Radiation of Substrates During Processing and Systems Thereof

Abstract

A method for processing a substrate includes performing a first etch process to form a plurality of partial features in a dielectric layer disposed over the substrate; performing an irradiation process to irradiate the substrate with ultra-violet radiation having a wavelength between 100 nm and 200 nm; and after the irradiation process, performing a second etch process to form a plurality of features from the plurality of partial features.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A system comprising:
 a plurality of processing chambers configured to process a substrate within the processing chambers;   a wafer holding location comprising a first electromagnetic radiation source configured to emit electromagnetic radiation onto a wafer located at the wafer holding location; and   a transporting apparatus configured to move the substrate between the plurality of processing chambers and the wafer holding location.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the wafer holding location further comprises a second electromagnetic radiation source configured to emit electromagnetic radiation onto the substrate located at the wafer holding location, and wherein the first and second electromagnetic radiation sources are disposed on an interior surface of a device wall of the wafer holding location, the device wall being substantially perpendicular to a major surface of the substrate. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the first and second electromagnetic radiation sources are arranged in an annular configuration. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the wafer holding location further comprises a second electromagnetic radiation source configured to emit ultra-violet radiation onto the substrate located at the wafer holding location, and wherein the first and the second radiation sources are disposed on a device top of the wafer holding location, the device top being substantially parallel to a major surface of the substrate. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the wafer holding location further comprises a second electromagnetic radiation source configured to emit electromagnetic radiation onto the substrate located at the wafer holding location, and wherein the first electromagnetic radiation source is attached to an external surface of the plurality of processing chambers, and configured to emit electromagnetic radiation through openings in walls of the plurality of processing chambers into the plurality of processing chambers. 
     
     
         6 . A plasma processing apparatus comprising:
 a plasma processing chamber;   a substrate holder disposed in the plasma processing chamber;   an electrode configured to be powered to sustain a plasma within the plasma processing chamber; and   a first electromagnetic radiation source configured to emit electromagnetic radiation onto the substrate holder with a first uniform distribution across an entire major surface of the substrate holder.   
     
     
         7 . The plasma processing apparatus of  claim 6 , wherein the first uniform distribution comprises an intensity of the electromagnetic radiation varying by less than a specified threshold across the major surface of the substrate holder, and wherein the specified threshold is less than 15%. 
     
     
         8 . The plasma processing apparatus of  claim 6 , wherein the first electromagnetic radiation source is disposed on a device wall of the plasma processing apparatus, the device wall being perpendicular to a major surface of the substrate. 
     
     
         9 . The plasma processing apparatus of  claim 8 , further comprising a second electromagnetic radiation source disposed on the device wall of the plasma processing apparatus, the second electromagnetic radiation source configured to emit electromagnetic radiation with a second uniform distribution onto the substrate holder. 
     
     
         10 . The plasma processing apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein the first and second electromagnetic radiation sources are arranged in an annular configuration. 
     
     
         11 . The plasma processing apparatus of  claim 6 , wherein the first electromagnetic radiation source is disposed on a top cover of the plasma processing chamber, the top cover being parallel to a major surface of the substrate. 
     
     
         12 . The plasma processing apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the first electromagnetic radiation source is disposed on an interior surface of the top cover of the plasma processing chamber. 
     
     
         13 . The plasma processing apparatus of  claim 11 , further comprising a second electromagnetic radiation source disposed on the top cover of the plasma processing chamber, the second electromagnetic radiation source configured to emit electromagnetic radiation with a uniform distribution onto the substrate holder. 
     
     
         14 . The plasma processing apparatus of  claim 13 , wherein the first and second electromagnetic radiation sources are arranged in an annular configuration or a rectangular configuration. 
     
     
         15 . The plasma processing apparatus of  claim 13 , wherein the electromagnetic radiation from the first electromagnetic radiation source and the electromagnetic radiation from the second electromagnetic radiation source have the same wavelength. 
     
     
         16 . The plasma processing apparatus of  claim 6 , wherein the electromagnetic radiation has a wavelength between 100 nm and 200 nm. 
     
     
         17 . A method for processing a substrate, the method comprising:
 placing the substrate over a substrate holder disposed in a plasma processing chamber of a plasma processing system;   flowing reactant gases into the plasma processing chamber;   exposing the substrate to a plasma by powering an electrode of the plasma processing system;   powering off the electrode and stopping the flowing of the reactant gases;   illuminating the plasma processing chamber with electromagnetic radiation; and   removing the substrate from the plasma processing chamber after the illuminating, wherein the method is configured to discharge the substrate from the substrate holder.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the electromagnetic radiation comprises ultra-violet radiation having a wavelength between 100 nm and 200 nm. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the illuminating the plasma processing chamber occurs after the powering off and the stopping. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the illuminating starts before the powering off and the stopping, and stops after the powering off and the stopping.