TWI455192B - Prevention of film deposition on pecvd process chamber wall - Google Patents

Description

Apparatus and method for avoiding deposition of a film on a PECVD process chamber wall

Embodiments of the present invention generally relate to a method and apparatus for plasma treating a substrate, and more particularly to a plasma processing chamber having a wide RF strap and/or substrate extension rod and its application method.

PECVD is commonly used to deposit a thin film on a substrate or semiconductor wafer. PECVD is typically accomplished by introducing one or more precursor gases into a vacuum chamber. The precursor gas is typically directed through a distribution plate (generally made of aluminum) located near the top of the chamber. A plasma is formed in the vacuum chamber. The precursor gas reacts with the plasma to deposit a thin layer of material on the surface of the substrate on the substrate support. The deposition by-products produced during the reaction are typically deposited on the slit valve channels and the chamber walls of the vacuum chamber. Due to the inconsistency between the gas flow and the plasma density, the deposition membrane on the chamber wall and the slit valve passage is relatively porous. This porous membrane accumulates on the walls of the chamber and can become a source of contaminants in the chamber which can cause flaking and particulates during extended deposition cycles.

Therefore, there is a need for an improved plasma processing chamber and method of application thereof.

Embodiments of the present invention generally relate to methods and apparatus for plasma treating a substrate, and more particularly to plasma processing chambers having wide RF ground sheets and/or substrate extension rods and methods of use thereof.

Embodiments of the present invention generally provide a substrate processing chamber that includes a chamber body. The chamber body includes a chamber bottom and a side wall having a slit valve. A substrate support including a support body is disposed in the chamber body. The first end of the at least one wide RF grounding strip is coupled to the support body and the second end of the at least one RF grounding strip is coupled to the bottom of the chamber. At least one extension rod is disposed along the periphery of the support body.

Another embodiment presents a substrate processing chamber comprising a chamber body. The chamber body includes a chamber bottom and side walls. A substrate support disposed in the chamber body and including a support body is proposed. The first end of the at least one wide RF grounding strip is coupled to the support body and the second end of the at least one RF grounding strip is coupled to the bottom of the chamber.

In yet another embodiment, a substrate processing chamber comprising a chamber body having a sidewall is provided. The substrate support is located in the chamber body. At least one extension rod is disposed along the periphery of the support body. In one embodiment, the sidewall has a slit valve and the at least one extension rod is disposed adjacent the sidewall.

Yet another embodiment provides a method of treating a substrate. The method includes providing a processing chamber having a slit valve and a substrate support. RF power is supplied to the distribution plate placed above the substrate support. The flowing gas passes through the distribution plate. The plasma is treated with a substrate placed on a substrate support. Reduce plasma generation near the slit valve.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention is generally directed to a method and apparatus for treating a substrate with a plasma, and more particularly to a plasma processing chamber having a wide RF ground lug and/or substrate extension rod and methods of use thereof.

The term "substrate" as used herein generally refers to any substrate or surface of a material formed on a substrate upon which a film treatment can be performed.

The invention is generally applied to rectangular substrates. Other suitable substrates can be circular, such as wafers. The invention can be used on any substrate size. However, the present invention provides particular advantages to sizes 15K (about 15,600 cm ² ), 25 K (about 27,750 cm ² ) and above, preferably 40 K (about 41,140 cm ² ) and above (eg, 50K, 55K, and 60K). This is because the larger pedestal requires enhanced grounding.

Liquid crystal displays or flat panel displays are commonly used in active matrix displays such as computers and television screens. In general, a flat panel display includes two panels having a layer of liquid crystal material sandwiched therein. At least one of the plates includes at least one conductive film (coupled to a power source) disposed thereon. The power supplied to the conductive film by the power source can change the direction of the liquid crystal material to produce a patterned display.

To make these displays, substrates such as glass or polymer workpieces are typically subjected to a number of continuous processes to create components, conductors and insulators on the substrate. Each of these processes is typically performed in a processing chamber suitable for performing one or more processing steps. In order to efficiently complete the entire sequence of processing steps, there are typically a plurality of processing chambers coupled to a central transfer chamber that houses an automatic control device to facilitate substrate transfer between the processing chambers. A processing platform having this configuration is commonly referred to as a cluster tool, an example of which is an AKT plasma-assisted chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) processing platform family available from AKT America, Inc. (Santa Clara, California). .

Although the invention is exemplarily described, shown and embodied in a large area substrate processing system, the invention is applicable to other plasma processing systems, including those from other manufacturers, where one or more ground paths are contemplated to be secured. The extent to which the functionality is maintained to facilitate acceptable processing in the system. Other exemplary processing system embodiment of the present invention include CENTURA ULTIMA HDP-CVD ^TM systems, PRODUCER APF PECVD ^TM systems, PRODUCER BLACK DIAMOND ^TM systems, PRODUCER BLOK PECVD ^TM systems, PRODUCER DARC PECVD ^TM systems, PRODUCER HARP ^TM systems, PRODUCER PECVD ^TM system, PRODUCER STRESS NITRIDE PECVD ^TM systems and PRODUCER TEOS FSG PECVD ^TM system, all of the above are available from Applied Materials, Inc. (Santa Clara, CA) achieved.

