JP2022540650A - Method and apparatus for post-exposure processing - Google Patents

Abstract

Embodiments described herein relate to methods and apparatus for post-exposure processing. More specifically, embodiments described herein relate to field-guided post-exposure bake (iFGPEB) chambers and processes. In one embodiment, the substrate is transferred into the post-exposure processing chamber and then lifted to the pre-processing position by a plurality of lift pins. The substrate support is then lifted to engage the substrate and vacuum chuck the substrate onto it prior to iFGPEB processing. [Selection drawing] Fig. 2

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to methods and apparatus for processing substrates, and more particularly to methods and apparatus for improving photolithographic processes.

Integrated circuits have evolved into complex devices that can contain millions of components (eg, transistors, capacitors, and resistors) on a single chip. Photolithography is a process that can be used to form components on a chip. Generally, the photolithographic process involves several steps. First, a photoresist layer is formed on the substrate. A chemically amplified photoresist can include a resist resin and a photoacid generator. The photoacid generator changes the solubility of the photoresist during the development process when exposed to electromagnetic radiation in a subsequent exposure step. Electromagnetic radiation may have any suitable wavelength, such as, for example, a 193 nm ArF laser, electron beam, ion beam, or other suitable source. Excess solvent can then be removed in a pre-exposure bake process.

In the exposure step, a photomask or reticle may be used to selectively expose certain areas of the substrate to electromagnetic radiation. Another exposure method can be a maskless exposure method. Photoacid generators can be decomposed by exposure to light, thereby producing acid and providing a latent acid image in the resist resin. After exposure, the substrate may be heated in a post-exposure bake process. During the post-exposure bake process, the acid generated by the photoacid generator reacts with the resist resin of the photoresist layer and changes the resist solubility of the photoresist layer during the subsequent development process.

After the post-exposure bake, the substrate, especially the photoresist layer, is developed and rinsed. Depending on the type of photoresist used, areas of the substrate exposed to electromagnetic radiation may be either resistant to removal or susceptible to removal. After developing and rinsing, the pattern of the mask is transferred to the substrate using wet etching or dry etching processes.

The evolution of chip designs requires faster circuits and higher circuit densities. The demand for higher circuit densities, in turn, requires shrinking dimensions of integrated circuit components. As the dimensions of integrated circuit components shrink, more elements are placed in a given area of a semiconductor integrated circuit. Accordingly, lithographic processes are utilized to transfer smaller and smaller features onto substrates to accommodate the shrinking dimensions of integrated circuit components.

Precise and accurate lithography is highly dependent on the resolution of the photoresist layer placed on the patterned substrate. A recent development is to provide an electric field to a photoresist layer placed on a substrate before or after the exposure process to modify the chemical properties of desired portions of the photoresist layer to improve exposure/development resolution. To do so, an electrode assembly is utilized. However, the challenges in implementing such systems have not been overcome.

Accordingly, there is a need for improved methods and apparatus for improved immersion field-guided post-exposure bake processes.

The present disclosure relates generally to methods and apparatus for an immersion field-guided post-exposure bake process. In one embodiment, the method includes positioning the substrate on a plurality of lift pins within the first volume and moving the lift pins to the first position. The substrate support is moved to a first position to engage the substrate and then moved to a second position adjacent a second volume partially defined by the substrate and the electrodes. . A process fluid is introduced into the second volume and an electric field is generated between the electrode and the substrate.

In one embodiment, the method includes positioning the substrate on a plurality of lift pins within a first volume of the processing chamber. The substrate is moved to a preprocessing position adjacent the ceiling of the processing chamber, whereupon the substrate support is moved to the preprocessing position and contacts the substrate. The substrate is vacuum chucked to the substrate support and the substrate support is moved to the processing position to form a second volume within the processing chamber. A process fluid is introduced into the second volume and an electric field is generated therein.

In one embodiment, the method includes positioning the substrate on a plurality of lift pins disposed at a first position within a first volume of the processing chamber and moving the plurality of lift pins to a second position. including. The substrate support is moved to a second position to contact and vacuum-chuck the substrate. A substrate support with a substrate chucked thereon is moved to a third position within the first volume, the placement of the substrate support at the third position being partially defined by the substrate. A second volume is formed within the processing chamber. A process fluid is introduced into the second volume and an electric field is generated therein.

