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US 9,960,035 B2Granted
Variable frequency microwave (VFM) processes and applications in semiconductor thin film fabrications
AssigneeApplied Materials, Inc.
InventorsLoke Yuen Wong, Ke Chang, Yueh Sheng Ow, Ananthkrishna Jupudi, Glen T. Mori, Aksel Kitowski, Arkajit Roy Barman
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Abstract
Methods and apparatus for processing a substrate are described herein. A vacuum multi-chamber deposition tool can include a degas chamber with both a heating mechanism and a variable frequency microwave source. The methods described herein use variable frequency microwave radiation to increased quality and speed of the degas process without damaging the various components.
Claims20
A method for processing a substrate, comprising:
- depositing an uncured layer comprising a polymer over a surface of a substrate;
- and
- performing a hard-cure of the uncured layer in a processing chamber, the hard-cure comprising:
- heating at least the uncured layer to a degas temperature ranging from about 85 degrees Celsius to about 95 degrees Celsius, the degas temperature being less than a hard-cure temperature for the uncured layer;
- and
- delivering microwave radiation at a variable frequency from a source of microwave radiation to the uncured layer to heat the uncured layer to the hard-cure temperature.
3 more elements
A method for processing a substrate, comprising:
- depositing an uncured layer comprising a polymer over a surface of a substrate;
- and
- performing a hard-cure of the uncured layer in a processing chamber, the hard-cure comprising:
- heating at least the uncured layer to a degas temperature ranging from about 85 degrees Celsius to about 95 degrees Celsius, the degas temperature being less than a hard-cure temperature for the uncured layer;
- and
- delivering microwave radiation at a variable frequency from a source of microwave radiation to the uncured layer to heat the uncured layer to the hard-cure temperature, wherein the variable frequency ranges from about 5.85 GHz to about 7.0 GHz.
3 more elements
A method for processing a substrate, comprising:
- depositing an uncured layer comprising a polymer, an epoxy or combinations thereof over a surface of a substrate;
- and
- performing a hard-cure of the uncured layer in a processing chamber, the hard-cure comprising:
- heating at least the uncured layer to a degas temperature ranging from about 85 degrees Celsius to about 95 degrees Celsius, the degas temperature being less than a hard-cure temperature for the uncured layer;
- setting the processing chamber to a hard-cure pressure, the hard-cure pressure being under 100 mTorr;
- and
- delivering microwave radiation at a variable frequency from a source of microwave radiation to the uncured layer to heat the uncured layer to the hard-cure temperature, and wherein the degas temperature, the hard-cure pressure and the microwave radiation act in conjunction to produce a cured and degassed layer.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.