High throughput processing system for chemical treatment and thermal treatment and method of operating

Abstract

A high throughput processing system having a chemical treatment system and a thermal treatment system for processing a plurality of substrates is described. The chemical treatment system is configured to chemically treat a plurality of substrates in a dry, non-plasma environment. The thermal treatment system is configured to thermally treat a plurality of substrates chemically treated in the chemical treatment system.

1 . A method of operating a processing system to treat a substrate, comprising:
 transferring two or more substrates into a chemical treatment system comprising a chemical treatment chamber, a temperature controlled substrate holder mounted within said chemical treatment chamber and configured to support two or more substrates on a support surface thereof, a gas injection assembly coupled to said chemical treatment chamber and configured to introduce one or more process gases to a process space in said chemical treatment chamber in order to chemically alter exposed surface layers on said two or more substrates, a heater assembly coupled to said gas injection assembly and configured to elevate a temperature of said gas injection assembly, a vacuum pumping system, and a controller coupled to said thermal treatment system;   setting chemical processing parameters for said chemical treatment system using said controller, wherein said one or more chemical processing parameters comprise at least one of a chemical treatment processing pressure, a chemical treatment chamber temperature, a chemical treatment upper assembly temperature, a flow rate of said one or more process gases, a chemical treatment substrate temperature, and a chemical treatment substrate holder temperature; and   processing said two or more substrates in said chemical treatment system using said chemical processing parameters in order to chemically alter exposed surface layers on said two or more substrates.   
     
     
         2 . The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 transferring said two or more substrates with said chemically alter exposed surface layers into a thermal treatment system following said processing in said chemical treatment system, said thermal treatment system comprising a thermal treatment chamber, one or more temperature controlled substrate holders mounted within said thermal treatment chamber, a substrate lifter assembly coupled to said thermal treatment chamber for vertically translating said two or more substrates between a transfer plane and said one or more temperature controlled substrate holders, a vacuum pumping system, and a controller coupled to said thermal treatment system;   setting thermal processing parameters for said thermal treatment system using said controller, wherein said one or more thermal processing parameters comprise at least one of a thermal treatment processing pressure, a thermal treatment chamber temperature, a thermal treatment substrate temperature, and a thermal treatment substrate holder temperature; and   processing said substrate in said thermal treatment system using said thermal processing parameters in order to evaporate said chemically altered exposed surface layers on said substrate.