Substrate cleaning chamber and components

Substrate cleaning chamber and its components

SUBSTRATE CLEANING CHAMBER AND COMPONENTS

The present invention relates to a substrate cleaning chamber and its components.

In substrate processing such as semiconductors and displays, layers are formed on the substrate and then etched to form features such as conductive interconnects, contacts, vias, gates, and barriers. For example, the pattern of the electrical interconnection can be formed by depositing a metal-containing conductor on the substrate, forming a patterned anti-etching material on the conductor, etching the conductor to form the interconnection, removing residual photoresist, And a dielectric layer is deposited on the etched feature structure to manufacture. The dielectric layer can be further etched to form contact holes or through holes, which expose the underlying metal-containing conductive material or other substrate layers. Conductive material is then deposited into the etched holes or trenches to electrically contact the conductor below. For example, in the formation of copper-containing interconnects, the dielectric layer can be etched to form contact holes exposing the copper conductive material underneath. A thin copper seed layer can be deposited on the exposed conductors and contact holes to facilitate the subsequent copper electroplating process to fill the contact holes.

However, the contaminants and undesirable surface materials on the metal-containing conductor require that the exposed conductor surface be cleaned before performing subsequent processing steps. For example, a native oxide film is often formed on a conductor exposed to oxygen species during an intermediate process step. For example, during a photoresist stripping process, an oxygen-containing gas plasma is used to strip the light. Resistance, or when transferring substrates between different chambers. These oxide films increase the resistance at the contact interface between the conductor surfaces. The surface material may also have residual process deposits from previous processes, such as carbon-containing, silicon-containing, fluorine-containing, and nitrogen-containing process residues. These process deposits can form voids or other irregularities at the interface between exposed and deposited materials.

The substrate cleaning chamber, also known as the pre-cleaning chamber, is used to remove oxide films and other undesirable process deposits from the substrate surface before and between processing steps. During the cleaning process, the substrate is supported in the cleaning chamber, and an activated cleaning gas system is formed in a remote gas chamber and introduced into the chamber. The cleaning gas reacts with the surface residues and removes them. In some manufacturing processes, the substrate heating base includes a heating element to control the temperature of the substrate during cleaning.

However, one problem of using the excited cleaning gas in this cleaning process is that it is difficult to control the energy of the free radicals and ion species of the excited cleaning gas. The higher energy collision between the cleaning gas and the surface of the substrate can cause damage to the underlying substrate. The lighter ions in the clean gas, such as H⁺It may also be harmful when it penetrates the surface of the substrate and damages the underlying dielectric layer. Therefore, it is hoped that the energy and type of excited species introduced into the process chamber can be controlled.

Another problem is that the cleaning gas often erodes and corrodes the distal chamber wall of the excitation zone surrounding the distal end of a gas exciter, and can even etch and corrode the components inside the cleaning chamber. Such corrosion damages these parts, and if the part is an integrated part of the chamber, the chamber must be closed so that the part can be refurbished or replaced after a predetermined number of process cycles, which is undesirable. The conventional stainless steel walls and gaskets are particularly susceptible to corrosion and require frequent replacement or renovation.

Yet another problem occurs when the substrate heating base contacting the substrate in the cleaning chamber transfers contaminants and process residues and deposits to the back of the substrate or even scratches the substrate during the substrate transfer process. A substrate heating base containing heating elements may also provide uneven heating on the surface of the substrate. A substrate heating base with a substrate receiving surface composed of raised mesa and grooves allows a heat transfer gas to flow behind the substrate to improve temperature uniformity, but still convey undesirable process residues and The amount of deposits to the substrate.

Therefore, it is desirable to have a clean chamber and a gas exciter that can selectively filter excited gas species, for example, to filter out specific ion species from the clean gas. It is also desirable to have chamber components that can be easily replaced or refurbished. It is more desirable to have a substrate heating base that minimizes substrate contamination caused by transferring the process deposits to the back surface of the substrate. It is also desirable to have a substrate heating base that allows more uniform substrate heating.

The present invention provides a consumable ceramic gasket for connecting an air outlet of a remote chamber to an air inlet of a substrate cleaning chamber. The gasket includes: an inlet cylinder whose outer diameter is made according to a certain size to fit into the air outlet of the distal chamber; an outlet cylinder connected to the inlet of the substrate cleaning chamber; and a cone A flare connects the inlet cylinder to the outlet cylinder.

The conical expanded portion of the cushion may include a conical surface that is inclined from a vertical axis by about 10 degrees to 60 degrees. In one embodiment, the ratio of the length of the conical expansion portion to the length of the outlet cylinder is about 1:2 to about 1:8. In one embodiment, the inlet cylinder of the liner includes a first diameter, and the outlet cylinder of the liner includes a second diameter, which is at least 1.5 times larger than the first diameter. In a further embodiment, the first diameter is about 1 to about 4 cm, and the second diameter is about 2 to about 8 cm. In one embodiment, the gasket includes a ceramic material that can remove an ionic species from the excitation gas generated in the remote gas exciter. In one embodiment, the liner is composed of quartz, aluminum oxide or aluminum nitride, and may even have a thickness of about 2 mm to about 6 mm. The liner may further include a liner locking cylinder, which is made in a certain size to fit around the outer diameter of the outlet cylinder.