So that the above features of the disclosure may be understood in greater detail, more details of the disclosure briefly summarized above may be had by reference to embodiments, some of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. explanation can be obtained. It should be noted, however, that the attached drawings merely depict exemplary embodiments and are therefore not to be considered limiting of its scope, as other equally effective embodiments are permissible.

4A-4D illustrate the operation of a method for processing a substrate according to embodiments described herein; FIG. 2 shows a processing chamber in the first stage of the method of FIG. 1 according to embodiments described herein; FIG. 2 illustrates the processing chamber of FIG. 2 during a second stage of the method of FIG. 1, according to embodiments described herein; FIG. 2 illustrates the processing chamber of FIG. 2 during a third stage of the method of FIG. 1, according to embodiments described herein; FIG. 2 shows the processing chamber of FIG. 2 in a fourth stage of the method of FIG. 1 according to embodiments described herein;

For ease of understanding, identical reference numbers are used, where possible, to designate identical elements that are common to the drawings. It is envisioned that elements and features of one embodiment may be beneficially incorporated into other embodiments without further recitation.

Embodiments described herein relate to methods and apparatus for post-exposure processing. More specifically, embodiments described herein relate to field-guided post-exposure bake (iFGPEB) chambers and processes. In one embodiment, the substrate is transferred into the post-exposure processing chamber and then lifted to the pre-processing position by a plurality of lift pins. The substrate support is then lifted to engage the substrate and vacuum chuck the substrate onto it prior to iFGPEB processing.

FIG. 1 illustrates operations of an exemplary method 100 for processing a substrate, according to embodiments described herein. 2-5 show schematic cross-sectional views of a substrate 201 within a processing chamber 200 at different stages of the method 100. FIG. Accordingly, reference to FIGS. 2-5 is included in the description of FIG. 1 and method 100 as appropriate. Method 100 for processing substrate 201 has multiple operations. The operations can be performed in any order or concurrently (unless the context excludes that possibility), and method 100 performs two defined operations before any of the defined operations. It may include one or more other actions that occur between the actions or after all defined actions (unless the context excludes that possibility). Not all implementations will include all described acts.

In general, operation 110 of method 100 includes positioning substrate 201 on a plurality of lift pins 266 positioned at transfer position 270 within processing chamber 200 and heating substrate support 208 to a desired temperature. At operation 120 , substrate support 208 remains stationary while substrate 201 positioned on lift pins 266 is raised to preprocessing position 272 . Thereafter, in operation 130 the substrate support 208 is raised to engage the substrate 201 in the pretreatment position 272 . In operation 140 the substrate support 208 is further raised to the processing position 274 after which the substrate 201 is processed in operation 150 .

FIG. 2 shows the processing chamber 200 at operation 110 . In one embodiment, processing chamber 200 is configured to perform an immersion field-guided post-exposure bake (iFGPEB) process. As shown in FIG. 2, chamber 200 includes chamber body 202 having sidewalls 204 and bottom 206 that at least partially define volume 203 . A slit valve 205 sized to accommodate the passage of substrate 201 is positioned in side wall 204 . In one embodiment, chamber body 202 has a substantially cylindrical shape. In another embodiment, chamber body 202 has a polygonal shape, such as a cubic shape. Chamber body 202 is manufactured from a material suitable for maintaining a vacuum pressure therein, such as a metallic material. For example, chamber body 202 is manufactured from aluminum, stainless steel and alloys, and combinations thereof. Alternatively, chamber body 202 is manufactured from a polymeric material such as polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) or a high temperature plastic such as polyetheretherketone (PEEK).

Ceiling 210 is coupled to chamber body 202 and further defines volume 203 . In one embodiment, ceiling 210 is manufactured from metallic materials such as aluminum, stainless steel and alloys, and combinations thereof. In another embodiment, ceiling 210 is manufactured from a polymeric material such as PTFE, PEEK. Ceiling 210 may be formed from the same material utilized to manufacture chamber body 202 . Alternatively, ceiling 210 may be formed from a different material than chamber body 202 .

