Full Wafer Processing By Multiple Passes Through A Combinatorial Reactor

Abstract

Overlapping combinatorial processing can offer more processed regions, better particle performance and simpler process equipment. In overlapping combinatorial processing, one or more regions are processed in series with some degrees of overlapping between regions. In some embodiments, overlapping combinatorial processing can be used in conjunction with non-overlapping combinatorial processing and non-combinatorial processing to develop and investigate materials and processes for device processing and manufacturing.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method comprising:
 processing a substrate through a plurality of processing steps in a sequential manner;   wherein one or more processing steps of the plurality of processing steps processes the substrate in a conventional manner;   wherein two or more processing steps of the plurality of processing steps processes multiple site isolated regions defined on a surface of the substrate in a combinatorial manner; and   wherein the site isolated regions of at least one of the two or more processing steps are at least contiguous with the site isolated regions of another of the two or more processing steps.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising
 cleaning the substrate after at least one processing step of the plurality of processing steps.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising rotating or translating the substrate between at least two processing steps of the plurality of processing steps. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the substrate is disposed under a reactor assembly, and further comprising rotating or translating the reactor assembly between at least two processing steps of the plurality of processing steps. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the site isolated regions processed in a first processing step of the two or more processing steps are contiguous to the site isolated regions processed in a second processing step of the two or more processing steps, wherein the second processing steps occurs immediately after the first processing step. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the site isolated regions of at least one of the two or more processing steps overlap the site isolated regions of another of the two or more processing steps. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more processing steps that processes the substrate in a conventional manner processes the entire surface of the substrate. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the two or more processing steps that process the multiple site isolated regions on the surface of the substrate in a combinatorial manner process the entire surface of the substrate. 
     
     
         9 . A method comprising:
 processing a substrate through a plurality of processing steps in a sequential manner;   wherein one or more processing steps of the plurality of processing steps processes an entire surface of the substrate;   wherein two or more processing steps of the plurality of processing steps processes multiple site isolated regions defined on the surface of the substrate in a combinatorial manner; and   wherein the site isolated regions of at least one of the two or more processing steps are at least contiguous with the site isolated regions of another of the two or more processing steps.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the two or more processing steps that process the multiple site isolated regions on the surface of the substrate in a combinatorial manner process the entire surface of the substrate. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the substrate is disposed under a reactor assembly, and further comprising rotating or translating the reactor assembly between at least two processing steps of the plurality of processing steps. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the site isolated regions processed in a first processing step of the two or more processing steps are contiguous to the site isolated regions processed in a second processing step of the two or more processing steps, wherein the second processing steps occurs immediately after the first processing step.