Abstract: A substrate processing device is provided in which an interior rotating body for a substrate holder, provided in the interior of a vacuum chamber, and an external rotating body, provided in the exterior of said vacuum chamber, are magnetically coupled, and which includes a can-seal type magnetic coupling-type rotation introduction mechanism which, by the rotational movement of the abovementioned exterior rotating body, controls the rotational movement of the abovementioned interior rotating body. A heat-accumulating member, maintained at a predetermined temperature, and a device for performing heat exchange between the heat-accumulating member and the substrate holder, are provided in said vacuum chamber interior.

Abstract: A susceptor assembly and an insulator strip for a susceptor assembly to reduce or eliminate arcing and temperature spikes between a ground cable and a thermocouple wire in susceptor and C-chuck assemblies. In one embodiment of the invention, an insulator strip is placed between the thermocouple lead and the ground cable in a susceptor assembly support arm channel.

Abstract: A method in which etching or ashing is conducted by providing satisfactory kinetic energy of reaction seeds such as ions or radicals without damaging a substrate, and an apparatus used in this method are provided. A predetermined film of for example polycrystalline silicon on the substrate is etched in vapor phase using reaction seeds or precursors thereof generated by contacting a reaction gas such as CF4 with a heated catalyst of for example tungsten.

Abstract: A wafer support apparatus is provided which comprises a support puck and one or more heaters coupled to the support puck for providing uniform temperature distribution across the surface of the support puck and the wafer surface. The one or more heaters are independently controllable. The wafer support apparatus may further comprise an insulation ring disposed between the support puck and a cooler housing to decouple the support puck from the housing.

Abstract: Apparatus for controlling a thermal conductivity profile of a pedestal in a semiconductor wafer processing system. One embodiment of the apparatus is a thermal shim that is positioned between a wafer retention device (e.g., electrostatic chuck) and a pedestal. The shim controls the thermal conductivity between the wafer retention device and the pedestal. In one embodiment, the thermal shim has a low thermally conductive region and a high thermally conductive region. In a further embodiment, the low thermally conductive region is a hole. By having a hole in the center of the shim, thus forming an annulus, an air gap is formed between the wafer retention device and the pedestal such that less heat will be transferred through the air gap as compared to the high thermally conductive region of the shim.

Abstract: A heating device for controllably heating an article defines a processing chamber to hold the article and includes a housing and an EMF generator. The housing includes a susceptor portion surrounding at least a portion of the processing chamber, and a conductor portion interposed between the susceptor portion and the processing chamber. The EMF generator is operable to induce eddy currents within the susceptor portion such that substantially no eddy currents are induced in the conductor portion. The conductor portion is operative to conduct heat from the susceptor portion to the processing chamber. The heating device may further include a platter and an opening defined in the conductor portion, wherein the opening is interposed between the susceptor portion and the platter.

Abstract: A wafer holder is configured of a pair of ceramic base members and conductive layers each posed between the ceramic base members. The conductive layer has a body facing a wafer and an extension protruding from the body to the outside of a vacuum chamber for external electrical connection, wherein the body and the extension are arranged in a single plane. Thus there can be obtained a wafer holder for use with a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus that can reduce such distortion as caused when it is heated and cooled and that can also be readily manufactured.

Abstract: In a first embodiment, a susceptor is provided having a substrate supporting surface and an internal support frame that provides mechanical strength in a plane orthogonal to the substrate supporting surface, and provides flexibility in a plane parallel to the substrate supporting surface.

Abstract: The present invention is an apparatus for operating heat processing to a substrate, and comprises a heating plate to mount and heat the substrate thereon, a supporting member to support a lower surface of a periphery of the heating plate, and a supporter to support the supporting member. The supporting member has a stepped portion to surround an outer peripheral surface of the heating plate. The supporting member is fixed to the supporter by a fixing member penetrating through the stepped portion in a vertical direction. The fixing member is provided between an inner peripheral surface of the stepped portion and the outer peripheral surface of the heating plate. According to the present invention, since the fixing member is provided between the outer peripheral surface of the heating plate and the inner peripheral surface of the stepped portion, the supporting member does not exist between the fixing member and the outer peripheral surface of the heating plate.

