Patent Publication Number: US-2016240410-A1

Title: Substrate lift assemblies

Description:
RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     The present application claims priority to, and is a continuation of, U.S. Non-provisional application Ser. No. 14/203,098 filed Mar. 10, 2014, entitled “PROCESS LOAD LOCK APPARATUS, LIFT ASSEMBLIES, ELECTRONIC DEVICE PROCESSING SYSTEMS, AND METHODS OF PROCESSING SUBSTRATES IN LOAD LOCK LOCATIONS” (Attorney Docket No. 20364), which claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application 61/786,990 filed Mar. 15, 2013, and entitled “PROCESS LOAD LOCK APPARATUS, LIFT ASSEMBLIES, ELECTRONIC DEVICE PROCESSING SYSTEMS, AND METHODS OF PROCESSING SUBSTRATES IN LOAD LOCK LOCATIONS” (Attorney Docket No. 20364/L), both of which are hereby incorporated by reference herein for all purposes. 
    
    
     FIELD 
     The present invention relates generally to electronic device manufacturing, and more specifically to substrate lift assemblies thereof. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Conventional electronic device manufacturing systems may include multiple process chambers and one or more load lock chambers surrounding a transfer chamber. These electronic device manufacturing systems may employ a transfer robot that may be housed within the transfer chamber, and which is adapted to transport substrates between the various process chambers and load lock chambers. 
     In order to add additional processes desired for certain electronic devices (e.g., substrate) manufacture, or to add additional processes within a particular tool, in other embodiments, two mainframe sections may be linked together with one or more pass-through chambers. Substrates may be passed through between the mainframe sections through the pass through chambers. The two mainframe sections may be operated at two different vacuum levels in some embodiments and different or additional processes may take place in the second mainframe section. 
     A factory interface, sometimes referred to as an equipment front end module, may be provided to load substrates into and out of the load lock chambers coupled to the first mainframe section. However, adding an additional mainframe section is at the expense of added complexity, and may require extra floor space, that may not always be available. Accordingly, improved apparatus, systems, and methods enabling higher throughput and ease of adding processing capacity are desired. 
     SUMMARY 
     In a first aspect, a substrate lift assembly is provided. The substrate lift assembly includes a lift frame, a plurality of fingers extending from the frame, the fingers adapted to support a substrate, and a containment ring supported by the lift frame. 
     According to another aspect, a substrate lift assembly is provided. The substrate lift assembly includes a lift frame including a hoop portion including a pocket and a connection flange, a plurality of horizontally extending fingers extending from the frame, the horizontally extending fingers positioned below the lift frame, a containment ring supported in a pocket formed in the lift frame, a riser portion coupled to the connection flange, and a lift actuator operably connected to riser portion. 
     In another aspect, a substrate lift assembly is provided. The substrate lift assembly includes a lift frame including a hoop portion with a pocket formed therein, and a connection flange coupled to the hoop portion, a plurality of fingers extending from the lift frame, the plurality of fingers extending horizontally inward and positioned below the lift frame, a containment ring comprising a cylindrical hoop of alumina or quartz material supported in the pocket, the containment ring extending above a top surface of the lift frame, a riser portion coupled to the connection flange, and a lift actuator operably connected to riser portion. 
     Numerous other features are provided in accordance with these and other aspects of the invention. Other features and aspects of the present invention will become more fully apparent from the following detailed description, the appended claims and the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  illustrates a schematic top view of a substrate processing system including a process load lock apparatus wherein additional processing capability is provided at the load lock location according to embodiments. 
         FIG. 2  illustrates a cross-sectioned side view of a process load lock apparatus according to embodiments. 
         FIG. 3  illustrates a cross-sectioned side view of another process load lock apparatus according to embodiments. 
         FIG. 4A  illustrates an isometric view of a process load lock apparatus according to embodiments. 
         FIG. 4B  illustrates a cross-sectioned side view of a single processing chamber and components of a process load lock apparatus according to embodiments. 
         FIGS. 4C and 4D  illustrate isometric and cross-sectioned isometric views, respectively, of a heated pedestal of a process load lock apparatus according to embodiments. 
         FIGS. 4E and 4F  illustrate isometric and partial isometric views, respectively, of a common body of a process load lock apparatus according to embodiments. 
         FIG. 4G  illustrates isometric view of an underside of a common body of a process load lock apparatus according to embodiments. 
         FIG. 4H  illustrates a cross-sectioned isometric view of the common body and connection to a vacuum pump of a load process lock apparatus according to embodiments. 
         FIG. 4I  illustrates a cross-sectioned top view of the common body of a process load lock apparatus according to embodiments. 
         FIG. 4J  illustrates a front plan view of a common body of a process load lock apparatus viewed from the transfer chamber side according to embodiments. 
