Liner assembly for substrate processing chambers

Abstract

A liner assembly for a processing chamber includes an annular base portion and a cylindrical portion. The annular base portion includes a plurality of arcuate sections configured to mate with one another. The arcuate sections includes support structures configured to support the liner assembly when the liner assembly is disposed in a well of the processing chamber. The cylindrical portion is configured to rest on the annular base portion. When the liner assembly is disposed in the well of the processing chamber, the cylindrical portion is configured to maintain a gap between a sidewall of the well and the liner assembly.

Description

LINER ASSEMBLY FOR SUBSTRATE PROCESSING CHAMBERSCROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 63 / 607,328 filed on December 7, 2023. The entire disclosure of the application referenced above is incorporated herein by reference.FIELD

[0002] The present disclosure relates generally to substrate processing systems and more particularly to a liner assembly for substrate processing chambers.BACKGROUND

[0003] The background description provided here is for the purpose of generally presenting the context of the disclosure. Work of the presently named inventors, to the extent it is described in this background section, as well as aspects of the description that may not otherwise qualify as prior art at the time of filing, are neither expressly nor impliedly admitted as prior art against the present disclosure.

[0004] Substrate processing systems (also called tools) are used to treat substrates such as semiconductor wafers. A substrate processing system comprises a processing chamber. The processing chamber comprises a plurality of process modules (also called stations). Each process module can process a substrate. For example, the processing may include deposition, etching, cleaning, and / or other substrate treatments. During processing, the substrate is arranged on a substrate support in the process module. A gas delivery system introduces one or more gases and / or vaporized precursors into the process module via a gas delivery device. For example, the gas delivery device can include a showerhead, an injector, and so on. In some processes, plasma may be used to initiate chemical reactions. Examples of the processes comprise chemical vapor deposition (CVD), atomic layer deposition (ALD), plasma enhanced (PE) CVD (PECVD), and PEALD.SUMMARY

[0005] A liner assembly for a processing chamber comprises an annular base portion and a cylindrical portion. The annular base portion comprises a plurality of arcuate sections configured to mate with one another. The arcuate sections comprises supportstructures configured to support the liner assembly when the liner assembly is disposed in a well of the processing chamber. The cylindrical portion is configured to rest on the annular base portion. When the liner assembly is disposed in the well of the processing chamber, the cylindrical portion is configured to maintain a gap between a sidewall of the well and the liner assembly.

[0006] In additional features, when the liner assembly is disposed in the well of the processing chamber, the cylindrical portion is parallel to the sidewall of the well, and the support structures of the arcuate sections are configured to rest on an inner bottom surface of the well while maintaining a gap between the arcuate sections and the bottom surface of the well.

[0007] In additional features, when the liner assembly is disposed in the well of the processing chamber, the arcuate sections of the annular base portion extend radially inwards from a bottom end of the sidewall of the well and extend parallel to an inner bottom surface of the well maintaining a gap between the arcuate sections and the inner bottom surface of the well.

[0008] In additional features, the cylindrical portion and the annular base portion are perpendicular to each other.

[0009] In additional features, a bottom end of the cylindrical portion is disposed on an outer periphery of the arcuate sections of the annular base portion.

[0010] In additional features, an outer diameter of the arcuate sections of the annular base portion is greater than an outer diameter of the cylindrical portion.

[0011] In additional features, when the liner assembly is disposed in the well of the processing chamber, an outer diameter of the arcuate sections of the annular base portion is less than an inner diameter of the sidewall of the well.

[0012] In additional features, when the liner assembly is disposed in the well of the processing chamber, an inner diameter of the arcuate sections of the annular base portion is less than an outer diameter of a substrate support disposed in the well.

[0013] In additional features, when the liner assembly is disposed in the well of the processing chamber, an inner diameter of the arcuate sections of the annular base portion is greater than or equal to an outer diameter of a lift pin assembly disposed in the well.

[0014] In additional features, when the liner assembly is disposed in the well of the processing chamber, a bottom end of the cylindrical portion comprises a plurality of support structures configured to rest on an inner bottom surface of the well.

[0015] In additional features, when the liner assembly is disposed in the well of the processing chamber, the support structures of the arcuate sections of the annular base portion are configured to rest on an inner bottom surface of the well, and a bottom end of the cylindrical portion comprises a plurality of support structures configured to rest on the inner bottom surface of the well.

[0016] In additional features, each of the arcuate sections of the annular base portion comprises a flat portion. The flat portion comprises a projection at a first lateral end of the flat portion and a notch at a second lateral end of the flat portion. The arcuate sections are interconnected by mating the projections and the notches of the arcuate sections.

[0017] In additional features, when the liner assembly is disposed in the well of the processing chamber, each of the arcuate sections of the annular base portion comprises a flat portion that is parallel to an inner bottom surface of the well. The flat portion comprises the support structures that extend perpendicularly from the flat portion to the inner bottom surface of the well.

[0018] In additional features, when the liner assembly is disposed in the well of the processing chamber, each of the arcuate sections of the annular base portion comprises a flat portion. The flat portion comprises a first set of the support structures at lateral ends of the flat portion and a second set of the support structures at a radially inner end of the flat portion. The first and second sets of the support structures extend perpendicularly from the flat portion to an inner bottom surface of the well.

[0019] In additional features, when the liner assembly is disposed in the well of the processing chamber, at least one of the arcuate sections of the annular base portion comprises a cutout that aligns with an exhaust port located at a bottom of the well.

[0020] In additional features, when the liner assembly is disposed in the well of the processing chamber, at least one of the arcuate sections of the annular base portion comprises a cutout that aligns with an exhaust port located at a bottom of the well, and a bottom end of the cylindrical portion of the liner assembly comprises one or more support structures that pass through the cutout and rest on an inner bottom surface of the well.

[0021] In additional features, when the liner assembly is disposed in the well of the processing chamber, each of the arcuate sections of the annular base portion comprises a flat portion that is parallel to an inner bottom surface of the well. The flat portion comprises the support structures that extend perpendicularly from the flat portion to the inner bottom surface of the well. At least one of the arcuate sections comprises a cutout that aligns with an exhaust port located at a bottom of the well. A bottom end of the cylindrical portion of the liner assembly comprises one or more support structures that pass through the cutout and rest on the inner bottom surface of the well.

[0022] In additional features, when the liner assembly is disposed in the well of the processing chamber, each of the arcuate sections of the annular base portion comprises a flat portion. The flat portion comprises a first set of the support structures at lateral ends of the flat portion and a second set of the support structures at a radially inner end of the flat portion. The first and second sets of the support structures extend perpendicularly from the flat portion to an inner bottom surface of the well. At least one of the arcuate sections comprises a cutout that aligns with an exhaust port located at a bottom of the well. A bottom end of the cylindrical portion of the liner assembly comprises one or more support structures that pass through the cutout and rest on the inner bottom surface of the well.

[0023] In additional features, the cylindrical portion and the annular base portion comprise a metallic material.

[0024] In additional features, the cylindrical portion and the annular base portion comprise an alloy of aluminum.

