Orientation chamber and method for processing substrate
阅读说明:本技术 定向腔室及处理基板的方法 (Orientation chamber and method for processing substrate ) 是由 洪伟华 于 2019-06-28 设计创作,主要内容包括:本公开涉及一种定向腔室以及一种处理一基板的方法。本公开实施例提供一种半导体基板处理系统的定向腔室。定向腔室包括基板固持座、定向检测器及吹扫系统。基板固持座配置以固持基板。定向检测器配置以检测基板的定向。吹扫系统配置以将清洁气体注入定向腔室中并从基板上移除污染物。(The present disclosure relates to an orientation chamber and a method of processing a substrate. Embodiments of the present disclosure provide an orientation chamber of a semiconductor substrate processing system. The orientation chamber includes a substrate holder, an orientation detector, and a purge system. The substrate holder is configured to hold a substrate. The orientation detector is configured to detect an orientation of the substrate. The purge system is configured to inject a cleaning gas into the directional chamber and remove contaminants from the substrate.)
1. A directional chamber, comprising:
a substrate holder configured to hold a substrate;
an orientation detector configured to detect an orientation of the substrate; and
a purge system configured to inject a cleaning gas into the directional chamber and remove contaminants from the substrate.
2. The directional chamber of claim 1, wherein the purge system comprises an inlet tube configured to inject the cleaning gas into the directional chamber and direct the cleaning gas to the substrate.
3. The directional chamber of claim 2, wherein the purge system further comprises a gas regulator mounted on the inlet tube and configured to regulate the amount of the cleaning gas supplied into the directional chamber.
4. The orienter chamber of claim 1, further comprising an energy source configured to provide energy to the substrate to accelerate the release of the chemical species on the substrate.
5. A method of processing a substrate, comprising:
providing a semiconductor substrate processing system for substrate processing, the semiconductor substrate processing system comprising an orientation chamber and a processing module;
orienting the substrate in the orientation chamber;
processing the substrate in the processing module;
transferring the processed substrate from the processing module to the orientation chamber; and
a degas process is performed in the directional chamber.
6. The method of claim 5, wherein the degassing process is performed by injecting a first cleaning gas into the directional chamber to remove a halogen gas released from the processed substrate.
7. The method of claim 6, further comprising the act of detecting a particular halogen within the directional chamber prior to performing the degassing process.
8. The method of claim 5, further comprising performing a purge process on the substrate while orienting the substrate in the orientation chamber.
9. The method of claim 8, wherein the purging process is performed by injecting a second cleaning gas into the directional chamber to remove particulate contaminants on the substrate.
10. A method of processing a substrate, comprising:
providing a semiconductor substrate processing system for substrate processing, the semiconductor substrate processing system comprising an orientation chamber and a processing module;
orienting the substrate in the orientation chamber;
injecting a first cleaning gas into the orientation chamber to remove particulate contaminants on the substrate while orienting the substrate in the orientation chamber;
processing the substrate in the processing module;
transferring the processed substrate from the processing module to the orientation chamber; and
a second cleaning gas is injected into the directional chamber to remove halogen gases released from the processed substrate.
Technical Field
Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a semiconductor substrate processing system and method, and more particularly, to an orientation chamber of a semiconductor substrate processing system having a degassing function.
Background
The semiconductor Integrated Circuit (IC) industry has experienced exponential growth. With technological advances in integrated circuit materials and design, multiple generations of integrated circuits are produced, with each generation having smaller, more complex circuits than the previous generation. As integrated circuits evolve, the functional density (i.e., the number of interconnected elements per chip area) generally increases, while the geometry (i.e., the smallest component (or line) that can be produced in a process) shrinks. The shrinking process generally provides the benefits of increased production efficiency and reduced manufacturing costs. However, this scaling down also increases the complexity of processing and manufacturing the integrated circuits. For example, as feature sizes shrink, the associated circuitry becomes more sensitive to contamination during fabrication.
Cluster tools (Cluster tools) are an important development in semiconductor manufacturing. By providing multiple tools within a single enclosure, several manufacturing processes may be performed on a semiconductor substrate without exposing it to an external environment containing a significant amount of contaminants. Seals within the gathering tool may be used to create different zones of gas environment (atmospheric zones). For example, the process modules and the central transfer chamber may be operated in a vacuum environment, while the load lock chamber and the substrate transport carrier may be operated in an inert gas environment. In addition, since the substrate is not directly exposed to the fab environment, a less particulate gas environment can be maintained around the substrate, while the rest of the fab can be subject to less stringent control.
