ALD apparatus and method
First Claim
Patent Images
1. An atomic layer deposition system, comprising:
- an atomic layer deposition chamber (“
deposition chamber”
), said deposition chamber comprising a substrate holder and a heater;
a draw-gas introduction chamber (“
DGIC”
);
a deposition-chamber flow restriction element (“
FRE”
) in serial fluidic communication between said deposition chamber and said DGIC;
a draw-gas source;
a draw-source shut-off valve in serial fluidic communication between said draw-gas source and said DGIC;
a draw-source-FRE in serial fluidic communication between said draw-gas source and said DGIC;
a draw control chamber;
a DGIC-FRE in serial fluidic communication between said DGIC and said draw control chamber;
a draw-control outlet in serial fluidic communication with said draw control chamber;
a vacuum pump in serial fluidic communication with said draw-control outlet;
a draw-control FRE in serial fluidic communication between said draw-control outlet and said vacuum pump;
a plurality of chemical-gas sources;
a plurality of booster chambers, each booster chamber being in serial fluidic communication with one of said chemical-gas sources;
a plurality of chemical-source-FREs, each chemical-source-FRE being in serial fluidic communication between one of said chemical-gas sources and one of said booster chambers;
a plurality of chemical-dosage shut-off valves, each chemical-dosage shut-off valve being in serial fluidic communication between one of said booster chambers and said deposition chamber;
a plurality of booster-FREs, each booster-FRE being in serial fluidic communication between one of said booster chambers and said deposition chamber;
a purge-gas source;
a purge-source shut-off valve in serial fluidic communication between said purge-gas source and said deposition chamber; and
a purge-source-FRE in serial fluidic communication between said purge-gas source and said deposition chamber.
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Abstract
An apparatus and method for atomic layer deposition with improved efficiency of both chemical dose and purge is presented. The apparatus includes an integrated equipment and procedure for chamber maintenance.
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Citations
86 Claims
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1. An atomic layer deposition system, comprising:
-
an atomic layer deposition chamber (“
deposition chamber”
), said deposition chamber comprising a substrate holder and a heater;
a draw-gas introduction chamber (“
DGIC”
);
a deposition-chamber flow restriction element (“
FRE”
) in serial fluidic communication between said deposition chamber and said DGIC;
a draw-gas source;
a draw-source shut-off valve in serial fluidic communication between said draw-gas source and said DGIC;
a draw-source-FRE in serial fluidic communication between said draw-gas source and said DGIC;
a draw control chamber;
a DGIC-FRE in serial fluidic communication between said DGIC and said draw control chamber;
a draw-control outlet in serial fluidic communication with said draw control chamber;
a vacuum pump in serial fluidic communication with said draw-control outlet;
a draw-control FRE in serial fluidic communication between said draw-control outlet and said vacuum pump;
a plurality of chemical-gas sources;
a plurality of booster chambers, each booster chamber being in serial fluidic communication with one of said chemical-gas sources;
a plurality of chemical-source-FREs, each chemical-source-FRE being in serial fluidic communication between one of said chemical-gas sources and one of said booster chambers;
a plurality of chemical-dosage shut-off valves, each chemical-dosage shut-off valve being in serial fluidic communication between one of said booster chambers and said deposition chamber;
a plurality of booster-FREs, each booster-FRE being in serial fluidic communication between one of said booster chambers and said deposition chamber;
a purge-gas source;
a purge-source shut-off valve in serial fluidic communication between said purge-gas source and said deposition chamber; and
a purge-source-FRE in serial fluidic communication between said purge-gas source and said deposition chamber. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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25. An apparatus for modulating flow, draw, and pressure of gas in a process chamber, comprising:
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a process chamber;
a process-gas conduit connected to said process chamber, said process-gas conduit configured for controlling a flow rate of gas into said process chamber;
a draw control chamber, said draw control chamber configured for a flow of draw gas;
a process-chamber FRE, said process-chamber FRE in serial fluidic communication between said process chamber and said draw control chamber;
a draw exhaust line in serial fluidic communication with said draw control chamber;
and a draw-control FRE in serial fluidic communication between said draw control chamber and said draw exhaust line. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47)
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48. A method of conducting atomic layer deposition, comprising, in the sequence set forth:
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conducting a first chemical dosage stage, said first chemical dosage stage comprising flowing a first chemical reactant gas through a deposition chamber at a selected first-dosage flow rate and at an independently selected first-dosage pressure;
conducting a first purge stage by flowing a first purge gas through said deposition chamber at a selected first purge flow rate and at an independently selected first purge pressure;
conducting a second chemical dosage stage, said second chemical dosage stage comprising flowing a second chemical reactant gas through said deposition chamber at a selected second-dosage flow rate and at an independently selected second-dosage pressure; and
conducting a second purge stage by flowing a second purge gas through said deposition chamber at a selected second purge flow rate and at an independently selected second purge pressure. - View Dependent Claims (49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75)
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76. A perimeter slot valve in a process vessel having a process-vessel wall comprising:
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a substrate-transport slot through said process-vessel wall;
a continuous perimeter cavity within said process-vessel wall;
a continuous perimeter-sealing poppet; and
an actuator for moving said sealing poppet between an open position and a closed position;
wherein said sealing poppet is moved into said perimeter cavity in said closed position, said sealing poppet is moved out of said perimeter cavity in said open position, said- substrate-transport slot is substantially coplanar with a substrate-supporting surface of said substrate holder, said perimeter cavity is substantially coplanar with said substrate-transport slot, said substrate-transport slot defines a substrate-transport channel through said process-vessel wall to said substrate holder when said sealing poppet is in said open position, and said sealing poppet separates said substrate-transport slot from said vessel interior when said sealing poppet is in said closed position. - View Dependent Claims (77, 78, 79, 80, 81)
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82. A method for controlling pressure in a process chamber, comprising:
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flowing a process gas into a process chamber; and
flowing a draw-control gas into a draw control chamber, said draw control chamber being in serial fluidic communication with said process chamber, thereby controlling a draw pressure downstream from said process chamber. - View Dependent Claims (83, 84, 85)
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86. A gas distribution device comprising:
a nozzle array, said nozzle array comprising a plurality of nozzles having aspect ratios not less than 1.5.
Specification