         FIG. 4K  illustrates a top plan view of the common body of a process load lock apparatus according to embodiments. 
         FIG. 4L  illustrates a top plan view of the common body of a process load lock apparatus with the pedestals and lift assemblies installed, and with the lids and remote plasma sources removed, according to embodiments. 
         FIG. 4M  illustrates a cross-sectioned side view of the process load lock apparatus according to embodiments. 
         FIG. 4N  illustrates a side view of a lift assembly according to embodiments. 
         FIG. 4O  illustrates an isometric view of a portion of a lift assembly including a frame and a containment ring according to embodiments. 
         FIG. 4P  illustrates an isometric view of the process load lock apparatus, with the lids and remote plasma sources removed, according to embodiments. 
         FIG. 5  illustrates a flowchart depicting a method of processing substrates in a process load lock apparatus according to embodiments. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION 
     Electronic device manufacturing may desire not only very precise and rapid transport of substrates between various locations, i.e., high throughput provided by precise and rapid motions, but may also desire additional processing capability to be added within a fixed space (e.g., floor space) envelope. 
     In some systems, as described above, mainframe sections have been linked together to enlarge the number of process chambers that may be available at a particular tool. For example, dual mainframe tools (sometimes referred to as “dual buffer tools”) have been developed, wherein a first mainframe section and a second mainframe section are coupled together by one or more pass-through chambers. The one or more pass-through chambers are used to pass substrates back and forth between the two adjacent mainframe sections. The pass-through chambers typically have slit valves on either side to isolate the two mainframe sections, which may be operated at different vacuum levels in some cases, for example. 
     However, although the addition of a second mainframe section provides additional process capability, this is at the expense of system complexity and size (i.e., additional large floor footprint), which may be quite limited in some applications, especially retrofit applications. In some instances, additional process capability may be desired, yet enlarging the number of additional mainframe sections may be difficult or impossible for reasons of lack of floor space. Accordingly, substrate processing systems having increased processing capability, yet without substantially increased floor space footprint are desired. 
     In order to provide increased process capability in a substrate processing system without substantially increasing the floor space footprint of the substrate processing system, according to one or more embodiments of the present invention, an improved substrate processing apparatus and system is provided. The additional process capability is provided in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present invention by providing additional processing chambers at a location of the one or more load lock apparatus. Process load lock apparatus, i.e., apparatus having both load lock functionality combined with process capability at the load lock location are described and provided herein. In one or more embodiments, a load lock process chamber is provided at a different level (e.g., vertically above) the load lock chamber that is adapted to pass substrates between a factory interface to a mainframe section that houses a transfer robot and which has conventional process chambers coupled thereto. 
     Substrate lift assemblies are also described. The substrate lift assemblies include a lift frame, a plurality of fingers extending from the frame, the fingers adapted to support a substrate, and a containment ring supported by the lift frame. 
     Further details of examples of various embodiments of the invention are described with reference to  FIGS. 1-5  herein. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 1 , an example of an electronic device processing system  100  according to embodiments of the present invention is disclosed. The electronic device processing system  100  is useful to carry out one or more processes on a substrate  102 . The substrate  102  may be a silicon wafer, which may be an electronic device precursor such as an incomplete semiconductor wafer having a plurality of incomplete chips formed thereon. In some cases, the substrate  102  may have a mask thereon. 
     In the depicted embodiment, the electronic device processing system  100  includes a mainframe section  104  provided adjacent to a factory interface  106 . The mainframe section  104  includes a section housing  108  and includes a transfer chamber  110  therein. The section housing  108  may include a number of vertical side walls, which may be defined by chamber facets. In the depicted embodiment, the section housing  108  includes twined chamber facets, wherein the facets on each side wall are substantially parallel or slightly misaligned relative to the facet, i.e., the entry directions into the respective twinned chambers that are coupled to the facets are substantially co-parallel. However, the line of entry into the respective chambers is not through a shoulder axis of the robot  112 . The transfer chamber  110  is defined by the side walls thereof, as well as top and bottom walls and may be maintained at a vacuum, for example. The vacuum level for the transfer chamber  110  may be between about 0.01 Torr and about 80 Torr, for example. 
     The robot  112  is received in the transfer chamber  110  and includes multiple arms and one or more end effectors that are adapted to be operable therein. The robot  112  may be adapted to pick or place substrates  102  (e.g., the “wafers” are shown in  FIG. 1  as circles) to or from a destination. The destination may be any chamber physically coupled to the transfer chamber  110 . For example, the destination may be one or more first process chambers  114  coupled to the section housing  108  and accessible from the transfer chamber  110 , one or more second process chambers  116  coupled to the section housing  108  and accessible from the transfer chamber  110 , or one or more third process chambers  118  coupled to the section housing  108  and accessible from the transfer chamber  110 . A same or different process may take place on each facet. The destination may also be one or more load lock chambers  120 ,  122  of a process load lock apparatus  124  in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present invention. The destinations are shown as dotted circles. 
