Apparatus and method for rotationally aligning and degassing semiconductor substrate within single vacuum chamber

Claim 2

Semiconductor processing apparatus capable of degassing a semiconductor substrate in a vacuum chamber and also rotationally aligning said substrate in said vacuum chamber which comprises: a) a vacuum chamber; b) a heated electrostatic clamping structure functioning as a substrate support for retaining a semiconductor substrate in thermal communication therewith in said vacuum chamber; c) a heater within said electrostatic clamping structure capable of sufficiently heating said electrostatically clamped substrate in said vacuum chamber to degas said substrate; d) a rotation mechanism for imparting rotation to said substrate in said vacuum chamber; and e) a wafer alignment mechanism for determining the rotational alignment of said substrate in response to said rotation of said substrate in said vacuum chamber which comprises: i) a light source on one side of said substrate capable of directing a beam of light perpendicular to the plane of said substrate; and ii) a photodetector on an opposite side of said substrate capable of detecting said beam of light from said light source when said beam of light encounters a non-circular portion of said substrate as said substrate rotates.

Claim 3

The semiconductor processing apparatus of claim 1 wherein said heater comprises a resistance heater in said electrostatic clamping structure adjacent a surface of said substrate support in thermal communication with said substrate.

Claim 4

The semiconductor processing apparatus of claim 1 wherein said electrostatic clamping structure comprises insulation on the surface thereof facing an undersurface of said substrate, and one or more high voltage electrodes in said insulation.

Claim 5

The semiconductor processing apparatus of claim 3 wherein said rotation mechanism comprise a rotatable ring within said vacuum chamber.

Claim 6

The semiconductor processing apparatus of claim 4 wherein said rotation mechanism further comprise a magnetic coupling to couple said rotating ring to a source of rotation outside of said vacuum chamber.

Claim 7

The semiconductor processing apparatus of claim 3 wherein said rotation mechanism comprise a rotatable electrostatic clamping mechanism to permit said substrate to be rotationally aligned while said substrate is heated to degas said substrate.

Claim 8

Semiconductor processing apparatus capable of degassing a semiconductor substrate in a vacuum chamber and also rotationally aligning said substrate in said vacuum chamber which comprises: a) a vacuum chamber; b) an electrostatic clamping mechanism on a substrate support within said vacuum chamber for retaining a semiconductor substrate in thermal communication with a substrate support in said vacuum chamber, said electrostatic clamping mechanism comprising insulation on the surface of said substrate support facing an undersurface of said substrate, and a high voltage electrode in said insulation; c) a heater within said electrostatic clamping mechanism capable of heating said electrostatically clamped substrate in said vacuum chamber to a temperature in excess of 350° C. to degas said substrate; d) a rotation mechanism for imparting rotation to said substrate in said vacuum chamber comprising: i) a rotatable ring within said vacuum chamber; and ii) a magnetic coupling to couple said rotatable ring to a source of rotation outside of said vacuum chamber; and e) a wafer alignment mechanism for determining the rotational alignment of said substrate in response to said rotation of said substrate in said vacuum chamber which comprises: i) a light source located outside of said vacuum chamber on one side of said substrate capable of directing a beam of light perpendicular to the plane of said substrate through a first window in a first wall of said vacuum chamber; and ii) a photodetector located outside of said vacuum chamber on an opposite side of said substrate capable of detecting said beam of light from said light source through a window in a second wall of said vacuum chamber when said beam of light encounters a non-circular portion of said substrate as said substrate rotates.

Claim 9

Semiconductor processing apparatus capable of degassing a semiconductor substrate in a vacuum chamber and also rotationally aligning said substrate in said vacuum chamber which comprises: a) a vacuum chamber; b) an electrostatic clamping mechanism on a substrate support within said vacuum chamber for retaining a semiconductor substrate in thermal communication with a substrate support in said vacuum chamber, said electrostatic clamping mechanism comprising insulation on the surface of said substrate support facing an undersurface of said substrate, and a high voltage electrode in said insulation; c) a heater within said electrostatic clamping mechanism capable of heating said electrostatically clamped substrate in said vacuum chamber to a temperature in excess of 350° C. to degas said substrate; d) a rotation mechanism for imparting rotation to said substrate in said vacuum chamber comprising: i) a rotatable ring within said vacuum chamber; and ii) a magnetic coupling to couple said rotatable ring to a source of rotation outside of said vacuum chamber; and e) a wafer alignment mechanism for determining the rotational alignment of said substrate in response to said rotation of said substrate in said vacuum chamber which comprises: i) a light source located outside of said vacuum chamber on one side of said substrate capable of directing a beam of light perpendicular to the plane of said substrate through a first window in a first wall of said vacuum chamber; and ii) a photodetector located outside of said vacuum chamber on an opposite side of said substrate capable of detecting said beam of light from said light source through a window in a second wall of said vacuum chamber when said beam of light encounters a non-circular portion of said substrate as said substrate rotates.

Claim 10

Semiconductor processing apparatus capable of degassing a semiconductor wafer in a vacuum chamber and also simultaneously rotationally orienting said wafer in said vacuum chamber which comprises: a) a vacuum chamber; b) an electrostatic clamping structure within said vacuum chamber for retaining a semiconductor wafer in thermal communication therewith in said vacuum chamber, said electrostatic clamping structure comprising insulation on a surface thereof facing an undersurface of said wafer, and a high voltage electrode in said insulation; c) a heater within said electrostatic clamping structure capable of heating said electrostatically clamped wafer in said vacuum chamber to a temperature in excess of 350° C. and up to as high as 500° C. to degas said wafer; d) a rotation mechanism for imparting rotation to said wafer in said vacuum chamber while said wafer is being heated sufficiently to degas it and; e) a wafer alignment mechanism for determining the rotational alignment of said wafer in response to said rotation of said wafer in said vacuum chamber which comprises: i) a light source on one side of said wafer capable of directing a beam of light perpendicular to the plane of said wafer and adjacent the periphery of said wafer; and ii) a photodetector on an opposite side of said wafer capable of detecting said beam of light from said light source when said beam of light encounters a non-circular peripheral portion of said wafer as said wafer rotates; whereby said semiconductor wafer can be rotationally aligned while being simultaneously heated to degasify said wafer.

Claim 11

Semiconductor processing apparatus capable of degassing a semiconductor wafer in a vacuum chamber and also simultaneously rotationally orienting said wafer in said vacuum chamber which comprises: a) a vacuum chamber; b) an electrostatic clamping structure within said vacuum chamber for retaining a semiconductor wafer in thermal communication therewith in said vacuum chamber, said electrostatic clamping structure comprising insulation on a surface thereof facing an undersurface of said wafer, and a high voltage electrode in said insulation; c) a heater within said electrostatic clamping structure capable of heating said electrostatically clamped wafer in said vacuum chamber to a temperature in excess of 350° C. and up to as high as 500° C. to degas said wafer; d) a rotation mechanism for imparting rotation to said wafer in said vacuum chamber while said wafer is being heated sufficiently to degas it and; e) a wafer alignment mechanism for determining the rotational alignment of said wafer in response to said rotation of said wafer in said vacuum chamber which comprises: i) a light source on one side of said wafer capable of directing a beam of light perpendicular to the plane of said wafer and adjacent the periphery of said wafer; and ii) a photodetector on an opposite side of said wafer capable of detecting said beam of light from said light source when said beam of light encounters a non-circular peripheral portion of said wafer as said wafer rotates; whereby said semiconductor wafer can be rotationally aligned while being simultaneously heated to degasify said wafer.