Ceiling 210 is coupled to and supports electrode 212 . In one embodiment, electrodes 212 are removably coupled to ceiling 210 . In another embodiment, electrodes 212 are fixedly coupled to ceiling 210 . Electrode 212 may be formed from a conductive metallic material. Additionally, the material utilized for electrode 212 may be a non-oxidizing material. The material selected for electrode 212 provides desirable current uniformity and low resistance across the surface of electrode 212 . A first O-ring 214 is further coupled to electrode 212 along the outer diameter of electrode 212 . A first O-ring 214 is also positioned in contact with a sidewall 216 of ceiling 210 . First O-ring 214 is configured to prevent process fluid from flowing behind electrode 212 during processing.

A heat source 218 , temperature sensing device 220 , power supply 222 , and sensing device 224 are coupled to electrode 212 . Heat source 218 powers one or more heating elements (not shown), such as resistive heaters, located within electrode 212 . Heat source 218 is configured to facilitate preheating of the process fluid during the iFGPEB process. Heat source 218 may also be utilized to maintain a desired temperature of the process fluid during substrate processing, in addition to preheating the process fluid, or alternatively. In one implementation, heat source 218 is configured to heat electrode 212 to a temperature between about 70°C and about 150°C, such as between about 90°C and about 130°C. For example, heat source 218 is configured to heat electrode 212 to a temperature between about 100°C and about 120°C, such as about 110°C.

A temperature sensing device 220 , such as a thermocouple, is communicatively coupled to heat source 218 to provide temperature monitoring and facilitate heating of electrode 212 . Power supply 222 is configured to provide, for example, between about 0 W and about 100 W, such as between about 25 W and about 75 W, to electrode 212 . Depending on the type of process fluid utilized, the current generated by power supply 222 can be on the order of tens of nanoamps to hundreds of milliamps. In one embodiment, power supply 222 is configured to generate an electric field in the range of approximately 0 V/mm to approximately 2000 V/mm. For example, the power supply 222 may generate an electric field in the range of about 100 V/mm to about 1800 V/mm, such as between about 500 V/mm and about 1200 V/mm, such as between about 800 V/mm and about 1000 V/mm. Configured. In some embodiments, power supply 222 is configured to operate in either voltage control mode or current control mode. In both modes, power supply 222 may output AC, DC, and/or pulsed DC waveforms. A square wave or a sine wave may be used if desired. Power supply 222 may be configured to provide power at a frequency between about 0.1 Hz and about 1 kHz, such as between about 100 Hz and about 750 Hz, such as between about 250 Hz and about 500 Hz. The duty cycle of pulsed DC power or AC power can be between about 5% and about 95%, such as between about 25% and about 75%.

Rise and fall times of pulsed DC or AC power can be between about 1 nanosecond and about 1 millisecond, such as between about 100 nanoseconds and about 1 microsecond. A sensing device 224 , such as a voltmeter, is communicatively coupled to power source 222 to provide electrical feedback and facilitate control of power applied to electrode 212 . Sensing device 224 may also be configured to sense current applied to electrode 212 via power source 222 .

A first plurality of fluid ports 226 are formed in ceiling 210 through sidewall 216 . A second plurality of fluid ports 228 are also formed in the side wall 216 opposite the first plurality of fluid ports 226 . A first plurality of fluid ports 226 are in fluid communication with a process fluid source 232 via a first conduit 234 . A second plurality of fluid ports 228 are in fluid communication with fluid outlets 236 via second conduits 238 . Process fluid source 232, alone or in combination with other devices, provides process fluids at a temperature between about 70° C. and about 150° C., such as between about 80° C. and about 140° C., prior to processing substrate 201. Configured to preheat to temperature and supply fluid during the iFGPEB process. For example, the process fluid is heated to a temperature between about 100°C and about 120°C, such as about 110°C.

In one embodiment, purge gas source 250 is also in fluid communication with first plurality of fluid ports 226 via first conduit 234 . Gases supplied by purge gas source 250 may be one or more of nitrogen, hydrogen, inert gases, etc. to purge process volume 290 (shown in FIG. 5) before, during, or after iFGPEB processing. can include If desired, purge gas can be exhausted from the processing volume 290 via fluid outlet 236 .

