Reaction system for growing a thin film

• US 20050241176A1
• Filed: 10/29/2004
• Published: 11/03/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/29/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ASM IP Holding B.V. (ASM International NV)
• Original Assignee: Eric J. Shero, Mohith E. Verghese
• Inventors: Shero, Eric J., Verghese, Mohith E.
• Granted Patent: US 7,020,981 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 34/443
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/4412 Details relating to the exhausts, e.g. pumps, filters, scrubbers, particle traps
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/45548 having arrangements for gas injection at different locations of the reactor for each ALD half-reaction
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/45591 Fixed means, e.g. wings, baffles
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67017 Apparatus for fluid treatment H01L21/67126, H01L21/6715 take precedence

Abstract

A reactor defines a reaction chamber for processing a substrate. The reactor comprises a first inlet for providing a first reactant and to the reaction chamber and a second inlet for a second reactant to the reaction chamber. A first exhaust outlet removes gases from the reaction chamber. A second exhaust outlet removes gases from the reaction chamber. A flow control system is configured to alternately constrict flow through the first and second exhaust outlets. The reactor chamber is configured to for a diffusion barrier within the reaction chamber.

Claims

1. A reactor that defines a reaction chamber for processing a substrate, the reactor comprising:

A first inlet for providing a first reactant and to the reaction chamber;

A second inlet for a second reactant to the reaction chamber;

A first exhaust outlet for removing gases from the reaction chamber;

A second exhaust outlet for removing gases from the reaction chamber;

A flow control system configured to alternately constrict flow through the first and second exhaust outlets

Wherein a first flow restriction divides the first inlet and first exhaust outlet from the reaction chamber and a second flow restriction divides the second inlet and the second exhaust outlet from the reaction chamber and wherein the reactor is configured such that when the first exhaust outlet is in an un-constricted condition and the second exhaust outlet is in a constriction condition, flow from the second inlet is directed through the reaction chamber, over the substrate to the first exhaust outlet and forms a diffusion barrier at least partially within the first flow restriction between the first inlet and the substrate.

2. The reactor as in claim 1, wherein the reactor is configured such that when the first exhaust outlet is in a restricted condition and the second exhaust outlet is in an un-restricted condition, flow from the first inlet is directed through the reaction chamber, over the substrate and into the second exhaust outlet and forms a diffusion barrier between the second inlet and the substrate.

3. The reactor as in claim 1, wherein the reactor is an ALD reactor.

4. The reactor as in claim 1, wherein the first inlet and first outlet are positioned on one side of the reactor and the second inlet and the second outlet are on another side of the reactor.

5. The reactor as in claim 4, wherein the first inlet and first outlet are on an opposite side of the reactor from the second inlet and the second outlet.

6. The reactor as in claim 5, wherein the first inlet is positioned substantially above the first outlet.

7. The reactor as in claim 6, wherein the diffusion barrier is positioned, at least partially, in the first flow restriction

8. The reactor as in claim 1, wherein the first and second exhaust outlets are in communication with a common exhaust line.

9. The reactor as in claim 8, wherein a valve provided to selectively bias the flow of exhaust from the first and second exhaust outlets to the common exhaust line.

10. The reactor as in claim 9, wherein the first and second exhaust outlets each include flow restrictions for increasing the velocity of fluid flowing through the first and second outlets respectively.

11. A method for growing thin films onto a surface of a substrate by exposing the substrate to alternately repeated surface reactions of vapor-phase reactants, the method comprising:

providing a reactor having a reaction chamber, a first inlet, a second inlet, a first exhaust outlet and a second exhaust outlet;

during a first reactant pulse, (i) feeding a first reactant stream through the reaction chamber via the first inlet while a fraction of the first reactant stream is allowed to by-pass a substrate in the reaction chamber by exiting via the first exhaust outlet (ii) feeding an inactive gas into the second exhaust outlet through the second inlet and (iii) withdrawing the first reactant stream from the reaction chamber through the second exhaust outlet; and

during a removal process, (i) feeding inactive gas into the reaction chamber via the second inlet while inactive gas is fed into the first exhaust outlet through the first inlet and (ii) withdrawing the inactive gas from the reaction chamber via the first outlet to form a diffusion barrier between the first inlet and the substrate positioned within the reaction chamber.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

during a second reactant pulse, (i) feeding a second reactant stream through the reaction chamber via the second inlet while a fraction of the second reactant stream is allowed to by-pass the substrate in the reaction chamber by exiting via the second exhaust outlet (ii) feeding an inactive gas into the first exhaust outlet through the first inlet and (iii) withdrawing the second reactant stream from the reaction chamber through the first exhaust outlet.

