1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the field of semiconductor fabrication, and more particularly to a chamber mount for supporting a susceptor in a processing chamber.
2. Description of Related Art
Semiconductor processing and similar manufacturing processes typically employ thin film deposition techniques such as Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD). In CVD processing, as well as in similar manufacturing techniques, a substrate such as a silicon wafer is secured within a processing chamber by a susceptor and exposed to the particular processing conditions of the process. The susceptor is essentially a pedestal that, in addition to securing the substrate, can in some instances also be used to heat the substrate.
The substrate support 120 comprises an insulating body 150, a conductive element 160 disposed within the insulating body 150, and related components such as bushings. The insulating body 150 can be formed, for example, of a ceramic such as AlN. The conductive element 160 can comprise, for instance, a heating element, an RF grid, or an electrostatic electrode. Other components can be formed, for example, of materials such as molybdenum, tungsten, or other conductive materials of similar coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) as the insulating body 150.
In a typical semiconductor fabrication apparatus, the conductive element 160 comprises a heater to accelerate chemical reactions during semiconductor fabrication. In some apparatus, the inside of the support shaft 130 is open to the atmosphere outside of the chamber 110 and accordingly, at high processing temperatures, for example, above 650° C., oxidation of metal susceptor components and brazed connections can occur, causing poor quality in the produced semiconductors, and premature failure of the susceptor.
One solution has been to pull a vacuum within the support shaft 130. However, this solution is not ideal. Maintaining the support shaft 130 under vacuum has been found to slow the rate of oxidation but does not stop the oxidation of metal components exposed to the atmosphere within the support shaft 130. This approach also adds complexity and cost, and has been found to reduce thermocouple reading accuracy.
Therefore, what is needed is a susceptor that better resists oxidation of metal components during high-temperature operation of the heater portion of the susceptor.
An exemplary embodiment of the present invention comprises a susceptor including a substrate support configured to support a substrate and a support shaft, including an internal volume, joined to the substrate support. The susceptor also includes a chamber mount, optionally water cooled, for mounting the support shaft within a chamber, and a chamber mount insert disposed within the chamber mount. The chamber mount insert includes a gas inlet port and a gas outlet port both in fluid communication with the internal volume of the support shaft. Some embodiments of the susceptor include a flow restrictor, such as a sintered metal flow restrictor, disposed on the gas outlet port. The flow restrictor is configured, in some embodiments, to limit a gas flow rate through the support shaft to about 150 sccm at about 1.5 psig supply pressure.
The chamber mount insert, in some embodiments, includes electrical connectors for connecting electrical conductors within the support shaft with external power supplies. A glass seal-electrically insulates the electrical connectors from the chamber mount insert. Additionally, the chamber mount insert can include a thermocouple tube with a fitting. A thermocouple fitted into the substrate support is disposed through the chamber mount and through the thermocouple tube of the chamber mount insert. The fitting is configured to seal around the thermocouple. In some embodiments, the fitting is further configured to impart an upward pressure against the thermocouple to keep the thermocouple properly seated within the substrate support.
Another exemplary embodiment of the present invention comprises a semiconductor processing system including a processing chamber and a susceptor of the invention. The system also can include an inert gas source coupled to the gas inlet port of the susceptor. In some embodiments, the inert gas source comprises nitrogen.
The present invention provides a simple means for purging an internal volume of the support shaft 130 (
In an exemplary embodiment, the flow restrictor 250 comprises a sintered-metal flow restrictor. In some embodiments, the flow restrictor 250 is configured to control inert gas flow to about 150 standard cubic centimeters per minute (sccm) at about 1.5 pounds per square inch gauge (psig) supply pressure. In further embodiments, the flow from the outlet port 220 is restricted to at least 100 sccm. In some embodiments, the inert gas input is at a pressure of about 1 psig. It will be appreciated that the flow restrictor 250 can alternately be located on the input port 210. Other means for regulating the inert gas flow can also be implemented.
Chamber mount 310 is configured to mount to the inside of the chamber 110 and to support the susceptor 300. The chamber mount insert 320 is disposed within, and sealed against, the chamber mount 310, as can be seen in
The chamber mount insert 320 also comprises a thermocouple tube 540 (not shown in
As the thermocouple 550 heats and cools it is subject to considerable expansion and contraction that should be accommodated by the chamber mount insert 320. Accordingly, the thermocouple tube 540 includes a fitting 560 that both seals the end of the thermocouple tube 540 around the thermocouple 550 and maintains an upward pressure on the thermocouple 550. The upward pressure can be provided by a spring mechanism, for example, within the fitting 560. The upward pressure serves to keep the thermocouple 550 snugly fit into the substrate support 120. It has been found that the thermocouple 550 has a tendency to pull away from the substrate support 120 with repeated thermal cycles without the upward pressure.
In the foregoing specification, the invention is described with reference to specific embodiments thereof, but those skilled in the art will recognized that the invention is not limited thereto. Various features and aspects of the above-described invention may be used individually or jointly. Further, the invention can be utilized in any number of environments and applications beyond those described herein without departing from the broader spirit and scope of the specification. The specification and drawings are accordingly, to be regarded as illustrative rather than restrictive. It will be recognized that the terms “comprising,” “including,” and “having,” as used herein, are specifically intended to be read as open-ended terms of art.
This application is a divisional and claims the priority benefit of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/346,660, filed Feb. 3, 2006 and entitled “Chamber Mount for High Temperature Application of AlN Heaters,” which claims the priority benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/650,067, filed Feb. 4, 2005 and entitled “Chamber Mount for High Temperature Application of AlN Heaters;” the disclosures of the aforementioned applications are incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
Number | Date | Country | |
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60650067 | Feb 2005 | US |
Number | Date | Country | |
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Parent | 11346660 | Feb 2006 | US |
Child | 12151427 | US |