Sealing device and method useful in semiconductor processing apparatus for bridging materials having a thermal expansion differential

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1.

Field of the Invention

0001The present invention relates to an apparatus and method which can be used to provide a seal between two portions of a semiconductor processing reactor which are operated at different pressures. The apparatus and method are particularly useful when the processing reactor operates over a broad temperature range (about 600°C) and the seal must bridge two materials having a substantially different coefficient of expansion.

2.

Description of the Background Art

0002In the fabrication of electronic components such as semiconductor devices, the manufacturing process frequently requires that a substrate be cooled while that substrate is exposed to a partial pressure of about 10^-3 Tort or lower. Processes which require substrate cooling under such partial vacuum conditions include, for example, physical vapor deposition (PVD), ion injection and particular forms of plasma etching.

0003PVD is used to deposit a thin film on a substrate. Films of materials such as, for example, aluminum, titanium, tungsten, tantalum, tantalum nitride, cobalt, and silica may be deposited on ceramic, glass or silicon-derived substrates using PVD processes such as a sputtering process. In a typical sputtering process, a low pressure atmosphere of an ionizable gas such as argon or helium is produced in a vacuum chamber. The pressure in the vacuum chamber is reduced to about 10^-6 to 10^-10 Torr, after which argon, for example, is introduced to produce an argon partial pressure ranging between about 0.0001 Torr (0.1 mTorr) and about 0.020 Torr (20 mTorr). Two electrodes, a cathode and an anode, are generally disposed in the vacuum chamber. The cathode is typically made of the material to be deposited or sputtered, and the anode is generally formed by the enclosure (particular walls of the vacuum chamber, or the platform upon which the substrate sits, for example). At times, an auxiliary anode may be used or the article to be coated may serve as the anode. A high voltage is applied between these two electrodes, and the substrate to be coated is disposed upon a platform positioned opposite the cathode. The platform upon which the substrate sets is often heated and/or cooled, and heat is transferred between the platform and the substrate, to assist in obtaining a smooth, even thin film coating upon the substrate. To obtain a smooth, even film coating, it is desirable to maintain the substrate at a uniform temperature within a few °C; preferably, the temperature is near but below the melting point of the material from which the film is being formed. It is very important that the substrate temperature be repeatable each time a given process is carried out. Thus, the heat transfer between the platform and the substrate must be uniform and repeatable.

0004When the pressure in the process (vacuum) chamber is about 1 Torr or less, convective/conductive heat transfer becomes impractical. This low pressure environment affects heat transfer between the substrate and the support platform; it also affects heat transfer between the support platform and heat transfer means such as a heating or cooling coil used adjacent to the platform to heat or cool the platform.

0005Since the substrate and the platform typically do not have the perfectly level surfaces which would enable sufficiently even heat transfer by direct conduction, it is helpful to provide a heat transfer fluid between the platform and the substrate, to assist in providing even heat transfer between the support platform and the substrate. It is known in the art to use one of the gases present in a PVD sputtering process as a heat transfer fluid between the support platform and the substrate. The fluid is typically a gas such as helium, argon, hydrogen, carbon tetrafluoride, or hexafluoroethane, for example, or other suitable gas that is a good heat conductor at low pressure. The fluid is generally applied through multiple openings or into exposed channels in the substrate-facing surface of the support platform. Presence of the heat transfer fluid between the substrate and support platform surface establishes a nearly static gas pressure which commonly ranges from about 1 Torr to about 100 Torr, depending on the particular film deposition process.

0006The positive pressure created by the heat transfer fluid used between the back (non-processed) side of the substrate and its support platform, as described above, tends to bow a thin substrate which is mechanically clamped at its edge. Bowing of the substrate in excess, for example 10 micrometers at the center of a typical silicon wafer substrate, was observed when the periphery of the substrate was held by mechanical clamps. This substrate bowing reduces the amount of heat transfer near the center of the substrate and results in uneven heating of the substrate in general. Further, the gas used to provide a heat transfer fluid between the substrate and the support platform leaks from the edges of the substrate so that a constant net flow of fluid occurs from beneath the substrate into the process vacuum chamber. The amount of gas leakage commonly ranges from about 10% to about 30% of the gas used during processing of the substrate.