While existing semiconductor substrate processing systems and methods are generally adequate, they are not satisfactory in every respect.
Disclosure of Invention
Some embodiments of the present disclosure provide an orientation chamber. The orientation chamber includes a substrate holder, an orientation detector, and a purging (puring) system. The substrate holder is configured to hold a substrate. The orientation detector is configured to detect an orientation of the substrate. The purge system is configured to inject a cleaning gas into the directional chamber and remove contaminants from the substrate.
Some embodiments of the present disclosure provide a method of processing a substrate. The method comprises the following steps: providing a semiconductor substrate processing system for substrate processing, comprising an orientation chamber and a processing module; orienting (orienting) a substrate in an orienting chamber; processing a substrate in a processing module; transferring the processed substrate from the processing module to the orientation chamber; and performing a degassing process in the directional chamber.
Some embodiments of the present disclosure provide a method of processing a substrate. The method comprises the following steps: providing a semiconductor substrate processing system for substrate processing, comprising an orientation chamber and a processing module; orienting a substrate in an orientation chamber; injecting a first cleaning gas into the orientation chamber to remove particulate contaminants on the substrate while orienting the substrate in the orientation chamber; processing a substrate in a processing module; transferring the processed substrate from the processing module to the orientation chamber; and injecting a second cleaning gas into the directional chamber to remove halogen gases released (outgassed) from the processed substrate.
Drawings
Fig. 1 is a schematic top view of a semiconductor substrate processing system according to some embodiments.
Fig. 2 is a schematic side view of the orienter chamber of fig. 1, in accordance with some embodiments.
Fig. 3 is a schematic side view of the orienter chamber of fig. 1, in accordance with some embodiments.
Fig. 4 is a simplified flow diagram of a method of processing a semiconductor substrate according to some embodiments.
FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram illustrating a degas process performed in a directional chamber according to some embodiments.
Description of reference numerals:
10-a semiconductor substrate processing system;
12-a central transfer chamber;
13-a transfer mechanism;
14-a processing module;
16-load lock chamber;
16A-a first door;
16B to a second gate;
18-equipment front end module;
19-a transfer mechanism;
20-loading end;
21-conveying the carrier;
22-positioning the chamber;
221-door;
23-substrate holder;
23A-a rotating shaft;
24-a driving mechanism;
25-directional detector;
26-a controller;
27-a purging system;
271 parts of an air inlet pipe;
272 to an air outlet pipe;
273-gas regulator;
28-gas detector;
29-an energy source;
100-method;
101. 102, 103, 104, 105, 106, 107, 108, 109;
b-gas interface;
c1-first cleaning gas;
c2-second cleaning gas;
w to a substrate.
Detailed Description
The following disclosure provides many different embodiments, or examples, for implementing different features of the disclosure. Examples of specific components and arrangements thereof are described below to illustrate the present disclosure. These examples are, of course, merely examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the disclosure in any way. For example, the description may have included embodiments in which a first feature is formed over or on a second feature, and may include embodiments in which the first and second features are in direct contact, and may also include embodiments in which additional features are formed between the first and second features, such that the first and second features may not be in direct contact. Moreover, where specific reference numerals and/or labels are used in various examples of the disclosure, this repetition is for the purpose of simplicity and clarity and does not in itself dictate a particular relationship between the various embodiments and/or configurations discussed. Various features may be arbitrarily drawn in different scales for simplicity and clarity.
Also, spatially relative terms, such as "below," "lower," "above," "upper," and the like, may be used with respect to one element or feature or to another element(s) or feature(s) in the figures to facilitate description of the relationship(s) between one element or feature and the other element or feature(s). These spatially relative terms are intended to encompass different orientations of the device in use or operation in addition to the orientation depicted in the figures. The apparatus/device may be turned to a different orientation (rotated 90 degrees or otherwise), and the spatially relative terms used herein should be interpreted accordingly. It will be understood that additional operations may be provided before, during, and after the methods, and that some of the operations described may be replaced or eliminated with respect to other embodiments of the methods.
