The present disclosure provides a semiconductor processing apparatus according to one embodiment. The semiconductor processing apparatus includes a chamber; a base station located in the chamber for supporting a semiconductor substrate; a preheating assembly surrounding the base station; a first heating element fixed relative to the base station and configured to direct heat to the semiconductor substrate; and a second heating element moveable relative to the base station and operable to direct heat to a portion of the semiconductor substrate.

A method for processing a substrate includes performing a cyclic plasma process including a plurality of cycles, each cycle of the plurality of cycles including purging a plasma processing chamber including the substrate with a first deposition gas including carbon. The substrate includes a first layer including silicon and a second layer including a metal oxide. The method further includes exposing the substrate to a first plasma generated from the first deposition gas to selectively deposit a first polymeric film over the first layer relative to the second layer; purging the plasma processing chamber with an etch gas including fluorine; and exposing the substrate to a second plasma generated from the etch gas to etch the second layer.

Methods for filling a substrate feature with a seamless dielectric gap fill are described. Methods comprise sequentially depositing a film with a seam and partially etching the film in the same processing chamber. Methods and apparatus allow for the same hardware to be used for PEALD deposition of a film as well as plasma etch of the film.

A substrate processing apparatus includes: a rotary table provided in a processing container; a rotation mechanism configured to rotate the rotary table; recesses provided on an upper surface of the rotary table along a rotation direction of the rotary table and configured to accommodate substrates, respectively; a processing gas supply provided above the rotary table and configured to supply a processing gas onto the rotary table to process each of the substrates; a heater configured to heat the rotary table; a support configured to support the substrates in upper regions above the recesses so that the heater heats the substrates before being accommodated in the recesses; and an elevating mechanism configured to raise and lower the support relative to the rotary table so that the substrates are collectively moved from the upper regions into the recesses.

A method for depositing a silicon nitride film is provided. A silicon nitride film is deposited in a depression formed in a surface of a substrate from a bottom surface and a lateral surface by ALD toward a center of the depression in a lateral direction so as to narrow a space at the center of the depression. First nitrogen radicals are adsorbed into the depression immediately before a stage of filling the space at the center with the silicon nitride film deposited toward the center of the depression. A silicon-containing gas is adsorbed on the first nitrogen radical in the depression by physical adsorption. Second nitrogen radicals are supplied into the depression so as to release the silicon-containing gas from the first nitrogen radical and to cause the released silicon-containing gas to react with the second nitrogen radical, thereby depositing a silicon nitride film to fill the central space.

A processing method includes: disposing a workpiece in a processing container of a processing apparatus, and maintaining an inside of the processing container in a vacuum state; providing a cluster nozzle in the processing container; supplying a cluster generating gas to the cluster nozzle and adiabatically expanding the cluster generating gas in the cluster nozzle, thereby generating gas clusters; generating plasma in the cluster nozzle to ionize the gas clusters and injecting the ionized gas clusters onto the workpiece; supplying a reactive gas to the cluster nozzle and exposing the reactive gas to the plasma such that the reactive gas becomes monomer ions or radicals; and supplying the monomer ions or radicals to the processing container, thereby exerting a chemical reaction on a substance present on a surface of the workpiece.

A substrate processing apparatus includes a holding unit which holds a substrate horizontally, a facing member which faces an upper surface of the substrate from above and can be engaged with the holding unit, a supporting member which supports the facing member, a raising/lowering unit in which the supporting member is raised and lowered between an upper position at which the supporting member supports the facing member in a state where the facing member is separated above from the holding unit and an engaging position which is a position below from the upper position and at which the holding unit is engaged with the facing member, and a detecting unit which is disposed at the supporting member. The detecting unit detects a position of a portion to be detected which is disposed at the facing member in relation to the detecting unit.

In a method of coating a photo resist over a wafer, dispensing the photo resist from a nozzle over the wafer is started while rotating the wafer, and dispensing the photo resist is stopped while rotating the wafer. After starting and before stopping the dispensing the photo resist, a wafer rotation speed is changed at least 4 times. During dispensing, an arm holding the nozzle may move horizontally. A tip end of the nozzle may be located at a height of 2.5 mm to 3.5 mm from the wafer.

A preprocess is efficiently performed on a substrate. A pre-wet module 200 includes a deaeration tank 210, a processing device 258, a substrate holder 220, and a drive mechanism 230. The deaeration tank 210 is configured to house a deaerated liquid. The processing device 258 includes a nozzle 268 configured to supply a cleaning liquid to a surface to be processed of a substrate having the surface to be processed facing upward. The substrate holder 220 is disposed between the deaeration tank 210 and the processing device 258. The substrate holder 220 includes a first holding member 222 configured to hold a first substrate and a second holding member 224 configured to hold a second substrate. The drive mechanism 230 is configured to rotate and move up and down the substrate holder 220. The drive mechanism 230 includes a rotation mechanism 240 and an elevating mechanism 248. The rotation mechanism 240 is configured to rotate the substrate holder 220 between a first state where a surface to be processed of the first substrate is opposed to a deaerated liquid in the deaeration tank 210 and a second state where a surface to be processed of the second substrate is opposed to the deaerated liquid in the deaeration tank. The elevating mechanism 248 is configured to move up and down the substrate holder 220.

Wafers that begin as flat surfaces during a semiconductor manufacturing process may become warped or bowed as layers and features are added to an underlying substrate. This warpage may be detected between manufacturing processes by rotating the wafer adjacent to a displacement sensor. The displacement sensor may generate displacement data relative to a baseline measurement to identify areas of the wafer that bow up or down. The displacement data may then be mapped to locations on the wafer relative to an alignment feature. This mapping may then be used to adjust parameters in subsequent semiconductor processes, including adjusting how a carrier head on a polishing process holds or applies pressure to the wafer as it is polished. A model may be trained to provide control signals for a polishing/cleaning process, or to generate metrology data.