An Apparatus For Annealing Substrates In Physical Vapor Deposition Systems

Abstract

Methods and apparatus are provided for annealing of materials deposited in a processing chamber to form silicide layers. In one aspect, a method is provided for treating a substrate surface including positioning a substrate having silicon material disposed thereon on a substrate support in a chamber, forming a metal layer on at least the silicon material, and annealing the substrate in situ to form a metal silicide layer. In another aspect, the method is performed in an apparatus including a load lock chamber, an intermediate substrate transfer region connected to the load lock chamber, the intermediate substrate transfer region comprising a first substrate transfer chamber and a second substrate transfer chamber, a physical vapor deposition processing chamber disposed on the first substrate transfer chamber and an annealing chamber disposed on the second substrate transfer chamber.

1 . A system for processing a substrate, comprising: 
 a load lock chamber;    an intermediate substrate transfer region connected to the load lock chamber, the intermediate substrate transfer region comprising a first substrate transfer chamber and a second substrate transfer chamber, wherein the first substrate transfer chamber is coupled to the load lock chamber and the second substrate transfer chamber is coupled to the first substrate transfer chamber;    a physical vapor deposition (PVD) processing chamber disposed on the first substrate transfer chamber; and    an annealing chamber disposed on the second substrate transfer chamber.    
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising plurality of vacuum pumps communicating with the intermediate substrate transfer region and each of the processing chambers, wherein the plurality of pumps establish a vacuum gradient of increasing pressure across the apparatus from the load lock chamber to the processing chambers.  
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the second transfer chamber has a higher chamber pressure than the first substrate transfer chamber.  
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the PVD processing chamber has an annealing pedestal disposed therein.  
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the PVD processing chamber has a target of material selected from the group of cobalt, titanium, tantalum, tungsten, molybdenum, platinum, nickel, iron, niobium, palladium, and combinations thereof.  
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the PVD processing chamber comprises a cobalt target and an annealing pedestal disposed therein.  
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the annealing chamber comprises a rapid thermal annealing chamber.  
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising a chemical vapor deposition chamber disposed on the first substrate transfer chamber, the second substrate transfer chamber, or combinations thereof.  
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the apparatus comprises two PVD processing chambers comprising a cobalt target and an annealing pedestal disposed therein are disposed on the first transfer region and two annealing processing chambers are disposed on the second transfer chamber, wherein the second transfer chamber has a higher operating temperature than the first transfer chamber.  
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the physical vapor deposition (PVD) processing chamber comprises: 
 a chamber enclosing a sputtering source;    a substrate support member disposed generally parallel to the sputtering surface of the sputtering source, the substrate support member comprising: 
 a generally planar substrate receiving surface configured to receive a substrate thereon;  
 an electrically resistive heating element disposed in the substrate support member; and  
 a fluid channel connected to a fluid supply and regulated by a controller; and  
   a collimator mounted between the sputtering source and the substrate support member.    
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 10 , wherein the substrate support member comprises: 
 an electrostatic chuck having an electrode, an electrical insulator having a generally planar substrate receiving surface disposed on the electrode and configured to receive a substrate thereon;    an electrically resistive heating element disposed in the electrostatic chuck; and    a fluid channel connected to a fluid supply and regulated by a controller.    
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 10 , further comprising an electrically conductive lead for coupling the electrically resistive heating elements to a voltage source.  
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 12 , further comprising at least one temperature sensor connected to the substrate support member.  
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 12 , further comprising a source of gas connected to a channel disposed in the support pedestal, the channel connecting the source of gas to the planar substrate receiving surface.  
     
     
         15 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the collimator has upper and lower surfaces and at least one of the surfaces being a convex surface.  
     
     
         16 . A method for forming a silicide layer on a substrate, comprising: 
 positioning a substrate having silicon material disposed thereon on a substrate support disposed in a deposition chamber having a metal target disposed therein;    applying a current to the substrate support to heat the substrate to a first temperature;    introducing an inert gas into the deposition chamber;    generating a plasma by applying a bias between a metal target and the substrate support in the inert gas environment to sputter material from the metal target;    depositing the sputtered material on at least the silicon material;    providing a backside gas between the substrate pedestal and the substrate; and    annealing the substrate in situ at a second temperature greater than the first temperature to form a metal silicide layer.    
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the substrate is positioned between about 90 mm and about 400 mm from the target.  
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the metal material is selected from the group of cobalt, titanium, tantalum, tungsten, molybdenum, platinum, nickel, iron, niobium, palladium, and combinations thereof.  
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising collimating the sputtered material.  
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the first temperature is about 200° C. or less.  
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein annealing the substrate in situ at a second temperature comprises annealing the substrate at a temperature between about 300° C. and about 900° C. on the substrate support.  
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the substrate is annealed for between about  10  seconds and about 600 seconds.  
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein annealing the substrate in situ comprises annealing the substrate at a second temperature for a first period of time in the deposition chamber, transferring the substrate to an annealing chamber, and annealing the substrate at a third temperature greater than the second temperature for a second period of time without breaking vacuum in a processing system.  
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein the second temperature is between about 300° C. and about 500° C. and the third temperature is between about 400° C. and about 900° C.  
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein the first period of time is between about  5  second and about 300 seconds and the second period of time is between about 5 seconds and about 300 seconds.  
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein annealing the substrate in situ comprises annealing the substrate at a second temperature higher than the first temperature in a first annealing chamber, transferring the substrate to a second annealing chamber, and then annealing the substrate at a third temperature higher than the second temperature for the second period of time without breaking vacuum in a processing system.  
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein the substrate surface is treated by annealing the substrate in the deposition chamber at a first temperature for a first period of time, transferring the substrate to the thermal annealing chamber, and annealing the substrate at a second temperature for a second period of time without breaking vacuum in the processing system.  
     
     
         28 . A method of processing a substrate, comprising: 
 introducing a substrate having silicon material disposed thereon into a load lock;    transferring the substrate to a first transfer chamber in vacuum tight communication with the loadlock;    positioning the substrate on a heating pedestal in a physical vapor deposition chamber in vacuum tight communication with the first transfer chamber;    depositing a metal layer on the silicon material;    annealing the substrate prior to transferring the substrate to a second transfer chamber having an annealing chamber disposed thereon, wherein the second transfer chamber is in vacuum tight communication with the first transfer chamber; and    annealing the substrate in the annealing chamber to form a metal silicide layer.    
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 28 , wherein annealing the substrate prior to transferring the substrate comprises annealing the substrate in the physical vapor deposition processing chamber.  
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 28 , further comprising a vacuum annealing chamber in vacuum tight communication with the first transfer chamber.  
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 30 , wherein annealing the substrate in the annealing chamber comprises annealing the substrate in the vacuum annealing chamber.  
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 28 , wherein annealing the substrate comprises annealing the substrate at a temperature between about 300° C. and about 900° C. without breaking vacuum.  
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 28 , wherein depositing a metal layer comprises sputtering the metal target at a substrate temperature of about 200° C. or less.  
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 28 , wherein the second transfer chamber has a higher chamber pressure than the first substrate transfer chamber.  
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 28 , wherein the metal target comprises a material selected from the group of cobalt, titanium, tantalum, tungsten, molybdenum, platinum, nickel, iron, niobium, palladium, and combinations thereof.  
     
     
         36 . The apparatus of  claim 28 , wherein the physical vapor deposition processing chamber comprises a cobalt target and an annealing pedestal disposed therein.