[0025] Further areas of applicability of the present disclosure will become apparent from the detailed description, the claims and the drawings. The detailed description and specific examples are intended for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the disclosure.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0026] The present disclosure will become more fully understood from the detailed description and the accompanying drawings, wherein:

[0027] FIG. 1 A shows a plan view of a substrate processing system (tool) comprising a plurality of stations for processing substrates;

[0028] FIG. 1 B shows various components of the substrate processing system of FIG. 1 for processing substrates in a station comprising a liner assembly disposed in a well of the station according to the present disclosure;

[0029] FIG. 2 shows a top perspective view of the liner assembly;

[0030] FIG. 3 shows a bottom perspective view of the liner assembly;

[0031] FIG. 4 shows a perspective view of a cylindrical portion of the liner assembly;

[0032] FIG. 5 shows a side view of the cylindrical portion of the liner assembly;

[0033] FIGS. 6 and 7 show perspective views of a first component (a floor plate of a first set of floor plates) of a base portion of the liner assembly;

[0034] FIGS. 8 and 9 show perspective views of a second component (a floor plate of a second set of floor plates) of the base portion of the liner assembly;

[0035] FIG. 10 shows a side perspective view of the first and second components of the base portion of the liner assembly;

[0036] FIG. 1 1 shows a top view of the base portion of the liner assembly comprising the first and second components attached to each other;

[0037] FIG. 12 shows a top view of the well with the base portion of the liner assembly and a portion of a lift pin assembly in the well;

[0038] FIG. 13 shows a top view of the well with the base portion of the liner assembly and a pedestal in the well; and

[0039] FIG. 14 shows a cross-sectional view of the well with the liner assembly.

[0040] In the drawings, reference numbers may be reused to identify similar and / or identical elements.DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0041] In some tools, a processing chamber comprises multiple stations. Each station comprises a well in which a substrate support (also called a pedestal) is disposed. A substrate is arranged on the pedestal during processing. A showerhead is used to supply one or more process gases to deposit material on the substrate. The pedestal comprises one or more heaters to heat the substrate. In some processes, the process gases used to deposit material on substrates comprise elements such as carbon. In some processes,plasma may be used. The heat from the pedestal and the plasma heats the inner surfaces of the sidewall and the bottom of the well.

[0042] To control the temperature of the pedestal, a cooling system is used. The cooling system is located under the pedestal (e.g., under the well). As a result, the bottom portion of the well tends to be colder than other areas (e.g., sidewall) of the well. The bottom portion of the well tends to have cold spots, which are regions of the well where the temperature is lower than the temperature of the other regions (e.g., sidewall) of the well.

[0043] During deposition, materials such as carbon inevitably get deposited on the inner surfaces the well (e.g., the inner surfaces of the sidewall and the bottom of the well). These undesired deposits can cause contamination in subsequent processes performed in the processing chamber. To clean the deposits in the well, a cleaning process is periodically performed. During the cleaning process, a cleaning gas is supplied from the showerhead into the processing chamber. Plasma may also be used in some cleaning processes. However, the cleaning tends to be insufficient or ineffective at the cold spots in the well. Due to the cooler temperatures at the cold spots, the cleaning process cannot effectively remove the deposits from the cold spots. These residual deposits at the cold spots can cause contamination during subsequent processing of substrates.

[0044] To prevent material from getting deposited on the inner surfaces of the well and to eliminate the problems of cold spots, the present disclosure provides a liner assembly that covers the sidewall of the well and a portion of the bottom surface of the well. To eliminate the problems of cold spots, the liner assembly is thermally isolated from well. The liner assembly presents a physical barrier due to which materials are prevented from depositing on the inner surfaces of the well. Instead of depositing on the inner surfaces of the well, the materials get deposited on the inner surfaces of the liner assembly. To avoid cold spots and facilitate cleaning, the liner assembly is thermally isolated from the well by minimizing contact between the liner assembly and the well. As explained below in detail, the liner assembly is designed to have minimum physical contact with the well. Due to thermal isolation, unlike the well, the liner assembly does not develop cold spots. Instead, the bottom portion of the liner assembly has a higher temperature than the bottom of the well. Therefore, when the cleaning process is performed, the cleaning process can clean the deposits from the inner surfaces of the liner assembly. Particularly, unlike in the well without the liner assembly, no residual deposits remain on the inner surfaces of the liner assembly after the cleaning process.

[0045] The liner assembly is made of a metallic material that is chemically inert and compatible with the harsh chemistries used to process substrates. Specifically, the metallic material is capable of withstanding the harsh chemical and thermal conditions present during substrate processing and chamber cleaning. For example, the liner assembly is made of an alloy of aluminum although other materials that are chemically inert and that can withstand the harsh chemical and thermal conditions can be used instead.

[0046] The liner assembly also comprises multiple portions as described below instead of being manufactured as a single, unitary, integrated piece. The multi-part construction facilitates installation and removal of the liner assembly without having to remove the pedestal. Accordingly, in addition to facilitating cleaning and reducing contamination, the liner assembly improves serviceability of the processing chamber. These and other features of the liner assembly are described below in further detail.

[0047] The present disclosure is organized as follows. An example of a substrate processing system where the liner assembly of the present disclosure can be used in processing chambers is initially shown and described with reference to FIGS. 1 A and 1 B. The liner assembly and its components are subsequently described in detail with reference to FIGS. 2-14, which show various views of the liner assembly.

[0048] FIG. 1 A shows a plan view of an example of a substrate processing system (also called a tool) 10. For example, the tool 10 comprises four stations 12-1 , 12-2, 12-3, and 12-4 (collectively called the stations 12). While only four stations 12 are shown for illustrative purposes, the tool 10 can comprise N stations, where N is an integer greater than 2. Each station 12 comprises a well 14. The well 14 is cylindrical. The wells of the stations 12-1 , 12-2, 12-3, and 12-4 are shown at 14-1 , 14-2, 14-3, and 14-4, respectively; and are collectively called the wells 14. In each well 14, a pedestal 16 is arranged. The pedestals in the wells 14-1 , 14-2, 14-3, and 14-4 are shown at 16-1 , 16-2, 16-3, and 16- 4, respectively; and are collectively called the pedestals 16. Each well 14 comprises a liner assembly 15 (shown in FIG. 1 B). The liner assembly 15 is shown and described below in detail with reference to FIGS. 1 B-14.

[0049] A top plate (not shown) is arranged above the stations 12. The top plate comprises openings that are concentric with the wells of the stations 12. A showerhead (shown in FIG. 1 B) is arranged through the opening in the top plate above each station 12 to supply one or more gases (e.g., process gases, cleaning gases, and purge gases)into the stations 12. During substrate processing, a substrate such as a semiconductor wafer (shown in FIG. 1 B) is arranged on the pedestal 16, and one or more gases are supplied through the showerhead to process the substrate. During cleaning, a cleaning gas is supplied through the showerhead to clean the station 12. Optionally, plasma may be used during substrate processing and / or cleaning as described below with reference to FIG. 1 B.

[0050] The tool 10 comprises a spindle 20 that is arranged centrally relative to the stations 12. One or more robot arms (not shown) are attached to a periphery of the spindle 20. The spindle 20 moves the robot arms laterally in a plane parallel to the top plate. The robot arms move substrates from a load lock (not shown) into the stations 12, between the stations 12, and from the stations 12 to the loading dock.

