Top wafer rotation and support
Embodiments of the present disclosure provide thermal processing chambers including a drive mechanism and a heating assembly disposed on opposite sides of a substrate support assembly. Particularly, the heating assembly is disposed below the substrate support assembly to process a substrate with a device side facing up and the drive mechanism is disposed above the substrate assembly.
1. An apparatus for thermal processing a substrate, comprising:
a chamber body defining a processing volume, wherein the chamber body comprises a chamber lid and a window facing the chamber lid;
a heating assembly disposed outside the window, wherein the heating assembly comprises a plurality of radiant heating sources that direct radiant energy toward the processing volume through the window;
a substrate support assembly disposed in the processing volume, comprising a disk disposed in the processing volume, wherein the disk has a lower surface facing the window and an upper surface facing the chamber lid; and
a drive mechanism coupled to the upper surface of the disk to rotate the substrate support assembly and move the substrate assembly vertically.
2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the substrate support assembly further comprises:
a plurality of brackets extending from the lower surface of the disk, wherein the plurality of brackets form a supporting surface.
3. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the chamber body comprises a cylinder coupled to the chamber lid and enclosing an inner volume, the substrate support assembly further comprises a shaft extending from the disk at a central region of the upper surface to the inner volume of the cylinder, and an upper end of the shaft is coupled to the drive mechanism.
4. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the drive mechanism comprises a magnetic rotor having a permanent magnet attached to the upper end of the shaft and electromagnets disposed outside the cylinder.
5. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the drive mechanism comprises:
an encased magnet coupled to the upper end of the shaft within the inner volume of the cylinder; and
a linear motor disposed outside the cylinder, and a mobile part of the linear motor generates electromagnetic fields for engaging the encased magnet coupled to the shaft.
6. The apparatus of claim 3 , further comprising a plurality of pyrometers mounted on the chamber lid and positioned to measure temperature of substrates disposed on the substrate support assembly through a plurality of view ports formed through the chamber lid.
7. The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the disk has:
a central zone corresponding to a surface of the substrate being processed, wherein the central zone is transparent to wavelengths within the operating range of the pyrometers;
a middle annular zone radially outside the central zone, wherein the middle annular zone includes absorbers, reflectors, or scatters for modulating radiation at wavelengths within the operation range of the plurality of pyrometers; and
an outer annular zone radially outside the middle annular zone, wherein the outer annular zone is opaque to radiation at wavelengths within the operation range of the plurality of pyrometers.
8. The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the disk has a surface with a plurality of windows transparent to wavelengths within the operating range of the pyrometers, the surface is opaque and/or reflective to radiation at wavelengths within the operation range of the plurality of pyrometers, and the plurality of windows are distributed along a plurality of radii corresponding to the plurality of pyrometers.
9. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the substrate support assembly further comprises a ring extending from the upper surface of the disk, and an upper end of the ring is coupled to the drive mechanism.
10. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the plurality of brackets have a tear drop cross section to minimize turbulence during processing.
11. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the disk, the shaft and the plurality of brackets are formed from quartz.
12. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the chamber body comprises an annular case attached above the chamber lid, and the annular case defines an inner volume.
13. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the substrate support assembly comprises:
a plurality of brackets coupled to the drive mechanism, wherein the plurality of brackets rotate and move vertically within the inner volume of the annular case; and
a susceptor disposed over the supporting surface of the plurality of brackets, wherein the susceptor is configured to support the substrate at an edge region.
14. The apparatus of claim 13 , further comprising a particle tray positioned at a lower end of the inner volume.
15. The apparatus of claim 13 , further comprising a labyrinth structure enclosing the inner volume.
16. An apparatus for thermal processing a substrate, comprising:
a chamber body defining a processing volume, wherein the chamber body comprises a chamber lid and a window facing the chamber lid;
a heating assembly disposed outside the window, wherein the heating assembly comprises a plurality of radiant heating sources directing radiant energy toward the processing volume through the window;
a substrate support assembly disposed in the processing volume, wherein the substrate support assembly comprises a plurality of brackets; and
a drive mechanism coupled to the chamber lid to rotate the substrate support assembly and move the substrate assembly vertically, wherein upper ends of the plurality of brackets are coupled to the drive mechanism.
17. The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the substrate support assembly further comprises:
a ring coupled to lower ends of the plurality of brackets, wherein the ring partially retrieves to the inner volume when the plurality of brackets are at a raised position;
a susceptor disposed a lower lip of the ring, wherein the susceptor is configured to support the substrate at an edge region.
18. A method for processing a substrate comprising:
positioning one or more substrates on a substrate support assembly disposed in a chamber body, wherein the chamber body comprises a chamber lid and a window facing the chamber lid;
rotating the substrate support assembly using a drive mechanism coupled to the chamber lid, wherein the substrate support assembly comprises a plurality of brackets attached to the drive mechanism;
directing radiant energy from a heating assembly towards the one or more substrates through the window; and
vertically moving the substrate support assembly using the drive mechanism, wherein the vertically moving the substrate support assembly comprises raising the plurality of brackets.
19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the directing radiant energy directs the radiant energy to a backside of the substrate from the heating assembly.
20. The method of claim 18 , wherein the positioning one or more substrates on the substrate support assembly further comprises positioning the substrate on an edge ring or a plurality of support pins supported on the plurality of brackets.