US 8,410,393 B2Granted

Apparatus and method for temperature control of a semiconductor substrate support

AssigneeLam Research Corporation

InventorsAnthony Ricci, Saurabh Ullal, Michael Kang, Matthew Busche

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Abstract

A recirculation system of a substrate support on which a semiconductor substrate is subjected to a multistep process in a vacuum chamber, the system comprising a substrate support having at least one liquid flow passage in a base plate thereof, an inlet and an outlet in fluid communication with the flow passage, a supply line in fluid communication with the inlet, and a return line in fluid communication with the outlet; a first recirculator providing liquid at temperature T1 in fluid communication with the supply line and the return line; a second recirculator providing liquid at temperature T2 in fluid communication with the supply line and the return line, temperature T2 being at least 10° C. above temperature T1; a pre-cooling unit providing liquid at temperature Tpc connected to the inlet and the outlet, temperature Tpc being at least 10° C. below T1; a pre-heating unit providing liquid at temperature Tph connected to the inlet and the outlet, temperature Tph being at least 10° C. above T2; a controller operable to selectively operate valves of the recirculation system to recirculate liquid between the flow passage and the first recirculator, the second recirculator, the pre-cooling unit or the pre-heating unit.

Claims24

Dependent claims

A plasma processing system including a recirculation system useful for supplying temperature controlled liquid to a substrate support on which a semiconductor substrate subject to a multistep process is supported during processing in a semiconductor processing chamber, the system comprising:

a supply line adapted to deliver liquid to an inlet of the substrate support, the substrate support including a flow passage through which the liquid is circulated for purposes of maintaining a thermal zone on a surface of the substrate support at a desired temperature;
a return line adapted to return liquid from an outlet of the substrate support after the liquid is circulated through the flow passage;
a first recirculator operable to supply liquid at temperature T1 to the supply line and receive liquid from the return line, the first recirculator being in fluid communication with the supply line and the return line;
a second recirculator operable to supply liquid at temperature T2 to the supply line and receive liquid from the return line, the second recirculator in fluid communication with the supply line and the return line, wherein temperature T2 is at least 10° C. above temperature T1;
a pre-cooling unit operable to supply liquid at temperature Tpc to the supply line, wherein temperature Tpc is at least 10° C. below T1;
a pre-heating unit operable to supply liquid at temperature Tph to the supply line, wherein temperature Tph is at least 10° C. above T2;
electronically actuated valves operable to supply liquid at T1, T2, Tpc or Tph to the supply line by connecting the first recirculator or the second recirculator to the supply and return lines or circulating liquid in or through the pre-cooling unit and the pre-heating unit.

4 more elements

A method of operating a recirculation system to control temperature of a substrate support on which a semiconductor substrate is subjected to a multistep process in a semiconductor processing chamber, the method comprising;

supporting a semiconductor substrate on the substrate support wherein temperature of a thermal zone on the substrate support is controlled by circulating liquid in a flow passage in the substrate support, the substrate support including an inlet and an outlet in fluid communication with the flow passage, a supply line in fluid communication with the inlet, and a return line in fluid communication with the outlet;
supplying liquid at temperature T1 to the flow passage, the liquid at temperature T1 being supplied by a first recirculator in fluid communication with the supply line and the return line;
supplying liquid at temperature T2 to the flow passage, the liquid at temperature T2 being supplied by a second recirculator in fluid communication with the supply line and the return line, temperature T2 being at least 10° C. above temperature T1;
supplying liquid at temperature Tpc to the flow passage, temperature Tpc being at least 10° C. below T1;
supplying liquid at temperature Tph to the flow passage, temperature Tph being at least 10° C. above T2;
the liquid at temperature Tpc being supplied immediately prior to supplying the liquid at temperature T1;
the liquid at temperature Tph being supplied immediately prior to supplying the liquid at temperature T2.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.