Patent•
Gas distribution apparatus for semiconductor processing
12 Jun 2000-
TL;DR: In this paper, a gas distribution system for uniformly or non-uniformly distributing gas across the surface of a semiconductor substrate is described, which includes a support plate and a showerhead.
Abstract: A gas distribution system for uniformly or non-uniformly distributing gas across the surface of a semiconductor substrate. The gas distribution system includes a support plate and a showerhead which are secured together to define a gas distribution chamber therebetween. A baffle assembly including one or more baffle plates is located within the gas distribution chamber. The baffle arrangement includes a first gas supply supplying process gas to a central portion of the baffle chamber and a second gas supply supplying a second process gas to a peripheral region of the baffle chamber. Because the pressure of the gas is greater at locations closer to the outlets of the first and second gas supplies, the gas pressure at the backside of the showerhead can be made more uniform than in the case with a single gas supply. In one arrangement, the first and second gas supplies open into a plenum between a top baffle plate and a temperature controlled support member wherein the plenum is divided into the central and peripheral regions by an O-ring. In a second arrangement, the first gas supply opens into the central region above an upper baffle plate and the second gas supply opens into the periphery of a plenum between the upper baffle plate and a lower baffle plate.
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16 Feb 2005TL;DR: In this article, a bypass pipe is connected between the mechanical booster pump and the rest vacuum pumps located at a downstream side of the booster pump to prevent the exhaust gas from diffusing back to the inside of a process chamber.
Abstract: Process gas discharged from a bypass pipe to a gas exhaust system can be prevented from diffusing back to the inside of a process chamber without having to install a dedicated vacuum pump at the downstream side of the bypass pipe. The substrate processing apparatus includes a process chamber accommodating a substrate, a gas supply system supplying process gas from a process gas source to the process chamber for processing the substrate, a gas exhaust system configured to exhaust the process chamber, two or more vacuum pumps installed in series at the gas exhaust system, and a bypass pipe connected between the gas supply system and the gas exhaust system. The most upstream one of the vacuum pumps is a mechanical booster pump, and the bypass pipe is connected between the mechanical booster pump and the rest vacuum pumps located at a downstream side of the mechanical booster pump.
644 citations
Patent•
06 Nov 2006TL;DR: In this article, a lid assembly for conducting a vapor deposition process within a process chamber is provided which includes an insulation cap and a plasma screen, and the insulation cap may be positioned on top of the plasma screen to form a centralized gas region with the expanded channel and a circular gas regions with the groove.
Abstract: Embodiments of the invention provide an apparatus configured to form a material during an atomic layer deposition (ALD) process, such as a plasma-enhanced ALD (PE-ALD) process. In one embodiment, a lid assembly for conducting a vapor deposition process within a process chamber is provided which includes an insulation cap and a plasma screen. In one example, the insulation cap has a centralized channel configured to flow a first process gas from an upper surface to an expanded channel and an outer channel configured to flow a second process gas from an upper surface to a groove which is encircling the expanded channel. In one example, the plasma screen has an upper surface containing an inner area with a plurality of holes and an outer area with a plurality of slots. The insulation cap may be positioned on top of the plasma screen to form a centralized gas region with the expanded channel and a circular gas region with the groove.
426 citations
Patent•
22 Apr 2005TL;DR: In this paper, a gas distribution system for supplying different gas compositions to a chamber, such as a plasma processing chamber of a plasma-processing apparatus is provided, which can include a gas supply section, a flow control section and a switching section.
