Degassing chamber for arsenic related processes

Abstract

Implementations of the present disclosure generally relate to the fabrication of integrated circuits. More specifically, implementations disclosed herein relate to apparatus, systems, and methods for reducing substrate outgassing. A substrate is processed in an epitaxial deposition chamber for depositing an arsenic-containing material on a substrate and then transferred to a degassing chamber for reducing arsenic outgassing on the substrate. The degassing chamber includes a gas panel for supplying hydrogen, nitrogen, and oxygen and hydrogen chloride or chlorine gas to the chamber, a substrate support, a pump, and at least one heating mechanism. Residual or fugitive arsenic is removed from the substrate such that the substrate may be removed from the degassing chamber without dispersing arsenic into the ambient environment.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A system, comprising:
 an epitaxial deposition chamber for depositing an arsenic-containing material on a substrate;   a transfer chamber; and   a degassing chamber for reducing arsenic outgassing on the substrate, wherein each of the epitaxial deposition chamber and the degassing chamber is connected to the transfer chamber, and wherein the degassing chamber comprises:
 a plurality of chamber walls; 
 a gas panel; 
 at least one heating mechanism; 
 a substrate support; 
 a pump; and 
 an arsenic detecting device, wherein each of the gas panel, the at least one heating mechanism, the substrate support, the pump, and the arsenic detecting device is connected to at least one of the plurality of chamber walls. 
   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one heating mechanism is an infrared lamp. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one heating mechanism is a resistive heater. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the substrate support supports a single substrate. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the substrate support supports a plurality of substrates. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising a second epitaxial deposition chamber. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein a first substrate may be processed in the epitaxial deposition chamber and a second substrate may be processed in the degassing chamber in parallel. 
     
     
         8 . A method for reducing arsenic outgassing, comprising:
 transferring a substrate from an epitaxial deposition chamber for depositing an arsenic-containing material on a substrate to a degassing chamber for reducing arsenic outgassing on the substrate;   flowing hydrogen or nitrogen gas into the degassing chamber;   ceasing the flow of hydrogen or nitrogen gas into the degassing chamber;   flowing a mixture of oxygen and nitrogen gas into the degassing chamber to reduce arsenic outgassing on the substrate to a first amount;   ceasing the flow of oxygen and nitrogen gas into the degassing chamber;   flowing a chlorine-containing gas into the degassing chamber to clean the degassing chamber after the substrate is removed; and   ceasing the flow of the chlorine-containing gas into the degassing chamber.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , further comprising detecting the first amount of arsenic outgassing using an arsenic detecting device. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the temperature in the degassing chamber is between about 100° C. and about 300° during flowing a mixture of oxygen and nitrogen gas into the degassing chamber to reduce arsenic outgassing on the substrate to a first amount. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the flowing hydrogen or nitrogen gas into the degassing chamber occurs for between about 1 minute and about 10 minutes at a flow rate between about 10 slm and about 30 slm at a pressure between about 1 Torr and about 100 Torr. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the flowing a mixture of oxygen and nitrogen gas into the degassing chamber to reduce arsenic outgassing on the substrate to a first amount comprises:
 flowing nitrogen gas into the degassing chamber;   flowing oxygen gas into the degassing chamber after flowing nitrogen gas into the degassing chamber; and   flowing nitrogen into the degassing chamber after flowing oxygen gas into the degassing chamber.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein flowing oxygen gas into the degassing chamber occurs at a pressure between about 80 Torr and about 300 Torr. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein flowing nitrogen into the degassing chamber after flowing oxygen gas into the degassing chamber occurs at a pressure less than about 20 Torr. 
     
     
         15 . A method for reducing arsenic outgassing, comprising:
 depositing an arsenic-containing material on a first substrate in an epitaxial deposition chamber;   transferring the first substrate from the epitaxial deposition chamber to a degassing chamber;   reducing arsenic outgassing on the first substrate, wherein the reducing arsenic outgassing comprises:
 flowing hydrogen or nitrogen gas into the degassing chamber; 
 ceasing the flow of hydrogen or nitrogen gas into the degassing chamber; 
 flowing a mixture of oxygen and nitrogen gas into the degassing chamber to reduce arsenic outgassing on the first substrate to a first amount; 
 ceasing the flow of oxygen and nitrogen gas into the degassing chamber; 
 flowing a chlorine-containing gas into the degassing chamber to clean the degassing chamber after the substrate is removed; 
 ceasing the flow of the chlorine-containing gas into the degassing chamber; and 
 detecting the amount of arsenic outgassing using an arsenic detecting device; and 
   depositing an arsenic-containing material on a second substrate in the epitaxial deposition chamber while reducing arsenic outgassing on the first substrate in the degassing chamber.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein a temperature in the degassing chamber is between about 100° C. and about 300° during flowing a mixture of oxygen and nitrogen gas into the degassing chamber to reduce arsenic outgassing on the substrate to a first amount. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein flowing hydrogen or nitrogen gas into the degassing chamber occurs for between about 1 minute and about 10 minutes at a flow rate between about 10 slm and about 30 slm at a pressure between about 1 Torr and about 100 Torr. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein flowing a mixture of oxygen and nitrogen gas into the degassing chamber to reduce arsenic outgassing on the substrate to a first amount comprises:
 flowing nitrogen gas into the degassing chamber;   flowing oxygen gas into the degassing chamber after flowing nitrogen gas into the degassing chamber; and   flowing nitrogen into the degassing chamber after flowing oxygen gas into the degassing chamber.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the flowing oxygen gas into the degassing chamber occurs at a pressure between about 80 Torr and about 300 Torr. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the flowing nitrogen into the degassing chamber after flowing oxygen gas into the degassing chamber occurs at a pressure less than about 20 Torr.