The present invention provides a method for inserting a ceramic gasket into an upper chamber wall to connect an air outlet of a distal chamber to an air inlet of a substrate cleaning chamber. The ceramic gasket includes an inlet cylinder and an outlet A cylinder and a conical expansion part, wherein the inlet cylinder is made according to a certain size to fit into the air outlet of the distal chamber, the outlet cylinder is connected with the inlet of the substrate cleaning chamber, the conical expansion part Connect the inlet cylinder to the outlet cylinder. The steps of the method are as follows: (a) a gasket locking cylinder is set above the outlet cylinder of the ceramic gasket; (b) a gasket holding tool is slid into the outlet cylinder of the ceramic gasket, and the gasket The outer diameter of the holding tool is made according to a certain size to clamp the inner diameter of the outlet cylinder; and (c) grasping the gasket holding tool, and inserting the inlet cylinder of the ceramic gasket into the exit of the distal chamber In the airway.

In one embodiment, the method further includes: (d) rotating the gasket holding tool to lock the annular flange of the locking cylinder into the matching annular lip of the upper chamber wall.

The invention provides a substrate heating base used in a substrate cleaning chamber. The substrate heating base includes: (a) an annular plate, including: a first disk having a substrate receiving surface, and the substrate receiving surface has an array of grooves; a second disk having a diameter A channel formed to accommodate the heating element; and a brazing connection to connect the first and second discs; (b) a plurality of ceramic balls, each of which is set in a groove on the receiving surface of the substrate; And (c) a heating element embedded in the annular plate.

The brazing connection of the substrate heating base may include an aluminum brazing compound. The first and second discs of the base may comprise aluminum. The ceramic balls of the base can be composed of alumina, quartz, sapphire, silicon nitride, synthetic corundum, zirconia, aluminum oxide, or a mixture thereof. In one embodiment, the diameter of the ceramic ball of the base is about 1 to about 3 mm, and its diameter may even be large enough to maintain the substrate receiving surface at a height of about 0.01 mm to about 0.5 mm.

The invention provides a gas distribution plate used in a substrate processing chamber. The air distribution plate has: a first ring of the first hole, the diameter of each first hole is d; the second ring of the second hole, the diameter of each second hole is 2d, and the second ring is located in the first ring A third hole and a third ring, the diameter of each third hole is 3d, and the third ring is located on the radial outer side of the second ring; and a fourth ring of the fourth hole, each The diameter of the four holes is 4d, and the fourth ring is located radially outside of the third ring.

In an embodiment of the gas distribution plate, the diameter d is about 1 to about 5 mm. The gas distribution plate may be composed of ceramics, and may even contain aluminum oxide or silicon oxide.

The present invention provides a process kit for a substrate cleaning chamber. The substrate cleaning chamber has a chamber cover for supporting a gas distribution plate, and the gas distribution plate faces a substrate heating base. The process kit has: (a) a top plate for contacting the chamber cover, the quartz top plate has a hole for allowing the process gas to pass therethrough, and has a peripheral edge; (b) a top liner for contacting The peripheral edge of the quartz top plate is located above the gas distribution plate; (c) a bottom gasket is located below the gas distribution plate; and (d) a concentration ring rests on the peripheral edge of the substrate heating base.

In an embodiment of the process kit, the top plate, top liner, bottom liner, and concentration ring all comprise quartz. The top plate of the process kit may include an annular disc having a peripheral edge and a hole for allowing process gas to pass therethrough. The thickness of the top plate is about 1 mm to about 5 mm. In one embodiment, the gas distribution plate of the process kit is made of ceramics, and may even contain aluminum oxide or silicon oxide. The top and bottom pads of the process kit can include cylinders. The concentration ring of the process kit may have an inner flange resting on the peripheral edge of the substrate heating base, the flange including an inclined upper surface, and the upper surface is joined with a vertical surface at the periphery of the substrate. In a further embodiment, the inclined upper surface of the process kit includes an angle between about 85 and about 100°.

FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of a substrate equipment 20 which includes a cleaning chamber 24 suitable for cleaning a substrate 22. As shown in the figure, the cleaning chamber 24 is suitable for cleaning substrates 22, such as semiconductor wafers; however, the cleaning chamber 24 can be adjusted by those skilled in the art to be suitable for cleaning other substrates 22, such as flat panel displays and polymer panels. , Or other circuit accommodating structure. Therefore, the scope of the present invention should not be limited to the exemplary embodiment of the cleaning chamber shown here. Generally, the cleaning chamber 24 includes one or more surrounding walls 30, which may include an upper wall 32, a side wall 34, and a bottom wall 36, and it surrounds a processing area 38. The activated cleaning gas is supplied from a remote chamber 42 to the air inlet 40 of the cleaning chamber 24. The cleaning gas reacts with the substrate 22 and other surfaces in the cavity 24. Exhaust gas and by-products are discharged from the chamber 24 through an exhaust system 44. The exhaust system 44 may include an exhaust port 46 for receiving gas from the processing zone 38 and may also include a throttle valve 48 to The gas pressure in the chamber 24 and one or more exhaust pumps 50, such as turbomolecular exhaust pumps, are controlled. The exhaust system 44 may be capable of maintaining sub-atmospheric pressure in the chamber 24.

