Gas delivery system for high pressure processing chamber

Abstract

A high-pressure processing system includes a first chamber, a second chamber adjacent the first chamber, a foreline to remove gas from the second chamber, a vacuum processing system configured to lower a pressure within the second, a valve assembly to isolate the pressure within the first chamber from the pressure within the second chamber, a gas delivery system configured to introduce a gas into the first chamber and to increase the pressure within the first chamber to at least 10 atmospheres, an exhaust line to remove gas from the first chamber, and a containment enclosure surrounding a portion of the gas delivery system and the exhaust line to divert gas leaking from the portion of the gas delivery system and the exhaust line to the foreline.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A high-pressure processing system comprising:
 a first chamber comprising having a support to hold substrate in the first chamber while processing;   a first slit valve assembly for sealing the first chamber; and   a second chamber surrounding the first chamber and the first slit valve, wherein the first slit valve assembly is operable to selectively isolate the first chamber from the second chamber.   
     
     
         2 . The high-pressure processing system of  claim 1 , further comprising a second slit valve assembly for sealing the second chamber. 
     
     
         3 . The high-pressure processing system of  claim 1 , further comprising a gas delivery system configured to pressurize and depressurize the first chamber. 
     
     
         4 . The high-pressure processing system of  claim 3 , wherein the gas delivery system comprises a first delivery line coupled to the first chamber; and wherein the gas delivery system is configured to introduce a first gas into the first chamber via the first delivery line. 
     
     
         5 . The high-pressure processing system of  claim 4 , wherein the gas delivery system comprises a second delivery line coupled to the first chamber; and wherein the gas delivery system is configured to introduce a second gas into the first chamber via the second delivery line. 
     
     
         6 . The high-pressure processing system of  claim 4 , wherein the first delivery line is connected to a top of the first chamber that is surrounded by the second chamber. 
     
     
         7 . The high-pressure processing system of  claim 4 , wherein the first delivery line passes through a top of the second chamber. 
     
     
         8 . The high-pressure processing system of  claim 4 , wherein the gas delivery system is configured to pressurize the first chamber to at least 10 atmospheres, and wherein the high-pressure processing system further comprises a vacuum processing system configured lower a pressure within the second chamber to near vacuum. 
     
     
         9 . A method for operating a processing system, the method comprising:
 loading a substrate on a support disposed in a first chamber by robotically passing the substrate through a second chamber and a first slit valve, the second chamber surrounding the first slit valve and first chamber;   closing the first slit valve to isolate the substrate in the first chamber from an interior of the second chamber; and   processing the substrate in the first chamber.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9  further comprising depressurizing the second chamber before passing the substrate through the second chamber. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10  further comprising increasing a pressure the first chamber after closing the first slit valve. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein pressuring the first chamber comprises introducing a gas into the first chamber to increase the pressure of the first chamber. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the pressure within the first chamber is increased to about 10 atmospheres. 
     
     
         14 . The method  claim 11 , further comprising introducing steam into the first chamber to increase the pressure within the first chamber. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 11  further comprising:
 depressurizing the first chamber after processing the first chamber by exhausting gas out of the first chamber; 
 opening the first slit valve; and 
 removing the processed substrate by robotically passing the processed substrate through the second chamber and the slit valve. 
 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein depressurizing the first chamber comprises reducing a pressure within the first chamber to at least near-vacuum. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein loading the substrate on the support further comprises passing the substrate from a transfer chamber through a valve of the second chamber. 
     
     
         18 . A semiconductor fabrication apparatus, comprising:
 a central chamber;   a high-pressure processing system coupled with the central chamber, the high-pressure processing system comprising:
 a first chamber comprising having a support to hold a substrate in the first chamber while processing; 
 a first slit valve assembly for sealing the first chamber; and 
 a second chamber surrounding the first chamber and the first slit valve, wherein the first slit valve assembly is operable to selectively isolate the first chamber from the second chamber; and 
   a transfer robot positioned within the central chamber, the transfer robot configured to:
 load the substrate on the support by passing the substrate from the central chamber and through the second chamber and the first slit valve. 
 loading a substrate on a support disposed in a first chamber by robotically passing the substrate through a second chamber and a first slit valve, the second chamber surrounding the first slit valve and first chamber; 
 closing the first slit valve to isolate the substrate in the first chamber from an interior of the second chamber; and 
 processing the substrate in the first chamber. 
   
     
     
         19 . The semiconductor fabrication apparatus of  claim 18  further comprising a controller configured to:
 control the transfer robot to load the substrate on the support; 
 close the first slit valve to isolate the substrate in the first chamber from an interior of the second chamber; and 
 process the substrate in the first chamber. 
 
     
     
         20 . The semiconductor fabrication apparatus of  claim 19 , wherein the controller is further configured to:
 depressurize the second chamber before loading the substrate on the support;   pressurize the first chamber after closing the first slit valve by introducing a gas into the first chamber; and   depressurize the first chamber after processing by exhausting the gas from the first chamber.