     Process load lock apparatus  124  is adapted to be located between, coupled to, and accessed from the mainframe section  104  and the factory interface  106 . The load lock chambers  120 ,  122  are coupled to the section housing  108  and factory interface  106  and are accessible from both the transfer chamber  110  and the factory interface  106 . The process load lock apparatus  124  also includes one or more load lock process chambers that reside at, and are located at, a different vertical level than the load lock chambers  120 ,  122 . Load lock process chambers are adapted to carry out a process on a substrate  102 , and depending on the embodiment, may be accessible from only the transfer chamber  110 , or from both the transfer chamber  110  and the factory interface, as will be apparent from the following. 
     The process load lock apparatus  124  will be described in more detail below and comprises a combination of processing capability and pass-through capability at the “load lock location.” “Load lock location” as used herein means a location physically located between the mainframe section  104  and the factory interface  106 . Process chambers  114 ,  116 ,  118  and the one or more load lock process chambers of the process load lock apparatus  124  may be adapted to carry out any number of processes on the substrates  102 . 
     The processes carried out in process chambers  114 ,  116 ,  118  may be deposition, oxidation, nitration, etching, cleaning, lithography, or the like. Other processes may be carried out there, as well. The processes carried out in the process load lock apparatus  124  may comprise at least one selected from a deposition process, an oxide removal process, a nitration process, an etching process, and an annealing process. In one or more embodiments, the process carried out in the load lock process chamber of the load lock apparatus  124  may be an oxide removal process, such as a copper oxide removal process. In another aspect, the process may comprise a plasma-assisted process. Moreover, the process may include substrate heating, as well. These and other aspects and embodiments are detailed below. 
     The process load lock apparatus  124  is adapted to interface with the factory interface  106  on one side and may receive substrates  102  removed from substrate carriers  126  (e.g., Front Opening Unified Pods (FOUPs)) docked at various load ports  125  of the factory interface  106 . A load/unload robot  128  (shown as dotted) may be used to transfer substrates  102  between the substrate carriers  126  and the process load lock apparatus  124 , as shown by arrows. Any conventional robot type may be used for the load/unload robot  128 . Transfers may be carried out in any order or direction. 
     As shown in  FIG. 1 , one or more conventional slit valves  130  may be provided at the entrance to each process chamber  114 ,  116 , and  118 . The process load lock apparatus  124  may include a first slit valve  132  on a first side adjacent to the factory interface  106 , and a second slit valve  134  on a second side adjacent to the transfer chamber  110 . Additional slit valves (not shown in  FIG. 1 ) may be provided for the load lock process chambers. 
     Again referring to  FIG. 1 , the robot  112  provided in the transfer chamber  110  may include a base adapted to be attached to a wall (e.g., a floor) of the section housing  108 . Robot  112  may include an upper arm  135  which, in the depicted embodiment, is a substantially rigid cantilever beam. The upper arm  135  may be adapted to be independently rotated about the shoulder axis in either a clockwise or counterclockwise rotational direction. The rotation about shoulder axis may be provided by any suitable motive member, such as upper arm drive motor that may be received in a motor housing (not shown) positioned outside of the transfer chamber  110 , such as a conventional variable reluctance or permanent magnet electric motor. The rotation of the upper arm  135  may be controlled by suitable commands to the upper arm drive motor from a controller  136 . In some embodiments, the motor housing and base may be made integral with one another. In other embodiments, the base may be made integral with the floor of the transfer chamber  110 . 
     Mounted and rotationally coupled at an outboard end of the upper arm  135 , at a radial position spaced from the shoulder axis, is a forearm  137 . Forearm  137  may be adapted to be rotated in an X-Y plane relative to the upper arm  135  about an elbow axis at the radial position. The forearm  137  may be independently rotatable in the X-Y plane relative to the base and the upper arm  135  by a forearm drive motor (not shown), which may be provided in a motor housing (also not shown). 
     Located on an outboard end of the forearm  137  at a position spaced from the elbow axis may be multiple wrist members  138 A,  138 B. Wrist members  138 A,  138 B may each be adapted for independent rotation in the X-Y plane relative to the forearm  137  about a wrist axis. Furthermore, the wrist members  138 A,  138 B are each adapted to couple to end effectors  140 A,  140 B (otherwise referred to as a “blades”), wherein the end effectors  140 A,  140 B are each adapted to carry and transport a substrate  102  during pick and/or place operations taking place in the process chambers  114 ,  116 ,  118 , load lock chambers  120 ,  122 , and the load lock process chambers. The end effectors  140 A,  140 B may be of any suitable construction. The end effectors  140 A,  140 B may be coupled to the wrist members  138 A,  138 B by any suitable means such as mechanical fastening, adhering, clamping, and the like. Optionally, the respective wrist members  138 A,  138 B and end effectors  140 A,  140 B may be coupled to each other by being formed as one integral piece. Rotation of each wrist member  138 A,  138 B may be imparted by wrist drive motors that may located in a motor housing (not shown) that may be outside of the transfer chamber  110 . 