A remote chamber 42 suitable for stimulating the cleaning gas at the remote end includes a remote gas stimulator 52 that couples energy to a gas stimulating area 54. A clean gas source 56 provides a clean gas to the gas excitation area 54. A flow valve 58 can be provided to control the flow rate of the cleaning gas entering the distal chamber 42. The gas exciter 52 couples energy to the clean gas in the gas excitation region 54 to form an excited clean gas containing ion and free radical species. The gas exciter 52 can couple, for example, RF or microwave energy to the clean gas. In one aspect, the remote gas exciter 52 includes an inductive antenna 57 that inductively couples RF energy to the clean gas in the gas excitation region 54 with a power level of, for example, about 100 watts to about 10 kilowatts. The gas exciter 52 can also be a toroidal gas exciter to couple energy to the clean gas in the remote gas excitation region 54, as described in, for example, Smith et al. U.S. Patent No. 6,150,628. It is hereby incorporated by reference and in its entirety. The appropriate RF power level applied by the annular gas exciter can be from about 1000 watts to about 10,000 watts. A remote gas exciter 52 including a microwave gas activator can also be used, which provides microwave power levels from about 300 watts to about 5 kilowatts.

A consumable ceramic gasket 60 connects the air outlet 62 of the distal gas exciter 52 to the air inlet 40 of the chamber 24, as shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B. The inner surfaces of the channels 40 and 62 are protected by covering the inner surfaces of the channels 40 and 62 with at least a part of the surface of the liner 60 so that the inner surface 61 of the liner 60 is exposed to the exciting gas species. The liner 60 includes an inlet cylinder 64, and the outer diameter of the inlet cylinder 64 is made according to a certain size to fit into the air outlet 62 of the distal gas exciter. In one aspect, the length of the entrance cylinder 64 is L, which is long enough to extend from the distal chamber 42 by a distance of at least about 50 mm. And the length L is short enough to terminate at least about 1 mm before the end of the gas inlet 40 of the chamber 24. In one aspect, the length L of the entrance cylinder 64 is about 100 to about 110 mm, and the diameter is about 1 cm to about 4 cm.

A conical expansion portion 66 connects the inlet cylinder 64 to an outlet cylinder 68. The conical expanded portion 66 includes a tube whose diameter increases across the length of the expanded portion 66 along a conical surface. The conical expanded portion 66 has an upper end 70 and a lower end 72. The size of the outer diameter of the upper end 70 of the conical expanded portion 66 is customized to correspond to the outer diameter of the inlet cylinder 64 at the junction between the conical expanded portion 66 and the inlet cylinder 64. The size of the outer diameter of the lower end 72 of the conical expanded portion 66 is customized to correspond to the outer diameter of the outlet cylinder 68 at the junction between the conical expanded portion 66 and the outlet cylinder 68. The diameter of the lower end 72 of the conical expansion part 66 is at least 1.5 times larger than the diameter of the upper end 70 of the conical expansion part 66. In one aspect, the inlet cylinder 64, the conical expanded portion 66 and the outlet cylinder 68 are integrally connected.

The conical expanded portion 66 is used to gradually increase the diameter of the inner space of the gasket 60 between the upper end 70 and the lower end 72 to provide a more uniform distribution of the excited gas species entering the process chamber. A sudden change in diameter is believed to cause uneven gas distribution from the gasket outlet. The diameter of the conical expansion 66 gradually tapers from the first diameter of the inlet cylinder 64 to the second diameter of the outlet cylinder 68 to provide a gradual increase in the space along the flow path of the dissociated gas species. In one aspect, the conical expansion portion 66 includes a conical surface that is at an angle relative to a vertical axis passing through the center line of the conical expansion portion, and the angle is about 10 degrees to about 60 degrees. In addition, the ratio of the length of the conical expansion portion 66 to the length of the outlet cylinder 68 is about 1:2 to about 1:8. The increase in the space separating the conical expansion portion 66 in the length provides a better distribution of gas species at the outlet end 72 of the conical expansion portion 66.

The gasket 60 also has an outlet cylinder 68 connected to the air inlet 40 of the substrate cleaning chamber 24. In one aspect, the outer diameter of the outlet cylinder 68 is made according to a certain size to fit into the air inlet 40 of the substrate cleaning chamber 24. The length of the outlet cylinder 68 is L, which is short enough to terminate before the processing zone of the cleaning chamber 24 to avoid corrosion in the chamber environment. When the inlet cylinder 64 has a first diameter, the outlet cylinder 68 includes a second diameter that is at least 1.5 times larger than the first diameter. In one aspect, the diameter of the outlet cylinder 68 is about 2 cm to about 8 cm or more typically about 4 cm. The outlet cylinder 68 protects the inner surface of the gas inlet 40 of the chamber from being corroded by the excited gas species, and at the same time increases the diameter of the gasket to reduce the collision between the excited gas species formed in the distal region 54 .

The consumable gasket 60 includes a ceramic material that can remove ion species from the excitation gas generated in the remote gas exciter. For example, the liner 60 may include quartz, aluminum oxide, or aluminum nitride. In one aspect, the liner 60 includes quartz, and can remove hydrogen ions from the excitation gas by adsorbing certain hydrogen ions onto the inner surface 74 thereof. It is believed that the quartz inner surface 74 serves as an ion filter 76 to reduce the recombination of the free radicals by providing a surface on which hydrogen-containing species can be adsorbed. It is also believed that the hydrogen-containing species impacting the quartz surface 74 release the adsorbed hydrogen-containing radicals into the excitation gas, thereby regenerating free hydrogen radicals. However, the hydrogen ions will not be regenerated by the quartz surface 74. Therefore, the hydrogen ions impacting the quartz surface will recombine to form electrically neutral non-ionic species. Therefore, allowing the activated or excited cleaning gas to pass over the quartz surface 74 will cause ionic species to be filtered out of the excited cleaning gas while preserving hydrogen radicals.

