Method and System for Isolated and Discretized Process Sequence Integration

Abstract

A system for processing a semiconductor substrate is provided. The system includes a mainframe having a plurality of modules attached thereto. The modules include processing modules, storage modules, and transport mechanisms. The processing modules may include combinatorial processing modules and conventional processing modules, such as surface preparation, thermal treatment, etch and deposition modules. In one embodiment, at least one of the modules stores multiple masks. The multiple masks enable in-situ variation of spatial location and geometry across a sequence of processes and/or multiple layers of a substrate to be processed in another one of the modules. A method for processing a substrate is also provided.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A high productivity combinatorial (HPC) deposition system, comprising:
 a frame supporting a plurality of processing modules, wherein the plurality of processing modules includes a physical vapor deposition module;   wherein the physical vapor deposition module includes a shutter garage,   wherein the shutter garage includes at least one movable shutter; and   at least one mask stored within the shutter garage.   
     
     
         2 . The HPC deposition system of  claim 1 , wherein the physical vapor deposition module performs site-isolated processing. 
     
     
         3 . The HPC deposition system of  claim 1  further comprising a plurality of masks stored within the shutter garage. 
     
     
         4 . The HPC deposition system of  claim 3 , wherein the plurality of masks vary in at least one of a number of openings, opening size, opening shape, opening orientation, opening location, or opening distribution. 
     
     
         5 . The HPC deposition system of  claim 1  further comprising a plurality of shutter garages within the physical vapor deposition module. 
     
     
         6 . The HPC deposition system of  claim 5 , wherein a first shutter garage is disposed 180° relative to a second shutter garage. 
     
     
         7 . The HPC deposition system of  claim 1 , wherein the shutter garage is movable in a planar direction to cover a portion of a mask stored within the shutter garage. 
     
     
         8 . The HPC deposition system of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the processing modules includes a conventional processing module. 
     
     
         9 . The HPC deposition system of  claim 8 , wherein the conventional processing module includes at least one of a physical vapor deposition module, chemical vapor deposition module, plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition module, atomic layer deposition module, plasma enhanced layer deposition module, ion-induced atomic layer deposition, or radical enhanced atomic layer deposition. 
     
     
         10 . The HPC deposition system of  claim 1  further comprising a load-lock factory interface which provides access into the plurality of processing modules of the HPC deposition system. 
     
     
         11 . A high productivity combinatorial (HPC) deposition system, comprising:
 a frame supporting a plurality of processing modules, wherein the plurality of processing modules includes a physical vapor deposition module;   wherein the physical vapor deposition module includes a shutter garage,   wherein the shutter garage includes a plurality of movable shutters;   a plurality of masks stored within the shutter garage;   a load lock factory interface which provides access into the plurality processing module of the HPC deposition system; and   a robot for moving substrates and masks between the processing modules and for the movement into and out of the load-lock factory interface.   
     
     
         12 . The HPC deposition system of  claim 11  further comprising an orientation and degassing module. 
     
     
         13 . The HPC deposition system of  claim 11  further comprising a clean module. 
     
     
         14 . The HPC deposition system of  claim 11  further comprising a library module. 
     
     
         15 . The HPC deposition system of  claim 14 , wherein the library module is capable of rotational movement and vertical movement. 
     
     
         16 . The HPC deposition system of  claim 11 , wherein at least one of the processing modules includes a conventional processing module. 
     
     
         17 . The HPC deposition system of  claim 16 , wherein the conventional processing module includes at least one of a physical vapor deposition module, chemical vapor deposition module, plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition module, atomic layer deposition module, plasma enhanced layer deposition module, ion-induced atomic layer deposition, or radical enhanced atomic layer deposition. 
     
     
         18 . The HPC deposition system of  claim 11 , wherein the physical vapor deposition module performs site-isolated processing. 
     
     
         19 . The HPC deposition system of  claim 11 , wherein the plurality of masks vary in a number of openings, opening size, opening shape, opening orientation, opening location, opening distribution. 
     
     
         20 . The HPC deposition system of  claim 11 , wherein each module include a controller in communication with a centralized computing device.