     In the depicted embodiment, the end effectors  140 A,  140 B may be inserted into each process chamber  114 ,  116 ,  118  as well as into each load lock chamber  120 ,  122 . Likewise, end effectors  140 A,  140 B may be inserted into each process chamber of the process load lock apparatus  124 . This described robot is referred to as an off-axis robot because it has the capability of inserting and retracting along a line of action that is horizontally offset from the shoulder axis of the respective robot  112 . Other types of robots may be used to service such off-axis or twinned process chambers and load locks  120 ,  122  such as the robot taught in U.S. Pat. No. 5,855,681, for example. Other robots for servicing twinned chambers may be used. Further, it should be recognized that the process load lock apparatus  124  may be used with other types of mainframe sections. 
       FIG. 2  illustrates details of a representative process load lock apparatus  124  according to embodiments. Process load lock apparatus  124  includes a common body  242  of rigid material (e.g., aluminum) connectable to the factory interface  106  on a first side and to the section housing  108  of the mainframe section  104  on the other side, horizontally offset from the first side. Connection may be by way of a mechanical connection, such as by bolting or the like. The connection interfaces with the factory interface  106  and the section housing  108  may be sealed. The common body  242  may be one integral piece of material. 
     The process load lock apparatus  124  includes a load lock chamber  244  adapted to be locatable between, coupled to, and accessed from the transfer chamber  110  of the mainframe section  104  and also from the factory interface  106 . Load lock chamber  244  includes an entry  246  and an exit  248 , each having a respective slit valve  132 ,  134 . Entry and exit as used herein are not conclusively indicative of direction, and the entry  246  may function as an exit in some embodiments. Likewise, the exit  248  may function as an entry in some embodiments. Accordingly, substrates  102  may pass through the load lock chamber  244  in either direction. Slit valves  132 ,  134  may include any suitable slit valve construction, such as taught in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,173,938; 6,347,918; and 7,007,919. In some embodiments, the slit valves  132 ,  134  may be an L-motion slit valve, for example. 
     The load lock chamber  244  may be of conventional construction, and may include one or more supports  250  adapted to allow one or more substrates  102  (shown dotted) to be placed and supported thereon by robots  112 ,  128 , as well as removed therefrom by robots  112 ,  128  ( FIG. 1 ). Substrates  102  placed on the one or more supports  250  are accessible by each robot  112 ,  128  by extending the end effectors (e.g., end effectors  140 A,  140 B) and the end effectors of robot  128  (not shown) through the respective entry  246  and exit  248 . Supports  250  may be made of any suitable construction, such as pins, pedestals, slots, platforms, or the like. In some embodiments, a lift actuator  243  may be used to lift or lower the one or more supports  250  in the load lock chamber  244 . The load lock chamber  244  may include a cooling chill plate  244 C, and may include a vacuum pump connected thereto. 
     The process load lock apparatus  124  also includes a load lock process chamber  252 . Load lock process chamber  252  is located at a different vertical level than the load lock chamber  244 , wherein the load lock process chamber  252  is adapted to carry out a process on a substrate  102  that is placed therein by robot  112  in the depicted embodiment. In this manner, additional processing capability for the particular tool is provided at the load lock location, and substantial additional floor space is not needed to add the additional processing capability. 
     In some embodiments, a remote plasma source  256  may provide plasma in a supplied gas remotely. The plasma may be provided to a pre-chamber  251  via passage  249 , both of which may be a ceramic. Lid  251 L of pre-chamber  251  may be removable for servicing. A showerhead  247  may separate the pre-chamber  251  and the process chamber  252  and may include many small distribution passages that function to evenly distribute the plasma to the process chamber  252 . In some embodiments, the plasma may undergo an ion filtering process described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,658,802 to Fu et al. by providing one or more magnets  245  that act on the plasma in the passage  249 . 
     Z-axis capability may be provided on the robot  112  in order to service the load lock chamber  244 , the process chambers  114 ,  116 ,  118 , and the load lock process chamber  252 . Vertical Z-axis capability of up to about 200 mm may be provided by the robot  112 , and in some embodiments, a center-to-center vertical spacing between the load lock chamber  244  and the load lock process chamber  252  may be about 90 mm. Other dimension may be used. Process chambers  114 ,  116 ,  118  may be located at a same vertical level as the load lock chamber  244  or at a level in between the level of the load lock chamber  244  and the level of the load lock process chamber  252 , for example. Other chamber location options may be used. 