0007One means of avoiding bowing of the substrate and of reducing heat transfer fluid leakage at the substrate edge is the use of an electrostatic chuck as the support platform. An electrostatic chuck secures the entire lower surface of a substrate by Coulombic force and provides an alternative to mechanical clamping of the substrate to the support platform. When a substrate is secured to the platform using an electrostatic chuck, the flatness of the substrate during processing is improved. In a typical electrostatic chuck, the substrate (comprised of a semiconductor material or a non-magnetic, electrically conductive material) effectively forms a first plate of a parallel-plate capacitor. The remainder of the capacitor is generally formed by the substrate support platform which typically comprises a dielectric layer positioned on the upper surface of a second conductive plate.

0008The support platform upon which the substrate sets can be heated or cooled in a variety of manners, depending on the kind of process to be carried out in the process chamber. For example, radiant, inductive, or resistance heating can be used to heat a support platform; the platform can be heated or cooled using a heat transfer fluid which is circulated through internal passageways within the support platform; in the alternative, heating or cooling can be achieved using a heat transfer surface such as a heating or cooling coil which is located adjacent to, frequently in contact with, the support platform. The means of heating or cooling the support platform often depends on the materials of construction of the platform itself. When the partial pressure in the process chamber is less than about 1 Torr, the support platform cannot be heated or cooled using a heat transfer surface adjacent the support platform, since convection/conduction of heat cannot occur at a practical rate.

0009There are numerous materials of construction and structural possibilities described in the art which can be used to form an electrostatic chuck. The means for heating and cooling the electrostatic chuck (from which the substrate can be heated or cooled) depends on the materials of construction used and the overall structure of the electrostatic chuck.

0010U.S. Patent No. 4,771,730 to Masashi Tezuka, issued September 20, 1988 describes an electrostatic chuck comprised of a conductive specimen table (probably constructed from a metallic material such as aluminum) having hollow conduits therein for the circulation of water. Mounted to the upper surface of the specimen table is an electrode comprising an electrode plate constructed of a metal such as aluminum, surrounded by a dielectric film of a material such as Al₂O₃ (alumina). The substrate to be processed sets upon the upper surface of the dielectric film material. It is readily apparent that the sandwiched materials of construction which make up the electrostatic chuck have vastly different coefficients of expansion. Upon exposure of the sandwiched materials to operational temperature ranges of several hundred degrees Centigrade, stress is created between the sandwiched layers which can lead to deformation or fracture of the more fragile layers and to poor performance and eventual failure of the electrostatic chuck in general.

0011U.S. Patent No. 5,155,652 to Logan et al., issued October 13, 1992, discloses an electrostatic chuck assembly including, from top to bottom: a top isolation layer; an electrostatic pattern layer comprised of an electrically conductive electrostatic pattern disposed on a substrate; a heating layer comprised of an electrically conductive heating pattern disposed on a substrate; a support layer; and a heat sink base having backside cooling and insulating channels provided therein. The preferred material for the isolation layer is Boralloy 11®, a pyrolytic boron nitride available from Union Carbide. The electrostatic pattern layer is not particularly defined. The heating layer is comprised of a substrate, preferably pyrolytic boron nitride having a conductive heating pattern disposed thereon. The conductive heating pattern is preferably comprised of a pyrolytic graphite. The support layer is preferably comprised of a boron nitride having metal vias disposed therethrough for conducting electrical energy to metal vias within the heating layer. The heat sink base is comprised of a thermally conductive block of material having clearance holes extending therethrough for facilitating electrical contact with the metal vias of the support layer. The heat sink base also has channels therein for the circulation of a cooling fluid. The material of selection for heat sink base is said to be critical because it must match the thermal expansion rate of all the other layers in the structure. It is recommended that KOVAR®, an iron/nickel/cobalt alloy available from Westinghouse Electric Co. be used to form the heat sink base.