Referring to fig. 1, in some embodiments, a semiconductor substrate processing system 10 is configured to process a substrate W. The substrate W may include one or more semiconductor, conductor and/or insulating layers. The semiconductor layer may comprise a base semiconductor, such as silicon or germanium, having a single crystal, polycrystalline, amorphous, and/or other suitable structure; compound semiconductors including silicon carbide, gallium arsenide, gallium phosphide, indium arsenide, and/or indium antimonide; an alloy semiconductor including SiGe, GaAsP, AlInAs, AlGaAs, GaInAs, GaInP and/or GaInAsP; any other suitable material; and/or combinations thereof. In some embodiments, the combination of semiconductors may take the form of a mixture or gradient, for example the ratio of Si and Ge in the substrate may vary at different locations. In some embodiments, the substrate W may comprise a layered semiconductor. Examples include laminating a semiconductor layer on an insulator, such as to manufacture a silicon-on-insulator (SOI) substrate, a silicon-on-sapphire (sapphire) substrate, or a silicon-germanium-on-insulator (sige) substrate, or laminating a semiconductor on glass to manufacture a Thin Film Transistor (TFT).
As shown in fig. 1, the semiconductor substrate processing system 10 is a Cluster tool (Cluster tool) that includes a central transfer chamber 12 having a transfer mechanism 13 (e.g., a multi-axis robot), one or more process modules (process modules) 14, one or more load lock chambers (load locks) 16, an Equipment Front End Module (EFEM) 18 having a transfer mechanism 19 (e.g., a multi-axis robot), one or more load ports 20, and a positioning chamber (orientation chamber) 22. The central transfer chamber 12 is connected to the process modules 14 and the load lock chamber 16, and this configuration allows the transfer mechanism 13 to transfer the substrates W between the process modules 14 and the load lock chamber 16. It should be understood that elements of the semiconductor substrate processing system 10 may be added or omitted in different embodiments, and that the disclosure is not limited to the embodiments.
The processing module 14 may be configured to perform various fabrication processes on the substrate W. The substrate manufacturing process may include a deposition process, such as Physical Vapor Deposition (PVD), Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD), plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD), electrochemical deposition (ECD), Molecular Beam Epitaxy (MBE), Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD), and/or other deposition processes; etching processes, including wet and dry etching and ion beam milling; performing micro-lithography exposure; ion implantation; thermal treatment, such as annealing and/or thermal oxidation; cleaning processes, such as rinsing and/or plasma ashing; chemical mechanical polishing or chemical mechanical planarization (collectively "CMP") processes; testing; any procedures involving processing of the substrate W; and/or any combination of procedures. In some embodiments, each process module 14 is configured to perform a particular fabrication process on the substrate W. In various embodiments, the substrates W may be processed by one or more of the processing modules 14 prior to being transferred out of the semiconductor substrate processing system 10.
In some embodiments, the area of the semiconductor substrate processing system 10 defined by the central transfer chamber 12 and the process modules 14 is sealed. Atmospheric controls (including filtering) may provide an environment of very low levels (low levels) of particulate and Air Molecular Contamination (AMC), both of which may damage the substrate W. By establishing a microenvironment within the semiconductor substrate processing system 10, the processing modules 14 may operate in a cleaner environment than the surrounding facilities, thus allowing for tighter control of contaminants during substrate processing at lower cost. Although not shown, the processing module 14 and the central transfer chamber 12 may be operated in a vacuum environment during substrate processing by using a vacuum system.
The load lock chamber 16 may maintain a gaseous environment within the central transfer chamber 12 and the process modules 14 by separating the central transfer chamber 12 and the process modules 14 from the equipment front end module 18. As shown in fig. 1, each load lock chamber 16 includes two doors, a first door 16A connected to the central transfer chamber 12 and a second door 16B connected to the equipment front end module 18. After the substrate W is carried into the load lock chamber 16, the two doors are sealed. The load lock chamber 16 is capable of creating a gas environment compatible with the equipment front end module 18 or the central transfer chamber 12, depending on the intended subsequent location of the loaded substrates W. This may require changing the gas content in the load lock chamber 16 by, for example, adding a purge gas (or inert gas) or a mechanism to establish a vacuum, as well as other suitable means for adjusting the load lock chamber gas environment. When the correct gas atmosphere is reached, the corresponding door may be opened and the substrate W received. In some embodiments, one load lock chamber 16 may be configured to process only unprocessed (processed) substrates W, while another load lock chamber 16 may be configured to process processed (processed) substrates W.