Abstract: A substrate to be processed in a high temperature processing chamber is preheated to avoid the problems associated with thermal shock when the substrate is dropped onto a heated susceptor. Preheating is effected by holding the substrate over a susceptor maintained at or near the processing temperature until the temperature of the substrate approaches the processing temperature. Thus, wafer warping and breakage are greatly reduced, and wafer throughput is improved because of time saved in maintaining the susceptor at constant temperature without cool down and reheat periods.

Abstract: A substrate support assembly for supporting a substrate during processing is provided. In one embodiment, a support assembly includes a support plate supported by a second plate. The support plate has a first side and a second side. The second side of the support has a recess formed therein. The second plate includes a boss extending from the second plate which mates with the recess of the support plate. Other embodiments include a flange that extends from the support plate that supports a shadow ring and a plurality of sleeves extending from the support plate for guiding lift pins.

Abstract: For increasing the rate with which a workpiece is treated in a plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition method and thereby lowering for coating treatment exposure of the coating to ion impact, there is maintained a non-vanishing dust particle density along the surface to be treated with a predetermined density distribution along this surface. The density distribution may be controlled by appropriately applying a field of force substantially in parallelism to the surface to be treated and acting on the dust particles entrapped in the plasma discharge.

Abstract: A platform for supporting a semiconductor substrate during processing in a processing chamber includes a body having a first support surface for supporting the substrate thereon and a second support surface for being supported by a rotatable housing over a heater in the processing chamber. The body comprises a quartz material, with at least a portion of the quartz material being adapted to be opaque to block transmission of photon energy through that portion during heating. For example, the quartz material may include a coating over at least a portion of the quartz material, with the coating adapting the quartz material to be opaque. In preferred form, the coating comprises a composite film of silicon and silicon carbide.

Abstract: A chamber material made of Al alloy excellent in thermal cracking resistance and chemical and/or physical corrosion resistance and capable of reducing contamination excellently and further having excellent and wide applicable brazing property in a high temperature corrosive circumstance, in which the substrate aluminum material for the chamber material made of Al alloy having an anodized film comprises 0.1 to 2.0% Si, 0.1 to 3.5% Mg, 0.02 to 4.0% Cu on the mass% basis and the balance of Al and impurity element with Cr in the impurity elements being less than 0.04%. Preferably, Fe is 0.1% or less and Mn is 0.04% or less in the impurity element and, further, the total sum of impurity elements other than Cr and Mn being restricted to 0.1% or less. This invention can be utilized suitably to various materials used in high temperature corrosive circumstance, particularly, in high temperature corrosive gas or plasma atmosphere.

Abstract: Generally, a substrate support member for supporting a substrate is provided. In one embodiment, a substrate support member for supporting a substrate includes a body coupled to a lower shield. The body has an upper surface adapted to support the substrate and a lower surface. The lower shield has a center portion and a lip. The lip is disposed radially outward of the body and projects towards a plane defined by the first surface. The lip is disposed in a spaced-apart relation from the body. The lower shield is adapted to interface with an upper shield disposed in a processing chamber to define a labyrinth gap that substantially prevents plasma from migrating below the member. The lower shield, in another embodiment, provides the plasma with a short RF ground return path.

Abstract: A workpiece support or chuck that rapidly heats and cools a semiconductor workpiece is disclosed. A heat source and a cooling source, maintained at different temperatures, alternately communicate with the chuck. In one embodiment, the heat source and cooling source alternately provide relatively “hot” and “cold” heat transfer fluids to fluid channels within the workpiece chuck. Accordingly, a semiconductor workpiece in contact with the chuck rapidly heats to the temperature of the hot fluid, or rapidly cools to the temperature of the cold fluid, depending upon which fluid flowing through the chuck. In another embodiment, the heat source comprises a movable resistive heating block at a first temperature that is placed in contact with the chuck during heating, and is removed from the chuck while colder heat transfer fluid circulates within the chuck. Optionally, inert fluid can be provided to purge heat transfer fluid from the chuck channels between heating and cooling steps.