[0051] FIG. 1 B shows various components of the tool 10 that are used to process substrates in the stations 12. In FIG. 1 B, only one station 12 is shown. Other stations 12 of the tool 10 operate similarly. Different processes such as chemical vapor deposition (CVD), plasma enhanced CVD (PECVD), atomic layer deposition (ALD), plasma enhanced ALD (PEALD), thermal ALD (T-ALD), and so on may be performed on the substrates in the stations 12.

[0052] The station 12 comprises the well 14 in which the pedestal 16 disposed. The pedestal 16 comprises a base portion (also called a baseplate) 1 18 and a stem portion 120. The stem portion 120 extends from the base portion 1 18 and is coupled to the bottom of the station 12. The liner assembly 15 of the present disclosure is disposed in the well 14. The liner assembly 15 is only schematically shown in FIG. 1 B. The liner assembly 15 is shown and described below in further detail with reference to FIGS. 2-14. A brief description of the liner assembly 15 follows. The brief description only outlines various structural features of the liner assembly 15. The various structural features are shown and described below in further detail with reference to FIGS. 2-14.

[0053] Briefly, the liner assembly 15 is interposed between the pedestal 16 and the well 14 as shown. The liner assembly 15 extends along and covers an inner surface of a sidewall 13 and an upper portion of an inner bottom surface 17 of the well 14. The liner assembly 15 surrounds the pedestal 16. The liner assembly 15 is thermally isolated from the well 14. Specifically, the liner assembly 15 comprises a cylindrical portion 200 and an annular base portion 202. An upper end of the cylindrical portion 200 extends vertically along (parallel to) the inner surface of the sidewall 13 of the well 14. The upper end ofthe cylindrical portion 200 does not contact the upper end of the sidewall 13 of the well 14. A bottom end of the cylindrical portion 200 rests on an outer periphery of the annular base portion 202. The bottom end of the cylindrical portion 200 comprises a plurality of feet (also called support structures) 204 that rest on the inner bottom surface 17 of the well 14. The outer diameters (ODs) of the cylindrical portion 200 and the annular base portion 202 are less than an inner diameter (ID) of the sidewall 13 of the well 14. The OD of the annular base portion 202 is greater than the OD of the cylindrical portion 200 so that the bottom end of the cylindrical portion 200 can rest on the outer periphery of the annular base portion 202.

[0054] The annular base portion 202 extends radially inwards from the bottom end of the cylindrical portion 200 and from near the bottom end of the sidewall 13 of the well 14 up to an OD of a lift pin assembly 24. The lift pin assembly 24 comprises lift pins (not shown) that extend vertically upwards and that travel through corresponding holes in the base portion 1 18 of the pedestal 16. The lift pins are used to lift and lower a substrate 124 on the base portion 1 18 of the pedestal 16. Only an annular portion (platen) of the lift pin assembly 24 that is relevant for the liner assembly 15 is shown. The annular platen of the lift pin assembly 24 surrounds an opening in the bottom of the well 14 through which the stem portion 120 of the pedestal 16 travels when the pedestal 16 is raised and lowered through the well 14. An inner diameter (ID) of the annular base portion 202 of the liner assembly 15 is greater than an OD of the annular platen of the lift pin assembly 24.

[0055] The annular base portion 202 comprises a plurality of arcuate sections (also called floor plates) 203 that are attached to each other (see FIG. 1 1 ). The arcuate sections 203 extend radially inwards from the bottom end of the cylindrical portion 200 and from the bottom end of the sidewall 13 of the well 14 up to the OD of the lift pin assembly 24. The arcuate sections 203 extend horizontally and parallel to the inner bottom surface 17 of the well 14. Each arcuate section 203 comprises extensions (flaplike structures) 206 that extend downward from the radially inner ends of the arcuate sections 203. The extensions (flap-like structures) 206 can be similar to or wider than the feet 204 of the cylindrical portion 200 as described below in detail. Additionally, each arcuate section 203 comprises two feet-like support structures 208, one support structure at each lateral end of the arcuate section 203. The feet-like support structures 208 of the arcuate sections 203 also extend downward and rest on the inner bottom surface 17 of the well 14. Due to the extensions (flap-like structures) 206 and the feet-like supportstructures 208, the horizontal portions of the arcuate section 203 do not contact the inner bottom surface 17 of the well 14. Only the feet 204 of the cylindrical portion 200 and the extensions (flap-like structures) 206 and the feet-like support structures 208 of the arcuate sections 203 of the annular base portion 202 contact the well 14. Accordingly, the liner assembly 15 is thermally isolated from the sidewall 13 and the inner bottom surface 17 of the well 14.

[0056] During processing, the substrate 124 is arranged on a top surface of the base portion 1 18 of the pedestal 16. The substrate 124 can be clamped to the top surface of the base portion 1 18 of the pedestal 16 using a clamping mechanism such as vacuum clamping. Alternatively, while not shown, the pedestal 16 can comprise another type of clamping mechanism. For example, the pedestal 16 may comprise an electrostatic chuck (ESC). The ESC can be disposed in the base portion 1 18 of the pedestal 16. The ESC comprises a clamping electrode disposed close to the top surface of the base portion 118 of the pedestal 16. The clamping electrode electrostatically clamps the substrate 124 to the top surface of the base portion 1 18 of the pedestal 16. Other examples of clamping mechanisms include mechanical clamping, mesas (small miniature contact areas or MCAs) disposed on the top surface of the base portion 118 of the pedestal 16, and so on. In some processes, regardless of the clamping scheme used, the pedestal 16 with the substrate 124 can be moved by an actuator 121 close to the bottom of the showerhead 1 16.

[0057] The station 12 comprises a showerhead 1 16. The showerhead 1 16 comprises a base portion (also called a baseplate) 126 and a stem portion (or stem) 128. The baseplate 126 of the showerhead 1 16 is generally cylindrical. The baseplate 126 of the showerhead 1 16 is greater than or equal to a diameter of the substrate 124. The stem 128 of the showerhead 1 16 is also generally cylindrical. The stem 128 of the showerhead 1 16 is of a smaller diameter than the baseplate 126 of the showerhead 1 16. The stem 128 of the showerhead 1 16 extends from the baseplate 126 of the showerhead 1 16. The stem 128 of the showerhead 1 16 is attached to the top plate of the tool 10. While the showerhead 1 16 is shown as a chandelier style showerhead comprising the stem 128 that is attached to the top plate of the tool 10, the showerhead 1 16 can be of any other type (e.g., flush-mounted to the top plate of the tool 10). The stem 128 of the showerhead 1 16 receives various gases (e.g., process gases, vaporized precursors, purge gases, cleaning gases, etc.) from a gas delivery system 150 via a manifold 152. The baseplate126 of the showerhead 1 16 comprises a faceplate comprising through holes or slots (not shown) through which the gases are introduced into the station 12.