     In the depicted embodiment, the load lock process chamber  252  is arranged and positioned vertically above the load lock chamber  244 . In the depicted embodiment, the entryway is through an opening  254  communicating with the transfer chamber  110  of the mainframe section  104 . In the depicted embodiment, a slit valve  133  may seal the opening  254  of the load lock process chamber  252 . The slit valve  133  may be provided and may be of the type of slit valve discussed above. The load lock process chamber  252  may have a single opening  254  that is only accessible from the transfer chamber  110  in some embodiments. 
     The embodiment of  FIG. 3  provides an alternative embodiment of a process load lock apparatus  324  having a load lock chamber  344  and a load lock process chamber  352  located and positioned directly vertically above the load lock chamber  344 , but where multiple openings  354 A,  354 B are provided into the common body  342  of the load lock process chamber  352 . Slit valves  133 A,  133 B may be provided at each opening  354 A,  354 B. Thus, entry and exits  346 ,  348 , as well as openings  354 A and  354 B may be used to transfer substrates  102  through between the transfer chamber  110  and the factory interface  106 . Thus, pass-through capability is provided through the load lock process chamber  352  in the depicted embodiment. The load lock process chamber  352  has a first opening  354 A adapted to couple to and be accessible from the factory interface  106 , and a second opening  354 B adapted to couple to and be accessible from the transfer chamber  110  of the mainframe section  104 . Slit vales  333 A,  333 B may be provided at the first and second openings  354 A,  354 B. 
     Now referring to both  FIGS. 2 and 3 , the load lock process chambers  252 ,  352  may each include a pedestal  253 ,  353  upon which a substrate  102  to be processed may rest. The pedestal  253 ,  353  may be a stationary pedestal and may be heated in some embodiments, such as by a resistive heater formed therein (such as shown in  FIGS. 4D and 4E ). The load lock process chambers  252 ,  352  may carry out a process on the substrate  102 . In particular, the process carried out in the load lock process chambers  252 ,  352  may be at least one selected from a group of processes consisting of a deposition process, an oxidation process, a nitration process, an annealing process, an etching process, and a cleaning process. In other embodiments, the process carried out in the load lock process chambers  252 ,  352  may be an oxide removal process (e.g., a copper oxide removal process), or a halogen abatement process. In some embodiments, the process carried out is a plasma-assisted process. 
     For example, an abatement process for removal of halogen-containing residues may take place in the load lock process chambers  252 ,  352 . For example, abatement may be carried out to remove one or more of hydrogen bromide (HBr), chlorine (Cl 2 ), or carbon tetrafluoride (CF 4 ) from the substrate  102 . A suitable abatement process for removal of halogen-containing residues is taught in U.S. Pat. No. 8,293,016, for example, and may be carried out within the load lock process chambers  252 ,  352  according to some embodiments. 
     The pressure level in the load lock process chambers  252 ,  352  may be controlled, and in some instances evacuated by a coupled vacuum pump  255  (e.g., a turbo pump) to a suitable vacuum range suitable for carrying out the desired process. For example, the a base vacuum level may be maintained at a pressure of below about 1×10 −2  mTorr, whereas processing pressure may be maintained in the range of about sub 10 mTorr to about sub Torr level. Other vacuum pressures may be used. Thus, it should be recognized that the vacuum pump  255  may be connected to the load lock process chamber  252 ,  352 . A separate vacuum pump (not shown) may be pneumatically coupled to the load lock chambers  244 ,  344  and may produce a vacuum therein. In some embodiments, the vacuum pump for the load lock chamber  244 ,  344  may be the same as the vacuum pump for the process load lock chamber  252 ,  352 . 
     Additionally, one or more gases may be supplied to the load lock process chambers  252 ,  352  to carry out the desired process. Inert gasses, process gasses, or cleaning gases may be introduced. For example, inert gases such as nitrogen (N2), argon (Ar), or helium (He) may be introduced. Inert gases may be used as carrier gases in some embodiments. Similarly, cleaning or process gases such as Hydrogen (H 2 ), Ammonia (NH 3 ), Oxygen (O 2 ), ozone (O 3 ), and the like may be supplied to the load lock process chambers  252 ,  352 . Combinations of inert gases and cleaning or process gases may be supplied. 
     In another embodiment, a copper oxide removal process may take place in the load lock process chambers  252 ,  352 . A suitable copper oxide removal process is described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,656,840 to Rajagapalan et al. In some processes, a plasma source  256 , such as the remote plasma source shown, may be provided and coupled to the load lock process chambers  252 ,  352 , as will be explained further below. The other components of the  FIG. 3  embodiment are the same as described in  FIG. 2 . 