Abstract: A wafer holder for a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus that has a high heat conductivity and includes a conductive layer such as heater circuit pattern which can be formed with a high precision pattern, a method of manufacturing the wafer holder, and a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus having therein the wafer holder are provided. On a surface of a sintered aluminum nitride piece, paste containing metal particles is applied and fired to form a heater circuit pattern as a conductive layer. Between the surface of the sintered aluminum nitride piece having the heater circuit pattern formed thereon and another sintered aluminum nitride piece, a glass layer is provided as a joint layer to be heated for joining the sintered aluminum nitride pieces together.

Abstract: A process chamber used in the manufacture of a semiconductor device for etching a material layer on a semiconductor wafer includes an electrostatic chuck for holding the semiconductor wafer, and an annular edge ring which surrounds the side of the semiconductor wafer on the electrostatic chuck to prevent the semiconductor wafer from departing from its original position. The annular edge ring has a first side which faces the side of the semiconductor wafer and contacts firmly with the side of the semiconductor wafer.

Abstract: A substrate support having heat transfer enhancing topography. Generally, the substrate support includes a first side that supports the substrate and a second side. A ring and a plurality of substrate support pads project from the first side. The ring is disposed proximate the perimeter of the substrate support. A fluid passage is disposed through the substrate support and is coupled to a well disposed in the first side. A plurality of gas flow channels are disposed in the first side and orientated radially outward from the well to a perimeter channel disposed radially inward and adjacent to the ring.

Abstract: A substrate support 55 comprises first, second and third sections 88, 90, 92 connected to one another by first and second bonds 106, 108, one of the sections comprises a surface 75 adapted to receive a substrate 25. The first bond 106 comprises a first bonding material and the second bond 108 comprises a second bonding material. In one version, the first bonding material is capable of bonding surfaces when heated to a first temperature and the second bonding material is capable of bonding surfaces when heated to a second temperature.

Abstract: An integrated deposition system is provided which is capable of vaporizing low vapor pressure liquid precursors and delivering this vapor into a processing region for use in the fabrication of advanced integrated circuits. The integrated deposition system is made up of a heated exhaust system, a remote plasma generator, a processing chamber and a liquid delivery system which together provide a commercially viable and production worthy system for depositing high capacity dielectric materials from low vapor pressure precursors, anneal those films while also providing commercially viable in-situ cleaning capability.

Abstract: A substrate support assembly for supporting a substrate during processing is provided. In one embodiment, a support assembly includes a top ceramic plate having a first side, a bottom ceramic plate having a first side and an embedded electrode, the first side of the bottom plate fused to the first side of the top plate defining a channel therebetween. In another embodiment, a support assembly includes a first plate having a first side and second side. A ring is disposed on the first side. A stepped surface is formed on the first side radially inward of the ring. A second plate is connected to the second side of the first plate.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for depositing a boron insitu doped amorphous or polycrystalline silicon film on a substrate. According to the present invention, a substrate is placed into deposition chamber. A reactant gas mix comprising a silicon source gas, boron source gas, and a carrier gas is fed into the deposition chamber. The carrier gas is fed into the deposition chamber at a rate so that the residence of the carrier gas in the deposition chamber is less then or equal to 3 seconds or alternatively has a velocity of at least 4 inches/sec. In another embodiment of forming a boron doped amorphous for polycrystalline silicon film a substrate is placed into a deposition chamber. The substrate is heated to a deposition temperature between 580-750° C. and the chamber pressure reduced to a deposition pressure of less than or equal to 50 torr. A silicon source gas is fed into the deposition at a rate to provide a silicon source gas partial pressure of between 1-5 torr.

Abstract: A substrate support and method for reducing the migration of a conductive material is provided. In one embodiment, a support includes a chuck body having a support side and a backside. A guard electrode is disposed within the chuck body proximate the backside of the chuck body. In another aspect, a method for reducing the migration of a conductive material is provided. In one embodiment, the method includes the steps of disposing a guard electrode proximate a backside of the substrate support and applying a voltage to the guard electrode.

Abstract: In a wafer chuck, a vacuum chucking plate is used as an upper heat conductive plate of a refrigerating plate. A base supports the refrigerating plate with protruding portions which are formed on an upper surface thereof and fixed to a lower surface of the refrigerating plate. The protruding portions form a space between said lower surface of the refrigerating plate and the upper surface of the base. A rubber heater is attached to the lower surface of the refrigerating plate in the space. With this structure, the number of parts is reduced and it becomes easy to manufacture.

