Apparatus and method for processing a substrate

Abstract

A method of processing a substrate that displays out-gassing when placed in a vacuum includes placing the substrate in a vacuum and performing an out-gassing treatment by heating the substrate to a temperature T 1 and removing gaseous contamination emitted from the substrate until the out-gassing rate is determined by the diffusion of the substrate's contamination and thus essentially a steady state has been established. Afterwards, the temperature is lowered to a temperature T 2 at which the diffusion rate of the substrate's contamination is lower than at T 1 . The substrate is further processed at the temperature T 2 until the substrate has been covered with a film including a metal.

1 . Apparatus for processing a substrate, comprising two out-gassing stations and at least one processing station, wherein
 a first out-gassing station comprises an airlock comprising means for heating the substrate, a process monitoring sensor, the airlock being coupled to an evacuation system,   a second out-gassing station comprises means for heating the substrate, a gas supply positioned to purge a back side of the substrate, a process monitor sensor, the second out-gassing station being coupled to an evacuation system, and   at least one subsequent processing station comprises means to actively cool the substrate.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the means for cooling the substrate is a cryogenic chuck comprising a heater element.   
     
     
         3 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the out-gassing stations and the processing stations comprise receiving pins arranged to receive a circularly bowed substrate.   
     
     
         4 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein
 one or more of the out-gassing stations and the processing stations comprise a cold trap to getter gaseous matter emitted from the substrate.   
     
     
         5 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the second out-gassing station and/or the subsequent processing station further comprise a gas line for the supply of oxygen to the station and an RF power supply to a chuck of the second out-gassing station for in-situ cleaning.   
     
     
         6 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the first out-gassing station is the in-bound airlock of a cluster-type multi-station processing apparatus.   
     
     
         7 . Apparatus for processing a substrate ( 1 ), comprising at least two out-gassing stations and at least one processing station, wherein
 a first out-gassing station comprises an airlock, a process monitoring sensor, the airlock being coupled to an evacuation system,   a second out-gassing station comprises means for heating the substrate,   a gas supply positioned to purge a back side of the substrate, a process monitoring sensor, the second out-gassing station being coupled to an evacuation system, and at least one subsequent processing station comprises means to actively cool the substrate ( 1 ).