Plasma-assisted chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) techniques generally promote the excitation and/or dissociation of reactive gases by applying an electric field to the reaction zone adjacent the surface of the substrate, while generating a plasma of the reactive species immediately above the surface of the substrate. . The activity of the species in the plasma reduces the amount of energy required to carry out the chemical reaction and actually reduces the temperature required for the above PECVD process.

Figure 1A is a side view of a system 100 suitable for chemical vapor deposition (CVD) or plasma assisted chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) processing on large areas of glass, polymers or other suitable substrates. A circuit for manufacturing a flat panel display. System 100 is suitable for forming structures and components on large-area substrates for use in the manufacture of liquid crystal displays (LCD's), flat panel displays, organic light-emitting diodes (OLED's) or photovoltaic cells for solar cell arrays. (photovoltaic cell). The structure may be a plurality of reverse channel etch reverse stack (bottom gate) thin film transistors, which may include a plurality of successive deposition and masking steps. Other structures may include p-n junctions to form diodes for photovoltaic cells.

System 100 is adapted to deposit a plurality of materials on a large area substrate including, but not limited to, dielectric materials (eg, SiO ₂ , SiO _x N _y , derivatives thereof, or combinations thereof), semiconductor materials (eg, Si and a dopant), a barrier material (for example, SiN _x , SiO _x N _y or a derivative thereof). Specific examples of dielectric materials and semiconductor materials formed or deposited by the system 100 on a large area substrate include epitaxial germanium, polycrystalline germanium, amorphous germanium, microcrystalline germanium, germanium germanium, germanium, germanium dioxide. And cerium oxynitride, cerium nitride, a dopant (for example, B, P or As), a derivative thereof or a combination thereof. System 100 is also adapted to receive a cleaning gas (such as argon, hydrogen, nitrogen, helium or a combination of the foregoing) or a carrier gas (eg, Ar, H ₂ , N ₂ , He, derivatives thereof, or combinations thereof) ()). An example of depositing a tantalum film on a large area substrate using system 100 can be accomplished by utilizing decane as a precursor gas in a hydrogen carrier gas.

An example of a different apparatus and method for depositing a film on a large-area substrate using the system 100 can be found in U.S. Patent Application Serial No. 11/021,416, filed on Nov. 17, 2005. "Property of PECVD-Deposited Thin Films" is entitled "Plasma" in US Patent Application No. 11/173,210, issued on Jul. 1, 2005, and the publication No. US 2006-0228496 Uniformity Control By Gas Diffuser Curvature", the scope of the inconsistency between the two applications and the present specification is incorporated herein by reference. Other examples of different components that may be utilized by system 100 can be found in the United States filed on July 12, 2004. Patent Application No. 10/889,683, Publication No. 2005-0251990 entitled "Plasma Uniformity Control by Gas Diffuser Hole Design", and U.S. Patent No. 7,125,758, filed on Oct. 24, 2006, entitled "Controlling the Properties and Uniformity of a Silicon" Nitride Film by Controlling the Film Forming Precursors, the scope of the inconsistency between the two applications is incorporated herein by reference.

1A depicts an embodiment of a plasma-assisted chemical vapor deposition system 100 having an embodiment of an extension rod 170 and a wide RF ground piece 184 of the present invention. Both the extension rod 170 and the wide RF ground lug 184 can facilitate deposition of a dense film on the chamber body 102. The wide RF ground lug 184 also contributes to the effectiveness of coupling the ground path between the substrate support assembly 138 and the chamber body 102. It will be appreciated that the embodiment of the extension rod 170 and the wide RF ground lug 184 can be applied separately (as shown in Figures 1B and 1C) or in combination (as shown in Figure 1A). It will be further appreciated that embodiments of the extension rod 170, embodiments of the wide RF ground lug 184 and the methods of application described herein, as well as the derivatives described above, can be used in other processing systems, including those from other manufacturers.

In the embodiment depicted in FIG. 1A, the grounded chamber body 102 has a gas source 104, a power source 122 coupled thereto and a controller (not shown). control The device is used to control the processing performed in system 100. In one embodiment, the controller includes a central processing unit (CPU) (not shown), support circuitry (not shown), and memory (not shown). The CPU is one of any form of computer processor that can be used for industrial settings (controlling different chambers and sub-processors). The memory is coupled to the CPU. A memory or computer readable medium can be one or more readily available memories, such as random access memory (RAM), read only memory (ROM), soft disk, hard disk, or any other form of digital storage. (local or remote). The support circuit is coupled to the CPU to support the processor in a conventional manner. These circuits include caches, power supplies, clock circuits, input/output circuits, subsystems, and the like.

The chamber body 102 has a sidewall 106, a bottom portion 108, and a lid assembly 110 that define a processing volume 112. The process volume 112 can generally be accessed through the slit valve 160 in the side wall 106, which facilitates entry and exit of the large area substrate 140 (hereinafter referred to as "substrate 140") into and out of the chamber body 102. The large area substrate 140 can be a glass or polymer workpiece, and in one embodiment it has a flat surface area greater than about 2,500 cm ² . While the present invention is applicable to any substrate size, the wide RF ground lug 184 of the present invention is particularly advantageous for sizes 15,000 cm ² and above, preferably 40,000 cm ² and above, due to the need for larger pedestals. Enhanced grounding. The sidewalls 106 and the bottom portion 108 of the chamber body 102 are typically constructed of a single piece of aluminum or other material that is compatible with the processing chemistry. The bottom portion 108 of the chamber body 102 has a pumping port 114 formed therethrough that couples the processing volume 112 to a pumping system (not shown) to facilitate regulating the pressure in the process volume 112 and to vent gases and pairs during processing product.