Abstract: The present invention is a substrate support method wherein a voltage is applied to the electrostatic chuck of a substrate support apparatus equipped in a chamber, thereby using a coulomb force to adsorb and support a substrate mounted on the semiconductor chuck. This substrate support method includes (1) a voltage increasing step that increases the voltage applied to the electrostatic chuck from a base value to a first value that is required for adsorbing the substrate, and (2) a first voltage maintenance step that maintains at the first value the voltage that was increased in the voltage increasing step, and (3) the voltage is increased in steps in the voltage increasing step from the base value to the first value.

Abstract: A device for heat treatment of an object comprises a susceptor (9) having walls (10) surrounding an inner room (11) adapted to receive the object and Rf-field radiating means (12, 15) arranged outside the walls and adapted to heat the walls and by that said object. Said means comprises at least two coils (12, 15) with at least one turn each following upon each other in a longitudinal direction of the susceptor and a current source (17) arranged to cause a current to flow in each coil in a direction of rotation around the susceptor walls opposite to that of the other coil for heating said walls.

Abstract: A plasma etching chamber of a plasma etching apparatus used in an etching process for manufacturing a photomask and a method for manufacturing a photomask using the same. The plasma etching chamber includes an electrode having a supporting surface for supporting a photomask substrate and a top surface surrounding the supporting surface, a heat transfer element installed along a peripheral edge of the supporting surface, and a heater for supplying heat to the heat transfer element. In the method for manufacturing a photomask, a shading layer is formed on a transparent substrate. A photoresist layer pattern is formed on the shading layer to partially expose the shading layer. The shading layer is etched to form a shading layer pattern, using plasma with the photoresist layer pattern as an etching mask, under a state in which the temperature of at least one portion of the peripheral edge of the transparent substrate is maintained higher than a temperature at a center of the transparent substrate.

Abstract: A process chamber used in the manufacture of a semiconductor device for etching a material layer on a semiconductor wafer includes an electrostatic chuck for holding the semiconductor wafer, and an annular edge ring which surrounds the side of the semiconductor wafer on the electrostatic chuck to prevent the semiconductor wafer from departing from its original position. The annular edge ring has a first side which faces the side of the semiconductor wafer and contacts firmly with the side of the semiconductor wafer.

Abstract: A deposition system includes a process chamber for conducting an ALD process to deposit layers on a substrate. An electrostatic chuck (ESC) retains the substrate. A backside gas increases thermal coupling between the substrate and the ESC. The ESC is cooled via a coolant flowing through a coolant plate and heated via a resistive heater. Various arrangements are disclosed.

Abstract: A method for in-situ descum/hot bake/dry etch a polyimide photoresist layer and a passivation layer in a singe process chamber is disclosed. A process chamber that can be used for conducting in-situ a descum, a hot bake and a dry etch process sequentially in the same chamber is also disclosed. In the method, a process chamber equipped with a wafer platform and a wafer backside heating and cooling device is first provided, followed by the step of positioning a wafer that has a passivation layer and a patterned polyimide photoresist layer on top of the platform. An oxygen plasma is then generated in the chamber cavity to conduct a descum process, followed by flowing a heated inert gas onto a backside of the wafer to conduct a hot bake process. A cooling inert gas is then flown onto the wafer backside and an etchant gas is flown into the chamber to conduct a dry etch process for forming a via opening in the wafer.

Abstract: An apparatus to rapidly transfer thermal energy from a thermal source to a thermal sink, said source and sink being in the form of concentric tubes, and a compressible, multiple turn conductive coil between them.

Abstract: A plasma processing system has a susceptor, provided in a processing vessel, for supporting thereon a substrate. A process gas is supplied into the processing vessel to produce the plasma of the process gas. The susceptor has a dielectric film formed on a base, and a plurality of protrusions formed on the film. The protrusions of the susceptor are formed by thermal-spraying a ceramic onto the dielectric film via an aperture plate having a plurality of circular apertures.

