Patent ID: 7485190

Claim:
A substrate processing system comprising: a processing chamber in fluid communication with an oxidant source; a thermal chuck configured to be maintained at a constant temperature while loading, processing and unloading a plurality of wafers in sequence; a support structure configured to support a substrate and being coupled to a motion control system configured to selectively vary a distance between a top surface of the thermal chuck and a bottom surface of the substrate between a plurality of discrete positions; and an automatic control system programmed to, in sequence, lower the substrate to a first position in proximity to the chuck, raise a temperature of the substrate at the first position, raise the substrate to a second position, introduce an oxidant into the chamber while the substrate is at the second position, and process the substrate with the oxidant while the substrate is at the second position, wherein the automatic control system is further programmed to, in sequence: reduce a chamber pressure, wherein the chamber pressure is reduced before lowering the substrate to the first position; maintain the substrate at the first position in proximity to the chuck until the substrate temperature reaches a first temperature before raising the substrate to the second position, wherein the second position is above the chuck; and perform a first processing step with the oxidant after raising the substrate; wherein the automatic control system is further programmed to change the chamber pressure to an intermediate pressure between a lower process pressure and a higher load/unload pressure before lowering the substrate into the first position in proximity with the chuck.