Abstract: A gas distribution system for supplying different gas compositions to a chamber, such as a plasma processing chamber of a plasma processing apparatus is provided. The gas distribution system can include a gas supply section, a flow control section and a switching section. The gas supply section provides first and second gases, typically gas mixtures, to the flow control section, which controls the flows of the first and second gases to the chamber. The chamber can include multiple zones, and the flow control section can supply the first and second gases to the multiple zones at desired flow ratios of the gases. The gas distribution system can continuously supply the first and second gases to the switching section and the switching section is operable to switch the flows of the first and second gases, such that one of the first and second process gases is supplied to the chamber while the other of the first and second gases is supplied to a by-pass line, and then to switch the gas flows. The switching section preferably includes fast switching valves operable to quickly open and close to allow fast switching of the first and second gases, preferably without the occurrence of undesirable pressure surges or flow instabilities in the flow of either gas.
346 citations
Patent•
16 Oct 2007TL;DR: In this paper, a method and apparatus for chemical vapor deposition and/or hydride vapor phase epitaxial (HVPE) deposition is described, where a metal organic chemical vapour deposition (MOCVD) process is used to deposit a Group III-nitride film on a plurality of substrates.
Abstract: A method and apparatus that may be utilized for chemical vapor deposition and/or hydride vapor phase epitaxial (HVPE) deposition are provided. In one embodiment, a metal organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) process is used to deposit a Group III-nitride film on a plurality of substrates. A Group III precursor, such as trimethyl gallium, trimethyl aluminum or trimethyl indium and a nitrogen-containing precursor, such as ammonia, are separately delivered to a plurality of concentric gas injection ports. The precursor gases are injected into mixing zones where the gases are mixed before entering a processing volume containing the substrates.
277 citations
Patent•
21 Apr 2000TL;DR: In this paper, a method and apparatus for enhancing the etch characteristics of a plasma formed in a remote plasma generator is presented. But this method is not suitable for the etching of silicon oxide glass.
Abstract: A method and apparatus for enhancing the etch characteristics of a plasma formed in a remote plasma generator. A plasma formed in a remote plasma generator ( 27 ) is flown through a tube ( 62 ) to a plenum ( 60 ) where it is diluted to form a plasma mixture before flowing the plasma mixture into a processing chamber ( 15 ). The plasma mixture is used to clean deposits from the interior surfaces of the processing chamber, or can be used to perform an etch step on a process wafer within the processing chamber. In one embodiment, a plasma formed from NF 3 is diluted with N 2 to etch residue from the surfaces of a processing chamber used to deposit silicon oxide glass. Diluting the plasma increased the etching rate and made the etching rate more uniform across the diameter of the processing chamber.
266 citations
References
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18 Apr 1996TL;DR: In this paper, a metal CVD apparatus has a raw gas passage and a reduction gas passage for independently and respectively supplying the raw gas and the reduction gas into a process chamber.
Abstract: A shower head of a metal CVD apparatus has a raw gas passage and a reduction gas passage for independently and respectively supplying a raw gas and a reduction gas into a process chamber. The shower head includes upper, middle and lower blocks which are formed independently of each other. Each of the raw gas passage and the reduction gas passage is branched from the upper block to the lower block. A coolant passage is formed in the lower block near supply outlets of the raw gas and the reduction gas for cooling the supply outlets. A heater is arranged in the upper and middle blocks for heating the raw gas passage.
484 citations
Patent•
18 May 1979
TL;DR: In this article, a plasma reactor is proposed to provide improved uniformity of etching and having a totally active reaction volume, where the reaction takes place only between the electrodes; there is no inactive space surrounding the electrodes to fill with plasma.
Abstract: A plasma reactor apparatus providing improved uniformity of etching and having a totally active reaction volume. The reactor apparatus is comprised of two electrically separated electrodes which bound a reaction volume. The topmost electrode functions as both a gas distribution manifold for uniformly injecting reactant gases into the reaction volume and as an exhaust manifold for uniformly withdrawing reaction products from the reaction volume. The two electrodes are so configured that the plasma reaction takes place only between the electrodes; there is no inactive space surrounding the electrodes to fill with plasma. The configuration is thus conservative of both reactants and energy. The bottommost plate which serves as a workpiece holder is movable with respect to the upper plate to permit loading and unloading of workpieces. The uppermost plate is the active RF electrode while the workpiece holder is maintained at a RF ground potential. The uppermost plate has a larger electrode area which effectively imposes a dc offset to the RF field which enhances the uniformity of the etching and decreases the undesirable spread of undercut etching.