A substrate support 208 is positioned within volume 203 . In one embodiment, substrate support 208 is coupled to shaft 244 disposed through opening 240 in bottom 206 of chamber body 202 . Substrate support 208 is raised and lowered within volume 203 by actuator assembly 246 coupled to shaft 244 . In some embodiments, substrate support 208 is additionally rotatable about its central axis.

A vacuum chuck 242 is coupled to substrate support 208 . Vacuum chuck 242 may be formed from a non-metallic material or other insulating material, such as a ceramic material. Additionally, the vacuum chuck 242 can be formed from a non-oxidizing material to substantially reduce or prevent the possibility of substrate oxidation via reaction of the process fluid with the vacuum chuck 242 . As with electrode 212 , the material utilized for vacuum chuck 242 provides desirable current uniformity during processing of substrate 201 . Specifically, the materials utilized for vacuum chuck 242 are selected to have a negligible effect on the electric field generated within processing chamber 200 during processing.

Vacuum chuck 242 is configured to support substrate 201 thereon during processing and has a planar support surface 242A. Support surface 242 A is sized to accommodate mounting of substrate 201 thereon and to be positioned adjacent ceiling 210 . A vacuum source 258 is in fluid communication with the substrate support surface 242A. Generally, vacuum source 258 is coupled to vacuum chuck 242 through substrate support 208 . Vacuum source 258 is configured to vacuum chuck substrate 201 to support surface 242A of vacuum chuck 242 during processing.

Similar to electrode 212 , vacuum chuck 242 is coupled to heat source 248 , temperature sensing device 252 and power supply 254 . Heat source 248 , temperature sensing device 252 , power source 254 , and sensing device 256 may function similarly to heat source 218 , temperature sensing device 220 , power source 222 , and sensing device 224 . For example, heat source 248 powers one or more heating elements, such as resistive heaters or ceramic heaters, located within vacuum chuck 242 . Generally, heat source 248 is configured to heat vacuum chuck 242 to facilitate heating of substrate 201 and/or process fluids during the iFGPEB process. In one embodiment, heat source 248 heats vacuum chuck 242 to a temperature between about 75°C and about 150°C, such as between about 100°C and about 125°C, such as between about 110°C and about 120°C. configured as A temperature sensing device 252 , such as a thermocouple, is communicatively coupled to heat source 248 to provide temperature monitoring and facilitate heating of vacuum chuck 242 .

In one embodiment, a second O-ring 280 is positioned on the vacuum chuck 242 on the substrate support surface 242A. The second O-ring 280 can be positioned on the vacuum chuck 242 at a distance between about 1 mm and about 12 mm radially inward from the outer diameter of the substrate 201 when positioned thereon. For example, second O-ring 280 can be positioned on vacuum chuck 242 at a distance radially inward from the outer diameter of substrate 201 between about 2 mm and about 10 mm, such as between about 4 mm and about 8 mm. It is believed that the second O-ring 280 may prevent process fluid leakage from the process volume 290 to the area behind the substrate 201 during processing.

Vacuum chuck 242 further includes a ledge 282 positioned radially outwardly of second O-ring 280 and coupling substrate support surface 242 A to top surface 242 B of vacuum chuck 242 . Top surface 242B is positioned below and radially outward of ledge 282 and substrate support surface 242A. In one embodiment, a third O-ring 284 is positioned on vacuum chuck 242 on top surface 242B. A first lower surface 215 of ceiling 210 is shaped and sized to contact an edge region of substrate 201 when substrate support 208 is in processing position 274 . A second lower surface 217 of ceiling 210 is shaped and sized to contact vacuum chuck 242 adjacent to and extending radially inwardly from the outer diameter of substrate support surface 242A. A third lower surface 219 of ceiling 210 is shaped and sized to contact upper surface 242B. In one embodiment, third O-ring 284 contacts third lower surface 219 when substrate support 208 is positioned in processing position 274 . It is believed that the third O-ring 284 may prevent process fluid from leaking out of the processing volume 290 beyond the outer diameter of the vacuum chuck 242 during processing.