The thickness of the consumable liner 60 is selected according to the number of process cycles that the liner must endure before replacement. The excitation gas can etch and corrode the liner 60. Therefore, the liner 60 must be replaced after a predetermined number of process cycles. In addition, the adsorption properties of the gasket 60 decay as more and more ions are adsorbed onto the surface of the ceramic gasket. The number of cycles that the liner 60 can withstand is related to the thickness of the liner 60. In one aspect, the liner 60 is thick enough to remove at least about 30,000 process cycles of ion species, and has a thickness of about 2 mm to about 6 mm.

The gasket 60 can be manufactured by casting ceramic powder into a desired shape, for example, by cold isostatic pressing. For example, the ceramic powder is combined with a liquid binder such as an organic binder, polyvinyl alcohol. The mixture is placed in a rubber bag of a cold pressure equalizing molding equipment and uniform pressure is applied to the wall of the bag to tightly compress the mixture to form a ceramic structure with a desired tube shape. The pressure can be applied by immersing the flexible container in water or by other pressurizing methods. A hollow tube mold can be used to make the cast ceramic preform into a cylinder or ring, and the resulting cast ceramic preform can be further shaped by machining. The shaped ceramic preform is then sintered to form a sintered ceramic. For example, alumina can be sintered at a temperature of about 1300°C to about 1800°C for about 48 to about 96 hours, usually at a pressure of about 1 atm. The sintered ceramic material can be further shaped, for example, by machining, grinding, laser drilling, or using other methods to provide the desired ceramic structure.

The gasket 60 is held in place in the cavity by a gasket locking cylinder 71. The size of the gasket locking cylinder 71 is customized to slide over the outer diameter of the outlet cylinder 68 of the gasket 60, and it rests against an annular lip 69 of the outlet cylinder 68, as shown in Section 2A and As shown in Figure 2B. The gasket locking cylinder 71 is fitted between the outlet cylinder 68 of the gasket 60 and the hole wall 73 to form an airtight seal, as shown in Figure 1, and can be made of metal or ceramic materials.

Advantageously, the gasket locking cylinder 71 assists the placement of the gasket 60 into the upper chamber wall 32 and also assists the removal of the gasket 60 after exposure to plasma for a predetermined number of process cycles to facilitate repair Or replacement. The gasket locking cylinder 71 includes an annular flange 73 extending from one end of the locking cylinder 71. The annular flange 73 has a flat tenon 75 which is embedded in a matching flat tenon portion 77 on the annular lip 79 extending from the upper chamber wall 32, as shown in FIG. 2B. The gasket locking cylinder 71 is rotated to rotate the annular flange 73 so that it slides behind the annular lip 79 of the upper chamber wall 32 and locks the annular flange behind it. For example, a locking blocker (not shown) of a locking pin can be embedded in the passage of the rotating annular flange 73 to block and stop the flange from further rotating.

FIG. 2B also shows a method of embedding the gasket 60 in a chamber cover to connect the air outlet 62 of a distal chamber 42 to the air inlet 40 of a clean chamber 24. In this method, firstly, the gasket locking cylinder 71 is placed above the outlet cylinder 68 of the ceramic gasket 60. Then, a gasket holding tool 81 is passed into the outlet cylinder 68 of the ceramic gasket 60 so that the outer diameter of the gasket holding tool 81 tightly clamps the inner diameter of the outlet cylinder 68. A user grasps the gasket holding tool 81 and then inserts the inlet cylinder 64 of the ceramic gasket 60 into the air outlet 62 of the distal chamber 42. The gasket holding tool 81 is then rotated to lock the annular flange 73 of the gasket locking cylinder 71 into the matching annular lip 79 of the upper chamber wall 32 as described.

The chamber 24 may also optionally include a chamber gas exciter (not shown) that couples energy to the gas in the processing zone 38 of the chamber 24. For example, the chamber gas exciter may include one or more electrodes and an inductive antenna to couple RF energy.

A substrate heating base 80 is provided to support the substrate 22 in the processing zone 38 of the substrate cleaning chamber 24, as shown in FIGS. 1, 3A, 3B, and 4B. The base 80 includes an annular plate 82 having a substrate receiving surface 84, and the substrate receiving surface 84 has an array of grooves 88 and heating elements 92 embedded in the annular plate 82. The heating element 92 is controlled by a controller 78. The controller 78 can supply a variable power level to the heating element 92 corresponding to one of the following conditions: from one or more detectors 106 that monitor the conditions in the cleaning chamber 24 or the remote chamber 42 Input, or input from the user of the device 20. The base 80 may optionally include an electrode (not shown) that can be biased to support the substrate 22 on the base 80 or affect the properties of the process, such as the degree of ion bombardment of the substrate 22. The bias voltage applied to the electrode is also controlled by the controller 78.

