Abstract: Disclosed herein are a pedestal heater and processing chamber containing the same. In one example, a pedestal heater for semiconductor substrate processing includes a heater body, a top cover and a bottom cover. The heater body includes at least one heating element. The top cover is disposed on a top surface of the heater body and has a higher thermal conductivity than the heater body. The bottom cover is disposed at a bottom surface of the heater body. In some examples, lift pin holes disposed through the top cover, the heater body and the bottom cover are aligned to accommodate lift pins.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are a showerhead and a deposition chamber containing the showerhead. The showerhead includes a first delivery network for a first precursor that comprises a first manifold connected with a first distribution system comprising a plurality of first distribution channels concentrically disposed around an axis, and a second delivery network for a second precursor that comprises a second manifold connected with a second distributions system comprising a plurality of second distribution channels concentrically disposed around the axis. The first delivery network and the second delivery network are isolated from each other within the showerhead.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a processing system. The processing system has an upper chamber body and a lower chamber body defining a processing environment. An upper heater is moveably disposed in the upper chamber body. The upper heater has a moveable support and an upper step formed along an outer perimeter. A lower showerhead is fixedly disposed in the lower chamber body. The lower showerhead includes a top surface configured to support a substrate, a lower step disposed along an outer perimeter wherein the substrate is configured to extend from the top surface partially over the lower step. Lift pins are disposed in the lower showerhead and configured to extend through the top surface and support the substrate thereon. Gas holes are disposed in a first zone along the top surface and a second zone on the step and configured to independently flow both a process and non-process gas.

Abstract: A method for processing a substrate is described. The method includes forming a metal containing resist layer onto a substrate, patterning the metal containing resist layer, and performing a post exposure bake on the metal containing resist layer. The post exposure bake on the metal containing resist layer is a field guided post exposure bake operation and includes the use of an electric field to guide the ions or charged species within the metal containing resist layer. The field guided post exposure bake operation may be paired with a post development field guided bake operation.

Abstract: Embodiments of substrate supports are provided herein. In some embodiments, a substrate support for use in a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) chamber includes: a pedestal to support a substrate, wherein the pedestal includes a dielectric plate coupled to a pedestal body; an RF rotary joint coupled to the pedestal and having a RF connector; and an RF conduit that extends from the RF connector to the pedestal through a central opening of the pedestal body to provide RF bias to the pedestal; an insulator tube disposed about the RF conduit; and a ground tube disposed about the insulator tube and extending from the RF rotary joint to the pedestal, wherein the insulator tube extends vertically above an upper surface of the ground tube.

Abstract: A substrate support assembly includes a heater plate including a dielectric material, a heater electrode embedded within the heater plate, a set of distributed purge channels formed within the heater plate, wherein the set of distributed purge channels provides a set of gas flow paths to equalize a gas flow from within the heater plate and direct the gas flow in a direction below the heater plate, a ground electrode embedded within the heater plate, and a radio frequency (RF) mesh embedded within the plate.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for performing post-exposure bake operations is described herein. The apparatus includes a plate stack and enables formation of a first high ion density plasma before the ion concentration within the first high ion density plasma is reduced using a diffuser to form a second low ion density plasma. The second low ion density plasma is an electron cloud or a dark plasma. An electric field is formed between a substrate support and the diffuser and through the second low ion density plasma during post-exposure bake of a substrate disposed on the substrate support. The second low ion density plasma electrically couples the substrate support and the diffuser during application of the electric field. The plate stack is equipped with power supplies and insulators to enable the formation or modification of a plasma within three regions of a process chamber.

Abstract: A method may include receiving a beam profile function, derived from a beam density of an ion beam along a substrate plane, and generating a mirror function, based upon the beam profile function, wherein a sum of the mirror function and beam profile function generates a flat beam distribution. The method may include receiving a grid pattern for an electrode of an electrode assembly, the grid pattern comprising an array of hole locations, and calculating a normalized beam current as a function hole location for the array of hole locations. The method may further include generating an adjusted set of radii as a function of hole location for the array of hole locations based upon the mirror function and the normalized beam current, and generating an electrode assembly having an array of holes, based upon the grid pattern and the adjusted set of radii.

Abstract: Examples of a substrate support are provided herein. In some examples, the substrate support has a ceramic electrostatic chuck having a body. The body has a first side configured to support a substrate and a second side opposite the first side. The body has a chucking electrode, an active edge electrode disposed adjacent the chucking electrode, a floating mesh disposed below the chucking electrode, a heater disposed below the floating mesh, and a ground mesh disposed below the heater, wherein the ground mesh is adjacent the second side.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods for gas distribution assemblies are provided. In one aspect, a gas distribution assembly is provided comprising an annular body comprising an annular ring having an inner annular wall, an outer wall, an upper surface, and a bottom surface, an upper recess formed into the upper surface, and a seat formed into the inner annular wall, an upper plate positioned in the upper recess, comprising a disk-shaped body having a plurality of first apertures formed therethrough, and a bottom plate positioned on the seat, comprising a disk-shaped body having a plurality of second apertures formed therethrough which align with the first apertures, and a plurality of third apertures formed between the second apertures and through the bottom plate, the bottom plate sealingly coupled to the upper plate to fluidly isolate the plurality of first and second apertures from the plurality of third apertures.

Abstract: An ion extraction assembly for an ion source is provided. The ion extraction assembly may include a plurality of electrodes, wherein the plurality of electrodes comprises: a plasma-facing electrode, arranged for coupling to a plasma chamber; and a substrate-facing electrode, disposed outside of the plasma-facing electrode. The at least one electrode of the plurality of electrodes may include a grid structure, defining a plurality of holes, wherein the at least one electrode has a non-uniform thickness, wherein a first grid thickness in a middle region of the at least one electrode is different than a second grid thickness, in an outer region of the at least one electrode.