0012The heat sink base is said to be bonded to the bottom of the support layer using one of several techniques. The techniques include brazing, whereby gold contact pads are deposited on the respective bonding surfaces, the pieces are fitted together, and the assembly is heated in a brazing furnace. A second method of bonding the heat sink base to the bottom of the support layer is to apply a thermally conductive ceramic cement. A third method is to mechanically clamp the two pieces together by fabricating a flange on the bottom of the support layer and a clamp ring on the top of the heat sink base.

0013The kind of structure described in the Logan et al. is very expensive to construct, both in terms of materials of construction and fabrication of the structure itself.

0014U.S. Patent No. 5,191,506 to Logan et al., issued March 2, 1993 describes an electrostatic chuck assembly including, from top to bottom: a top multilayer ceramic insulating layer; an electrostatic pattern layer having a conductive electrostatic pattern disposed upon a multilayer ceramic substrate; a multilayer ceramic support layer; and a heat sink base having backside cooling channels machined therein. The multilayer ceramic structures are bonded together using known techniques applicable to multilayer ceramics, and the heatsink base is brazed to the bottom of the multilayer ceramic support layer. The materials of construction are essentially equivalent to the materials of construction described in U.S. Patent No. 5,155,652. The heat sink base is said to be brazed to the electrostatic pattern layer by depositing gold contact pads on the respective bonding surfaces, fitting the pieces together, and heating the assembly in a brazing furnace.

0015In the above-referenced U.S. patents, when cooling is involved, the cooling is accomplished by using a fluid flowing: a) in direct contact with either a specialized metal alloy having a coefficient of expansion matched to that of a dielectric material with which it was in contact, or b) in direct contact with the dielectric material itself. This is necessary since the entire vacuum chamber in which substrate processing is carried out is operated at a partial vacuum which renders conductive/convective heat transfer impractical. The use a specialized metal alloy heatsink base of the kind described in the above-referenced patents is very expensive. Further, direct contact of the cooling fluid with the kinds of dielectric materials generally described may not provide effective heat transfer and may result in fracture of the dielectric material itself. The ceramic materials typically used as dielectrics are commonly sensitive to temperature differential, and the temperature differential between a heating element and a nearby cooling element can cause the ceramic to fracture.

0016It would be very advantageous to have a means for cooling an electrostatic chuck (or any other substrate support platform used in low pressure semiconductor processing) which did not require the use of such expensive materials of construction and which provided an efficient means of heat transfer.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

0017The object of the invention to provide an efficient means of heat transfer for supporting a substrate in a vacuum environment is solved by an apparatus as defined by claim 1.

0018Advantageous embodiments of such an apparatus are defined by the dependent claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

0019FIG. 1 shows a schematic of a substrate support platform and auxiliary apparatus used in semiconductor processing which employs the present invention sealing means.

0020FIG. 2 illustrates the present invention in one preferred embodiment; the same embodiment as shown in FIG. 1.

0021FIG. 3 shown a second preferred embodiment of the present invention.

0022FIG. 4 illustrates the preferred embodiment shown in FIG. 1, including dimensional indicators.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

0023The present invention pertains to a sealing means which can be used to bridge between two materials having substantially different linear coefficients of expansion during semiconductor processing, whereby different portions of the semiconductor processing chamber can be operated at different absolute pressures while the process operates over a large temperature range, for example, between room temperature and about 600°C.