Substrate support 208 and vacuum chuck 242 each include a plurality of lift pin holes 262, 264, respectively. A plurality of lift pin holes 262 are aligned with a plurality of lift pin holes 264 . A plurality of lift pins 266 are movably disposed through the plurality of lift pin holes 262 , 264 and through the plurality of holes 241 in the chamber bottom 206 . A plurality of lift pins 266 pass through chamber bottom 206, substrate support 208, and vacuum chuck 242 between transfer position 270, pre-processing position 272 (shown in FIG. 3), and processing position 274 (shown in FIG. 5). It is coupled to a lift pin actuator 268 that displaces the lift pin 266 .

At operation 110 , substrate 201 is transferred by a robot blade or other suitable transfer device (not shown) through slit valve 205 into volume 203 and positioned on upper ends 267 of a plurality of lift pins 266 . The upper ends 267 of the lift pins 266 are located in a transfer position 270 elevated above the substrate support 208 but slightly below the slit valve 205 . Substrate support 208, to which vacuum chuck 242 is coupled, is positioned in a lowered position (eg, relative to chamber bottom 206) such that no contact is made between substrate 201 and substrate support surface 242A during operation 110. be done. In one example, upper ends 267 of lift pins 266 are positioned a distance from substrate support surface 242A between about 10 mm and about 110 mm, such as between about 30 mm and about 90 mm. In another example, upper ends 267 of lift pins 266 are positioned a distance from substrate support surface 242A between about 50 mm and about 90 mm, such as between about 60 mm and about 80 mm. Once the substrate 201 is positioned within the processing chamber 200, the vacuum chuck 242 is heated by the heat source 248 to a temperature of between about 75°C and about 150°C, such as between about 100°C and about 125°C, such as about 115°C. heated.

At operation 120, substrate 201, which is positioned on lift pins 266, is raised to pre-processing position 272, as shown in FIG. A lift pin actuator 268 raises a plurality of lift pins 266 from the transfer position 270 to the pretreatment position 272 . In one embodiment, substrate 201 is moved from transfer position 270 to pretreatment position 272 in about 2 to about 6 seconds, such as about 2 to about 4 seconds, such as about 3 seconds. In one embodiment, substrate 201 is elevated to pretreatment position 272 having a distance from lower surface 213 of electrode 212 between about 1 mm and about 25 mm, such as a distance between about 5 mm and about 20 mm. For example, pretreatment location 272 has a distance of between about 10 mm and about 15 mm, such as about 12 mm.

At operation 130, the substrate support 208 is moved such that the substrate support surface 242A of the vacuum chuck 242 is slightly higher than or substantially coplanar with the upper ends 267 of the lift pins 266, as shown in FIG. It is lifted to pretreatment position 272 . Thus, substrate support 208 engages substrate 201 and supports substrate 201 thereon. Vacuum source 258 is then activated to vacuum chuck substrate 201 to support surface 242 A of vacuum chuck 242 . In one embodiment, the substrate support 208 is raised to the pre-processing position 272 and engages the substrate 201 in about 2 to about 5 seconds, such as about 2 to about 4 seconds, such as about 3 seconds. . By avoiding contact between the substrate support 208 and the substrate 201 prior to operation 130, the vacuum chuck 242 can be heated to a desired temperature without direct heat transfer to the substrate 201, allowing the substrate to The heating of 201 can be delayed to begin at substantially the same time as the application of the electric field during iFGPEB processing.

In operation 140, after chucking substrate 201 to vacuum chuck 242, substrate support 208 is lifted to processing position 274 where vacuum chuck 242 and substrate 201 contact ceiling 210, as shown in FIG. For example, an edge region of substrate 201 contacts first bottom surface 215 , an edge region of substrate support surface 242 A contacts second bottom surface 217 , top surface 242 B and third O-ring 284 contact third bottom surface 219 . Contact. Positioning of substrate support 208 at processing position 274 is fluid-tight by first O-ring 214 , second O-ring 280 , and third O-ring 284 , and processing between substrate 201 and electrode 212 . Resulting in the formation of volume.

