Gas delivery apparatus for atomic layer deposition

• US 20030121608A1
• Filed: 10/25/2002
• Published: 07/03/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/26/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Applied Materials Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Applied Materials Incorporated
• Inventors: Chang, Mei, Chung, Hua, Chen, Ling, Ku, Vincent, Ouye, Alan, Wu, Dien-Yeh, Nakashima, Norman
• Granted Patent: US 7,780,785 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 156/345.33
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/34 Nitrides C23C16/303 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/4404 Coatings or surface treatment on the inside of the reaction chamber or on parts thereof
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/4411 Cooling of the reaction chamber walls C23C16/45572 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/45504 Laminar flow
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/45508 Radial flow
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/45512 Premixing before introduction in the reaction chamber
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/45525 Atomic layer deposition [ALD]
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/45544 characterized by the apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/45563 Gas nozzles
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/45582 Expansion of gas before it reaches the substrate
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/28562 Selective deposition
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/76841 Barrier, adhesion or liner layers
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/76843 formed in openings in a dielectric
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/76846 Layer combinations
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/76871 Layers specifically deposited to enhance or enable the nucleation of further layers, i.e. seed layers
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/0396 Involving pressure control

Abstract

An apparatus and method for performing a cyclical layer deposition process, such as atomic layer deposition is provided. In one aspect, the apparatus includes a substrate support having a substrate receiving surface, and a chamber lid comprising a tapered passageway extending from a central portion of the chamber lid and a bottom surface extending from the passageway to a peripheral portion of the chamber lid, the bottom surface shaped and sized to substantially cover the substrate receiving surface. The apparatus also includes one or more valves coupled to the gradually expanding channel, and one or more gas sources coupled to each valve.

Claims

1. A chamber, comprising:

a substrate support having a substrate receiving surface;

a chamber lid comprising a gradually expanding passageway extending downwardly from a central portion of the chamber lid and a bottom surface extending from the passageway to a peripheral portion of the chamber lid, the bottom surface shaped and sized to substantially cover the substrate receiving surface;

one or more valves in fluid communication with the gradually expanding passageways; and

one or more gas sources in fluid communication with each valve.

2. The chamber of claim 1, further comprising one or more gas conduits fluidly connecting the one or more valves and the passageway and disposed normal to a longitudinal axis of the passageway.

3. The chamber of claim 2, wherein the one or more gas conduits are disposed at an angle to the longitudinal axis of the passageway.

4. The chamber of claim 1, wherein the bottom surface of the chamber lid comprises a tapered surface extending from the central portion of the covering member, the tapered surface comprising a surface selected from the group consisting of a straight surface, a concave surface, a convex surface, or combinations thereof.

5. The chamber of claim 1, wherein the passageway is shaped as a truncated cone.

6. The chamber of claim 1, wherein the passageway comprises an upper portion and a lower portion, the upper portion having a smaller inner diameter than the lower portion.

7. The chamber of claim 1, wherein a common purge gas source is coupled to each valve and wherein separate reactant gas sources are coupled to each valve.

8. The chamber of claim 1, further comprising a choke disposed on the chamber lid adjacent a perimeter of the bottom surface.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the cross-sectional area of the reaction zone is substantially uniform from the passageway to the periphery of the reaction zone.

14. The chamber of claim 9, wherein the one or more valves is mounted on the chamber lid.

15. The chamber of claim 9, wherein the one or more valves is mounted below the chamber body.

16. The chamber of claim 9, further comprising a canister adapted to hold a tantalum containing compound, the canister being at a temperature between about 60°

C. and about 70°

C.

10. A chamber, comprising:

a substrate support having a substrate receiving surface;

a chamber lid comprising an expanding channel extending from a central portion of the chamber lid and comprising a tapered bottom surface extending from the expanding channel to a peripheral portion of the chamber lid;

one or more gas conduits disposed around an upper portion of the expanding channel, wherein the one or more gas conduits are disposed at an angle from a center of the expanding channel;

one or more valves coupled to the gradually expanding channel; and

a choke disposed on the chamber lid adjacent a perimeter of the tapered bottom surface.

11. The chamber of claim 10, wherein the one or more gas conduits are disposed normal to a longitudinal axis of the expanding channel.

12. The chamber of claim 10, wherein the one or more gas conduits are disposed at an angle to a longitudinal axis of the expanding channel.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the cross-sectional area of the reaction zone is substantially uniform from the passageway to the periphery of the reaction zone.

17. A method of delivering gases to a substrate in a substrate processing chamber, comprising:

providing one or more gases into the substrate processing chamber in an initial circular direction over a central portion of the substrate;

reducing the velocity of the gases through non-adiabatic expansion;

providing the gases to a central portion of the substrate; and

directing the gases radially across the substrate from the central portion of the substrate to a peripheral portion of the substrate at a substantially uniform velocity.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein a substantially uniform velocity comprises a ratio of a maximum velocity over a minimum velocity of about 2.0 or less.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising providing the gases toward a central portion of the substrate in a downwardly flow path at a second velocity, wherein the second velocity is less than the first velocity.

20. The method of claim 17, further comprising providing the gases from the edge of the substrate in a radial direction at a third velocity, wherein the third velocity is greater than the substantially uniform velocity.