0024One skilled in the art, having read the present disclosure, will have numerous applications for the present invention. However, the invention is especially useful in semiconductor processing when the substrate being processed is subjected to sputtering, ion injection or etching processes which generate heat, when an electrostatic chuck is used to support the substrate; and, when it is necessary to be able to cool the electrostatic chuck. The preferred embodiment of the invention described below is directed toward a sputtering process, but is equally applicable to any process which causes the substrate to heat up, requiring a heat removal capability.

0025FIG. 1 shows an apparatus 100 for use in semiconductor processing, including a substrate support platform 102. Substrate support platform 102 functions as an electrostatic chuck, wherein a non-magnetic, semiconductor or conductive substrate 104 forms the first plate of a capacitor; a dielectric inner layer is furnished by a portion of upper platen 106; and a second conductive plate is furnished by conductive layer 111 embedded within upper platen 106.

0026Support platform upper platen 106, is fabricated from a high thermal conductivity dielectric material such as pyrolytic boron nitride, aluminum nitride, silicon nitride, alumina or an equivalent material. Platform housing 108 is typically fabricated from a material such as stainless steel or aluminum, for example, with stainless steel being preferred.

0027Preferably upper platform platen 106 contains an embedded, electrically conductive heating pattern 110 which can be used to heat upper platen 106. Optionally, substrate support platform 102 comprises a removable insert 112 and may comprise a shadow ring 114. Insert 112 is a recyclable element which is used to capture back-scattered deposition materials and to prevent the need to clean upper platen 106. Insert 112 is constructed from a relatively inexpensive material having a coefficient of expansion similar to that of the dielectric material comprising upper platen 106. An example of an acceptable insert material is aluminum.

0028Lift fingers 116 are used in combination with substrate support platform 102 to enable the lifting of a substrate 104 above upper platen 106, so substrate 104 can be grasped by a mechanical device (not shown) used to move the substrate within the semiconductor processing chamber (not shown) which surrounds support platform 102.

0029Cooling of substrate 104 is accomplished by cooling upper platen 106 and transferring heat from substrate 104 to upper platen 106. Upper platen 106 is cooled using a cooling coil 118, wherein a first heat transfer fluid passes into cooling coil 118 at entry 120 and exits through exit 122. Although cooling coil 118 can be used directly adjacent platform platen 106, typically a cooling plate 124 is used in combination with cooling coil 118 to provide a more uniform beat transfer between upper platen 106 and cooling coil 118. Use of cooling plate 124 reduces the amount of temperature differential required at an individual location on the surface of upper platen 106. If cooling coil 118 is located right next to the dielectric material comprising upper platen 106, an abrupt temperature difference at this location can cause damage to the structure of the dielectric material.

0030Spring support 126 is used to maintain close contact between upper platen 106 and cooling plate 124. Cooling coil 118 is typically fabricated from aluminum, stainless steel, or copper, for example. Cooling plate 124 is typically fabricated from stainless steel, tungsten, molybdenum, or Kovar®, for example. In an alternative embodiment of cooling plate 124, a layer of material having a low linear thermal expansion coefficient, such as tungsten, molybdenum, or Kovar®, could be braised to upper platen 106, with a second heat conductive plate of a material such as stainless steel being attached to that layer.

0031As described in the Background Art section of this disclosure, the semiconductor processing of substrate 104 is carried out in a partial vacuum, wherein the absolute pressure is frequently as low as 0.1 mTorr. Thus, a second heat transfer fluid may be used to obtain heat transfer between substrate 104 and upper platen 106 (despite the relatively flat surfaces and good contact between substrate 104 and upper platen 106). Conduit 128 is used to transfer the second heat transfer fluid from a source not shown in FIG. 1. Conduit 128 is attached to platform platen 106, whereby the second heat transfer fluid can flow to opening 130 and into open channels 132 upon the upper surface 134 of support platen 106. A thermocouple 136 is used to sense the temperature of platform platen 106 and to transfer information to a controller which calls for either heating of platform platen 106 by electrically conductive elements 110 or for cooling of platform platen 106 via cooling coil 118, which is preferably used in combination with cooling plate 124.