In one embodiment, substrate support 208 is lifted from pre-processing position 272 to processing position 274 between about 0.1 seconds and about 2 seconds, such as between about 0.5 seconds and about 1.5 seconds. For example, substrate support 208 is lifted from pre-processing position 272 to processing position 274 in between about 0.75 seconds and about 1.25 seconds, eg, about 1 second. Accordingly, the total time required to move the substrate from transfer position 270 to processing position 274 is between about 0.1 seconds and about 3 seconds, such as between about 0.5 seconds and about 2.5 seconds. can be between For example, the total time required to move substrate 201 from transfer position 270 to processing position 274 is between about 1 second and about 2 seconds, eg, about 1.5 seconds.

In one embodiment, processing volume 290 has a height 292 defined between substrate 201 and bottom surface 213 of electrode 212 . In one example, the height 292 of the processing volume 290 is between about 1 mm and about 10 mm, such as between about 2 mm and about 8 mm. For example, the height 292 of the processing volume 290 is between about 4 mm and about 6 mm, such as about 5 mm. The relatively short distance between substrate 201 and electrode 212 reduces the volume of process volume 290, making a reduced amount of process fluid available during iFGPEB processing. Furthermore, the reduced height 292 can result in a substantially more uniform electric field across the surface of the substrate 201, resulting in improved patterning properties during iFGPEB processing. Additionally, the power required to generate the desired electric field and heat the process fluid during iFGPEB can be reduced.

After positioning substrate support 208 at processing position 274 and forming processing volume 290 , substrate 201 is subjected to an iFGPEB process in operation 150 . During iFGPEB processing, the processing volume 290 is filled with a process fluid, such as a gas or liquid, having a flow path originating from the process fluid source 232 and traveling through the first conduit 234 . Process fluid exits first conduit 234 and enters processing volume 290 via first plurality of fluid ports 226 . The flow rate of the process fluid to the process volume 290 may be adjusted to reduce turbulence of the fluid within the process volume 290 and reduce or eliminate the formation of air bubbles therein. For example, the flow rate of process fluid to process volume 290 can be adjusted between 1 L/min and about 12 L/min, such as between about 5 L/min and about 10 L/min. The process fluid may also be preheated to a process temperature prior to being introduced into process volume 290 . For example, the process fluid can be preheated by the process fluid source 232 to a temperature between about 70°C and about 170°C, such as between about 90°C and about 150°C. For example, the process fluid is heated to a temperature between about 110°C and about 130°C, such as about 120°C.

An electric field is applied to the substrate 201 by the electrodes 212 when the process volume 290 is filled with process fluid. In one embodiment, the electric field is applied to the substrate for an amount of time between about 10 seconds and about 90 seconds, such as between about 25 seconds and about 75 seconds, such as between about 40 seconds and about 60 seconds, such as about 50 seconds. 201. In some embodiments, fluid disposed within processing volume 290 is stagnant during processing of substrate 201 . In some embodiments, the fluid volume in processing volume 290 is circulated or exchanged. In such an embodiment, when process volume 290 is filled with process fluid via first conduit 234 and first fluid port 226 , the process fluid also flows through second fluid port 228 and second conduit 238 . out of the processing volume 290 via and ultimately removed from the processing chamber 200 at the fluid outlet 236 . After application of the electric field, the process fluid may be evacuated from the processing volume 290 and the substrate support 208 with the processed substrate 201 chucked thereon may be lowered.

The methods and apparatus described above improve iFGPEB processing performance by reducing the amount of time the substrate is exposed to heat prior to applying an electric field. By engaging the substrate with the heated substrate support just prior to applying the electric field, unwanted heat transfer between the heated substrate support and the substrate is minimized. Therefore, random thermal diffusion of acid generated by the photoacid generator in the photoresist can be substantially reduced, thus reducing thermally induced deprotection of the photoresist. Reduced deprotection due to photoresist pretreatment improves photoresist development/exposure resolution and improves control over diffusion of charged species generated by photoacid generators, thereby improving circuit features during lithography. parts can be transferred more accurately.