The lid assembly 110 is supported by the sidewall 106 and is removable to detect the interior of the chamber body 102. The lid assembly 110 is typically constructed of aluminum. The distribution plate 118 is coupled to the inner side 120 of the lid assembly 110. The distribution plate 118 is typically constructed of aluminum. The central portion of the distribution plate 118 includes a perforated area through which the process of supplying the gas source 104 and other gases can be delivered to the processing volume 112. The perforated area of the distribution plate 118 is adapted to provide uniform gas distribution across the distribution plate 118 into the chamber body 102. The power source 122 is coupled to the distribution plate 118 to provide an electrical bias that excites the process gas and maintains the plasma formed by the process gas in the internal process volume 112 below the gas distribution plate 118 during processing.

The heated substrate support assembly 138 is placed in the center of the chamber body 102 and supports the substrate 140 during processing. The substrate support assembly 138 generally includes a conductive support body 124 supported by a shaft 142 that extends through the chamber bottom portion 108. The support body 124 is generally polygonal in shape and is coated with an electrically insulating coating (not shown) on at least a portion of the body 124 that supports the substrate 140. The coating can also cover other portions of the body 124. The substrate support assembly 138 is typically coupled to the ground at least during processing.

The support body 124 can be constructed of metal or other equally conductive material (eg, aluminum). The insulating coating may be a dielectric material such as oxide, tantalum nitride, hafnium oxide, aluminum oxide, tantalum pentoxide, tantalum carbide or polyimine, etc., and may be treated by different deposition or coating. Applied, including but not limited to flame spray, plasma spray, high energy coating, Vapor deposition, spray coating, adhesive film, sputtering and encapsulating.

In one embodiment, the support body 124 encloses at least one embedded heating element 132 and a thermocouple (not shown). The body 124 can include one or more hardened members (not shown) of metal, ceramic or other hardened material embedded therein.

A heating element 132, such as an electrode or a resistive element, is coupled to a power source (not shown) and controllably heats the support assembly 138 and the substrate 140 thereon to a predetermined temperature. In general, the heating element 132 maintains the substrate 140 at a consistent temperature between about 150 ° C and at least about 460 ° C during processing. The heating element 132 is electrically floating relative to the body 124.

In general, the support assembly 138 has a lower side 126 and an upper side 134 on which the support substrate 140 is mounted. The lower side 126 has a lever cover 144 coupled thereto. The lever cover 144 is typically an aluminum ring that is coupled to the support assembly 138 that provides a mounting surface for the shaft 142 to be coupled thereto.

In general, the shaft 142 extends from the stem cover 144 through the chamber bottom 108 and couples the support assembly 138 to the lift system 136, which is movable between an elevated processing position (as shown) and a lowered position. Support assembly 138 facilitates substrate transfer. The bellows 146 provides a vacuum seal between the process volume 112 and the outside air of the chamber body 102 while facilitating vertical movement of the support assembly 138 move. The shaft 142 additionally provides a conduit to the electrical and thermocouple wires between the support assembly 138 and other components of the system 100.

The shaft 142 can be electrically isolated from the chamber body 102. In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1A, a dielectric insulator 128 is disposed between the shaft 142 and the chamber body 102. The insulator 128 may additionally support the shaft 142 or a bearing suitable for it.

In one embodiment, the support assembly 138 additionally supports a shadow frame (not shown). In general, the shadow frame can avoid deposition at the edge of the substrate 140 and the support assembly 138 such that the substrate 140 does not adhere to the support assembly 138.

The support assembly 138 has a plurality of configurations in which the apertures receive a plurality of lift pins 150. The lift pin 150 is typically constructed of ceramic or electroplated aluminum, and when the lift pin 150 is in the normal position (ie, retracted relative to the support assembly 138), the first end thereof is generally flush with the upper side 134 of the support assembly 138. Or slightly concave. When the support assembly 138 is lowered to the transfer position, the lift pin 150 contacts the bottom 108 of the chamber body 102 and moves through the support assembly 138 to extend from the upper side 134 of the support assembly 138, thereby supporting the substrate 140 and the support Component 138 is separated.

In one embodiment, lift pins 150 of different lengths (as shown in Figure 1A) are utilized so that they contact and actuate with the bottom 108 at different times. For example, the lift pins 150 are spaced apart from each other at the outer edge of the substrate 140, and a relatively short lift pin 150 is disposed inwardly spaced from the outer edge toward the center of the substrate 140. The material 140 is first lifted at the outer edge relative to its center. In another embodiment, the lift pins 150 of the same length can be used with the bumps or platforms 182 (shown in phantom) under the outer lift pins 150 such that the outer lift pins 150 start earlier and move the substrate 140 away. The surface 134 is a longer distance (relative to the inner lift pin 150). Alternatively, the chamber bottom 108 may include a groove or groove below the inner lift pin 150 such that the inner lift pin 150 is activated later and moved a shorter distance than the outer lift pin 150. An embodiment having a system adapted to lift a lift pin of a substrate from a substrate support in an edge-to-center manner and adapted to benefit from the present invention is described in U.S. Patent Application No. 2, 2002, to Shang et al. US Patent No. 6,676,761, filed on Jan. 31, 2004, and U.S. Patent Application Serial No. 10/460,916, filed on Jun. U.S. Patent No. 7,083,702, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference .

The support assembly 138 is typically grounded during processing such that RF power supplied by the power source 122 to the distribution plate 118 (or other electrode located near or within the cover assembly 110 of the chamber body 102) can be excited between the support assembly 138 and The gas in the processing volume 112 between the plates 118 is distributed. RF power (from power source 122) consistent with the size of substrate 140 is typically selected to drive the chemical vapor deposition process.

1B is a cross-sectional view of one embodiment of a plasma-assisted chemical vapor deposition system 100 having a wide RF ground plate 184 of the present invention.

1C is a cross-sectional view of one embodiment of a plasma-assisted chemical vapor deposition system 100 having a substrate extension rod 170 of the present invention. In one embodiment, the extension rod 170 is attached to the periphery of the conductive support body through the threaded bore, the fastener 706 and the clamp 708.

2 is a top plan view of an embodiment of a substrate support assembly 138 showing an embodiment in which the extension rod 170 is attached to the substrate support assembly 138. In one embodiment, the extension rod 170 has at least one notch 202. The notch 202 allows the stop lever 702 (shown in Figure 7) to contact the extension rod 170 and avoid any further upward vertical movement of the substrate support assembly 138. While the embodiment shown in Figure 2 shows an extension rod 170 coupled to the periphery of the substrate support assembly 138, it should be understood that any number of extension rods (e.g., four extension rods) can be used in the present invention. For embodiments utilizing multiple extension rods, it will be further appreciated that the extension rod can form a single component and be coupled to the substrate support assembly 138. One embodiment of the embedded heating element 132 is also described.

As the size of the substrate support increases, it becomes very difficult to install the substrate support assembly with increased surface area in the processing chamber and in some instances cannot be achieved. Due to these size limitations, when the support assembly 138 is installed in the processing system 100, the support assembly 138 is first installed in the processing system 100 prior to installation of the extension rod 170. Thus, after the support assembly 138 is installed in the processing system 100, the extension rod 170 can allow for an increase in the surface area of the support assembly 138.

Referring to Figures 3, 4 and 5, the wide RF ground lug 184 generally includes a first end 302 and a second end 304 and at least one zigzag 306. The first curved portion 308 extends from the meander 306 to the first end 302 and the second curved portion 310 extends from the meander 306 to the second end 304. The first end 302 includes a mounting flange 314 and the second end 304 also includes a mounting flange 316. The curved portions 308, 310 are generally quadrangular in shape and allow the substrate support assembly 138 to move vertically relative to the chamber bottom 108. In one embodiment, the wide RF ground lug 184 has a slit 312 extending from the first curved portion 308 through the meander 306 to the second curved portion 310. The slit 312 helps to increase the flexibility of the wide RF ground strip 184.

The wide RF ground lug 184 includes a resilient, low-impedance conductive material that withstands the chemical effects of handling and cleaning. In one embodiment, the wide RF ground lug 184 is constructed of aluminum. Alternatively, the wide RF ground lug 184 may comprise titanium, stainless steel, beryllium copper or an elastomeric material coated with a conductive metal coating.

Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view of one embodiment of a plasma-assisted chemical vapor deposition system having a wide RF ground plane in accordance with the present invention. The wide RF ground lug 184 provides an RF return current path between the support assembly 138 and the chamber body 102. The first end 302 of the wide RF grounding lug 184 is electrically coupled to the support assembly 138 via the connection assembly 318, typically coupled to the underside 126 of the support body 124, while the second end 304 is coupled by the bottom clamp 324. Electrically coupled to the chamber bottom 108. For example, the wide RF ground lug 184 can be coupled to the support body 124 via other components, such as a fixture, clamp, or other method of maintaining electrical connection between the support body 124 and the wide RF ground lug 184. The connecting component 318 extends from the periphery of the supporting body 124 Extend and be perpendicular to it. The connector assembly 318 includes a topsheet 320 and a backsheet 322. The topsheet 320 includes an L-shaped sheet and the backsheet 322 includes a flat sheet. A mounting flange 314 of the first end 302 of the wide ground lug 184 is disposed between the topsheet 320 and the backsheet 322. In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 3, the attachment assembly 318 is secured to the support body 124 via two fasteners and corresponding threaded holes. The second end 304 has a mounting flange 316 coupled thereto to facilitate coupling the wide RF ground lug 184 to the chamber bottom 108. In one embodiment, the mounting flange 316 is secured to the chamber bottom 108 via a fastener and threaded bore and between the chamber bottom 108 and the bottom clamp 324. It will be appreciated that a wide RF ground lug 184 can be attached to the chamber bottom 108 and/or support assembly 138 by means of an adhesive, clamp or other means for maintaining electrical connection between the chamber body 102 and the wide RF ground lug 184. .