The equipment front end module 18 may provide an enclosed environment in which substrates W are transferred to and from the semiconductor substrate processing system 10. The equipment front end module 18 includes a transfer mechanism 19 that is responsible for performing physical transfer of the substrate W. In some embodiments, a gas handling system (not shown) may also be configured to create a gas interface B between the equipment front end module 18 and the loading end 20 to limit the flow of gas between the transport carrier 21 docked at the loading end 20 and the equipment front end module 18 and reduce cross-contamination.
The substrate W is loaded into and unloaded from the semiconductor substrate processing system 10 through the loading port 20. In some embodiments, the substrate W is contained in a transport carrier 21 that reaches the loading end 20, and the transport carrier 21 may be, for example, a front-opening unified pod (FOUP), a front-opening transfer box (FOSB), a Standard Mechanical Interface (SMIF) pod, and/or other suitable container. The transport carrier 21 is a cassette for holding one or more substrates W and for transporting the substrates W between different manufacturing tools or workstations. In some embodiments, transport vehicles 21 may have features such as coupling locations and electronic tags to facilitate use with automated material handling systems. The transport carrier 21 may be sealed to provide a microenvironment for the substrates W contained therein and to protect the substrates W and the semiconductor substrate processing system 10 from contamination. To avoid loss of the controlled gas environment, the transport carrier 21 may have specially designed doors so that the transport carrier 21 remains sealed until it interfaces with the device end 20. After being processed by the one or more processing modules 14, the substrate W may be transferred to another transport carrier 21 for the processed substrate W to be transported to a next processing system or inspection station.
The
Fig. 2 is a schematic side view of the orienting
As shown in fig. 2, a
An
When the
In some embodiments, as shown in fig. 2, the
In some embodiments,
In some embodiments, the
In some embodiments, the
To perform a degas process, a purge system 27 (as described above) may also be used to inject a cleaning gas C2 into the
In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 2, a
Although the
Referring to fig. 3, in some other embodiments, the
In degassing treatmentIn some examples, the substrate W may be irradiated with ultraviolet light or microwave through the
In some embodiments, the
Next, reference is made to fig. 4, which is a simplified flow diagram of a
In
In
In
In some embodiments, the purge process is performed simultaneously during substrate orientation by injecting a cleaning gas into the
In some embodiments, the first cleaning gas C1 (supplied during the directional processing) may be an inert gas, such as N2Argon and/or other inert gases; reactive gases, e.g. O3、O2NO, water vapor and/or Clean Dry Air (CDA); other suitable purge gases; and/or combinations thereof.
In some embodiments, the first cleaning gas C1 is supplied or injected at a flow rate sufficient to remove particulate contaminants from the substrate W. For example, the flow rate of the first cleaning gas C1 injected into the
In
In
In
If a particular halogen is detected, the
In some embodiments, the second cleaning gas C2 (supplied during the degassing process) may be an inert gas, such as N2Argon and/or other inert gases; reactive gases, e.g. O3、O2NO, water vapor and/or Clean Dry Air (CDA); other suitable purge gases; and/or combinations thereof. In some embodiments, the second cleaning gas C2 supplied is different from the first cleaning gas C1 (supplied during substrate orientation). In a particular example, the
In some embodiments, the
In some embodiments, the amount of the second cleaning gas C2 supplied is adjusted so that it is sufficient to remove the halogen gas from the substrate W. For example, when the flow rate of the second cleaning gas C2 injected into the
In some embodiments, the
In some embodiments, the
The disclosed embodiments have some advantageous advantages: a purge system disposed in the directional chamber may inject a cleaning gas into the directional chamber to remove contaminants from the substrate. In some embodiments, the purge system may perform a purge process to remove particulate contaminants on the substrate while the substrate is being oriented. Thereby, the performance of the manufacturing procedure performed after the orientation of the substrate may be improved and time may be saved. Alternatively or additionally, the purge system may cooperate with the gas detector to perform a degassing process to remove halogen gas from the substrate before the substrate is returned to the transport carrier. Therefore, the halogen gas released from the substrate can be prevented from contaminating other substrates and tools. As a result, the yield of the semiconductor substrate processing system is further improved. Furthermore, since the directional chamber has a degassing function, an additional degassing chamber is not required.