0032Since the process chamber surrounding substrate 104 is under the partial vacuum previously described, and since this partial vacuum would prevent any practical heat transfer between cooling coil 118 , cooling plate 124, and platform platen 106, it is necessary to have a third heat transfer fluid (in the form of a gaseous atmosphere) present between cooling coil 118, cooling plate 124, and platform platen 106. This third heat transfer fluid can be one of the semiconductor process gases or air, conveniently. To enable use of the third heat transfer fluid, it is necessary to be able to isolate the portion of the process apparatus within which the third heat transfer fluid is to function from the portion of the apparatus within which the substrate is treated. This is accomplished using sealing means 138 and 140.

0033Sealing means 138 bridges between conduit 128 and upper platen 106. Sealing means 140 bridges between support platform housing 108 and upper platen 106. Sealing means 138 is comprised of a thin, metal-comprising strip or ribbon which is braised at one edge to the surface of upper platen 106 and at the other edge to either conduit 128 or to a first extension 139, as shown in FIG. 1. Sealing means 140 is comprised of a thin, metal-comprising strip or ribbon which is braised at one edge to upper platen 106 and at the other edge to either support platform housing 108 or a second extension 142, as shown in FIG. 1. Sealing means 138 and 140 should be capable of withstanding a pressure differential of about 15 psi over an operational temperature range from about 0°C to about 600°C.

0034As previously stated, upper platen 106 is preferably constructed from a dielectric material such as pyrolytic boron nitride, aluminum nitride, silicon nitride, or alumina. Pyrolytic boron nitride is an anisotropic material which has a thermal coefficient of expansion across its planar length and width directions of about 1.5 x 10^-3 in./in./°C at about 600°C and a thermal coefficient of expansion across its cross-sectional thickness of about 40 x 10^-3 in./in./°C at about 600°C. Alumina is more isotropic, having a thermal expansion coefficient of about 0.008 x 10^-3 in./in./°C at 600°C. Aluminum nitride is also more isotropic, having a thermal expansion coefficient of 0.01 x 10^-3 in./in./°C at 600°C.

0035Conduit 128 which must be attached to upper platen 106 is constructed from a material such as stainless steel or copper, for example; these materials have a linear thermal expansion coefficient at about 600°C ranging from about 6.8 x 10^-3 to 12 x 10^-3 in./in./°C at about 600°C. Support platform housing 108 is constructed from a material such as stainless steel or aluminum, for example; these materials have a linear thermal expansion coefficient ranging from about 6.8 x 10^-3 to 15.9 x 10^-3 in./in./°C at about 600°C. To help compensate for the effect of the mismatched (difference) in linear thermal coefficient of expansion across sealing apparatus 138 and 140 and reduce stresses created in the sealing apparatus when alumina or aluminum nitride comprises upper platen 106, it is preferable to weld an extension 139 to conduit 128 and an extension 142 to platform housing 108, which extension is comprised of a material having a linear thermal coefficient of expansion, in the range of about 2 x 10^-3 to 4 x 10^-3 in./in./°C at about 600°C, for example. Materials which have a linear thermal expansion coefficient in this range and which can be used to form extensions 139 and 142 include, but are not limited to, molybdenum, tantalum, titanium, tungsten and Kovar®. Since there is not a crucial amount of heat transferred between extension 139 and conduit 128 or between extension 140 and platform housing 108, the extensions can be welded to conduit 128 and platform housing 108 without creating any significant thermal expansion mismatch problem.

0036FIG. 2 shows an enlargement of sealing means 140; however, the general description applicable to sealing means 140 can be applied to sealing means 138 as well. Sealing means 140 is comprised of a thin metal-comprised layer 202 (in the form of a strip, band or ribbon.) The preferred material of construction for layer 202, when upper platen 106 is comprised of alumina or aluminum nitride, is one which has a relatively low linear coefficient of thermal expansion. Preferred materials for use in layer 202, when upper platen 106 is comprised of pyrolytic boron nitride or a different dielectric material having a higher thermal expansion coefficient, include materials which have a higher thermal expansion coefficient but which tend to relax stress, such as nickel, silver, silver/titanium alloy and nickel/iron alloys, for example but not by way of limitation.