     Again referring to  FIG. 1 , electronic device processing system  100  may include more than one process load lock, such as one above each of the load lock chambers  120 ,  122 . In particular, the electronic device processing system  100  may comprise the first and second load lock processing chambers (e.g., see  452 A,  452 B of  FIG. 4I-4M ) above the load lock chambers  120 ,  122 , and arranged in a side-by-side arrangement. The two load lock processing chambers (e.g.,  452 A,  452 B) may be identical to that disclosed in  FIG. 2  or  FIG. 3 , and may be substantially identical mirror images of one another, as will be apparent from the following. 
       FIGS. 4A-4P  illustrates isometric and other views of another embodiment of the process load lock apparatus  424 . Process load lock apparatus  424  includes a common body  442  having slit valve assembly  432  operable with load lock chambers  444 A,  444 B of the factory interface side, and a separate slit valve (not shown) operable with the load lock process chambers  452 A,  452 B, which are accessible from the transfer chamber  110 . Exits from the load lock chambers  444 A,  444 B may be provided on the other side and coupled to transfer chamber  110 . As discussed above, the load lock process chambers  452 A,  452 B may be located directly above the load lock chambers  444 A,  444 B. As shown in  FIGS. 4A, 4B and 4M , plasma sources  456 A,  456 B may be coupled to each of the process chambers  452 A,  452 B. In the depicted embodiments, a gas (e.g., H 2 ) may be supplied at an inlet  458 A,  458 B to the remote plasma sources  456 A,  456 B. Distribution channel  449 A,  449 B couple the respective load lock process chambers  452 A,  452 B to the remote plasma sources  456 A,  456 B. 
     A suitable vacuum pump  455  and control valve  457  ( FIG. 4A ) may be provided underneath the common body  442  and may be used to generate a suitable vacuum within the various process chambers  452 A,  452 B for the particular process being carried out therein. Control valve  457  may be a VAT651 or the like. Vacuum pump may be a BOC Edwards ISO-200 Turbo pump or the like. Other control valves and vacuum pumps may be used. Vacuum levels as described above may be provided. As shown in  FIG. 4A , the slit valve assembly  432  is wide enough to seal both the first load lock chamber  444 A and the second load lock chamber  444 B simultaneously. In the  FIG. 4A  embodiment, the slit valve assembly  432  is shown in an open position. Similar slit valves are provided on the transfer chamber side  110  for the exits of the load lock chambers  444 A,  444 B and process chambers  452 A,  452 B. 
     Referring now to  FIGS. 4C and 4D , a pedestal  453  is shown in detail. The pedestal  453  may include a top plate  459 , which may be an aluminum material adapted to contact the substrate  102 . The pedestal  453  may include a support  460  underneath the top plate  459  (which may also be aluminum) and which may include an internal resistive heater having resistive elements laid out in grooves in the support element  460 . The resistive heater may heat the substrate  102  to a suitable processing temperature, such as between about 0 degrees C. and about 300 degrees C., or more. The power input cables to the resistive heater may extend horizontally in a channel  461  and then may extend vertically downward through a heater port  462  ( FIGS. 4E, 4F, 4G, 4I, and 4K ) formed in the common body  442 . Heater port  462  is offset from the center of the top plate  459 . A suitable sealed pass through  463  may hermetically seal with the heater ports  462 . Shown in the top plate  459  are multiple finger recesses  464  that are configured and adapted to receive fingers  471  (e.g., three or more fingers) below the surface thereof. The fingers  471  of a lift assembly  472  ( FIGS. 4N and 4O ) are adapted to contact and lift the substrate  102  during substrate exchange with the robot  112 . The fingers  471  may number three or more, for example. Fingers  471  may extend from a connecting portion, such as a lift frame  473  that is connected to the riser portion  470  by connection flange  467 . 
       FIG. 4E  illustrates the common body  442  showing the multiple cutouts  465 A,  465 B for forming the side-by-side load lock process chambers  452 A,  452 B ( FIGS. 4K, 4L, and 4M ). The common body  442  includes process chamber slots  454 A,  454 B located directly above load lock slots  448 A,  448 B. Slots  454 A,  454 B and  448 A,  448 B receive substrates  102  when loading and unloading. On a side of the cutouts adjacent to the ends of the common body  442 , lift passages  469  (see also  FIG. 4G ) are formed for accepting the riser portion  470  of the lift assembly  472  as described herein. The common body  442  includes cutout portions  465 A,  465 B forming portions of the load lock process chambers  452 A,  452 B that are arranged above the load lock chambers  444 A,  444 B, and the chamber top of the load lock chambers  444 A,  444 B and the chamber bottom of the load lock process chamber  452 A,  452 B are formed in the common body  442 . 
