Pulsed remote plasma method and system

• US 10,340,125 B2
• Filed: 09/22/2016
• Issued: 07/02/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/08/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ASM IP Holding B.V. (ASM International NV)
• Original Assignee: ASM IP Holding B.V. (ASM International NV)
• Inventors: Winkler, Jereld Lee
• Primary Examiner(s): Olsen, Allan W.
• Application Number:
  US15/273,488
• Publication Number:
  US 20170011889A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,013 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: B08B 7/0035 by radiant energy, e.g. UV, laser, light beam or the like
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/452 by activating reactive gas streams before their introduction into the reaction chamber, e.g. by ionisation or addition of reactive species
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/45536 Use of plasma, radiation or electromagnetic fields
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/45538 Plasma being used continuously during the ALD cycle
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/50 using electric discharges generation and control of plasma in discharge tubes for surface treatment H01J37/32, H01J37/34
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/507 using external electrodes, e.g. in tunnel type reactors
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 2237/332 Coating
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 2237/334 Etching
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 2237/335 Cleaning
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32357 Generation remote from the workpiece, e.g. down-stream
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32422 Arrangement for selecting ions or species in the plasma
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32449 Gas control, e.g. control of the gas flow
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32816 Pressure

Abstract

A system and method for providing pulsed excited species from a remote plasma unit to a reaction chamber are disclosed. The system includes a pressure control device to control a pressure at the remote plasma unit as reactive species from the remote plasma unit are pulsed to the reaction chamber.

Claims

1. A method for providing excited species to a reaction chamber of a reactor, the method comprising the steps of:

providing a first gas to a remote plasma unit;

using a pressure control device located between the remote plasma unit and a vacuum source and a control valve between the remote plasma unit and the reaction chamber, controlling a pressure of the remote plasma unit located upstream of the pressure control device;

forming a plasma in a remote plasma unit; and

pulsing first excited species to the reaction chamber, while maintaining steady-state conditions for the remote plasma unit, by switching a flow of the first excited species between the reaction chamber and a vacuum source using the control valve.

2. The method for providing excited species to a reaction chamber of a reactor of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

providing a second reactant to the remote plasma unit to form a second excited species; and

pulsing the second excited species to the reaction chamber.

3. The method for providing excited species to a reaction chamber of a reactor of claim 1, wherein the step of controlling a pressure of the remote plasma unit comprises using a closed-loop upstream pressure controller.

4. The method for providing excited species to a reaction chamber of a reactor of claim 1, wherein the step of forming a plasma in a remote plasma unit comprises forming a plasma using a unit selected from the group consisting of inductively couple plasma unit and microwave unit.

5. The method for providing excited species to a reaction chamber of a reactor of claim 1, wherein the step of pulsing the first excited species to the reaction chamber comprises controlling the control valve between the remote plasma unit and the reaction chamber.

6. The method for providing excited species to a reaction chamber of a reactor of claim 1, further comprising a step of depositing material onto a surface of a substrate.

7. The method for providing excited species to a reaction chamber of a reactor of claim 1, further comprising a step of etching a material on a surface of a substrate.

8. The method for providing excited species to a reaction chamber of a reactor of claim 1, further comprising a step of cleaning a surface of a substrate.

9. The method for providing excited species to a reaction chamber of a reactor of claim 1, further comprising a step of treating a surface of a substrate.

10. The method for providing excited species to a reaction chamber of a reactor of claim 1, further comprising a step of treating a surface of the reaction chamber.

11. The method for providing excited species to a reaction chamber of a reactor of claim 1, further comprising a step of cleaning a surface of the reaction chamber.

12. The method for providing excited species to a reaction chamber of a reactor of claim 1, further comprising providing a controller coupled to pressure control device.

13. The method for providing excited species to a reaction chamber of a reactor of claim 12, wherein the controller is further coupled to the control valve.

14. The method for providing excited species to a reaction chamber of a reactor of claim 1, further comprising a step of purging the reaction chamber.