Rapid cooling of a substrate by motion

Abstract

Methods for cooling a substrate are provided herein. In some embodiments, a method for cooling a substrate includes heating a substrate in a process chamber from an introductory temperature to a peak temperature of greater than about 900 degrees Celsius; and cooling the substrate from within about 50 degrees Celsius of the peak temperature by moving the substrate at a rate of at least about 3 millimeters/second in a direction normal to an upper surface of the substrate. In some embodiments, cooling the substrate by moving the substrate further comprises moving the substrate to a first position having a first distance from an upper surface of the process chamber; and subsequently moving the substrate to a second position having a second distance that is further away from the upper surface than the first distance. In some embodiments, a residence time proximate the peak temperature is about 0.6 seconds or less.

1 . A method of cooling a substrate, comprising:
 heating a substrate in a process chamber from an introductory temperature to a peak temperature of greater than about 900 degrees Celsius; and   cooling the substrate from within about 50 degrees Celsius of the peak temperature by moving the substrate at a rate of at least about 3 millimeters/second in a direction normal to an upper surface of the substrate.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein cooling the substrate further comprises:
 moving the substrate towards a cooling plate utilized to cool the substrate.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein cooling the substrate further comprises:
 moving the substrate to a first position having a first distance from the cooling plate; and   subsequently moving the substrate to a second position having a second distance that is further away from the cooling plate than the first distance.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the cooling plate is disposed on an opposing side of the substrate from an energy source used to heat the substrate. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein heating a substrate comprises:
 heating the substrate with an energy source that is disposed below the substrate.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein cooling the substrate further comprises:
 moving the substrate to a first position having a first distance from an upper surface of the process chamber; and   subsequently moving the substrate to a second position having a second distance that is further away from the upper surface of the process chamber than the first distance.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein heating the substrate further comprises:
 heating the substrate with an energy source disposed above the upper surface of the process chamber.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein cooling the substrate further comprises:
 cooling the substrate with a cooling plate disposed proximate the upper surface of the process chamber.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the first distance is between about 1 to about 3 mm from the upper surface of the process chamber and the second distance is at least about 6 mm from the upper surface of the process chamber. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein cooling the substrate further comprises:
 cooling the substrate from about the peak temperature by moving the substrate at a rate of up to about 50 millimeters/second in a direction normal to the upper surface of the substrate.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein cooling the substrate further comprises:
 moving the substrate from an initial position having an initial distance from an upper surface of the process chamber, wherein the initial distance is less than or equal to about 8 mm.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein cooling the substrate by moving the substrate further comprises:
 disturbing a thermally insulating fluid boundary layer disposed adjacent to the upper surface of the substrate.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein moving the substrate increases a flow rate of a gas disposed between the substrate and an upper surface of the process chamber to greater than about 40 slm. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein heating the substrate further comprises:
 flowing a process gas above the upper surface of the substrate, wherein the process gas forms the thermally insulating fluid boundary layer adjacent to the surface of the substrate.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 12 , flowing a process gas from a plurality of different locations relative to the substrate surface, with the flow rate of the process gas independently controlled to adjust the temperature distribution across the substrate during cooling. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein a residence time between heating the substrate from about 50 degrees Celsius below the peak temperature and cooling the substrate to about 50 degrees Celsius below the peak temperature is less than about 1.2 seconds. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the residence time is about 0.6 seconds or less. 
     
     
         18 . A method of cooling a substrate, comprising:
 heating the substrate in a process chamber from an introductory temperature to a first temperature at a first heating rate;   heating the substrate from the first temperature to a peak temperature of greater than about 900 degrees Celsius at a second heating rate, wherein the second heating rate is greater than the first heating rate;   cooling the substrate from within about 50 degrees Celsius of the peak temperature to a second temperature at a first cooling rate by moving the substrate at a rate of at least about 3 millimeters/second in a direction normal to an upper surface of the substrate; and   cooling the substrate from the second temperature to an end temperature at a second cooling rate, wherein the second cooling rate is less than the first cooling rate.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the second temperature is within about 80 percent of the first temperature. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the introductory temperature and the end temperature are between about 25 to about 600 degrees Celsius. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein cooling the substrate by moving the substrate further comprises:
 moving the substrate to a first position having a first distance from an upper surface of the process chamber; and   subsequently moving the substrate to a second position having a second distance that is further away from the upper surface than the first distance.   
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the first distance is about 1 to about 3 mm from the upper surface and the second distance is about 6 mm from the upper surface. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein cooling the substrate by moving the substrate further comprises:
 cooling the substrate from about the peak temperature to the second temperature by moving the substrate at a rate of up to about 10 millimeters/second in a direction normal to an upper surface of the substrate.   
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein a residence time between heating the substrate from about 50 degrees Celsius below the peak temperature and cooling the substrate to about 50 degrees Celsius below the peak temperature is less than about 1.2 seconds. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein the residence time is about 0.6 seconds or less.