[0058] The gas delivery system 150 comprises gas sources 154, valves 156, and mass flow controllers (MFCs) 158. The gas sources 154 supply various gases such as process gases, inert gases (also called purge gases, edge gases, carrier gases), cleaning gases, etc. The valves 156 are connected to the gas sources 154 and the MFCs 158. The valves 156 can be controlled to supply the gases from the gas sources 154 to the MFCs 158. The MFCs 158 regulate the flow of the gases to the manifold 152. The gases are supplied through the manifold 152 to the showerhead 1 16.

[0059] Additionally, in some applications, the tool 10 comprises another delivery system configured to deliver vaporized precursors via respective valves, which are collectively shown as vaporized precursors and valves 151. The vaporized precursors and valves 151 deliver vaporized precursors to the manifold 152. The manifold 152 supplies the gases or gas mixtures from the gas delivery system 150 and / or the vaporized precursors from the vaporized precursors and valves 151 to the showerhead 1 16. Thus, the gas delivery system 150 and the vaporized precursors and valves 151 can supply different chemistries to the showerhead 1 16.

[0060] The tool 10 further comprises a radio frequency (RF) power supply 160. In some processes, when plasma is used, the RF power supply 160 supplies RF power to the showerhead 1 16 during processing of the substrate 124 and during cleaning of the station 12 with the pedestal 16 being grounded or floating. While not shown, in some applications, the RF power supply 160 supplies RF power to the pedestal 16 during processing of the substrate 124 and during cleaning of the station 12 with the showerhead 1 16 being grounded or floating. The RF power excites the gases (e.g., process gases, vaporized precursors, cleaning gases, etc.) introduced into the station 12 through the showerhead 1 16 to generate plasma between the showerhead 1 16 and the pedestal 16. The plasma can be used to process the substrate 124 and to clean various components within the station 12 (e.g., the pedestal 16, the liner assembly 15, and so on).

[0061] The base portion 118 of the pedestal 16 comprises a heater 162. The heater 162 heats the base portion 1 18 of the pedestal 16, which in turn heats the substrate 124. The base portion 1 18 of the pedestal 16 comprises a temperature sensor 164 to sense the temperature of the pedestal 16. While not shown, the baseplate 126 of the showerhead1 16 may also comprise a heater to heat the gases, gas mixtures, and / or the vaporized precursors being introduced into the station 12 through the showerhead 1 16. Additionally, the baseplate 126 of the showerhead 116 may also comprise a temperature sensor 168 to sense the temperature of the showerhead 1 16.

[0062] During a deposition process, material is deposited on the substrate 124. Some material also inevitably gets deposited on the inner surfaces of the liner assembly 15. The liner assembly 15 prevents the material from depositing on the inner surfaces of the well 14 (i.e., on the inner surfaces of the sidewall 13 and the inner bottom surface 17 of the well 14). Subsequently, during a cleaning process, the material deposited on the inner surfaces of the liner assembly 15 (i.e., on the inner surfaces of the cylindrical portion 200 and the annular base portion 202) is removed.

[0063] The tool 10 further comprises a cooling system 123. The pedestal 16 comprises one or more cooling channels (not shown). The cooling system 123 circulates a coolant through the cooling channels to control the temperature of the pedestal 16. The cooling system 123 is located proximate to the bottom of the station 12 and therefore proximate to the bottom of the well 14. However, since the liner assembly 15 is thermally isolated from the well 14, the cooling system 123 does not affect the temperature of the liner assembly 15 as much as the cooling system 123 affects the temperature of the bottom of the well 14.

[0064] The tool 10 further comprises a vacuum pump 172 and valves 170. When vacuum clamping is used to clamp the substrate 124 to the pedestal 16, the vacuum pump 172 creates vacuum on the top surface of the pedestal 16. The vacuum pump 172 also maintains pressure (e.g., vacuum) in the station 12 during processing of the substrate 124. Additionally, the vacuum pump 172 evacuates gases and reactants from the station 12. For example, the well 14 comprises two exhaust ports 174-1 and 174-2 (collectively called the exhaust ports 174) that are located at two diagonally opposite ends at the bottom of the well 14 (see FIGS. 12 and 13). Two of the arcuate sections 203 of the annular base portion 202 of the liner assembly 15 comprise cutouts (shown and described below with reference to FIGS. 2-14). The liner assembly 15 is disposed in the well 14 such that the cutouts align with the exhaust ports 174 in the well 14. Accordingly, during substrate processing and station cleaning, the reactants and other gases, including material released from the liner assembly 15 during cleaning, are pumped out of the station 12 through the exhaust ports 174.

[0065] The tool 10 further comprises a controller 180. The controller 180 controls the valves 156 and 170, the MFCs 158, the heaters in the pedestal 16 and the showerhead 1 16, the actuator 121 , the cooling system 123, the RF power supply 160, and the vacuum pump 172. The controller 180 monitors the temperatures of the pedestal 16 and the showerhead 1 16 using the temperature sensors 164 and 168 in the pedestal 16 and the showerhead 116. The controller 180 controls the temperatures of the pedestal 16 and the showerhead 1 16 by controlling the heaters in the pedestal 16 and the showerhead 1 16. Additionally, the controller 180 controls the supply of the coolant from the cooling system 123 to the cooling channels in the pedestal 16 (and in the showerhead 1 16 if used) to control the temperatures of the pedestal 16 (and the showerhead 1 16).

[0066] FIGS. 2-14 show various views of the liner assembly 15. FIGS. 2 and 3 show top and bottom perspective views of the liner assembly 15, respectively. FIGS. 4 and 5 show perspective and side views of the cylindrical portion 200 of the liner assembly 15, respectively. FIGS. 6 and 7 show perspective views of a first component (a floor plate of first set of floor plates described below) of the annular base portion 202 of the liner assembly 15. FIGS. 8 and 9 show perspective views of a second component (a floor plate of a second set of floor plates described below) of the annular base portion 202 of the liner assembly 15. FIG. 10 shows a side perspective view of the first and second components of the annular base portion 202 of the liner assembly 15. FIG. 1 1 shows a top view of the annular base portion 202 of the liner assembly 15 comprising the first and second components attached to each other. FIG. 12 shows a top view of the well 14 with the annular base portion 202 of the liner assembly 15 and a portion of the lift pin assembly 24 in the well 14. FIG. 13 shows a top view of the well 14 with the annular base portion 202 of the liner assembly 15 and the pedestal 16 in the well 14. FIG. 14 shows a cross- sectional view of the well 14 with the liner assembly 15. Various components of the liner assembly 15 are described below in detail with reference to FIGS. 2-14.

[0067] FIG. 2 shows a top perspective view of the liner assembly 15. The liner assembly 15 comprises the cylindrical portion 200 and the annular base portion 202. The bottom end of the cylindrical portion 200 comprises the plurality of feet 204 that rest on the inner bottom surface 17 of the well 14. The annular base portion 202 extends radially inwards from the bottom end of the cylindrical portion 200 and from the bottom end of the sidewall 13 of the well 14. The annular base portion 202 comprises the plurality of arcuate sections (also called floor plates) 203 that are attached to each other (see FIG. 1 1 ). The arcuate sections 203 extend radially inwards from the bottom end of the cylindrical portion 200and from the bottom end of the sidewall 13 of the well 14. Each arcuate section 203 comprises extensions (flap-like structures) 206 that extend downward from the radially inner ends of the arcuate sections 203. The extensions (flap-like structures) 206 can be similar to or wider than the feet 204 of the cylindrical portion 200. Additionally, each arcuate section 203 comprises two feet-like support structures 208 (not visible in the view, but see FIG. 3), one support structure at each lateral end of the arcuate section 203. The extensions (flap-like structures) 206 and the feet-like support structures 208 of the arcuate sections 203 support the annular base portion 202 and therefore may be collectively called support structures of the annular base portion 202. Further, the extensions (flap-like structures) 206 and the feet-like support structures 208 of the arcuate sections 203 that support the annular base portion 202 and the feet 204 that support the cylindrical portion 200 can be collectively called support structures of the liner assembly 15.