       FIG. 4F  illustrates a partial isometric view of the common body  442  including a slot exit  446  leading to and from the load lock chamber  444 B from the factory interface side. Also shown is a chamber port  476 B, which connects to a pump port  478 , which may be a rectangular shaped port on the underside of the common body  442 , as shown in  FIGS. 4G and 4H . 
       FIG. 4G  illustrates cutouts  480 A,  480 B forming parts of the load lock chambers  444 A,  444 B in the common body  442 . Pump port  478  connects to the chamber ports (e.g.,  476 A,  476 B) of each of the process chamber  452 A,  452 B. Chamber port  478  is adapted to couple to the vacuum pump  455  ( FIG. 4H ). Heater ports  462  carry the electrical cables of the heater formed in the support  460 . Lift passages  469  on respective ends of the common body  442  receive riser portions  470  of the lift assembly  472 . Body recesses  481  provide surfaces adapted for mounting of the lift actuators  482  ( FIGS. 4M and 4O ). Lift actuators  482  function to lift the riser portion  470 , which is interconnected to the fingers  471  thereby facilitating lifting of the substrate  102  during processing. 
       FIG. 4H  illustrates the connection of the vacuum pump  455  to the common body  442  by an adapter  483  that transitions from the rectangular shape of the pump port  478  to the round shape of the pump  455 . Also provided in the adapter  483  may be a high vacuum port  484  that is adapted to couple to a high vacuum pump (not shown) via conduits for processing requiring higher vacuum levels. Within the common body  442 , the pump port  478  interconnects internally to each of the load lock process chambers  452 A,  452 B. 
       FIGS. 4I and 4J  illustrate the common body  442  into which the process chambers  452 A,  452 B reside.  FIG. 4I  is a cross-sectioned view taken along section line  4 I- 4 I of  FIG. 4J  of the common body  442  and illustrates the interconnection and break out of the pump port  478  to the lower plenums of the chambers  452 A,  452 B. 
       FIG. 4K  illustrates a top view of the common body  442  into which the process chambers  452 A,  452 B reside. The cutouts  465 A,  465 B housing the chambers  452 A,  452 B have an elongated shape connecting to the heater port  462  and the lift passages  469 . Undercut regions  468 A,  468 B of the cutouts  465 A,  465 B break out into the pump port  478  and provide internal interconnection passages for evacuation. 
       FIGS. 4L, 4N, 4O and 4P  illustrate the lift assembly  472  in various views in accordance with another broad aspect of the invention capable of independent use. Lift assembly  472  includes a lift frame  473 , which may be a hoop-shaped frame of an aluminum material. The fingers  471  are coupled to the frame  473  and may be attached by suitable fasteners, such as screws or bolts, or made integral with the frame  473 . The fingers  471  support the substrate  102  (as shown in the left chamber  452 A) and when the lift actuator  482  is actuated to an upper position by the riser portion  470 , this positions the substrate  102  to allow the end effector  140 A of the robot  112  to extract the substrate  102  from the process chamber  452 A. Identical lift assemblies  472  operate with each process chamber  452 A,  452 B. 
     Mounted within the frame  473  is a containment ring  475 , which may be a quartz or alumina ring. The containment ring  475  may function to reduce the impact of the geometry of the process chamber slots  454 A,  454 B on the plasma process taking place within the load lock process chambers  452 A,  452 B, thus providing improved uniformity. The containment ring  475  extends between the pedestal  453  and the showerhead  247  and fills the vertical gap there between. A radial gap of about 3 mm may be provided between the periphery of the pedestal  453  and an inner diameter of the containment ring  475 . Other gaps may be used. Containment ring  475  may be annular in shape, and may rest in a pocket formed in the frame  473 . 
     As can be seen in  FIG. 4B , the containment ring  475  substantially surrounds the load lock process chamber  452 A when the plasma-assisted process is taking place in the load lock process chamber  452 A. An identical containment ring  475  may be provided in load lock process chamber  452 B. When the frame  473  is lifted via the action of the riser portion  470  via being actuated by lift actuator  482 , the containment ring  475  moves and is received in annular shaped upper pocket  477  ( FIG. 4B ) radially outward from the showerhead  247 . Accordingly, the ring  475  comprises a moveable containment ring. 