Each of the plurality of ceramic balls 90 is disposed in a groove 88 on the substrate receiving surface 84, as shown in FIG. 3A. The ceramic balls 90 are embedded in the surface 84 of the base 80, so that a part of the surface of each ball 90 is located above the plane of the base surface 84. In this way, the top area 144 of the balls 90 constitutes a raised substrate receiving surface 86 composed of N discontinuous areas, where N is the number of balls 90 embedded in the surface 84 of the base 80. The raised substrate receiving surface 86 is vertically separated from the base surface 84. In other words, the raised substrate receiving surface 86 is higher than the surface of the annular plate 82 by about 0.01 mm to about 0.5 mm. Utilize a series of discontinuities and support the substrate 22 at a vertical distance from the surface of the ring plate 82 of the heating base 80, thereby allowing the gas in the chamber 24 to flow between the substrate 22 and the ring during heating. Heat transfer between the surfaces of the shaped plates 82. In contrast to allowing the substrate 22 to contact the surface of the ring-shaped plate 82, suspending the substrate 22 above the surface of the ring-shaped plate 82 allows the substrate 22 to be heated more uniformly, because the thermal contact will not be subjected to The thermal conductivity and surface contact properties of the plate 82 are directly affected by local variations.

In one aspect, the ceramic balls 90 are spherical, and the diameter of the balls 90 is large enough to keep the substrate receiving surface higher than the top surface of the ring plate by about 0.01 mm to about 0.5 mm. Generally, the diameter of the balls 90 is between about 1 mm and about 3 mm. In one aspect, the diameter of the spheres is about 2 mm, and they protrude from the upper surface of the ring plate 82 by about 0.04 mm. The ceramic balls 90 include at least one of silicon nitride, zirconia, sapphire, synthetic corundum, and alumina, and in one aspect include alumina.

The annular plate 82 is composed of two discs 94 and 96, which are connected by brazing and joined to each other. In one aspect, as shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B, the annular plate 82 includes a first disc 94 having a raised substrate receiving surface 86. The first disc 94 has a thickness of about 10 mm to about 30 mm, and a diameter of about 10 cm to about 70 cm. The diameter of the disk 94 depends on the size of the substrate to be processed. The receiving surface of the disc 94 includes a plurality of grooves 88, and each groove 88 has a diameter and a depth sufficient to accommodate a ceramic ball 90. The groove 88 can be formed by machining, and preferably includes sides inclined inwardly between about 2 and about 20 degrees, so that the diameter of the groove 88 at the surface of the first disc is slightly smaller than The diameter of the ceramic ball 90. The groove 88 processed in this way can restrain the ceramic ball 90 on the surface of the annular plate 82 after being inserted into the ceramic ball 90.

The diameter of the second disc 96 provided is matched with the diameter of the first disc 94, and the thickness is between about 6 mm and about 15 mm. The second disc 96 includes a channel 98 shaped to accommodate the heating element 92, and is composed of at least one of aluminum, copper, titanium, molybdenum, or stainless steel, or a combination thereof. In one aspect, the second disc includes aluminum, and the brazing joining material includes an aluminum brazing material. The heating element 92 includes a resistance component, and the resistance component has sufficient resistance to maintain the surface 84 of the ring plate 82 at a temperature of about room temperature to about 400°C. The heating element 92 is powered via the terminal 100, and the terminal 100 extends along the center 102 of the disk through the second disk 96.

The annular plate 82 with the embedded heating element 92 can be formed by machining a first disc 94 from an aluminum sheet having a thickness of about 5 mm. The groove 88 having a depth of about 2 mm from the surface 84 of the first disc 94 is drilled into the surface 84 of the disc 94 at the expected position corresponding to the ceramic balls 90 embedded in the drilled holes. A second disc 96 is machined from an aluminum sheet with a thickness of about 11.5 mm to about 12.5 mm, so that the diameter of the second disc 96 is the same as the diameter of the first disc 94. A curved channel 98 is machined in the disk 96, and the channel 98 has a width and a depth corresponding to the size of the heating element 92. At least a pair of holes (not shown) are drilled around the center 102 of the second disc 96. The diameter of the drilled holes is at least 10% larger than the diameter of the wire 100 of the heating element 92. The heating element 92 is applied to the groove side of the second disc 96 by pressing it into the channel 98 and passing the wires 100 through the drilled holes. A brazing foil or brazing compound is placed on the groove surface of the second disc 96 so that it covers the surface of the second disc 96. By keeping the non-porous side of the first disc 94 on the brazing surface and aligning the components, the peripheries of the first and second discs 94, 96 will overlap each other. The assembly is achieved by placing the assembly in a furnace tube, heating the assembly to higher than the melting point of the brazing material and applying pressure, such as in the hot pressing method (hot press) to link together. The assembly is then cooled to form a brazed joint 104.

The back surface of the ring plate 82 is installed on the support rod 110 used to support the ring plate 82. The support rod 110 includes a rod, and the rod has a receiving surface suitable for receiving the back surface of the ring plate 82. The rod may comprise metal, such as stainless steel or aluminum, and may be a solid or hollow structure. In one aspect, the support rod 110 also includes a bellows and a lifting mechanism (not shown), and the lifting mechanism is adapted to raise and lower the base 80 for receiving a substrate 22 and processing The substrate 22 and the position of the substrate 22 removed from the chamber 24. The method of fixing the ring plate 82 on the support rod 110 may include welding the support rod 110 on the bottom surface of the ring plate 82; welding a threaded adapter to the bottom surface of the ring plate 82 The ring plate 82 is then screwed onto the support rod 110 on the surface; or a hollow tube is welded to the bottom surface of the ring plate 82 and then the hollow tube is clamped on the support rod 110.