Connection assembly 318 and bottom clamp 324 each include a low impedance conductive material that can withstand processing and cleaning chemistry. In one embodiment, the connection assembly 318 and the bottom clamp 324 comprise aluminum. Alternatively, the material may comprise titanium, stainless steel, beryllium copper or any material coated with a conductive metal coating. In another embodiment, the connection component 318 includes a first conductive material and the bottom clamp 324 includes a second conductive material, wherein the first conductive material and the second conductive material are different materials.

In one embodiment, at least a portion of the wide RF ground strip 184 is at a distance X from the sidewall 106. The distance between the support body 124 and the side wall 106 is Y. The distance X between at least a portion of the wide RF ground lug 184 and the sidewall 106 is generally less than the distance Y between the support body 124 and the sidewall 106. In one embodiment, for a substrate of 25K (about 27,750 cm ² ) or greater, the distance X is typically between about 0.2 cm to about 3 cm, such as about 0.5 cm.

The wide RF ground lug 184 significantly reduces the RF current to ground return path compared to conventional grounding techniques. The current is transferred from the plasma to the substrate 140, which is in electrical contact with the support body 124 of the support assembly 138. The lower side 126 of the body 124 is in electrical contact with the wide RF ground lug 184 such that current is transmitted by the body 124 through the wide RF ground lug 184 and to the chamber bottom 108 coupled to the ground. Moreover, the wide RF ground lug 184 provides a larger current carrying area than current conductive strips, making it ideally suited for large area processing applications. The shorter distance and greater current carrying capability of the wide RF ground strip 184 results in a smaller voltage difference between the surface of the support assembly 138 and the grounded chamber body 102, thereby substantially reducing plasma under the substrate support assembly 138. The possibility of ignition, which may sputter unwanted contaminants in system 102.

In one embodiment, the substrate support assembly 138 is grounded by a plurality of wide RF ground pads 184 that provide a low impedance RF return path between the support body 124 and the ground. For example, four groups of ground path members 184 can be coupled to respective opposite sides of the four-sided substrate support body 124. Each group includes a wide RF ground pad 184 between 1 and 15, such as a wide RF ground pad 184 between 11 and 13. In another embodiment, any number of wide RF ground lugs 184 can be utilized with conventional ground lugs.

In one embodiment, at least one of the ground paths as described in U.S. Patent Application Serial No. 11/564,463, filed on Nov. 20, 2006. An integrity sensor (not shown) is bonded to the wide RF ground pad 184. The ground path integrity sensor can facilitate monitoring whether the wide RF ground lug 184 remains suitable for conducting current between the support body 124 and the chamber body 102.

Figure 4 is a side view of the wide RF ground strip shown in Figure 3. As shown, the wide RF ground lug 184 has sufficient resiliency to allow the substrate support assembly 138 to change height in the direction indicated by arrow 400. Although the wide RF ground lug 184 shown in FIG. 4 includes only one zigzag 306, a plurality of zigzags can be formed in the wide RF ground lug 184 to form an accordion-like structure. Other embodiments also include RF ground lugs that do not have any tortuous width. The meander 306 is located below the polygonal substrate support assembly 138 and is directed generally parallel to the perimeter of the support assembly 138. The meander 306 is pre-formed in the wide RF ground 184 to increase the useful life of the wide RF ground 184; the vertical movement of the substrate assembly 138 in the direction indicated by the arrow 400 is transmitted to the overlying pressure of the wide RF ground 184 It may cause a tortuous fracture that forces the replacement of the wide RF ground lug 184. Referring to Figure 1, as the shaft 142 moves downward, the plurality of lift pins 150 contact the chamber bottom 108 thereby increasing the substrate 140 away from the support assembly 138. During the downward movement of the shaft 142, the tortuous 306 of the wide RF ground lug 184 projects inwardly from the periphery of the substrate support assembly 138 while still maintaining electrical contact with the periphery of the support assembly 138. As shown in FIG. 4, as the wide RF ground lug 184 flexes, the wide RF ground lug 184 does not intersect the lift pin 150.

Figure 5 is a plan view of one embodiment of a wide RF ground strip in accordance with the present invention. As described above, the wide RF ground strip 184 has a first end 302 And the second end 304 and at least one zigzag 306. In one embodiment, the length of the ground strip from the first end 302 to the second end 304 is between about 60 cm and about 70 cm, such as about 62 cm. In one embodiment, the length of the first curved portion 308 from the meander 306 toward the first end 302 is between about 30 cm and about 35 cm, such as about 31 cm. In one embodiment, the length of the second curved portion 310 from the meander 306 toward the second end 304 is between about 30 cm and about 35 cm, such as about 31 cm. The curved portion is generally quadrangular in shape and allows vertical movement of the support assembly relative to the chamber bottom 108. In one embodiment, the wide RF ground lug 184 has a slit that extends from the first curved portion 308 through the meander 306 to the second curved portion 310. The slit begins at a distance of between about 10 cm and about 20 cm (eg, about 19 cm) from the first end 302 and extends through the meander 306 and ends between about 10 cm and about 20 cm from the second end 304 (eg, about 19cm). The slit width is between about 1 cm and about 8 cm (eg, about 1.6 cm wide). The thickness of the wide RF ground lug is between about 0.2 mm and about about 0.3 mm (eg, about 0.25 mm thick). The mounting flange 314 of the first end 302 of the wide RF ground lug 184 includes two securing holes adapted to receive two fasteners disposed through the connecting assembly 318 (as shown in Figures 3 and 4) . The mounting flange 316 of the second end 304 of the wide RF ground lug 184 includes a securing aperture adapted to receive a fixture disposed through one of the bottom jaws 324.