Abstract: The present invention has an object to obtain a small-size, high-temperature and high-pressure treatment device adapted to treat semiconductor wafers. The high-temperature and high-pressure device of the invention is intended to treat semiconductor wafers in an atmosphere of high-temperature and high-pressure gas, and comprises a pressure vessel having at a lower portion thereof an opening for putting the semiconductor wafers in and out, a lower lid disposed so as to be vertically movable for opening and closing the lower opening, wafer transfer means for stacking and unstacking the semiconductor wafers onto and from the lower lid, and a heater attached to the lower lid for heating the semiconductor wafers.

Abstract: A substrate is set on a susceptor installed in a reactor arranged horizontally. Then, a cooling jacket is provided at the opposite portion of the inner wall of the reactor to the susbtrate. By flowing a given cooling medium through the cooling jacket with a pump connected to the jacket, at least the opposite portion of the inner wall is cooled down, to inhibit the reaction between raw material gases introduced into the reactor. As a result, in fabricating a III-V nitride film, the film growth rate is developed and the crystal quality is developed.

Abstract: Existing devices for vacuum coating substrates having different shapes, either in continuous or hatch facilities, are equipped in such a way that several coatings are applied after a coating process. The slide bearings are to be coated with several coats and the coating materials used and the conditions related thereto require the use of several coating techniques. This relates inter alia to conveyance parameters. Existing facilities fail to meet these requirements. According to the invention, such a device comprises several aligned processing chambers. Slide bearings which are held together by positive and non-positive fit in tempered carrier bodies are displaced through said chambers comprising pretreatment, atomization and evaporation chambers using a conveyance system adapted to this process. A tempering device for the carrier bodies is connected upstream from the coating track. Corresponding inlet and outlet channels enable air-to-air conveyance.

Abstract: In a plasma processing apparatus, a temperature control of a substrate to be processed is improved. A ceramic made support member having a substantially cylindrical shape is provided in a process chamber. An upper end of the support member is airtightly connected to a back surface of a placement table by solid state bonding. A lower end of the support member is airtightly connected to a bottom of the process chamber via a lower cooling jacket and O-rings. A cooling jacket made of a disc-like aluminum block is provided in an atmosphere chamber formed inside the support member. The cooling jacket is mounted to the back surface of the placement table via a heat conductive sheet member.

Abstract: A plasma processing apparatus that excites plasma in a container and processes an object in the plasma. This plasma processing apparatus includes: a gas supply system that supplies a process gas required for exciting the plasma; an exhaustion system that exhausts the process gas and evacuates the container; and a conductive stage on which the object to be processed is placed, the conductive stage being placed in the container. In this plasma processing apparatus, a DC voltage or high-frequency power is applied to the conductive stage; and a cooling passage for cooling the object to be processed is disposed in the stage, the cooling passage being made of a material having a high heat conductivity so as to transmit heat of the stage to the refrigerant, and a high electrical insulating strength so as not to transmit the DC voltage or high-frequency power applied to the stage to the refrigerant.

Abstract: There is described a wafer processing apparatus intended to efficiently secure a wafer on an electrostatic chuck. A heater is disposed in a processing chamber for heating a wafer, and a dielectric plate for supporting the wafer is also disposed in the processing chamber. First and second electrodes are embedded in the dielectric plate, and first and second variable D.C. power supplies are disposed so as to supply voltages to the first and second electrodes, respectively. After the wafer has been placed on an electrostatic chuck, the wafer is pre-heated before being subjected to attraction force. After completion of the pre-heating phase, the first and second D.C. power supplies supply voltages to the first and second electrodes, thus securing the wafer on the dielectric plate.

Abstract: A wafer processing apparatus includes a processing chamber, a chuck arranged in the processing chamber for supporting a wafer, and a pedestal which is spaced apart from the chuck. A first gas layer is provided between the chuck and the wafer and a second gas layer is provided in the space between the pedestal and the chuck. The pressure of the first gas layer is controlled to be in a pressure range in which a thermal conductivity of the first gas layer is substantially constant with respect to changes in pressure of the first gas layer and the pressure of the second gas layer is controlled so as to control an amount of heat transferred to/from the pedestal.