[0068] More specifically, the annular base portion 202 comprises two sets of arcuate sections 203. A first set of arcuate sections 203 comprises a plurality of arcuate sections identified at 210-1 , 210-2, 210-3, 210-4 (collectively called the first set of arcuate sections 210) throughout FIGS. 2-14. While four arcuate sections 210 are shown for example, fewer or additional arcuate sections 210 may be used. The circumferential size of each of the arcuate sections 210 varies inversely with the number of arcuate sections 210 used. A second set of arcuate sections 203 comprises two arcuate sections identified at 212-1 and 212-2 (collectively called the second set of arcuate sections 212) throughout FIGS. 2-14. The two arcuate sections 212 align with the two exhaust ports 174 of the station 12, respectively. The two arcuate sections 212 are shaped as described below in further detail to allow material from the well 14 to be exhausted through the exhaust ports 174. Thus, the arcuate sections 203 of the annular base portion 202 comprise the first set of arcuate sections 210 and the second set of arcuate sections 212.

[0069] FIG. 3 shows a bottom perspective view of the liner assembly 15. Elements identified by the same reference numerals as those shown and described with reference to FIG. 2 are not described again for brevity. Some of the elements of the liner assembly 15 that are not visible in FIG. 2 are visible in FIG. 3. Specifically, all of the feet 204 of the cylindrical portion 200 are visible. All of the arcuate sections 210 and 212 are visible. All of the extensions (flap-like structures) 206 of the arcuate sections 210 and 212 are visible. All of the feet-like support structures 208 of the arcuate sections 210 and 212 are also visible. The horizontal portions of the arcuate sections 212-1 , 212-2 include cutouts214-1 , 214-2, respectively (collectively called the cutouts 214). The feet 204 of the cylindrical portion 200 extend through the cutouts 214.

[0070] The bottom end of the cylindrical portion 200 rests on the outer periphery of the annular base portion 202 (i.e., on outer peripheries of the arcuate sections 210, 212). The OD of the cylindrical portion 200 is slightly less than the OD of the annular base portion 202 (i.e., the OD of the arcuate sections 210, 212). In general, the liner assembly 15 has the shape of a bowl with a bottom center portion of the bowl comprising an opening that surrounds the lift pin assembly 24. Thus, the pedestal 16 and the lift pin assembly 24 can be moved vertically up and down within the liner assembly 15 without any obstruction just as the pedestal 16 and the lift pin assembly 24 can be moved within the well 14 without the liner assembly 15. The liner assembly 15 does not obstruct the movement of the pedestal 16 and the lift pin assembly 24.

[0071] FIG. 4 shows a perspective view of the cylindrical portion 200 of the liner assembly 15. FIG. 5 shows a side view of the cylindrical portion 200 of the liner assembly 15. The cylindrical portion 200 can be manufactured as a single annular piece or as a flat rectangular piece of which two ends can be joined at 220 as shown. The upper end of the cylindrical portion 200 extends radially outwards forming a flange 222. The flange 222 does not contact the sidewall 13 of the well 14. The flange 222 helps maintain a gap between the sidewall 13 of the well 14 and the cylindrical portion 200 to thermally isolate the liner assembly 15 from the well 14. The flange 222 helps prevent or reduce material from flowing through the gap between the cylindrical portion 200 and the sidewall 13 of the well 14. The flange 222 helps prevent or reduce material from depositing on the sidewall 13 of the well 14, which prevents contamination of the sidewall 13 of the well 14. Depending on the size of gap (i.e., difference between the OD of the cylindrical portion 200 of the liner assembly 15 and the ID of the sidewall 13 of the well 14), the flange 222 may be omitted since the upper end of the cylindrical portion 200 is not attached to the top end of the well 14 and since the flange 222 is not used to attach the upper end of the cylindrical portion 200 to the top end of the well 14.

[0072] FIGS. 6-10 show the arcuate sections 210, 212 of the annular base portion 202 of the liner assembly 15 in further detail. FIGS. 6 and 7 show perspective views of the arcuate sections 212. The arcuate sections 212-1 and 212-2 are identical. Two perspective views are shown so that all elements of the arcuate sections 212 can be seen. FIGS. 8 and 9 show perspective views of the arcuate sections 210. The arcuatesections 210-1 through 210-4 are identical. Again, two perspective views are shown so that all elements of the arcuate sections 210 can be seen. FIG. 10 shows a side perspective view of the arcuate sections 210, 212.

[0073] In FIGS. 6 and 7, each arcuate section 212 comprises a horizontal portion 230, the extensions (flap-like structures) 206, the two feet-like support structures 208, and the cutout 214. The horizontal portion (also called a flat portion) 230 comprises the cutout 214. The lateral ends 232-1 , 232-2 of the horizontal portion 230 on either side of the cutout 214 extend radially outward towards the exhaust port 174. The side portions of the lateral ends 232-1 , 232-2 extend downward (e.g., perpendicularly to the horizontal portion 230) forming the feet-like support structures 208 that rest on the inner bottom surface 17 of the well 14. The extensions (flap-like structures) 206 also extend downward (e.g., perpendicularly to the horizontal portion 230) from the radially inner end of the horizontal portion 230 and rest on the inner bottom surface 17 of the well 14.

[0074] The height of the extensions (flap-like structures) 206 is the same as the height of the feet-like support structures 208. The height of the feet 204 of the cylindrical portion 200 is slightly greater than the heights of the elements 206, 208 (e.g., greater by an amount equal to the thickness of the horizontal portions 230 of the arcuate sections 203). The extensions (flap-like structures) 206 and the feet-like support structures 208 are parallel to the feet 204 of the cylindrical portion 200. The extensions (flap-like structures) 206 and the feet-like support structures 208 are also parallel to the cylindrical portion 200. The cylindrical portion 200 is parallel to the sidewall 13 of the well 14. Accordingly, the extensions (flap-like structures) 206 and the feet-like support structures 208 are also parallel to the sidewall 13 of the well 14. The cylindrical portion 200 is perpendicular to the inner bottom surface 17 of the well 14. Accordingly, the extensions (flap-like structures) 206 and the feet-like support structures 208 are also perpendicular to the inner bottom surface 17 of the well 14.