Abstract: Embodiments of substrate supports are provided herein. In some embodiments, a substrate support for use in a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) chamber includes: a pedestal to support a substrate, wherein the pedestal includes a dielectric plate coupled to a pedestal body; a rotary union coupled to the pedestal, wherein the rotary union includes a stationary housing disposed about a rotor; a drive assembly coupled to the rotary union; a coolant union coupled to the rotary union and having a coolant inlet fluidly coupled to coolant channels disposed in the pedestal via a coolant line; an RF rotary joint coupled to the coolant union and having an RF connector configured to couple the pedestal to an RF bias power source; and an RF conduit that extends from the RF connector to the pedestal through a central opening of the pedestal body to provide RF bias to the pedestal.

Abstract: Exemplary semiconductor processing systems may include a chamber having a body having a sidewall and a base. The chamber may include a pumping liner atop the body and a faceplate atop the pumping liner. The chamber may include a substrate support. The substrate support may include a plate and a shaft. The chamber may include a seal plate coupled with the shaft below the plate. The seal plate may have a greater diameter than the plate. The seal plate may include an RF gasket outward of the plate. The substrate support and the seal plate may be translatable between a transfer position in which the RF gasket is vertically spaced apart from the pumping liner and a process position in which the RF gasket is in contact with the pumping liner. A processing region may be isolated from an environment below the sealing plate when in the process position.

Abstract: Exemplary semiconductor processing systems may include a first processing chamber and a second processing chamber. Each processing chamber may define a processing region and a transfer region having a slit valve. Each processing chamber may include a substrate support that is vertically translatable between the processing region and the transfer region. Each processing chamber may include a gas delivery assembly disposed above and in alignment with the substrate support. The first processing chamber and the second processing chamber may be at least substantially aligned along a first vertical axis. The systems may include a first transfer chamber coupled with the first processing chamber via the slit valve. The systems may include a second transfer chamber coupled with the second processing chamber via the slit valve. A transfer robot may be disposed within each transfer chamber. The transfer chambers may be at least substantially aligned along a second vertical axis.

Abstract: Exemplary substrate support assemblies may include an electrostatic chuck body defining a substrate support surface that defines a substrate seat. The electrostatic chuck body may define a backside gas lumen that extends through a surface of the substrate seat. The assemblies may include a bias electrode coupled with the electrostatic chuck body. The bias electrode may include a plurality of conductive mesas that protrude upward across the substrate seat. The assemblies may include a support stem coupled with the electrostatic chuck body. The assemblies may include at least one chucking electrode embedded within the electrostatic chuck body. The assemblies may include at least one heater embedded within the electrostatic chuck body.

Abstract: A plasma reactor has a cylindrical microwave cavity overlying a workpiece processing chamber, a microwave source having a pair of microwave source outputs, and a pair of respective waveguides. The cavity has first and second input ports in a sidewall and space apart by an azimuthal angle. Each of the waveguides has a microwave input end coupled to a microwave source output and a microwave output end coupled to a respective one of the first and second input ports, a coupling aperture plate at the output end with a rectangular coupling aperture in the coupling aperture plate, and an iris plate between the coupling aperture plate and the microwave input end with a rectangular iris opening in the iris plate.

Abstract: A wafer chuck assembly includes a puck, a shaft and a base. The puck includes an electrically insulating material that defines a top surface of the puck; a plurality of electrodes are embedded within the electrically insulating material. The puck also includes an inner puck element that forms one or more channels for a heat exchange fluid, the inner puck element being in thermal communication with the electrically insulating material, and an electrically conductive plate disposed proximate to the inner puck element. The shaft includes an electrically conductive shaft housing that is electrically coupled with the plate, and a plurality of connectors, including electrical connectors for the electrodes. The base includes an electrically conductive base housing that is electrically coupled with the shaft housing, and an electrically insulating terminal block disposed within the base housing, the plurality of connectors passing through the terminal block.

Abstract: Apparatus and method for substrate processing are described herein. More specifically, the apparatus and method are directed towards apparatus and method for performing a field guided post exposure bake operation on a semiconductor substrate. The apparatus is a processing module (100) and includes an upper portion (102) with an electrode (400) and a base portion (104) which is configured to support a substrate (500) on a substrate support surface (159). The upper portion (102) and the base portion (104) are actuated toward and away from one another using one or more arms (112) and form a process volume (404). The process volume (404) is filled with a process fluid and the processing module (100) is rotated about an axis (A). An electric field is applied to the substrate (500) by the electrode (400) before the process fluid is drained from the process volume (404).

Abstract: A plasma reactor has a cylindrical microwave cavity overlying a workpiece processing chamber, a microwave source having a pair of microwave source outputs, and a pair of respective waveguides. The cavity has first and second input ports in a sidewall and space apart by an azimuthal angle. Each of the waveguides has a microwave input end coupled to a microwave source output and a microwave output end coupled to a respective one of the first and second input ports, a coupling aperture plate at the output end with a rectangular coupling aperture in the coupling aperture plate, and an iris plate between the coupling aperture plate and the microwave input end with a rectangular iris opening in the iris plate.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for applying an electric field and/or a magnetic field to a photoresist layer without air gap intervention during photolithography processes is provided herein. The method and apparatus include a transfer device and a plurality of modules. The transfer device is configured to rotate a plurality of substrates between each of the modules, wherein one module includes a heating pedestal and another module includes a cooling pedestal. One module is utilized for inserting and removing the substrates from the system. At least the heating module is able to be sealed and filled with a process volume before applying the electric field.