Figure 6A is a side elevational view of one embodiment of a connector assembly 318 in accordance with the present invention. The connector assembly 318 includes a topsheet 320 and a backsheet 322. The topsheet 320 includes an L-shaped sheet and the backsheet 322 includes a flat sheet. Both the topsheet 320 and the backsheet 322 have at least one set of calibrated mounting holes and are adapted to receive at least one solid A fixture (not shown), such as a mounting screw, is disposed through the backsheet 322, the mounting flange 314 of the wide RF ground lug 184, the topsheet 320, and ultimately through the support body 124. Thus, a wide RF ground lug 184 is sandwiched between the backsheet 322 and the topsheet 320. The attachment assembly 318 extends outwardly from the periphery of the support body 124 and is perpendicular thereto. Figure 6B is a top plan view of the topsheet 320 of the connector assembly 318 in accordance with Figure 6A of the present invention. The topsheet has at least one set of securing apertures 602, 604 that are aligned and adapted to receive at least one fastener. Figure 6C is a front elevational view of the connection assembly in accordance with Figure 6A of the present invention.

Figure 7 is a cross-sectional view of one embodiment of a plasma-assisted chemical vapor deposition system having a substrate extension rod in accordance with the present invention. In this embodiment, although the base extension rod 170 of the drawing does not have a wide RF ground lug 184, the base extension rod 170 can be applied with a wide RF ground lug 184 as shown in FIG. The extension rod 170 is attached to the periphery of the support body 124 of the substrate support assembly 138. In one embodiment, the extension rod 170 is coupled to the periphery of the support body 124 via a threaded bore, a fastener 706, and a clamp 708. It will be appreciated that the extension rod 170 can be attached to the support assembly 138 with an adhesive, brazing or other means.

In one embodiment, the extension rod 170 has at least one notch 202. The recess 202 allows the stop bar 702 (attached to the chamber sidewall 106) to contact the extension rod 170 and avoid any further upward vertical movement of the substrate support assembly 138. The stop bars 702 are adjustable and can be at different heights, depending on the needs of the user. The substrate extension rod 170 extends downwardly from the lower side 126 of the support assembly 138 and is perpendicular thereto. In other embodiments, the substrate extension rod 170 can be repaired. Instead, an acute or obtuse angle is formed relative to the underside 126 of the support assembly 138. The desired angle can be selected to control the plasma formation on the sidewall 106 and under the support body 124 of the substrate support assembly 138, as desired by the user.

The extension rod 170 can include a low impedance conductive material that withstands processing and cleaning chemistry. In one embodiment, the extension rod 170 comprises aluminum. Alternatively, the material may include titanium, stainless steel (eg, INCONEL®), beryllium copper, or any material coated with a conductive metal coating. In another embodiment, the extension rod 170 comprises a polymeric material. For example, the polymer material includes materials such as polyphenylene sulfide (PPS) and polyetheretherketone (PEEK).

Figure 8 is a cross-sectional view of one embodiment of a plasma-assisted chemical vapor deposition system having a substrate extension rod in accordance with the present invention. In this embodiment, although the base extension 802 of the drawing does not have a wide RF ground lug 184, the base extension rod 802 can be applied with a wide RF ground lug 184. In this embodiment, the substrate extension rod 802 is attached to the side of the support body 124. In one embodiment, the extension rod 170 is secured to the periphery of the support body 124 via a threaded bore (not shown) and a fastener (not shown). It will be appreciated that the extension rod 802 can be attached to the support assembly 138 with an adhesive, clamp, brazing or other means.

Figure 9 shows a flow diagram 900 depicting the steps of processing a substrate in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. Referring to Figures 1-8, in step 902, a wide ground lug 184 is provided that is coupled between the substrate support assembly 138 and the chamber bottom 108. Next in step 904, RF power is provided for placement on substrate 140. The distribution plate 118 above. Next in step 906, the substrate 140 is placed on the substrate support assembly 138 by plasma processing.

Figure 10 shows a flow chart 1000 depicting the steps of processing a substrate in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. Referring to Figures 1-8, in step 1002, a processing system 100 is provided having an extension rod 170 coupled to the periphery of a substrate support assembly 138. In step 1004, RF power is provided to a distribution plate 118 disposed above the substrate 140. In step 1006, the flowing gas passes through distribution plate 118. In step 1008, the substrate 140 is placed on a substrate support assembly 138 by plasma processing. In step 1010, the gas flow is regulated to increase the plasma density in the substrate processing chamber.