[0075] While the extensions (flap-like structures) 206 are shown as circumferentially wide elements, the circumferential width of the extensions (flap-like structures) 206 can be narrower than shown. For example, the extensions (flap-like structures) 206 can be just as wide as the feet-like support structures 208. Narrower extensions (flap-like structures) 206 can increase thermal isolation of the liner assembly 15 without compromising the mechanical stability and structural integrity of the liner assembly 15. Further, while the feet-like support structures 208 are shown as being contoured (curved)to match the shape of the bottom of the well 14, the feet-like support structures 208 can also be shaped similar to the feet 204 of the cylindrical portion 200. Similarly, the narrow extensions (flap-like structures) 206 can also be shaped similar to the feet 204 of the cylindrical portion 200.

[0076] The horizontal portion 230 of each arcuate section 212 also comprises a projection 234 at a first end and a notch (or a slot) 236 at a second end of the horizontal portion 230. The projection 234 is located between the lateral end 232-2 (or between a first one of the feet-like support structures 208) and a first one of the extensions (flap-like structures) 206. The notch 236 is located between the lateral end 232-2 (or between a second one of the feet-like support structures 208) and a second one of the extensions (flap-like structures) 206. As described below, the arcuate sections 210 also comprise similar extensions (flap-like structures) 206, feet-like support structures 208, projections 234, and notches 236. As shown in FIG. 13, the projection 234 of the arcuate section 212 mates with a notch 236 of an adjacent one of the arcuate section 210 located on a first side of the arcuate section 212, and the notch 236 of the arcuate section 212 mates with a projection 234 of another adjacent one of the arcuate section 210 located on a second side of the arcuate section 212. The arcuate sections 212 are also similarly interconnected to each other by respective projections 234 and notches 236. The connections of the projections 234 and the notches 236 of the arcuate sections 210, 212 align the arcuate sections 210, 212 to form the annular base portion 202 of the liner assembly 15. These connections along with the extensions (flap-like structures) 206 and the two feet-like support structures 208 of the arcuate sections 210, 212 maintain the annular base portion 202 horizontal (i.e., parallel to the inner bottom surface 17 of the well 14). Accordingly, the projections 234 and the notches 236 of the arcuate sections 210, 212 can be called complementary alignment features of the arcuate sections 210, 212.

[0077] In FIGS. 8 and 9, each arcuate section 210 comprises a horizontal portion (also called a flat portion) 231 , the extensions (flap-like structures) 206, the two feet-like support structures 208, the projection 234, and the notch 236. The arcuate sections 210 do not include the cutout 214 since the arcuate sections 210 are not located at the exhaust ports 174 in the well 14. Instead, the entire outer periphery of the horizontal portion 231 of the arcuate sections 210 extends radially outward towards the sidewall 13 of the well 14. The two feet-like support structures 208 extend downward from lateral ends 232-1 , 232-2 of the horizontal portion 231 . All other elements identified by the samereference numerals as those shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 are the same and are therefore not described again for brevity.

[0078] The elements 204, 206, and 208 of the liner assembly 15 lie on the inner bottom surface 17 of the well 14. The inner bottom surface 17 of the well 14 lies in a plane parallel to a plane in which the base portion 1 18 of the pedestal 16 lies (see FIG. 1 B). Accordingly, the bottoms of the elements 204, 206, 208 also lie in the same plane, which is the plane of the inner bottom surface 17 of the well 14. The annular base portion 202 of the liner assembly 15 is generally parallel to the inner bottom surface 17 of the well 14 and to the base portion 1 18 of the pedestal 16. Specifically, the horizontal portions 230, 231 of the arcuate sections 210, 212 are parallel to the inner bottom surface 17 of the well 14 and to the base portion 1 18 of the pedestal 16.

[0079] The cylindrical portion 200 of the liner assembly 15 is parallel to the sidewall 13 of the well 14 (see FIG. 1 B). The sidewall 13 of the well 14 is perpendicular to the inner bottom surface 17 of the well 14 and to the base portion 118 of the pedestal 16. The cylindrical portion 200 of the liner assembly 15 is also perpendicular to the inner bottom surface 17 of the well 14 and to the base portion 118 of the pedestal 16. The cylindrical portion 200 of the liner assembly 15 is generally perpendicular to the annular base portion 202 of the liner assembly 15. Specifically, the cylindrical portion 200 of the liner assembly 15 is generally perpendicular to the horizontal portions 230, 231 of the arcuate sections 210, 212 of the annular base portion 202 of the liner assembly 15. The annular base portion 202 is also generally parallel to the inner bottom surface 17 of the well 14 and to the base portion 1 18 of the pedestal 16. Specifically, the horizontal portions 230, 231 of the arcuate sections 210, 212 of the annular base portion 202 are parallel to the inner bottom surface 17 of the well 14 and to the base portion 1 18 of the pedestal 16.

[0080] FIG. 10 shows a side perspective view of the arcuate sections 210, 212 taken from the extensions (flap-like structures) 206. The view is taken facing elements 206 and looking to the elements 206. The cutout 214 of the arcuate section 212 is not visible in the view. All elements identified by the same reference numerals as those shown in FIGS. 6-9 are the same and are therefore not described again for brevity.

[0081] FIG. 11 shows a top view of the annular base portion 202 of the liner assembly 15. The view excludes the well 14 and focuses on the connections of the arcuate sections 210, 212. The view shows the arcuate sections 210, 212 attached (connected) to each other using the projections 234 and the notches 236 as described above. Theconnections are therefore not described again for brevity. The projections 234 and the notches 236 of the arcuate sections 210, 212 are shown mated to each other as described above. When the arcuate sections 210, 212 are interconnected, the feet-like support structures 208 of adjacent arcuate sections 210, 212 also align with each other as shown.

[0082] FIG. 12 shows a top view of the well 14 including the annular base portion 202 of the liner assembly 15 and without the pedestal 16. The view shows the exhaust ports 174 across the cutouts 214 of the arcuate sections 212. The view shows that the cutouts 214 of the arcuate sections 212 are aligned with the respective exhaust ports 174 in the well 14. The view shows that the radially inner portion of the annular base portion 202 (i.e., radially inner portions of the arcuate sections 210, 212) extends radially inwards up to the OD of the lift pin assembly 24. If a circle is drawn along the radially inner portion of the annular base portion 202 (i.e., radially inner portions of the arcuate sections 210, 212), the diameter of the circle will be greater than or equal to the OD of the lift pin assembly 24. Since the annular base portion 202 of the liner assembly 15 covers the inner bottom surface 17 of the well 14 up to the OD of the lift pin assembly 24 (see FIGS. 1 B and 12), the annular base portion 202 of the liner assembly 15 prevents material from depositing on the inner bottom surface 17 of the well 14 and prevents contamination of the inner bottom surface 17 of the well 14.

[0083] FIG. 13 shows a top view of the well 14 including the annular base portion 202 of the liner assembly 15 and the pedestal 16. The view shows the exhaust ports 174 across the cutouts 214 of the arcuate sections 212. The view shows that the outer portion of the base portion 1 18 of the pedestal 16 partially hangs over the radially inner portion of the annular base portion 202 (i.e., radially inner portions of the arcuate sections 210, 212). In other words, the radially inner portion of the annular base portion 202 (i.e., radially inner portions of the arcuate sections 210, 212) extends radially inwards beneath the periphery (OD) of the base portion 1 18 of the pedestal 16. If a circle is drawn along the radially inner portion of the annular base portion 202 (i.e., radially inner portions of the arcuate sections 210, 212), the diameter of the circle will be less than the OD of the base portion 1 18 of the pedestal 16.

