Load lock system for supercritical fluid cleaning

Abstract

A substrate is transferred from an environment at about vacuum into a load lock through a first door. The substrate is then sealed within the load lock. The pressure within the load lock is raised to a high pressure above vacuum. A second door coupling the load lock to a high-pressure processing chamber is then opened and the substrate moved from the load lock into the high-pressure chamber. The substrate is then sealed within the high-pressure chamber. High-pressure processing, such as high pressure cleaning or high pressure deposition, is then performed on the substrate within the high-pressure chamber. Subsequently, the second door is opened and the substrate transferred into the load lock. The substrate is then sealed within the load lock. The pressure within the load lock is lowered to about vacuum and the first door opened. The substrate is then removed from the load lock into the environment.

1 - 14 . (canceled)  
   
   
       15 . A semiconductor substrate processing system, comprising: 
 a load lock having a first door configured for coupling to a vacuum environment, where said load lock is configured to operate between vacuum and a high pressure;    a processing chamber coupled to said load lock via a second door, where said processing chamber is configured to operate at from about 60 psi to about 3000 psi at a temperature of about 35 degrees C. 
 raising pressure within said load lock to a pressure of from about 60 to about 3000 psi above vacuum;  
 opening a second door coupling said load lock to a first processing chamber;  
 moving said substrate from said load lock into said first processing chamber;  
 sealing said substrate within said first processing chamber; and  
 processing said substrate by contacting said substrate with a dense phase fluid within said first processing chamber.  
   
   
   
       16 . The substrate processing system of  claim 15 , further comprising a transfer chamber coupled to said load lock at said first door, where said transfer chamber operates at an internal pressure of about vacuum.  
   
   
       17 . The substrate processing system of  claim 15 , further comprising a substrate transfer robot positioned within said transfer chamber.  
   
   
       18 . The substrate processing system of  claim 17 , further comprising a second processing chamber coupled to said transfer chamber, where the second processing chamber operates at about vacuum.  
   
   
       19 . The substrate processing system of  claim 15 , further comprising an additional load lock coupled to said transfer chamber at an additional load lock first door, where said additional load lock has an additional load lock second door for coupling with an ambient environment, where said additional load lock is configured to operate between vacuum and atmospheric pressures.  
   
   
       20 . (canceled)  
   
   
       21 . The substrate processing system of  claim 15 , wherein said processing chamber is configured for cleaning said substrate with a supercritical fluid, where the pressure within said chamber is between about 1070 psi to about 1800 psi at a temperature of about 35 degrees C.  
   
   
       22 . The substrate processing system of  claim 21 , wherein said supercritical fluid is supercritical CO 2 .  
   
   
       23 . The substrate processing system of  claim 15 , wherein said processing chamber is configured for cleaning said substrate with liquid CO 2 , where the pressure within said chamber is between about 100 psi to about 500 at a temperature of about 35 degrees C.