초록 ▼

A processing station adaptable to standard cluster tools has a vertically-translatable pedestal having an upper wafer-support surface including a heater plate adapted to be plugged into a unique feedthrough in the pedestal. At a lower position for the pedestal wafers may be transferred to and from t

A processing station adaptable to standard cluster tools has a vertically-translatable pedestal having an upper wafer-support surface including a heater plate adapted to be plugged into a unique feedthrough in the pedestal. At a lower position for the pedestal wafers may be transferred to and from the processing station, and at an upper position for the pedestal the pedestal forms an annular pumping passage with a lower circular opening in a processing chamber. A removable, replaceable ring at the lower opening of the processing chamber allows process pumping speed to be tailored for different processes by replacing the ring. In some embodiments the pedestal also has a surrounding shroud defining an annular pumping passage around the pedestal. A unique two-zone heater plate is adapted to the top of the pedestal, and connects to a unique feedthrough allowing heater plates to be quickly and simply replaced. In some embodiments the top of the processing chamber is removable allowing users to remove either pedestals or heater assemblies. Or both, through the open top of a processing station. In preferred embodiments the system is adapted to atomic layer deposition processing.

대표청구항 ▼

1. An ALD processing station for a cluster tool system, comprising:a processing chamber portion having a lower extremity with a first cross-sectional area; a base chamber portion below the processing chamber portion, the base chamber portion having a vacuum pumping port and a substrate transfer port

1. An ALD processing station for a cluster tool system, comprising:a processing chamber portion having a lower extremity with a first cross-sectional area; a base chamber portion below the processing chamber portion, the base chamber portion having a vacuum pumping port and a substrate transfer port, and a second cross-sectional area below the lower extremity of the processing chamber greater than the first cross-sectional area; a substrate support pedestal having an upper substrate support surface with a third cross-sectional area less than the first cross-sectional area and adapted to the base chamber portion below the transfer port by a dynamic vacuum seal allowing vertical translation; a vertical-translation drive system adapted to translate the substrate support pedestal to place the upper support surface at a processing position substantially even with the lower extremity of the processing chamber, or at a lower transfer position in the base chamber portion above the pumping port and below the transfer port; and a demountable gas supply lid mounted to the processing chamber, the lid for providing gases according to an atomic layer deposition (ALD) protocol; wherein, with the substrate support pedestal at the processing position and the base chamber portion form a first pumping passage having a first total effective area determining a first limited pumping speed from the processing chamber portion through the vacuum pumping port, and with the substrate support pedestal at the lower transfer position and the base chamber portion form a second annular pumping passage having a second effective area greater than the first effective area, allowing a second pumping speed from the processing chamber greater than the first limited pumping speed.