A process kit 114 including a plurality of components 112 is provided to accommodate the excitation gas supplied into the cleaning chamber 24, and the gas is distributed on the surface of the substrate, as shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B. The components 112 of the process kit 114 may include, for example, a top plate 116, a top liner 118, a gas distribution plate 120, a bottom liner 122, and a concentration ring 124. The components 112 of the process kit 114 can be easily removed from the chamber 24, for example, to replace or repair corroded components, or to adjust the cleaning chamber 24 to accommodate processing substrates 22 of different sizes. The components of the process kit 114 can be made of quartz, because quartz can effectively reduce the recombination rate of process gas radicals, such as hydrogen radicals.

The top plate 116 includes an annular disc 126 having a peripheral edge 128 and a hole 130, and the hole 130 allows the process gas to pass therethrough, as shown in FIG. 4A. The top plate 116 is made according to a certain size to fit into the substrate cleaning chamber 24, and the diameter of the hole 130 is between about 40 mm and about 45 mm, and is located around the center of the top plate 116, so that the hole 130 substantially overlaps the air inlet 40 of the upper chamber wall 32. The top plate 116 contacts the upper wall 32 of the cavity 24. The top plate 116 contacts the top pad 118 and is supported by the top pad 118. The thickness of the top plate 116 is about 1 mm to about 10 mm.

The top pad 118 contacts the peripheral edge 128 of the top plate 116. The top liner 118 includes a cylinder, which functions to restrict the excitation process gas and protect the surrounding wall 30 of the cleaning chamber 24 from being damaged by the excitation process gas. The thickness of the liner 118 is about 0.60 cm to about 0.70 cm. In one aspect, the peripheral edge 128 of the top plate 116 rests on the upper edge 132 of the top liner 118.

A gas distribution plate 120 has a top surface 134 contacting the top liner 118, a bottom surface 136, and a plurality of holes 140 passing therethrough. The holes 140 are used to distribute the process gas in the chamber 24. The holes 140 are shaped, customized in size, and spaced apart on the surface of the gas distribution plate 120 to promote uniform delivery of the process gas to the surface of the substrate 22. In one aspect, the holes 140 include four rings 139a-d of holes 140a-d, and each of the holes 140a-d has a different diameter, as shown in FIG. 4C. In one aspect, the innermost side is a first ring 139a having a first hole 140a with a diameter d. The second ring 139b each having a second hole 140b with a diameter of 2d is located on the radially outer side of the first ring 139a. The third ring 139c each having a third hole 140c with a diameter of 3d is located on the radially outer side of the second ring 139b. The fourth ring 139d each having a fourth hole 140d with a diameter of 4d is located on the radially outer side of the third ring 139c. This distribution of the holes 140a-d provides a more uniform delivery of the process gas to the surface of the substrate 22. In one aspect, the diameter d of the first holes 140a is about 1 to about 5 mm, and the other holes 140b-d are made according to this size. For example, the diameter of each hole 140a of the first ring is about 1 to about 5 mm; the diameter of each hole 140b of the second ring is about 2 to about 10 mm; the diameter of each hole 140c of the third ring It is about 3 to about 15 mm; and the diameter of each hole 140d of the fourth ring is about 4 to about 20 mm. In one aspect, the holes 140a-d with different diameters are also arranged at intervals so that the fourth ring 139d contains a larger amount of holes, and the holes of the third ring 139c, the second ring 139b, and the first ring 139a are The number gradually decreases. The gas distribution plate 120 may be made of ceramics, for example, aluminum oxide or silicon oxide, and the silicon oxide may be quartz.

A bottom gasket 122 contacts the bottom surface 136 of the gas distribution plate 120, as shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B. The bottom liner 122 also includes a cylinder with an annular peripheral edge 142 extending outward from the cylinder. The peripheral edge 142 contacts the bottom surface 136 of the gas distribution plate 120 and the side wall 34 of the cleaning chamber 24.

A concentration ring 124 is provided to concentrate the excitation process gas on the substrate 22. The concentration ring 124 includes an inner flange 148 that rests on the peripheral edge of the support base 80 and has an inclined upper surface 150 that is joined to a vertical surface 151 at the periphery of the substrate, such as Shown in Figures 3B and 4B. The inclined upper surface 150 includes an angle between about 85° and about 100°, for example about 95°. The concentration ring 124 also has a leg portion 152 which is raised around the convex portion 154 outside the substrate heating base 80.

The above-mentioned components of the process kit 114 may include a filter material, such as quartz, to adsorb ion species from the excitation gas to filter out the ion species from the excitation gas. In one aspect, at least a portion of the surfaces of the top plate 116, the top liner 118, the gas distribution plate 120, the bottom liner 122, and the concentration ring 124 contain quartz, such as a quartz coating. Quartz can be deposited on the surface of these process kit 114 components using physical vapor deposition or hydrothermal deposition. The appropriate thickness of the quartz layer on these surfaces is about 0.01 mm to about 4 mm. In one aspect, the component 112 of the process kit 114 is composed of quartz.

