology. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that certain embodiments may be practiced without some of these details or with additional details.

[0076] Several embodiments have been disclosed, and those skilled in the art will recognize that various modifications, alternative constructions, and equivalents can be used without departing from the spirit of the embodiments. Furthermore, to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the present invention, many well-known processes and elements have not been described. Therefore, the above description should not be considered as limiting the scope of the present invention.

[0077] When a range of values ​​is provided, it should be understood that each intermediate value (unless otherwise explicitly specified by the context, accurate to the smallest fraction of the lower limit unit) also specifically reveals the intermediate value between the upper and lower limits of the range. This includes any specified value or unspecified intermediate value within a specified range and any narrower range between any other specified or intermediate value within that specified range. The upper and lower limits of these smaller ranges may be independently included or excluded from the range, and each range (where one or both limits are included in the smaller range) is also included in the technique, subject to the range specified by any explicitly excluded limit. If the range includes one or both limits, it also includes the range that excludes one or both limits.

[0078] As used herein and in the appended claims, the singular forms “a” and “the” include plural references unless the context clearly specifies otherwise. Thus, for example, reference to “heater” includes a plural of such precursors, reference to “protrusion” includes reference to one or more protrusions and their equivalents known to an ordinary person skilled in the art, and so on.

[0079] Furthermore, when the terms "comprising," "including," "containing," and "including" are used in this specification and below, the request is intended to specify the presence of the stated feature, integer, component, or operation, but does not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, components, operations, actions, or groups.

[0080] 100: Processing System 102: Front-opening wafer transfer box 104a, 104b: Robotic Arm 103: Factory Interface 108: Processing Area 106: Maintain the area 109a-c: Quadruple Part 112: Transport Chamber 110: Second robotic arm 107: Import and Export 120: Teleportation Area 125: Transport Area Shell 130: Substrate support 135: Conveying device 130a: Substrate support 130b: Substrate support 108a: Processing area 108b: Processing area 140: Panel 145: Pumping Liner 145a: Pumping Liner 145b: Pumping Liner 150: Baffle 155: Cover 158: First cover plate 160: Kong 160a: First hole 160b: Second hole 165: Remote Plasma Unit 170: Purification Channel 170a: First purification channel 170b: Second purification channel 200: Chamber System 205: Transmission Area Housing 207: Entry and Exit Positions 212: Lifting pin 215: Import and Export 220: Conveying device 210a, 210b: Substrate support 210c, 210d: Substrate support 225: Center Hub 235: End Actuator 237: Arm 300: Processing Chamber 305: Sprayer Head 310: Substrate support assembly 315: Chamber sidewall 325: Chuck body 320: Substrate processing area 327: Substrate support surface 330:Handle 335a: Electrode 340a: DC power supply 307: RF source 335b: Electrode 340b: DC power supply 345: Recessed area 347: External Area 350: Heater 365: Power Supply 400: Substrate support assembly 405: handle 425: Chuck body 427: Substrate support surface 430: RF electrode 460: RF stick 465: Power Supply 435: Upper heater 440: Upper heater area 440a: Central circular heater area 440b: Internal annular upper heater zone 440c: External annular upper heater area 445: Lower heater 450: Lower heater area 470: Power Supply 437: Pole 500: Upper heater 505: Upper heater area 505a: Central circular heater area 505b: Internal annular upper heater area 505c: External annular upper heater area 600: Lower heater 605: Lower heater area 700: handle 705: Heating rod 705a: Main heating rod 705b: Auxiliary heating rod 710: Return lever 710a: Main Return Stick 715: RF rod 720: Thermocouple 725: Purification Channel 705: AC pole 800: Method 805: Operation 810: Operation 815: Operation 820: Operation 825: Operation

[0081] Domestic storage information (please note in order of storage institution, date, and number) none Overseas storage information (please note in the order of storage country, institution, date, and number) none

Claims

1. A substrate support assembly, comprising: An electrostatic chuck body defining a substrate support surface defining a substrate seat; a support handle coupled to the electrostatic chuck body; an upper heater embedded in the electrostatic chuck body, the upper heater including a central heater region and one or more annular heater regions concentric with the central heater region; and a lower heater embedded in the electrostatic chuck body at an edge region located below the upper heater, the lower heater including a plurality of arcuate heater regions, wherein both the annular heater regions and the arcuate heater regions extend radially outward to 100% to 125% of a radial distance from one of the substrate support surfaces.

