A method of processing a substrate includes: a placement step of placing the substrate on an electrostatic chuck set to have a predetermined temperature; a first attraction step of attracting the substrate onto the electrostatic chuck by applying a first direct current (DC) voltage to the electrostatic chuck; a holding step of holding the attraction of the substrate by the electrostatic chuck while applying the first DC voltage to the electrostatic chuck, until a temperature difference between the electrostatic chuck and the substrate becomes 30 degrees C. or less; and a second attraction step of attracting the substrate onto the electrostatic chuck by applying a second DC voltage, which is higher than the first DC voltage, to the electrostatic chuck.

The present disclosure discloses a heating apparatus for a semiconductor device. The heating apparatus includes a carrier including a first abutting part, a heat collecting plate at least including a working surface, and a heat radiation source disposed on a side of the heat collecting plate opposite to the working surface and separated from the heat collecting plate by a predetermined distance. The heat collecting plate is disposed on the carrier, and the first abutting part abuts against an edge of the heat collecting plate on the side opposite to the working surface. The heat radiation source is and configured to emit heat radiation during working and to heat the heat collecting plate in a non-contact manner. The heat collecting plate receives the heat radiation and the emitted heat and heats a heated object disposed on the working surface in a contact manner.

A cassette with embedded temperature sensors that is disposed within a load lock is disclosed. The temperature sensors may be disposed in a plurality of shelves of the load lock cassette to monitor the temperature of each of a plurality of workpieces disposed in the load lock. The output of these temperature sensors may be provided to a controller, which controls when the load lock is opened. The load lock cassette may also include cooling channels to accelerate the cooling of the workpieces to improve throughput. The cooling may be controlled using closed loop control, where a controller monitors the temperature of the workpieces during the cooling operation.

A method and apparatus for improving film growth uniformity on a semiconductor substrate. The film growth uniformity is improved by adjusting the amount of power provided to the substrate by spot heaters as the substrate is rotated. Therefore, the amount of power provided to the substrate by the spot heaters changes as the portion of the substrate being heated by spot heater changes. The change in power provided by the spot heater is dependent on a temperature correction factor applied by the controller.

A method includes receiving, from sensors, sensor data associated with processing a substrate via a processing chamber of substrate processing equipment. The sensor data includes a first subset received from one or more first sensors and a second subset received from one or more second sensors, the first subset being mapped to the second subset. The method further includes identifying model input data and model output data. The model output data is output from a physics-based model based on model input data. The method further includes training a machine learning model with data input including the first subset and the model input data, and target output data including the second subset and the model output data to tune calibration parameters of the machine learning model. The calibration parameters are to be used by the physics-based model to perform corrective actions associated with the processing chamber.

A pressure control device 20 includes a pressure control valve 25, a flow resistance 23 provided downstream of the pressure control valve, for restricting a gas flow, a first pressure sensor 21 for measuring a gas pressure between the pressure control valve and the flow resistance, a second pressure sensor 22 for measuring a gas pressure downstream of the flow resistance, and an arithmetic control circuit 26 connected to the first pressure sensor and the second pressure sensor. The pressure control device is configured to control the gas pressure downstream of the flow resistance by adjusting an opening degree of the pressure control valve based on an output of the second pressure sensor regardless of an output of the first pressure sensor control, and calculate the flow rate of the gas downstream of the flow resistance based on the output of the first pressure sensor and the output of the second pressure sensor.

A thermal processing system is provided. The thermal processing system can include a processing chamber and a workpiece disposed within the processing chamber. The thermal processing system can include a heat source configured to emit light towards the workpiece. The thermal processing system can further include a tunable reflective array disposed between the workpiece and the heat source. The tunable reflective array can include a plurality of pixels. Each pixel of the plurality of pixels can include an electrochromatic material configurable in a translucent state or an opaque state. When the electrochromatic material of a pixel is configured in the translucent state, the light at least partially passes through the pixel. Conversely, transmission of light through a pixel is reduced when the electrochromatic material of the pixel is configured in the opaque state.

A chemical mechanical polishing apparatus includes a rotatable platen to hold a polishing pad, a rotatable carrier to hold a substrate against a polishing surface of the polishing pad during a polishing process, a polishing liquid supply port to supply a polishing liquid to the polishing surface, a thermal control system including a movable nozzle to spray a medium onto the polishing surface to adjust a temperature of a zone on the polishing surface, an actuator to move the nozzle radially relative to an axis of rotation of the platen, and a controller configured to coordinate dispensing of the medium from the nozzle with motion of the nozzle across the polishing surface.

A substrate fixing device includes: a base plate; and an electrostatic chuck that is fixed to the base plate to adsorb a substrate by electrostatic force. The electrostatic chuck includes: an adsorption layer that is formed of ceramic and that contacts the substrate to adsorb and hold the substrate; a first heating layer that is formed on the adsorption layer and that includes a first electrode; a second heating layer that is formed on the first heating layer and that includes a second electrode; and a via that is provided between the first electrode and the second electrode to electrically connect the first electrode and the second electrode to each other. The via includes a body portion, and an end portion that is connected to the body portion. A diameter of the end portion is larger than that of the body portion.

In an example, a method includes depositing a first sidewall spacer layer over a substrate having a layer stack including alternating layers of a nanosheet and a sacrificial layer, and a dummy gate formed over the layer stack, the first sidewall spacer layer formed over the dummy gate. The method includes depositing a metal-containing liner over the first sidewall spacer layer; forming a first sidewall spacer along the dummy gate by anisotropically etching the metal-containing liner and the first sidewall spacer layer; performing an anisotropic etch back process to form a plurality of vertical recesses in the layer stack; laterally etching the layer stack and form a plurality of lateral recesses between adjacent nanosheets; depositing a second sidewall spacer layer to fill the plurality of lateral recesses; and etching a portion of the second sidewall spacer layer to expose tips of the nanosheet layers.