[0084] FIG. 14 shows a cross-sectional view of the well 14 with the liner assembly 15. The lift pin assembly 24 and the pedestal 16 are omitted to show the spatial relationships of the various components of the liner assembly 15 with the well 14. The spatialrelationships of the various components of the liner assembly 15 with the well 14 are already described above and are therefore not described again for brevity.

[0085] Throughout the present disclosure, the well 14 is shown and described as comprising two exhaust ports 174. In some examples, the well 14 may comprise only one exhaust port 174. Accordingly, only one of the arcuate sections 203 of the annular base portion 202 of the liner assembly 15 may comprise a cutout 214, and the liner assembly 15 may be disposed in the well 14 such that the cutout 214 aligns with the exhaust port 174 in the well 14. In this example, the cylindrical portion 200 of the liner assembly 15 may comprise only two feet 204 that pass through the cutout 214 and rest on the inner bottom surface 17 of the well 14. Since the bottom end of the cylindrical portion 200 still rests on the annular base portion 202 as described above, the mechanical stability of the liner assembly 15 is unaffected by absence of additional feet 204. Nonetheless, in this and other examples including the example described above, regardless of the number and locations of the exhaust ports 174 in the well 14, additional cutouts 214 may be provided in additional arcuate sections 203. Additional feet 204 may be provided at the bottom end of the cylindrical portion 200 that can pass through these cutouts 214 and can rest on the inner bottom surface 17 of the well 14.

[0086] In summary, the thermally floating (i.e., thermally isolated) liner assembly 15 can maintain higher temperatures than the underlying well 14, which allows for reduced deposition on the liner assembly 15 and faster cleaning of the liner assembly 15. The chemically inert material (e.g., aluminum alloy) of the liner assembly 15 increases incubation time (passivation) and reduces recombination of reactive species during cleaning process. The cylindrical portion 200 of the liner assembly 15 protects (i.e., prevents material from depositing on) the sidewall 13 of the well 14. The annular base portion 202 comprising the arcuate sections 203 (floor plates) protects (i.e., prevents material from depositing on) the inner bottom surface 17 of the well 14.

[0087] The liner assembly 15 solves the following problems associated with wells. The wells get relatively cold due to thermal connection of the wells to the cooling system located under the wells. The cold areas of the wells tend to have high rates of deposition of materials (e.g., carbon) used during deposition processes. The cold areas of the wells tend to have low rates of material removal during cleaning processes due to the lower temperature of the cold areas. Using the liner assembly 15 of the present disclosure, which is thermally isolated from the well 14, the well 14 is protected from havingdeposition. The liner assembly 15 also sees a reduced rate of material deposition and an increased rate of cleaning (relative to the well 14 without the liner assembly 15) due to the thermal isolation, which allows the liner assembly 15 to be at a higher temperature than the well 14 and which prevents cold spots on the liner assembly 15, and further due to the chemically inert material used to construct the liner assembly 15. Thus, the liner assembly 15 improves the cleanliness and reduces contamination of the processing chamber and increases process throughput. In addition, the design of the liner assembly 15 allows convection of the cleaning gas in the processing chamber and prevents dead zones or recirculation from forming during cleaning processes.

[0088] The foregoing description is merely illustrative in nature and is not intended to limit the disclosure, its application, or uses. The broad teachings of the disclosure can be implemented in a variety of forms. Therefore, while this disclosure includes particular examples, the true scope of the disclosure should not be so limited since other modifications will become apparent upon a study of the drawings, the specification, and the following claims.

[0089] It should be understood that one or more steps within a method may be executed in different order (or concurrently) without altering the principles of the present disclosure. Further, although each of the examples is described above as having certain features, any one or more of those features described with respect to any one of the examples of the disclosure can be implemented in and / or combined with features of any of the other examples, even if that combination is not explicitly described. In other words, the described examples are not mutually exclusive, and permutations of one or more examples with one another remain within the scope of this disclosure.

[0090] Spatial and functional relationships between elements (for example, between modules, circuit elements, semiconductor layers, etc.) are described using various terms, including “connected,” “engaged,” “coupled,” “adjacent,” “next to,” “on top of,” “above,” “below,” and “disposed.” Unless explicitly described as being “direct,” when a relationship between first and second elements is described in the above disclosure, that relationship can be a direct relationship where no other intervening elements are present between the first and second elements, but can also be an indirect relationship where one or more intervening elements are present (either spatially or functionally) between the first and second elements. As used herein, the phrase at least one of A, B, and C should beconstrued to mean a logical (A OR B OR C), using a non-exclusive logical OR, and should not be construed to mean “at least one of A, at least one of B, and at least one of C.”

[0091] In some implementations, a controller is part of a system, which may be part of the above-described examples. Such systems can comprise semiconductor processing equipment, including a processing tool or tools, chamber or chambers, a platform or platforms for processing, and / or specific processing components (a wafer pedestal, a gas flow system, etc.). These systems may be integrated with electronics for controlling their operation before, during, and after processing of a semiconductor wafer or substrate.

[0092] The electronics may be referred to as the “controller,” which may control various components or subparts of the system or systems. The controller, depending on the processing requirements and / or the type of system, may be programmed to control any of the processes disclosed herein, including the delivery of processing gases, temperature settings (e.g., heating and / or cooling), pressure settings, vacuum settings, power settings, radio frequency (RF) generator settings, RF matching circuit settings, frequency settings, flow rate settings, fluid delivery settings, positional and operation settings, wafer transfers into and out of a tool and other transfer tools and / or load locks connected to or interfaced with a specific system.

[0093] Broadly speaking, the controller may be defined as electronics having various integrated circuits, logic, memory, and / or software that receive instructions, issue instructions, control operation, enable cleaning operations, enable endpoint measurements, and the like. The integrated circuits may include chips in the form of firmware that store program instructions, digital signal processors (DSPs), chips defined as application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), and / or one or more microprocessors, or microcontrollers that execute program instructions (e.g., software).

[0094] Program instructions may be instructions communicated to the controller in the form of various individual settings (or program files), defining operational parameters for carrying out a particular process on or for a semiconductor wafer or to a system. The operational parameters may, in some examples, be part of a recipe defined by process engineers to accomplish one or more processing steps during the fabrication of one or more layers, materials, metals, oxides, silicon, silicon dioxide, surfaces, circuits, and / or dies of a wafer.

[0095] The controller, in some implementations, may be a part of or coupled to a computer that is integrated with the system, coupled to the system, otherwise networkedto the system, or a combination thereof. For example, the controller may be in the “cloud” or all or a part of a fab host computer system, which can allow for remote access of the wafer processing. The computer may enable remote access to the system to monitor current progress of fabrication operations, examine a history of past fabrication operations, examine trends or performance metrics from a plurality of fabrication operations, to change parameters of current processing, to set processing steps to follow a current processing, or to start a new process.

