Chamber hardware design for titanium nitride atomic layer deposition

• US 20030116087A1
• Filed: 12/21/2001
• Published: 06/26/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Applied Materials Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Applied Materials Incorporated
• Inventors: Xi, Ming, Itoh, Toshio, Lei, Lawrence Chung-Lai, Seutter, Sean M., Yang, Michael X., Yuan, Xiaoxiong, Nguyen, Anh N., Chiao, Steve H.
• Application Number:
  US10/032,293
• Publication Number:
  US 20030116087A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 118/715
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/34 Nitrides C23C16/303 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/4411 Cooling of the reaction chamber walls C23C16/45572 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/45544 characterized by the apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/45565 Shower nozzles
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/4557 Heated nozzles
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/45574 Nozzles for more than one gas

Abstract

A lid assembly and a method for ALD is provided. In one aspect, the lid assembly includes a lid plate having an upper and lower surface, a manifold block disposed on the upper surface having one or more cooling channels formed therein, and one or more valves disposed on the manifold block. The lid assembly also includes a distribution plate disposed on the lower surface having a plurality of apertures and one or more openings formed there-through, and at least two isolated flow paths formed within the lid plate, manifold block, and distribution plate. A first flow path of the at least two isolated flow paths is in fluid communication with the one or more openings and a second flow path of the at least two isolated flow paths is in fluid communication with the plurality of apertures.

Claims

12. A processing chamber, comprising;

a chamber body;

a support pedestal disposed within the chamber body; and

a lid assembly disposed on the chamber body, the lid assembly, comprising;

a lid plate having an upper and lower surface;

a manifold block disposed on the upper surface having one or more cooling channels formed therein;

one or more valves disposed on the manifold block; and

a distribution plate disposed on the lower surface having a plurality of apertures and one or more openings formed there-through; and

at least two isolated flow paths formed within the lid plate, manifold block, and distribution plate;

wherein a first flow path of the at least two isolated flow paths is in fluid communication with a first valve of the one or more valves and the one or more openings and a second flow path of the at least two isolated flow paths is in fluid communication with a second valve of the one or more valves and the plurality of apertures.

1. A lid assembly for a processing system, comprising:

a lid plate having an upper and lower surface;

a manifold block disposed on the upper surface having one or more cooling channels formed therein;

one or more valves disposed on the manifold block; and

a distribution plate disposed on the lower surface having a plurality of apertures and one or more openings formed there-through; and

at least two isolated flow paths formed within the lid plate, manifold block, and distribution plate;

wherein a first flow path of the at least two isolated flow paths is in fluid communication with the one or more openings and a second flow path of the at least two isolated flow paths is in fluid communication with the plurality of apertures.

2. The lid assembly of claim 1, further comprising a heater disposed on the upper surface of the lid plate.

3. The lid assembly of claim 1, wherein the one or more valves are each three-way valves and simultaneously deliver a purge gas and a precursor gas to either the first flow path or the second flow path.

4. The lid assembly of claim 1, wherein the plurality of apertures are disposed about the one or more openings.

5. The lid assembly of claim 1, wherein the first flow path is a centrally located flow channel at least partially disposed within the lid plate having a gradually increasing cross-sectional area that resembles an inverted v-shape.

6. The lid assembly of claim 1, wherein the lower surface of the lid plate is at least partially recessed to define a cavity when the distribution plate is disposed on the lid plate.

7. The lid assembly of claim 6, wherein the cavity is a fixed volume contained by at least one inner o-ring and at least one outer o-ring disposed on the inner surface of the lid plate.

8. The lid assembly of claim 7, wherein the plurality of apertures are in fluid communication with the cavity.

9. The lid assembly of claim 1, further comprising a dispersion plate disposed adjacent the one or more openings.

10. The lid assembly of claim 9, wherein the dispersion plate re-directs a velocity profile of a process gas flowing through the first flow path.

11. The lid assembly of claim 10, wherein the velocity profile is re-directed to be at least partially non-orthogonal to a workpiece surface.

13. The lid assembly of claim 12, further comprising a heater disposed on the upper surface of the lid plate.

14. The lid assembly of claim 12, wherein the one or more valves are each three-way valves and simultaneously deliver a purge gas and a precursor gas to either the first flow path or the second flow path.

15. The lid assembly of claim 12, wherein the plurality of apertures are disposed about the one or more openings.

16. The lid assembly of claim 12, wherein the first flow path is a centrally located flow channel at least partially disposed within the lid plate having a gradually increasing cross-sectional area that resembles an inverted v-shape.

17. The lid assembly of claim 12, wherein the lower surface of the lid plate is at least partially recessed to define a cavity when the distribution plate is disposed on the lid plate.

18. The lid assembly of claim 17, wherein the cavity is a fixed volume contained by at least one inner o-ring and at least one outer o-ring disposed on the inner surface of the lid plate.

19. The lid assembly of claim 18, wherein the plurality of apertures are in fluid communication with the cavity.

20. The lid assembly of claim 12, further comprising a dispersion plate disposed adjacent the one or more openings.

21. The lid assembly of claim 20, wherein the dispersion plate re-directs a velocity profile of a process gas flowing through the first flow path.

22. The lid assembly of claim 21, wherein the velocity profile is re-directed to be at least partially non-orthogonal to a workpiece surface.

23. A method for depositing a nitride film on a semiconductor workpiece, comprising:

flowing a first process gas and a first purge gas into a processing chamber; and

flowing a second process gas and a second purge gas into a processing chamber,

wherein the processing chamber comprises;

a lid plate having an upper and lower surface;

a manifold block disposed on the upper surface having one or more cooling channels formed therein;

one or more valves disposed on the manifold block; and

a distribution plate disposed on the lower surface having a plurality of apertures and one or more openings formed there-through; and

at least two isolated flow paths formed within the lid plate, manifold block, and distribution plate;

wherein a first flow path of the at least two isolated flow paths is in fluid communication with the one or more openings and a second flow path of the at least two isolated flow paths is in fluid communication with the plurality of apertures.

24. The method of claim 21, wherein the first process gas is titanium tetrachloride.

25. The method of claim 21, wherein the second process gas is selected from the group consisting of ammonia, hydrazine, monomethyl hydrazine, dimethyl hydrazine, t-butylhydrazine, phenylhydrazine, 2,2′

-azoisobutane, ethylazide, nitrogen, and combinations thereof.

26. The method of claim 21, wherein the second process gas is ammonia.

27. The method of claim 21, wherein the first process gas is titanium tetrachloride and the second process gas is ammonia.

28. The method of claim 21, wherein the purge gas comprises argon, helium, hydrogen, nitrogen, or combinations thereof.

29. The method of claim 21, wherein the workpiece is a semiconductor wafer.

22-1. The method of claim 21, wherein the first process gas is selected from the group consisting of titanium tetrachloride, tungsten hexafluoride, tantalum pentachloride, titanium iodide, and titanium bromide.

23-2. The method of claim 21, wherein the first process gas is selected from the group consisting of tetrakis(dimethylamido)titanium, pentakis(dimethylamido) tantalum, tetrakis(diethylamido)titanium, tungsten hexacarbonyl, tungsten hexachloride, tetrakis(diethylamido) titanium, and pentakis(diethylamido)tantalum.

30. The method of claim 31, wherein the second process gas flows through the plurality of apertures and the first process gas flows through the one or more openings.