       FIG. 4M  illustrates a representative cross-section of the load lock apparatus  424  illustrating the process chambers  452 A,  452 B, the load lock chambers  444 A,  444 B, and other components. On load lock process chamber  452 B, the lift assembly  472  is shown positioned in the upper position for exchange. Note that the containment ring  475  is lifted above the process chamber slot  454 B so as not to impede substrate exchange in the load lock process chamber  452 B. The left load lock process chamber  452 A illustrates the lift assembly  472  in the lower position with the fingers  471  received through the finger recesses  464 . Lower lift assemblies  472  are also shown including bellows  466 , lower lift actuators  243 , supports  450 , and cool down platforms  444 C.  FIG. 4P  illustrates another representative view of the lift assembly  472  and other components. 
     As shown in  FIG. 5 , a method  500  of processing substrates (e.g., substrates  102 ) is provided. The method  500  includes, in  502 , providing a mainframe section (e.g., mainframe section  104 ) including a robot (e.g.,  112 ), and, in  504 , providing a factory interface (e.g., factory interface  106 ) adjacent to the mainframe section (e.g., mainframe section  104 ) adapted to receive substrates (e.g., substrates  102 ) from load ports (e.g., from substrate carriers  126  docked at load ports  125 ). The method  500  further includes, in  506 , providing a process load lock apparatus (e.g., process load lock apparatus  124 ,  324 , or  424 ) located between the mainframe (e.g., mainframe section  104 ) and the factory interface (factory interface  106 ), the process load lock apparatus (e.g., process load lock apparatus  124 ,  324 , or  424 ) having a load lock chamber (e.g., load lock chamber  120 ,  122 ,  244 ,  344 ,  444 A, or  444 B) coupled between the mainframe section (e.g., mainframe section  104 ) and the factory interface (e.g., factory interface  106 ), at a first level (e.g., a lower level), and a load lock process chamber (e.g.,  252 ,  352 ,  452 A, or  452 B) at a second different level (e.g., a level above the load lock chamber  120 ,  122 ,  244 ,  344 ,  444 A, or  444 B). 
     In  508 , the method  500  includes carrying out a process on a substrate (e.g., substrate  102 ) in the load lock process chamber (e.g.,  252 ,  3352 ,  452 A, or  452 B). The process carried out may be a plasma-assisted process, wherein RF pulses having a power of less than about 1,000 W are provided. For example, the process may be an oxide removal process, such as a copper oxide removal process. In some embodiments, the process carried out may be a deposition process, an oxidation process, a nitration process, an etching process, or an annealing process. In other embodiments, the process may be a pre-cleaning process including hydrogen radicals passing through a showerhead (e.g., showerhead  247 ). In other embodiments, the process may be a plasma-assisted abatement process. 
     In accordance with an operational embodiment of the invention, a substrate  102  may be transferred from a substrate carrier  126  docked at a load port  125  of the factory interface  106  by load/unload robot  128 . The substrate  102  may be placed in the load lock chamber (e.g.,  120 ,  122 ,  244 ,  344 , or  444 A,  444 B), the slit valve  132  closed, and the load lock chamber may be drawn down to the appropriate vacuum level of the transfer chamber  110  with a conventional vacuum pump not shown. The slit valve  134  may then be opened and the end effector  140 A of the robot  112  (only a portion shown) may then extract the substrate  102  from the load lock chamber (e.g.,  120 ,  122 ,  244 ,  344 , or  444 A,  444 B), and raise the end effector  140 A up to the level of the load lock process chamber (e.g.,  252 ,  352 ,  452 A,  452 B) where the substrate  102  is inserted on the lift assembly (e.g.,  272 ,  472 ) and then lowered onto the pedestal (e.g.,  253 ,  353 ,  453 ). This also brings the containment ring into alignment between the showerhead  247  and the pedestal (e.g.,  253 ,  353 ,  453 ). The slit valve  133  may then close, and a suitable vacuum for the process may be applied via vacuum pump  255 ,  455  through common pump port  478  formed in the common body (e.g.,  242 ,  342 ,  442 ). After the substrate  102  is heated via the pedestal  253 , 353 ,  453  to an appropriate temperature level for the particular process, the substrate  102  may undergo a plasma-assisted process wherein the plasma may be contained by the containment ring (e.g.,  475 ). Following this, slit valve  133  may be opened and the substrate  102  may be removed from the process chamber (e.g.,  252 ,  352 ,  452 A,  452 B) and may be transferred by robot  112  to undergo one or more additional processes at one or more of the other process chambers  114 ,  116 ,  118 . In some embodiments, the process at one or more of the process chambers (e.g.,  114 ,  116 ,  118 ) may take place first with subsequent transfer and processing at the process chamber (e.g.,  252 ,  352 ,  452 A,  452 B) thereafter. 
     The foregoing description discloses only exemplary embodiments of the invention. Modifications of the above-disclosed systems, apparatus and methods which fall within the scope of the invention will be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art. Accordingly, while the present invention has been disclosed in connection with exemplary embodiments thereof, it should be understood that other embodiments may fall within the scope of the invention, as defined by the following claims.