Atomic layer deposition reactor

• US 20050092249A1
• Filed: 11/18/2004
• Published: 05/05/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 08/15/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Ernst Granneman, Ivo Raaijmakers, Juhana Kostamo, Kai-Erik Elers, Olli Kilpela, Saanila Ville, Wei-Min Li
• Original Assignee: Ernst Granneman, Ivo Raaijmakers, Juhana Kostamo, Kai-Erik Elers, Olli Kilpela, Saanila Ville, Wei-Min Li
• Inventors: Kilpela, Olli, Raaijmakers, Ivo, Elers, Kai-Erik, Kostamo, Juhana, Li, Wei-Min, Granneman, Ernst, Saanila, Ville
• Application Number:
  US10/991,556
• Publication Number:
  US 20050092249A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 118/715
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/4412 Details relating to the exhausts, e.g. pumps, filters, scrubbers, particle traps
• 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 16/45514 Mixing in close vicinity to the substrate
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/45536 Use of plasma, radiation or electromagnetic fields
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/45544 characterized by the apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/45565 Shower nozzles
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/45589 Movable means, e.g. fans
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/507 using external electrodes, e.g. in tunnel type reactors
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/509 using internal electrodes

Abstract

Various reactors for growing thin films on a substrate by subjecting the substrate to alternately repeated surface reactions of vapor-phase reactants are disclosed. In one embodiment, the reactor comprises a reaction chamber. A showerhead plate divides the reaction chamber into upper and lower parts. A first precursor is directed towards the lower half of the reaction chamber and a second precursor is directed towards the upper half of the reaction chamber. The substrate is disposed within the lower half of the reaction chamber. The showerhead plate includes plurality passages such that the upper half is in communication with the lower half of the reaction chamber. In another arrangement, the upper half of the reaction chamber defines a plasma cavity in which in-situ radicals are formed. In yet another arrangement, the reaction chamber includes a shutter plate, which is configured to selectively open and close the passages in the showerhead plate. In other arrangements, the showerhead plate is arranged to modify the local flow patterns of the gases flowing through the reaction chamber.

Claims

1. A reactor configured to subject a substrate to alternately repeated surface reactions of vapor-phase reactants, comprising:

a reaction chamber that defines a reaction space;

a showerhead plate disposed within the reaction space and dividing the reaction space into a first part in which the substrate is positioned and a second part;

a first precursor source that is in communication with the first part of the reaction space such that first precursor from the first precursor source communicates directly with the substrate without flowing through the showerhead plate;

a second precursor source that is in communication with the second part of the reaction space such that second precursor from the second precursor source communicates with the substrate by flowing through the showerhead plate; and

the showerhead plate being configured to adjust in a horizontal direction the surface reactions on the substrate.

2. The reactor of claim 1, wherein the showerhead plate includes a first plate that defines, at least in part, a plurality passages that extend from the second part to the first part of the reaction chamber.

3. The reactor of claim 2, wherein the first plate has a variable thickness

4. The reactor of claim 2, comprising a shutter plate configured to selectively open and close the plurality passages of the first plate.

5. The reactor of claim 4, wherein the shutter plate includes a plurality passages that are geometrically offset form the plurality passages of the first plate.

6. The reactor of claim 4, wherein the showerhead plate has a variable thickness.

7. The reactor of claim 1, wherein the showerhead plate is a single integrally formed plate.

8. The reactor of claim 1, wherein the showerhead plate is configured to modify the flow conditions at a reaction surface of the substrate.

9. The reactor of claim 1, wherein the reactor include a plasma generating source and the second part of the reactor forms a plasma cavity for generating in-situ radicals.

10. The reactor of claim 9, wherein the plasma generating source is configured to create an inductively coupled plasma.

11. The reactor of claim 9, wherein the plasma generating source is configured to create a capacitively coupled plasma.

12. The reactor of claim 11, wherein the plasma generating source includes first electrode and a second electrode.

13. The reactor of claim 12, wherein the first electrode is positioned outside the reaction chamber and the showerhead is the second electrode.

14. The reactor of claim 12, wherein the first electrode is positioned inside the reaction chamber and the showerhead is the second electrode.

15-23. -23. (canceled)