2. The substrate support assembly according to claim 1 further includes: A plurality of heater power rods extend through the support handle, each of the plurality of heater power rods being electrically coupled to a corresponding heater zone.

3. The substrate support assembly according to claim 2, wherein: Each of the plurality of heater power rods is spaced at least 2 mm apart within the support handle.

4. The substrate support assembly according to claim 2 further includes: An RF rod extends through the support handle and is electrically coupled to the electrostatic chuck body.

5. The substrate support assembly according to claim 4, wherein: The RF rod is spaced at least 3 mm apart from each of the plurality of heater power rods within the support handle.

6. The substrate support assembly according to claim 1 further includes: A first heater return rod, which is coupled to each of the central heater region and the one or more annular heater regions; and a second heater return rod, which is coupled to each of the plurality of arc-shaped heater zones.

7. The substrate support assembly according to claim 1, wherein: The lower heater is positioned at a distance of approximately 2 mm to 10 mm from the upper heater.

8. A substrate support assembly, comprising: An electrostatic chuck body defining a substrate support surface defining a substrate seat; a support handle coupled to the electrostatic chuck body; an upper heater embedded in the electrostatic chuck body; and a lower heater embedded in the electrostatic chuck body at an edge region below the upper heater, the lower heater comprising a plurality of lower heater regions forming an annular shape, wherein both the upper heater and the lower heater extend radially outward to 100% to 125% of a radial distance from one of the substrate support surfaces.

9. The substrate support assembly according to claim 8, wherein: Each of the plurality of lower heater zones includes a heating coil.

10. The substrate support assembly according to claim 8, wherein: An inner edge of each of the plurality of lower heater zones is located at least about 50% radially outward of a radius of the substrate.

11. The substrate support assembly according to claim 8, wherein: Each of the plurality of lower heater zones includes an arc or a wedge shape.

12. The substrate support assembly according to claim 8, wherein: The plurality of lower heater zones includes at least four lower heater zones.

13. The substrate support assembly according to claim 8, wherein: The upper heater comprises multiple upper heater zones.

14. The substrate support assembly according to claim 13, wherein: The plurality of upper heater regions include a circular heater region and at least two annular circular heater regions located radially outside the circular heater region.

15. The substrate support assembly according to claim 8 further includes: An RF mesh is embedded within the electrostatic chuck body above the upper heater.

16. The substrate support assembly according to claim 8, wherein: A plurality of lower heater regions, which together form an annular shape defining an open central region.

17. A method of processing a substrate, comprising the steps of: heating an upper heater embedded in a substrate support assembly having a substrate support surface; heating at least one of a plurality of lower heater regions forming an annular shape, embedded in the substrate support assembly at an edge region below the upper heater; introducing a precursor into a processing chamber in which the substrate support assembly is disposed; generating a plasma of the precursor in a processing region of the processing chamber; and depositing a material on the substrate, wherein both the upper heater and the lower heater extend radially outward to 100% to 125% of a radial distance from one of the substrate support surfaces.

18. The method for processing a substrate according to claim 17, wherein: The upper heater includes a plurality of upper heater zones; and the step of heating the upper heater includes the step of heating at least one of the plurality of upper heater zones.

19. The method of processing a substrate according to claim 17 further includes the step of: clamping a semiconductor substrate to the substrate support surface of a substrate platform using a clamping voltage.

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