Referring to Figure 1, it is not limited by principle unless explicitly stated in the scope of the patent application, the letter A represents the potential of the diffuser 118, the letter B represents the potential on the support assembly 138, and the letter C represents the potential on the wide RF ground piece 184. The letter D represents the potential on the chamber body 102. In one aspect, however, when a potential (e.g., A potential) is applied to the diffuser 118, the support assembly 138 is coupled to the ground using a wide RF ground lug 184, but its potential is not zero but a certain potential ( For example, B potential). The difference between the A potential and the B potential creates a plasma between the disperser 118 and the support assembly 138. Likewise, the difference between the potential on the support assembly (B potential) and the potential on the chamber body (D potential) creates a plasma between the chamber body 102 and the support assembly 138. This potential difference causes deposition of an undesired porous film on the chamber body 102. This porous film flakes off during the deposition process, which causes particle contamination in the film.

The wide RF ground lug 184 provides a low impedance path between the support assembly 138 and the chamber body 102. The increased width of the wide RF ground strip 184 reduces the potential (B potential) of the support assembly 138 so that it approaches the potential (D potential) of the chamber body 102, thereby reducing the power generated between the chamber body 102 and the support assembly 138. Pulp. The increased width of the wide RF ground lug also reduces breakage and thus increases the life of the wide RF ground lug. Moreover, the proximity of the wide RF ground lug 184 to the chamber sidewall 106 helps to reduce the amount of inductive plasma generated between the chamber sidewall 106, the support assembly 138, and the RF ground lug.

The extension rod 170 reduces airflow over both the chamber sidewall 106 and the slit valve passage 160. The reduced airflow reduces the porous film deposited on both the chamber sidewall 106 and the slit valve channel 160.

Accordingly, methods and apparatus for reducing particulate contaminants in a membrane in a PECVD chamber have been proposed. The use of a wide RF ground lug and its adjacent chamber walls advantageously reduces the plasma generated in the undesired portions of the chamber, thereby causing a reduction in particulate contaminants within the membrane. The use of a wide RF ground lug further provides an increase in the grounding capability of the substrate support while also increasing the life of the ground lug and thus causing a reduction in system downtime due to chamber cleaning and replacement ground lugs. The use of substrate extension rod 170 provides a further advantage that can further control airflow and plasma generation.

While the foregoing is directed to the embodiments of the present invention, the invention and the scope of the invention

100‧‧‧ system

102‧‧‧ chamber body

104‧‧‧ gas source

106‧‧‧ side wall

108‧‧‧ bottom

110‧‧‧Cover components

112‧‧‧Processing volume

114‧‧‧ pumping port

118‧‧‧Distribution board

120‧‧‧ inside

122‧‧‧Power supply

124‧‧‧Support subject

126‧‧‧ underside

128‧‧‧Insulator

132‧‧‧ heating element

134‧‧‧ upper side

136‧‧‧ Lifting system

138‧‧‧Support components

140‧‧‧Substrate

142‧‧‧Axis

144‧‧‧ rod cover

146‧‧‧ bellows

150‧‧‧Upselling

160‧‧‧Slit valve

170‧‧‧Extension rod

182‧‧‧ platform

184‧‧‧ Grounding piece

202‧‧‧ notch

302‧‧‧ first end

304‧‧‧ second end

306‧‧‧ twists and turns

308‧‧‧First bend

310‧‧‧The second bend

312‧‧‧ slit

314, 316‧‧‧ mounting flange

318‧‧‧Connecting components

320‧‧‧Top film

322‧‧‧ negative film

324‧‧‧Bottom clamp

400‧‧‧ arrow

602, 604‧‧‧ fixing holes

702‧‧‧stop rod

706‧‧‧Fixed parts

708‧‧‧ clamp

802‧‧‧Extension rod

900, 1000‧‧‧ flow chart

902, 904, 906, 1002, 1004, 1006, 1008, 1010‧ ‧ steps

For a more detailed description of the above described features of the invention, reference to the embodiments of the invention, However, the present invention is to be construed as being limited by the scope of the invention

1A is a cross-sectional view of one embodiment of a plasma-assisted chemical vapor deposition system having a wide RF grounding strip and substrate extension rod of the present invention; and FIG. 1B is a plasma having a wide RF grounding strip of the present invention. A cross-sectional view of one embodiment of an auxiliary chemical vapor deposition system; a first cross-sectional view of one embodiment of a plasma-assisted chemical vapor deposition system having a substrate extension rod of the present invention; and a second embodiment of a substrate support assembly A top view of an embodiment; FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of one embodiment of a plasma assisted chemical vapor deposition system having a wide RF ground plane in accordance with the present invention; and FIG. 4 is a wide RF shown in FIG. a side cross-sectional view of a grounding strip; FIG. 5 is a plan view of one embodiment of a wide RF grounding strip in accordance with the present invention; and FIG. 6A is a side elevational view of one embodiment of a connecting assembly in accordance with the present invention; Figure 6B is a top view of the connection assembly according to Figure 6A of the present invention; Figure 6C is a front view of the connection assembly according to Figure 6A of the present invention; and Figure 7 is a view of the base extension rod having the substrate according to the present invention. A cross-sectional view of one embodiment of a slurry-assisted chemical vapor deposition system; FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of one embodiment of a plasma-assisted chemical vapor deposition system having a substrate extension rod according to the present invention; and FIG. 9 shows a flow chart The steps of treating a substrate are described in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; and FIG. 10 shows a flow chart depicting the steps of treating a substrate in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

To speed understanding, the same component symbols may be used to represent the same components that are common to the drawings. It will be appreciated that elements and features of an embodiment may be advantageously incorporated into other embodiments without further enumeration.

