IP Library Granted Patent US 9,818,624
Granted Patent B2
US 9,818,624 · App. 15/142,220 · Granted Nov 14, 2017

Methods and apparatus for correcting substrate deformity

Inventors: Jen Sern Lew (Singapore, SG); Tuck Foong Koh (Singapore, SG); Sriskantharajah Thirunavukarasu (Singapore, SG); Karthik Elumalai (Bangalore, IN); Eng Sheng Peh (Singapore, SG); Jun-Liang Su (Singapore, SG)
Assignee: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.
H01L21/3247F27B9/02F27B9/10H01L21/67109H01L21/67248H01L21/67288
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,818,624
App. No.
15/142,220
Granted
Nov 14, 2017
Kind
B2
Abstract

Embodiments of methods and apparatus for correcting substrate deformity are provided herein. In some embodiments, a substrate flattening system includes: a first process chamber having a first substrate support and a first showerhead, wherein the first substrate support does not include a chucking mechanism; a first heater disposed in the first substrate support to heat a substrate placed on a first support surface of the first substrate support; a second heater configured to heat a process gas flowing through the first showerhead into a first processing volume of the first process chamber; and a second process chamber having a second substrate support, wherein the second substrate support is not heated, and wherein the first process chamber and the cooling chamber are both non-vacuum chambers.

Claims (53)

1. A substrate flattening system, comprising:

a first process chamber having a first substrate support and a first showerhead, wherein the first substrate support does not include a chucking mechanism;

a first heater disposed in the first substrate support to heat a substrate placed on a first support surface of the first substrate support;

a second heater configured to heat a process gas flowing through the first showerhead into a first processing volume of the first process chamber; and

a second process chamber having a second substrate support, wherein the second substrate support is not heated, and wherein the first process chamber and the second process chamber are both non-vacuum chambers.

2. The substrate flattening system of claim 1 , wherein the first process chamber further comprises:

a first power supply electrically coupled to the first heater;

a first temperature controller coupled to the first power supply to control the first power supply;

a second power supply electrically coupled to the second heater; and

a second temperature controller coupled to the second power supply to control the second power supply.

3. The substrate flattening system of claim 2 , wherein the first process chamber further comprises:

a thermocouple disposed through a first shaft of the first substrate support and proximate a first support surface of the first substrate support to measure a temperature of the first support surface, wherein the thermocouple is operatively coupled to the first and second temperature controllers.

4. The substrate flattening system of claim 1 , wherein the first process chamber further comprises:

a first gas panel fluidly coupled to the first showerhead to supply the first showerhead with the process gas.

5. The substrate flattening system of claim 1 , wherein the second heater is disposed in the first showerhead.

6. The substrate flattening system of claim 1 , wherein the second substrate support includes a first plurality of coolant channels configured to flow a coolant.

7. The substrate flattening system of claim 6 , wherein the second process chamber further comprises:

a second showerhead, wherein the second showerhead includes a second plurality of coolant channels configured to flow a coolant.

8. A method for correcting substrate deformity, comprising:

heating a warped substrate to a first predetermined temperature between about 150° C. and about 220° C.;

holding the substrate at the first predetermined temperature for a first time period; and

cooling the substrate to a second predetermined temperature less than the first predetermined temperature by flowing a coolant through a plurality of heat transfer channels in a substrate support to flatten the substrate.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the first predetermined temperature is between about 150° C. to about 160° C., the first time period is between about 30 seconds to about 120 seconds.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein the substrate is heated to the first predetermined temperature in a first process chamber and cooled to the second predetermined temperature in a second process chamber.

11. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:

cooling the substrate to a third predetermined temperature less than the first predetermined temperature and greater than the second predetermined temperature,

wherein the substrate is cooled to the third predetermined temperature in the first process chamber before being cooled to the second predetermined temperature in the second process chamber.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the first predetermined temperature is about 160° C., wherein the first time period is about 2 minutes, wherein the second predetermined temperature is about 21° C., and wherein the third predetermined temperature is about 130° C.

13. A method for correcting substrate deformity, comprising:

placing a warped substrate on a first substrate support in a first process chamber;

heating the warped substrate to a first predetermined temperature;

holding the warped substrate at the first predetermined temperature for a first time period to deform the warped substrate into a planarized substrate;

cooling the planarized substrate to a second predetermined temperature less than the first predetermined temperature;

placing the planarized substrate on a second substrate support of a second process chamber; and

cooling the planarized substrate to a third predetermined temperature less than the second predetermined temperature.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein heating the warped substrate to the first predetermined temperature comprises:

heating a first support surface of the first substrate support using a heater disposed in the first substrate support; and

flowing a process gas through a first showerhead in the first process chamber at a fourth predetermined temperature, wherein the process gas is an inert gas.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the process gas is at least one of nitrogen or argon.

16. The method of claim 14 , wherein cooling the planarized substrate to the second predetermined temperature comprises:

decreasing a temperature of the process gas to a fifth predetermined temperature less than the fourth predetermined temperature.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein:

the first predetermined temperature is about 150° C. to about 160° C.,

the first time period is about 10 seconds to about 2 minutes,

the second predetermined temperature is about 130° C. or less,

the third predetermined temperature is about room temperature,

the fourth predetermined temperature is between about 160° C. and about 210° C., and

the fifth predetermined temperature is between about 25° C. and 130° C.

18. The method of claim 13 , wherein cooling the planarized substrate to the third predetermined temperature comprises flowing a first coolant through a first plurality of coolant channels disposed in the second substrate support.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein cooling the planarized substrate to the third predetermined temperature further comprises:

flowing a process gas through a second showerhead disposed in the second process chamber, wherein the process gas is an inert gas; and

flowing a second coolant through a second plurality of coolant channels disposed in the second showerhead to cool the process gas.

20. The method of claim 19 , wherein the first and second coolants have a temperature between about 5° C. and about 21° C.

Assignments (3)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 15, 2016
From: APPLIED MATERIALS SINGAPORE TECHNOLOGY PTE. LTD.
To: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.
Reel/Frame 039754/0952 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 18, 2016
From: ELUMALAI, KARTHIK
To: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.
Reel/Frame 039179/0528 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 18, 2016
From: LEW, JEN SERN; KOH, TUCK FOONG; THIRUNAVUKARASU, SRISKANTHARAJAH; PEH, ENG SHENG; SU, JUN-LIANG
To: APPLIED MATERIALS SINGAPORE TECHNOLOGY PTE. LTD.
Reel/Frame 039179/0665 →
Priority Claims (1)
IN 1190/DEL/2015 · Apr 29, 2015 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20160322234A1 · Nov 3, 2016