0037Brazing material 204, as previously described, must wet out the surface of and bond to the materials which are to be attached to each other by the being. Further, it is important that brazing material 204 be capable of relaxing stresses created therein. Preferred materials for use as brazing material 204 include silver, nickel, silver/copper solder, silver/titanium solder, nickel/iron alloys and silver/titanium alloys, by way of example. Testing to date has indicted that nickel makes a particularly good brazing material. Testing is done by fabricating a sealing apparatus and then cycling the sealing apparatus between about room temperature and about 600°C for at least several hundred cycles. Temperature cycling is followed by vacuum testing over the process operational temperature range, with atmospheric pressure on one side of the seal and about 10^-10 Torr absolute pressure on the other side of the seal. If the vacuum testing indicates no leakage, the seal is considered to be performing in a satisfactory manner.

0038Metal-comprising layer 202 preferably has a cross-sectional thickness, shown in FIG. 4 as "a", of about 0.039 in. ( 1 mm) or less. The thickness of metal-comprised layer 202 is important in determining the flexibility of sealing means 140, and flexibility is critical to ability of sealing means 140 to perform. The composition of metal-comprised layer 202 preferably exhibits a relatively low linear coefficient of thermal expansion when alumina or aluminum nitride comprises upper platen 106. Preferably, the linear expansion coefficient ranges from about 2 x 10^-3 in./in./°C to about 7 x 10^-3 in./in./°C at about 600°C.

0039Thin, metal comprising layer 202 can vary in height, shown in FIG. 4 as "b", depending on the particular sealing apparatus application. For the preferred embodiment of the sealing apparatus shown in FIG. 1, the height of thin, metal-comprising layer 140 is typically about 0.195 in. (5 mm) or less. The length of the strip or ribbon of thin, metal comprising-layer 202 depends on the sealing apparatus application, but must extend completely along the length of the surfaces to be bridged as necessary to provide a seal.

0040With reference to FIG. 2, brazing material 204 is applied along the edges of metal-comprising layer 202 for its entire length. Application of brazing material 204 is adjacent upper and lower exterior edges 206 and 208, respectively, of metal-comprising layer 202 and is adjacent to the complimentary surfaces of support platform housing 108 and upper platen 106 which are to be in contact with metal-comprising layer 202 via brazing material 204. Brazing is carried out in a brazing furnace until such time that molecular intermixing is achieved between brazing material 204 and the surface material of metal-comprising layer 202; between brazing material 204 and the surface of the material comprising support platform housing 108 extension 142; and between brazing material 204 and the surface of the material comprising upper platen 106. The time and temperature profile of the brazing material process depend on the materials involved.

0041FIG. 3 shows an alternative embodiment of the sealing means, 300. Sealing means 300 is comprised of a thin, metal-comprising layer 302 in the form of an accordion strip which is braised to upper platen 306 and platform housing 108 extension 142 via brating material 304. The materials of construction of metal-comprising layer 302 and brazing material 304 are the same as those described with reference to metal-comprising layer 202 and brazing material 204 of FIG. 2. The use of an accordion-shaped strip as the metal-comprising layer 302 increases the flexibility of layer 302 so sealing means 300 can accommodate a greater difference in linear expansion coefficient between upper platen 306 and support platform housing 308. Further, the amount of stress induced within brazing material 304 is reduced by this alternative design.

0042The above-described preferred embodiments of the present invention are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention as demonstrated by the claims which follow, as one skilled in the art can, with minimal experimentation, extend the disclosed concepts of the invention to the claimed scope of the invention.