[0096] In some examples, a remote computer (e.g., a server) can provide process recipes to a system over a network, which may include a local network or the Internet. The remote computer may include a user interface that enables entry or programming of parameters and / or settings, which are then communicated to the system from the remote computer. In some examples, the controller receives instructions in the form of data, which specify parameters for each of the processing steps to be performed during one or more operations. It should be understood that the parameters may be specific to the type of process to be performed and the type of tool that the controller is configured to interface with or control.

[0097] Thus, as described above, the controller may be distributed, such as by comprising one or more discrete controllers that are networked together and working towards a common purpose, such as the processes and controls described herein. An example of a distributed controller for such purposes would be one or more integrated circuits on a chamber in communication with one or more integrated circuits located remotely (such as at the platform level or as part of a remote computer) that combine to control a process on the chamber.

[0098] Without limitation, example systems may include a plasma etch chamber or module, a deposition chamber or module, a spin-rinse chamber or module, a metal plating chamber or module, a clean chamber or module, a bevel edge etch chamber or module, a physical vapor deposition (PVD) chamber or module, a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) chamber or module, an atomic layer deposition (ALD) chamber or module, an atomic layer etch (ALE) chamber or module, an ion implantation chamber or module, a track chamber or module, and any other semiconductor processing systems that may be associated or used in the fabrication and / or manufacturing of semiconductor wafers.

[0099] As noted above, depending on the process step or steps to be performed by the tool, the controller might communicate with one or more of other tool circuits or modules, other tool components, cluster tools, other tool interfaces, adjacent tools, neighboring tools, tools located throughout a factory, a main computer, another controller, or tools used in material transport that bring containers of wafers to and from tool locations and / or load ports in a semiconductor manufacturing factory.

Claims

CLAIMSWhat is claimed is:1 . A liner assembly for a processing chamber comprising: an annular base portion comprising a plurality of arcuate sections configured to mate with one another, the arcuate sections comprising support structures configured to support the liner assembly when the liner assembly is disposed in a well of the processing chamber; and a cylindrical portion configured to rest on the annular base portion, wherein when the liner assembly is disposed in the well of the processing chamber, the cylindrical portion is configured to maintain a gap between a sidewall of the well and the liner assembly.

2. The liner assembly of claim 1 wherein when the liner assembly is disposed in the well of the processing chamber: the cylindrical portion is parallel to the sidewall of the well; and the support structures of the arcuate sections are configured to rest on an inner bottom surface of the well while maintaining a gap between the arcuate sections and the bottom surface of the well.

3. The liner assembly of claim 1 wherein when the liner assembly is disposed in the well of the processing chamber, the arcuate sections of the annular base portion extend radially inwards from a bottom end of the sidewall of the well and extend parallel to an inner bottom surface of the well maintaining a gap between the arcuate sections and the inner bottom surface of the well.

4. The liner assembly of claim 1 wherein the cylindrical portion and the annular base portion are perpendicular to each other.

5. The liner assembly of claim 1 wherein a bottom end of the cylindrical portion is disposed on an outer periphery of the arcuate sections of the annular base portion.

6. The liner assembly of claim 1 wherein an outer diameter of the arcuate sections of the annular base portion is greater than an outer diameter of the cylindrical portion.

7. The liner assembly of claim 1 wherein when the liner assembly is disposed in the well of the processing chamber, an outer diameter of the arcuate sections of the annular base portion is less than an inner diameter of the sidewall of the well.

8. The liner assembly of claim 1 wherein when the liner assembly is disposed in the well of the processing chamber, an inner diameter of the arcuate sections of the annular base portion is less than an outer diameter of a substrate support disposed in the well.

9. The liner assembly of claim 1 wherein when the liner assembly is disposed in the well of the processing chamber, an inner diameter of the arcuate sections of the annular base portion is greater than or equal to an outer diameter of a lift pin assembly disposed in the well.

10. The liner assembly of claim 1 wherein when the liner assembly is disposed in the well of the processing chamber, a bottom end of the cylindrical portion comprises a plurality of support structures configured to rest on an inner bottom surface of the well.1 1 . The liner assembly of claim 1 wherein when the liner assembly is disposed in the well of the processing chamber: the support structures of the arcuate sections of the annular base portion are configured to rest on an inner bottom surface of the well; and a bottom end of the cylindrical portion comprises a plurality of support structures configured to rest on the inner bottom surface of the well.

12. The liner assembly of claim 1 wherein each of the arcuate sections of the annular base portion comprises a flat portion, the flat portion comprising a projection at a first lateral end of the flat portion and a notch at a second lateral end of the flat portion, and wherein the arcuate sections are interconnected by mating the projections and the notches of the arcuate sections.

13. The liner assembly of claim 1 wherein when the liner assembly is disposed in the well of the processing chamber, each of the arcuate sections of the annular base portion comprises a flat portion that is parallel to an inner bottom surface of the well, the flat portion comprising the support structures that extend perpendicularly from the flat portion to the inner bottom surface of the well.

14. The liner assembly of claim 1 wherein when the liner assembly is disposed in the well of the processing chamber, each of the arcuate sections of the annular base portion comprises a flat portion, the flat portion comprising a first set of the support structures at lateral ends of the flat portion and a second set of the support structures at a radially inner end of the flat portion, wherein the first and second sets of the support structures extend perpendicularly from the flat portion to an inner bottom surface of the well.

15. The liner assembly of claim 1 wherein when the liner assembly is disposed in the well of the processing chamber, at least one of the arcuate sections of the annular base portion comprises a cutout that aligns with an exhaust port located at a bottom of the well.

16. The liner assembly of claim 1 wherein when the liner assembly is disposed in the well of the processing chamber: at least one of the arcuate sections of the annular base portion comprises a cutout that aligns with an exhaust port located at a bottom of the well; and a bottom end of the cylindrical portion of the liner assembly comprises one or more support structures that pass through the cutout and rest on an inner bottom surface of the well.

17. The liner assembly of claim 1 wherein when the liner assembly is disposed in the well of the processing chamber: each of the arcuate sections of the annular base portion comprises a flat portion that is parallel to an inner bottom surface of the well, the flat portion comprising the support structures that extend perpendicularly from the flat portion to the inner bottom surface of the well; at least one of the arcuate sections comprises a cutout that aligns with an exhaust port located at a bottom of the well; and a bottom end of the cylindrical portion of the liner assembly comprises one or more support structures that pass through the cutout and rest on the inner bottom surface of the well.

18. The liner assembly of claim 1 wherein when the liner assembly is disposed in the well of the processing chamber: each of the arcuate sections of the annular base portion comprises a flat portion, the flat portion comprising a first set of the support structures at lateral ends of the flat portion and a second set of the support structures at a radially inner end of the flat portion, wherein the first and second sets of the support structures extend perpendicularly from the flat portion to an inner bottom surface of the well; at least one of the arcuate sections comprises a cutout that aligns with an exhaust port located at a bottom of the well; and a bottom end of the cylindrical portion of the liner assembly comprises one or more support structures that pass through the cutout and rest on the inner bottom surface of the well.

19. The liner assembly of claim 1 wherein the cylindrical portion and the annular base portion comprise a metallic material.

20. The liner assembly of claim 1 wherein the cylindrical portion and the annular base portion comprise an alloy of aluminum.

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