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Substrate processing platform allowing processing in different ambients

A substrate and processing chamber technology, applied in the field of semiconductor processing equipment, can solve problems such as long delivery time

Inactive Publication Date: 2008-04-23
APPLIED MATERIALS INC
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  • Summary
  • Abstract
  • Description
  • Claims
  • Application Information

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Problems solved by technology

As a result, lead times between ordering a system and putting it into production can be long

Method used

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  • Substrate processing platform allowing processing in different ambients
  • Substrate processing platform allowing processing in different ambients
  • Substrate processing platform allowing processing in different ambients

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Embodiment Construction

[0019] The general type of platform illustrated in FIG. 1 has a factory interface 26 but no load locks and can be modified into a multi-chamber system 40 illustrated in the orthographic view of FIG. 2 for mixed processing environments and With one or two rapid thermal processing (RTP) chambers 42, 44, the rapid thermal processing chambers 42, 44 can be vacuumed to lower pressures and allow the use of toxic gases. Furthermore, the system 40 includes a vacuum pump 46 for pumping the two RTP lampheads, supported on the frame 16 and connected to the RTP chambers 42 , 44 by discharge lines 48 , 50 . The rapid thermal processing chambers 42, 44 are examples of low pressure chambers capable of operating at internal processing pressures below 200 Torr. Chambers other than RTP chambers can be used in the present invention, but RTP is of immediate benefit. Low pressure is required during undesired purge of process gas from the chamber. The low pressure requires additional features in ...

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Abstract

A semiconductor wafer processing system (40) including a factory interface (26) operating at atmospheric pressure and mounting plural wafer cassettes and further including plural wafer processing chambers (42, 44) mounted on a frame (16) and connected to the factory interface through respective slit valves. A robot in the factory interface can transfer wafers (32) between the cassettes and the processing chambers. At least one of the processing chambers can operate at reduced pressure and is pumped by a vacuum pump (46) mounted on the frame. The processing chamber may be a rapid thermal processing chamber (52) including an array of lamps (66) irradiating a processing volume (100) through a window (60). The lamphead is vacuum pumped to a pressure approximating that in the processing volume. A multi-step process may be performed with different pressures. The invention also includes a wafer access port (202) of a thermal processing chamber which can flow (210) an inert gas in outside of the slit valve to thereby form a gas curtain outside of the opened slit (206) to prevent the out flow of toxic processing gases.

Description

technical field [0001] The present invention relates generally to semiconductor processing equipment and, more particularly, to platforms to which multiple processing chambers are mounted. Background technique [0002] Much modern commercial semiconductor processing is performed in single wafer processing chambers mounted to a central transfer chamber through corresponding vacuum slit valves. The transfer chamber and many associated control and vacuum equipment are called a platform, which can be combined with different types of process chambers. Different process chambers allow sputtering, etching, chemical vapor deposition (CVD) and rapid thermal processing (RTP). The transfer chamber is kept at low pressure to prevent contamination and possible oxidation of the wafer between processing steps and to keep the chamber at a constant low pressure which can be in the mTorr range for etch and the mTorr range for sputtering. Low pressure is in the microtorr range. Robotic arms...

Claims

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Application Information

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Patent Type & Authority Applications(China)
IPC IPC(8): H01L21/332
CPCH01L21/67207H01L21/67778H01L21/67115H01L21/00
Inventor 横田好隆克尔克·莫里茨马楷温·常安娜斯塔西亚丝·帕拉希瑞丝鲁希特·夏尔玛阿古斯·钱德拉梵达普拉姆·阿舒塔拉曼孙达拉·拉马穆尔蒂兰迪尔·塔库尔
Owner APPLIED MATERIALS INC
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