According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, an orientation chamber is provided that includes a substrate holder, an orientation detector, and a purge system. The substrate holder is configured to hold a substrate. The orientation detector is configured to detect an orientation of the substrate. The purge system is configured to inject a cleaning gas into the directional chamber and remove contaminants from the substrate. In some embodiments, the purge system includes an inlet tube configured to inject a cleaning gas into the directional chamber and direct the cleaning gas to the substrate. In some embodiments, the purging system further comprises an outlet conduit configured to remove the cleaning gas from the directional chamber. In some embodiments, the purge system further comprises a gas regulator mounted on the gas inlet conduit and configured to regulate an amount of cleaning gas supplied into the directional chamber. In some embodiments, the gas regulator regulates the amount of cleaning gas supplied into the directional chamber based on a detection signal output from the gas detector, the detection signal being indicative of the level of a particular gas contaminant released from the substrate. In some embodiments, the cleaning gas is selected from the group consisting of an inert gas, a reactive gas, and clean dry air. In some embodiments, the directional chamber further comprises an energy source configured to provide energy to the substrate to accelerate the release of the chemical species on the substrate. In some embodiments, the orientation chamber further comprises a drive mechanism configured to drive the substrate holder to rotate the substrate according to the position signal output from the orientation detector.
According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, a method of processing a substrate is provided. The method comprises the following steps: providing a semiconductor substrate processing system for substrate processing, comprising an orientation chamber and a processing module; orienting a substrate in an orientation chamber; processing a substrate in a processing module; transferring the processed substrate from the processing module to the orientation chamber; and performing a degassing process in the directional chamber. In some embodiments, the degassing process is performed by injecting a first cleaning gas into the directional chamber to remove halogen gases released from the processed substrate. In some embodiments, the method further comprises the operation of injecting a first cleaning gas into the directional chamber through a purge system in the directional chamber. In some embodiments, the method further comprises the operation of detecting a particular halogen within the directional chamber prior to performing the degassing process. In some embodiments, the degassing process is performed by further adjusting the amount of the first cleaning gas injected into the directional chamber such that the first cleaning gas is sufficient to remove the halogen gas from the processed substrate. In some embodiments, the method further comprises the operation of providing energy to the substrate via an energy source disposed in the directional chamber to accelerate the release of the halogen gas on the substrate during the degas process. In some embodiments, the energy source is selected from the group consisting of an ultraviolet light source, a microwave emitter, a plasma generator, and a heating mechanism. In some embodiments, the method further comprises the operation of performing a purge process on the substrate while orienting the substrate in the orientation chamber. In some embodiments, the purge process is performed by injecting a second cleaning gas into the directional chamber to remove particulate contaminants on the substrate.
According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, a method of processing a substrate is provided. The method comprises the following steps: providing a semiconductor substrate processing system for substrate processing, comprising an orientation chamber and a processing module; orienting a substrate in an orientation chamber; injecting a first cleaning gas into the orientation chamber to remove particulate contaminants on the substrate while orienting the substrate in the orientation chamber; processing a substrate in a processing module; transferring the processed substrate from the processing module to the orientation chamber; and injecting a second cleaning gas into the directional chamber to remove halogen gases released from the processed substrate. In some embodiments, the flow rate of the first cleaning gas injected into the directional chamber is different from the flow rate of the second cleaning gas injected into the directional chamber. In some embodiments, the first cleaning gas is different from the second cleaning gas.
Although the embodiments of the present disclosure and their advantages have been described in detail, it should be understood that various changes, substitutions and alterations can be made herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure as defined by the appended claims. For example, one skilled in the art will readily appreciate that many of the features, functions, processes, and materials described herein may be varied while remaining within the scope of the present disclosure. Moreover, the scope of the present application is not intended to be limited to the particular embodiments of the process, machine, manufacture, composition of matter, means, methods and steps described in the specification. As one of ordinary skill in the art will readily appreciate from the disclosure, processes, machines, manufacture, compositions of matter, means, methods, or steps, presently existing or later to be developed that perform substantially the same function or achieve substantially the same result as the corresponding embodiments described herein may be utilized according to the present disclosure. Accordingly, the appended claims are intended to include within their scope such processes, machines, manufacture, compositions of matter, means, methods, or steps. Furthermore, each claim constitutes a separate embodiment, and combinations of different claims and embodiments are within the scope of the disclosure.
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