The quartz surfaces 74 can be configured to provide optimal filtration of hydrogen ion species from the excited cleaning gas. In one aspect, the quartz surfaces 74 include a portion of the internal surface of the ceramic liner 60 that connects the gas excitation area 54 and the clean chamber 24. For example, the ceramic liner 60 may include a quartz tube. In another aspect, the quartz surface 74 includes the surface of one or more gas distributors, such as the upper surface of the gas distribution plate 120. The quartz surfaces may also include a wire grid disposed between the distal area and the substrate, for example, above the processing area, to further filter the activated cleaning gas.

During the cleaning process performed in the cleaning chamber 24 of the device 20, the temperature of the substrate 22 is set to provide the best conditions for reducing oxides in the deposits, and can even be set to accelerate the hydrogen-containing radicals And the chemical reaction between these deposits. For example, the temperature of the substrate 22 may be maintained at about 0 to about 500°C, for example, about 150°C to about 450°C, and even about 25°C to about 350°C, for example, about 150°C to about 350°C. In one aspect, the bias power level applied to the substrate 22 during the cleaning process can be as low as expected, because a high bias power level can increase the bombardment of the substrate 22 by ions in the excited cleaning gas. A suitable bias power level may be less than about 100 watts, for example, about 0 to about 10 watts, and even about 1 to about 10 watts, and may even be substantially zero. In another aspect, a higher bias power level may be applied to increase the cleaning rate, such as a bias power level greater than 100 watts, and even about 100 to about 200 watts.

It has also been found that the cleaning of the substrate 22 can be improved by performing a heat treatment or annealing step to remove deposits from the substrate 22. In the heat treatment step, the substrate 22 is heated to a temperature high enough to vaporize the material from the substrate 22. It is also possible to provide a reducing gas flow during the heat treatment step to suppress the formation of oxides on the substrate 22. Suitable reducing gas may include a hydrogen-containing gas, such as hydrogen. The heat treatment step can be performed without substantially exciting the reducing gas, for example, without substantially coupling RF or microwave energy to the reducing gas, so as to provide relatively gentle initial cleaning of the substrate 22 before the excited hydrogen radical cleaning step.

In one aspect of a suitable cleaning process, a cleaning gas system containing about 50 to about 100 sccm of hydrogen (e.g., 300 sccm of hydrogen) and about 0 to about 10 sccm of water (e.g., 3 sccm of water) is applied by applying A power level of about 300 watts to about 3000 watts (for example, 1050 watts) is activated in the chamber 42 of the remote gas exciter 52. The pressure of the distal chamber 42 is maintained below about 10 Torr, for example, about 1 Torr. A bias power level of about 0 to about 100 watts (for example, 50 watts) is applied to bias the substrate 22, and the temperature of the substrate 22 is maintained at about 150 to about 450°C, for example, 250°C. The cleaning process substantially removes the deposits to provide a clean surface.

After the cleaning process is completed, the pressure in the chamber 24 is reduced to a pressure lower than about 10 millitorr to evacuate the used cleaning gas and cleaning by-products and reduce the multi-chamber equipment 26 from being cleaned by the cleaning process. Possibility of chamber 24 contamination. The substrate 22 can then pass through a substrate transfer chamber with a transfer robot 119 and be transferred to a deposition chamber 28b under vacuum to deposit a second metal-containing conductor 21 on the newly cleaned metal-containing conductor surface, For example, at least one of copper, aluminum, tantalum, tungsten, tantalum nitride, and tungsten nitride.

The multi-chamber apparatus 20 suitable for processing the substrate 22 includes one or more process chambers 28a-d, which may include the cleaning chamber 24, as shown in FIG. 5. The chambers are installed on a platform, and the platform provides electrical, piping, and other support functions. The platform usually supports a load lock chamber 156 to accommodate the substrate cassette 158 of the substrate 22 to be processed, and a substrate transfer chamber 154 that contains a robot 162 to remove the substrate 22 from the substrate cassette 158 Transfer to different chambers 28a-d for processing and return it after processing. The different chambers 28a-d may include, for example, a cleaning chamber 24, a deposition chamber 28b for depositing materials on the wafer, optionally, a heat treatment chamber 28c, and other processing chambers. For example, in one aspect, one of the chambers includes the cleaning chamber 24 to remove deposits on the metal-containing conductor formed on the substrate 22. After the cleaning process is completed, the robot 162 can be used to transfer the substrate 22 to a deposition chamber 28d to deposit, for example, a metal conductor-containing material on the cleaned substrate 22. The substrate 22 can also be transferred by the robot 162 to the second deposition chamber 28c where other materials (for example, another metal-containing conductor) can be deposited on the first material deposited in the first chamber 28b. The chambers 28a-d are internally connected to form a continuous vacuum environment in the side wall 160 of the substrate transfer chamber 154, so as to provide a continuous process without interruption and reduce the contamination of the substrate 22. The transfer chamber 154 includes a side wall 160 with an exhaust port 164 to exhaust gas and maintain a low pressure environment, such as a pressure lower than about 10 millitorr, to reduce pollution of the chambers.