In summary, apparatus and methods are provided for improving iFGPEB processing. The processing chambers described herein enable efficient utilization of process fluids and improved application of electric fields during iFGPEB operation. The resolution of the photoresist is also improved by reducing the amount of time the substrate is exposed to high temperature prior to applying the electric field, thus reducing the reaction of photoresist species prior to iFGPEB processing. Accordingly, iFGPEB processing operations can be improved by utilizing the apparatus and methods described herein.

While the above description is directed to embodiments of the present disclosure, other and further embodiments of the disclosure may be devised without departing from the basic scope of the disclosure, which covers: , is determined by the following claims.

Claims (20)

A substrate processing method comprising:
positioning the substrate on a plurality of lift pins within the first volume disposed at a first position;
moving the plurality of lift pins, on which the substrate is positioned, to a second position within the first volume;
moving a substrate support disposed within the first volume to the second position to engage the substrate;
A method comprising: moving the substrate support with the substrate engaged thereon to a third position adjacent a second volume; and processing the substrate within the second volume. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein upper ends of the lift pins are positioned a distance between about 10 mm and about 100 mm from the substrate support when in the first position. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the substrate support is heated to a temperature between about 75[deg.]C and about 150[deg.]C prior to moving to the second position. 4. The method of claim 3, wherein the substrate support is moved to the second position between about 2 seconds and about 5 seconds after heating. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the substrate support engages the substrate by vacuum chucking the substrate to its upper surface. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the substrate support is moved from the second position to the third position between about 0.1 seconds and about 2 seconds. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the total time for said substrate to move from said first position to said third position is between about 0.1 seconds and about 3 seconds. processing the substrate,
2. The method of claim 1, further comprising: introducing a process fluid into said second volume; and generating an electric field within said second volume. 9. The method of claim 8, wherein a height of said second volume is defined between said substrate and an electrode located on the ceiling of said processing chamber when said substrate is located in said third position. described method. 10. The method of claim 9, wherein said height of said second volume is between about 1 mm and about 10 mm. A substrate processing method comprising:
positioning the substrate on a plurality of lift pins within the first volume of the processing chamber;
moving the substrate to a pre-processing position adjacent to the ceiling of the processing chamber;
moving a substrate support to the preprocessing position and into contact with the substrate;
vacuum chucking the substrate to the substrate support;
moving the substrate support with the substrate vacuum-chucked thereon to a processing position, wherein moving the substrate support to the processing position results in a second volume in the processing chamber. forming, moving to a processing position;
A method comprising: introducing a process fluid into said second volume; and generating an electric field within said second volume. 12. The method of claim 11, wherein upper ends of said lift pins are positioned in a transfer position between about 30 mm and about 90 mm from said substrate support prior to moving to said preprocessing position. 13. The method of Claim 12, wherein the substrate support is moved from the pre-processing position to the processing position between about 0.5 seconds and about 1.5 seconds. 14. The method of claim 13, wherein the total time for said substrate to move from said transfer position to said processing position is between about 0.5 seconds and about 2.5 seconds. 12. The method of claim 11, wherein the substrate support is heated to a temperature between about 100[deg.]C and about 125[deg.]C prior to moving to the preprocessing position. 16. The method of claim 15, wherein the substrate support is moved to the preprocessing position between about 2 seconds and about 4 seconds after heating. 12. The method of claim 11, wherein the second volume is partially defined by the substrate and an electrode positioned on the ceiling of the processing chamber when the substrate is positioned in the processing position. 18. The method of claim 17, wherein the second volume is fluid-tight by one or more o-rings disposed on the substrate support or electrode. 19. The method of claim 18, wherein process fluid is introduced into the second volume at a flow rate between 1 L/min and 12 L/min. A substrate processing method comprising:
positioning the substrate on a plurality of lift pins positioned at a first position within the first volume of the processing chamber;
moving the plurality of lift pins to a second position within the first volume of the processing chamber;
moving a substrate support to the second position to contact and vacuum-chuck the substrate;
moving the substrate support with the substrate chucked thereon to a third position within the first volume of the processing chamber, wherein positioning the substrate support at the third position; forming a second volume within the processing chamber and moving to a third position where the second volume is partially defined by the substrate;
A method comprising: introducing a process fluid into said second volume; and generating an electric field within said second volume.

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