100‧‧‧ system

102‧‧‧ chamber body

104‧‧‧ gas source

106‧‧‧ side wall

108‧‧‧ bottom

110‧‧‧Cover components

112‧‧‧Processing volume

114‧‧‧ pumping port

118‧‧‧Distribution board

120‧‧‧ inside

122‧‧‧Power supply

124‧‧‧Support subject

126‧‧‧ underside

128‧‧‧Insulator

132‧‧‧ heating element

134‧‧‧ upper side

136‧‧‧ Lifting system

138‧‧‧Support components

140‧‧‧Substrate

142‧‧‧Axis

144‧‧‧ rod cover

146‧‧‧ bellows

150‧‧‧Upselling

160‧‧‧Slit valve

170‧‧‧Extension rod

182‧‧‧ platform

184‧‧‧ Grounding piece

Claims (21)

A substrate processing chamber includes at least: a chamber body including: a chamber bottom; and a side wall having a slit valve; a substrate support member, the substrate support member including a support body, wherein the substrate support is disposed in the chamber body; at least one wide RF ground piece, the at least one wide RF ground piece includes: a first end coupled to the support body a second end, the second end is coupled to the bottom of the chamber; at least one meander, the at least one meander is between the first end and the second end; a first curved portion, the first bend And extending from the at least one meander to the first end; and a second curved portion extending from the at least one meander to the second end, wherein the wide RF grounding piece has a slit, a slit extending from the first curved portion through the meander into the second curved portion; and at least one extension rod disposed along a periphery of the support body. The substrate processing chamber of claim 1, wherein a distance between at least a portion of the grounding strip and the sidewall is smaller than the supporting body A distance from the side wall. The substrate processing chamber of claim 1, wherein the at least one extension rod is disposed adjacent to the sidewall. The substrate processing chamber of claim 1, wherein the extension rod extends downward from a lower side of the support body and is perpendicular to a lower side of the support body. The substrate processing chamber of claim 1, wherein the substrate support is coupled to a lift mechanism adapted to permit vertical movement of the substrate support. The substrate processing chamber of claim 1, wherein the bottom of the chamber has a pumping port that couples a processing volume of the substrate processing chamber to a pumping system. A substrate processing chamber includes at least: a chamber body, the chamber body comprising: a chamber bottom; and a side wall; a substrate support member, the substrate support member comprising a support body, wherein the substrate support a piece is placed in the body of the chamber; and At least one wide RF ground strip, the at least one wide RF ground strip includes: a first end coupled to the substrate support; a second end, the second end and the bottom of the chamber Coupling; at least one meander, the at least one meander is between the first end and the second end; a first curved portion, the first curved portion extends from the at least one meander to the first end; and a first a second curved portion extending from the at least one meander to the second end, wherein the wide RF ground piece has a slit extending from the first curved portion through the meander into the second Curved part. The substrate processing chamber of claim 7, wherein the sidewall has a slit valve, and a distance between at least a portion of the grounding strip and the sidewall is less than between the support body and the sidewall a distance. The substrate processing chamber of claim 7, wherein the width of the wide RF ground strip is between about 1 cm and about 10 cm. The substrate processing chamber of claim 9, wherein the width of the wide RF ground strip is about 4.7 cm. The substrate processing chamber of claim 7, wherein the grounding The first end of the sheet includes a first mounting flange coupled to a connecting component, the connecting component being coupled to a lower side of the substrate support. The substrate processing chamber of claim 11, wherein the connecting component extends outwardly from the substrate support and is substantially parallel to at least one of the grounding strips. The substrate processing chamber of claim 1, further comprising a stop rod attached to a side wall of the chamber body, wherein the at least one extension rod has at least one recess adapted to match the stop rod. The substrate processing chamber of claim 1, wherein the substrate processing chamber is a plasma-assisted chemical vapor deposition chamber. The substrate processing chamber of claim 1, wherein the first end of the grounding strip includes a first mounting flange coupled to a connecting component, the connecting component being coupled to the substrate support One of the pieces is on the underside. The substrate processing chamber of claim 15, wherein the connection assembly comprises: an L-shaped top sheet; and a flat bottom plate, wherein the first mounting flange is disposed on the L-shaped top sheet and the flat Between the bottom plates. The substrate processing chamber of claim 16, wherein the second end of the grounding strip includes a second mounting flange fixed to the bottom of the chamber and at the bottom of the chamber Between a bottom clamp and a bottom clamp. The substrate processing chamber of claim 2, wherein the distance between the sidewall and the support body is between about 0.2 cm and about 3 cm. The substrate processing chamber of claim 1, wherein the support body has a plurality of holes, and the plurality of holes are disposed through the support body and a plurality of lift pins are disposed in the plurality of holes, and the plurality of holes are disposed in the plurality of holes A plurality of lift pins do not pass through the wide RF ground lug. The substrate processing chamber of claim 19, wherein the length of the grounding strip from the first end to the second end is between about 60 cm and about 70 cm. The substrate processing chamber of claim 20, wherein the slit begins between about 10 cm and about 20 cm from the first end and extends through the meander and from about 10 cm to about 20 cm from the second end. The end is over.