The multi-chamber device 20 can be operated by a controller 170 through a hardware interface. The controller 170 includes a computer (not shown) that has a central processing unit connected to memory and peripheral computer components. Preferably, the memory may include a removable storage medium (such as a CD or a floppy disk), a non-removable storage medium (such as a hard disk), and a random access memory. The controller 170 may further include a plurality of interface cards, including, for example, analog and digital input and output boards, interface boards, and motor control boards. In one aspect, the controller 170 includes a computer-readable program that can be stored in the memory, for example, in a non-removable storage medium or in a removable storage medium. The computer-readable program usually includes process control software, process monitoring software, safety system software, and other control software. The process control software contains code to operate the chambers 28a-d and their components, the transfer chamber 154 and the machine Hand 162, the process monitoring software system is used to monitor the processes executed in the chambers. The computer-readable program can be written in any conventional computer-readable programming language.

Although exemplary embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, those skilled in the art can design other embodiments that incorporate the present invention and also fall within the scope of the present invention. For example, the chamber 24 may contain components other than those specifically described, as would be obvious to those skilled in the art. In addition, the words below, above, bottom, top, above, below, first and second, and other relative or positional terms are shown with respect to the exemplary embodiments in the drawings, and are interchangeable. Therefore, the scope of the attached patent application should not be limited to the descriptions, materials, or descriptions in the preferred aspect to illustrate the spatial arrangement of the present invention.

<p>20. . . Substrate equipment</p><p>twenty two. . . Substrate</p><p>twenty four. . . Clean the chamber</p><p>28a-d. . . Chamber</p><p>26. . . Multi-chamber equipment</p><p>30. . . Surrounding wall</p><p>32. . . Upper wall/upper chamber wall</p><p>34. . . Sidewall</p><p>36. . . Bottom wall</p><p>38. . . Processing area</p><p>40. . . Inlet/gas inlet</p><p>42. . . (Distal) chamber</p><p>44. . . Exhaust system</p><p>46. . . exhaust vent</p><p>48. . . Throttle valve</p><p>50. . . Exhaust pump</p><p>52. . . Gas exciter</p><p>54. . . (Gas excitation) area</p><p>56. . . Clean air source</p><p>57. . . Induction antenna</p><p>58. . . Flow valve</p><p>60. . . liner</p><p>61. . . The inner surface</p><p>62. . . Airway</p><p>64. . . Entrance column</p><p>66. . . Unfolding</p><p>68. . . Exit cylinder</p><p>69, 79. . . Lips</p><p>70. . . Upper end</p><p>71. . . Lock cylinder</p><p>72. . . Lower end/outlet end</p><p>73. . . Wall/flange</p><p>74. . . surface</p><p>75. . . tenon</p><p>76. . . Ion filter</p><p>77. . . Tenon part</p><p>78, 170. . . Controller</p><p>80. . . Base</p><p>81. . . Pad holding tool</p><p>82. . . plate</p><p>84, 86. . . (Substrate acceptance) surface</p><p>88. . . Groove</p><p>90. . . ball</p><p>92. . . Heating element</p><p>94, 96. . . Disc</p><p>98. . . aisle</p><p>100. . . Wiring (post)</p><p>102. . . center</p><p>104. . . Brazed connection</p><p>106. . . Detector</p><p>110. . . Strut</p><p>112. . . part</p><p>114. . . Process package</p><p>116. . . roof</p><p>118. . . Top liner</p><p>119. . . Robotic hand</p><p>120. . . Gas plate</p><p>122. . . Bottom liner</p><p>124. . . Concentration ring</p><p>126. . . Disc</p><p>128, 142. . . Peripheral edge</p><p>130. . . Hole</p><p>132. . . Upper edge</p><p>134. . . Top surface</p><p>136. . . Bottom surface</p><p>139a-d. . . ring</p><p>140. . . hole</p><p>140a-d. . . hole</p><p>144. . . Top zone</p><p>148. . . Inner flange</p><p>150. . . Tilt the upper surface</p><p>151. . . Vertical surface</p><p>152. . . Feet</p><p>154. . . Convex part</p><p>156. . . Load lock room</p><p>158. . . Cassette</p><p>160. . . Sidewall</p><p>162. . . Robotic hand</p><p>164. . . exhaust vent</p>

A better understanding of these characteristic structures, aspects, and advantages of the present invention can be obtained with respect to the above description, the following appended patent scope, and the accompanying drawings, which illustrate examples of the present invention. However, it should be understood that each characteristic structure can be widely used in the present invention, not only in the context of specific drawings, and the present invention includes any combination of these characteristic structures, in which:

Figure 1 is a cross-sectional side view of an embodiment of a substrate processing equipment including a substrate cleaning chamber;

Figure 2A is an exploded perspective view of a consumable ceramic liner fitted into the ceiling of the cleaning chamber by using a liner locking cylinder and a liner holding tool;

Figure 2B is a schematic side view of the ceramic gasket and gasket locking cylinder fitted into the top plate of the cleaning chamber;

Figure 3A is a perspective view of a substrate heating base with ceramic balls embedded in the substrate receiving surface;

Figure 3B is a schematic cross-sectional view of the substrate heating base of Figure 3A with the first and second discs connected by brazing and an embedded heating element;

Figure 4A is an exploded perspective view of a process set and gas distribution plate;

Figure 4B is a schematic partial cross-sectional view of the process kit, gas distribution plate and substrate heating base in a clean chamber;

Figure 4C is the top view of the gas distribution plate; and

Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of the substrate processing equipment including the substrate cleaning chamber.