Abatement and strip process chamber in a load lock configuration

Abstract

Examples of the present invention include a method for removing halogen-containing residues from a substrate. The method includes transferring a substrate to a substrate processing system through a first chamber volume of a load lock chamber. The load lock chamber is coupled to a transfer chamber of the substrate processing system. The substrate is etched in one or more processing chambers coupled to the transfer chamber of the substrate processing system with chemistry from a showerhead disposed over a heated substrate support assembly. The chemistry includes halogen. Halogen-containing residues are removed from the etched substrate in a second chamber volume of the load lock chamber. Cooling the etched substrate in a cooled substrate support assembly of the load lock chamber after removing the halogen-containing residue.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for removing halogen-containing residues from a substrate, the method comprising:
 transferring a substrate into a substrate processing system through a first chamber volume of a load lock chamber coupled to a transfer chamber of the substrate processing system;   etching the substrate in a processing chamber coupled to the transfer chamber of the substrate processing system with halogen-containing chemistry;   removing halogen-containing residues from the etched substrate in a second chamber volume of the load lock chamber; and   cooling the etched substrate in a cooled substrate support assembly of the load lock chamber after removing the halogen-containing residue.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the cooled substrate support assembly is disposed in the first chamber volume or a third chamber volume of the load lock chamber, and cooling the substrate comprises transferring the substrate from the second chamber volume to the first chamber volume or the third chamber volume through the transfer chamber. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the halogen-containing residues include at least one of hydrogen bromide (HBr), chlorine (Cl 2 ), and carbon tetrafluoride (CF 4 ). 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein removing halogen-containing residues further includes at least one of a stripping process or an ashing process, or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein removing halogen-containing residues further includes removing a hard mask or a photoresist. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein removing halogen-containing residues further comprises:
 introducing a gas mixture to the second chamber volume, wherein the gas mixture includes at least one of an oxygen-containing gas, a hydrogen-containing gas, or an inert gas.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the oxygen-containing gas includes at least one of O 2  or O 3 , wherein the hydrogen-containing gas includes at least one of a water vapor (H 2 O), alkane, or an alkene, and the inert gas includes nitrogen (N 2 ), argon (Ar), or helium (He), or any combination thereof. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein removing halogen-containing residues includes heating the substrate for about 5 seconds and about 30 seconds at a temperature between about 150 degrees Celsius and about 300 degrees. 
     
     
         9 . A method for removing halogen-containing residues from a substrate, comprising:
 transferring a substrate into a substrate processing system through a first chamber volume of a load lock chamber coupled to a transfer chamber of the substrate processing system;   etching the substrate in a processing chamber coupled to the transfer chamber of the substrate processing system with chemistry from a showerhead disposed over a heated substrate support assembly, wherein the chemistry comprises halogen;   removing halogen-containing residues from the etched substrate in a second chamber volume of the load lock chamber, wherein removing halogen-containing residues further comprises:
 heating the substrate to a temperature that is greater than or equal to about 20 degrees Celsius and less than or equal to about 1000 degrees Celsius; and 
   cooling the etched substrate in a cooled substrate support assembly of the load lock chamber after removing the halogen-containing residue.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the cooled substrate support assembly is disposed in the first chamber volume or a third chamber volume of the load lock chamber, and cooling the substrate comprises transferring the substrate from the second chamber volume to the first chamber volume or the third chamber volume through the transfer chamber. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the halogen-containing residues include at least one of hydrogen bromide (HBr), chlorine (Cl 2 ), and carbon tetrafluoride (CF 4 ). 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein removing halogen-containing residues further includes at least one of a stripping process or an ashing process, or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein removing halogen-containing residues further includes removing a hard mask or a photoresist. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein removing halogen-containing residues further comprises:
 introducing a gas mixture to the second chamber volume, wherein the gas mixture includes at least one of an oxygen-containing gas, a hydrogen-containing gas, or an inert gas.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the oxygen-containing gas includes at least one of O 2  or O 3 , wherein the hydrogen-containing gas includes at least one of a water vapor (H 2 O), alkane, or an alkene, and the inert gas includes nitrogen (N 2 ), argon (Ar), or helium (He), or any combination thereof. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein removing halogen-containing residues includes heating the substrate for about 5 seconds and about 30 seconds. 
     
     
         17 . A method for removing halogen-containing residues from a substrate, comprising:
 transferring a substrate to a substrate processing system through a first chamber volume of a load lock chamber coupled to a transfer chamber of the substrate processing system;   etching the substrate in one or more processing chambers coupled to the transfer chamber of the substrate processing system with chemistry from a showerhead disposed over a heated substrate support assembly, wherein the chemistry comprises halogen;   heating the substrate on a substrate support assembly for a predetermined time period, wherein heating the substrate removes halogen-containing residues from the etched substrate in a second chamber volume of the load lock chamber; and   cooling the etched substrate in a cooled substrate support assembly of the load lock chamber after removing the halogen-containing residue.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the cooled substrate support assembly is disposed in the first chamber volume or a third chamber volume of the load lock chamber, and cooling the substrate comprises transferring the substrate from the second chamber volume to the first chamber volume or the third chamber volume through the transfer chamber. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the halogen-containing residues include at least one of hydrogen bromide (HBr), chlorine (Cl 2 ), and carbon tetrafluoride (CF 4 ). 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein removing halogen-containing residues further includes at least one of a stripping process or an ashing process, or a combination thereof.