429 citations
Patent•
12 Jul 1994TL;DR: In this paper, an RF inductively coupled plasma reactor including a vacuum chamber for processing a wafer, one or more gas sources for introducing into the chamber reactant gases, and an antenna capable of radiating RF energy into the cavity to generate a plasma therein by inductive coupling is described.
Abstract: The disclosure relates to an RF inductively coupled plasma reactor including a vacuum chamber (102) for processing a wafer (82), one or more gas sources (98, 100) for introducing into the chamber reactant gases, and an antenna (80) capable of radiating RF energy into the chamber to generate a plasma therein by inductive coupling, the antenna lying in a two-dimensionally curved surface. In another embodiment a plasma reactor includes apparatus for spaying a reactant gas at a supersonic velocity toward the portion of the chamber overlying the wafer. In a further embodiment a plasma reactor includes a planar spray showerhead for spraying a reactant gas into the portion of the chamber overlying the wafer with plural spray nozzle openings facing the wafer, and plural magnets in an interior portion of the planar spray nozzle between adjacent ones of the plural nozzle openings, the plural magnets being oriented so as to repel ions from the spray nozzle openings.
337 citations
Patent•
12 Aug 1988TL;DR: An inlet manifold for a vacuum deposition chamber incorporates inlet apertures which increase in diameter or cross-section transverse to the direction of gas flow, which increases the dissociation gases such as nitrogen and thus increases the rate of silicon nitride deposition provided by nitrogen gas chemistry, without requiring the use of reactants such as ammonia as discussed by the authors.
Abstract: An inlet gas manifold for a vacuum deposition chamber incorporates inlet apertures which increase in diameter or cross-section transverse to the direction of gas flow. The aperture configuration increases the dissociation gases such as nitrogen and, thus increases the rate of silicon nitride deposition provided by nitrogen gas chemistry, without requiring the use of reactants such as ammonia. While one could use ammonia in the deposition gas chemistry if desired, the process provides the option of completely eliminating ammonia. The inlet manifold containing the increasing-diameter gas inlet holes provides enhanced control of the process and the deposited film, and is also useful for forming other dielectrics such as silicon oxide and silicon oxynitride. In particular, silicon oxynitride films are characterized by low hydrogen content and by compositional uniformity.
321 citations
Patent•
14 Jun 1990TL;DR: In this article, a microwave generator is used to lead a microwave into a plasma CVD chamber through a waveguide, where the CVD gas leads into the plasma generating chamber through the gas leading inlets.
Abstract: Disclosed is a plasma CVD apparatus and a method therefor, the apparatus comprising: a microwave generating portion; a coaxial cavity resonator for making a microwave supplied from the microwave generating portion resonate; a plurality of gas leading inlets provided in under portions of an axis of the cavity resonator and in peripheral wall portions of the cavity resonator for leading-in a supplied CVD gas; and a plasma generating chamber in which the CVD gas lead into the plasma generating chamber through the gas leading inlets and made to flow uniformly onto a surface of a substrate is subject to the microwave made intensive through resonance in the cavity resonator and radiated through a coupling plate so that uniform plasma is generated to thereby form a thin film on the surface of the substrate. Further disclosed is a plasma processing apparatus and a method therefor, the apparatus comprising; a plasma chamber for maintaining plasma generated in the inside of the plasma chamber so as to perform plasma processing; a first microwave accumulating and intensifying cavity resonance chamber connected with the plasma chamber through a first slot plate; a second microwave accumulating and intensifying cavity resonance chamber connected with the first cavity resonance chamber through a second slot plate parallel to the first slot plate; and a microwave generator for leading a microwave into the second cavity resonance chamber through a waveguide.
306 citations