High pressure steam anneal processing apparatus

US10854483B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• Applied Materials, Inc. · US

Inventors

• Jason M. Schaller · Austin, US
• Robert Brent Vopat · Austin, US
• Charles T. Carlson · Cedar Park, US
• Jeffrey Blahnik · Volente, US
• Timothy Joseph Franklin · Campbell, US
• David Blahnik · Round Rock, US
• Aaron P. Webb · Austin, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Oct 11, 2018
• Grant date: Dec 1, 2020
• Expiry date: Mar 14, 2039

Classification

• Technology area (CPC H): Electricity
• CPC primary: H01L21/68792
• WIPO field: Semiconductors
• WIPO sector: Electrical engineering

Abstract

Apparatuses for annealing semiconductor substrates, such as a batch processing chamber, are provided herein. The batch processing chamber includes a chamber body enclosing an internal volume, a cassette moveably disposed within the internal volume and a plug coupled to a bottom wall of the cassette. The chamber body has a hole through a bottom wall of the chamber body and is interfaced with one or more heaters operable to maintain the chamber body at a temperature of greater than 290° C. The cassette is configured to be raised to load a plurality of substrates thereon and lowered to seal the internal volume. The plug is configured to move up and down within the internal volume. The plug includes a downward-facing seal configured to engage with a top surface of the bottom wall of the chamber body and close the hole through the bottom wall of the chamber body.