13. The method of claim 12, during a second removal process, (i) feeding inactive gas into the reaction chamber via the first inlet while inactive gas is fed into the second exhaust outlet through the second inlet and (ii) withdrawing the inactive gas from the reaction chamber via the second outlet to form a diffusion barrier between the second inlet and the substrate positioned within the reaction chamber.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the step of feeding a first reactant stream through the reaction chamber via the first inlet while a fraction of the first reactant stream is allowed to by-pass a substrate in the reaction chamber by exiting via the first exhaust outlet comprises by-passing about 10% to about 25% of the first reactant stream.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the removal process further comprises (i) feeding an inactive gas into the reaction chamber via the first inlet while inactive gas is fed into the second exhaust outlet through the second inlet and (ii) a withdrawing the inactive gas from the reaction chamber via the second outlet.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein the steps of:

(i) feeding an inactive gas into the reaction chamber via the first inlet while inactive gas is fed into the second exhaust outlet through the second inlet and (ii) a withdrawing the inactive gas from the reaction chamber via the second outlet occur before the steps of;

(i) feeding inactive gas into the reaction chamber via the second inlet while inactive gas is fed into the first exhaust outlet through the first inlet and (ii) withdrawing the inactive gas from the reaction chamber via the first outlet to form a diffusion barrier between the first inlet and the substrate positioned within the reaction chamber.

17. A method for growing thin films onto a surface of a substrate by exposing the substrate to alternately repeated surface reactions of vapor-phase reactants, the method comprising:

providing a reactor having a reaction chamber, a first inlet, a second inlet, a first exhaust outlet and a second exhaust outlet;

during a first reactant pulse, (i) feeding a first reactant stream through the reaction chamber via the first inlet while a fraction of the first reactant stream is allowed to by-pass a substrate in the reaction chamber by exiting via the first exhaust outlet (ii) feeding an inactive gas into the second exhaust outlet through the second inlet and (iii) withdrawing the first reactant stream from the reaction chamber through the second exhaust outlet; and

during a removal process, (i) feeding inactive gas into the reaction chamber via the first inlet while inactive gas is fed into the second exhaust outlet through the second inlet and (ii) withdrawing the inactive gas from the reaction chamber via the second exhaust outlet to form a diffusion barrier between the second inlet and the substrate positioned within the reaction chamber.

18. A method for processing a substrate using atomic layer deposition, the method comprising:

providing a reaction chamber including a first reactant inlet port, a second reactant inlet port, a first exhaust outlet port, and a second exhaust outlet port;

loading a substrate into the reaction chamber;

injecting a first reactant into the reaction chamber through the first reactant inlet port and over the substrate in a first direction;

withdrawing the first reactant from the reaction chamber through the second exhaust port;

injecting a purging gas through the second reactant inlet port and over the substrate in a second direction;

withdrawing the purging gas from the reaction chamber through the first exhaust port;

injecting a second reactant into the reaction chamber through the second reactant port and over the substrate in the second direction; and

withdrawing the second reactant from the reaction chamber through the first exhaust port.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the step of injecting a first reactant into the reaction chamber includes by-passing about 10% to about 25% of the first reactant stream into the first exhaust port.

20. A substrate processing system, comprising:

a reactor including a reaction chamber, a first inlet port, a second inlet port, a first exhaust port, a second exhaust port, a first flow restriction dividing the reaction chamber from the first inlet port and the first exhaust port and a second flow restriction dividing the reaction chamber form the second inlet port and the second exhaust port;

wherein the first inlet port and the second exhaust port cooperate to provide gas flow in the reaction chamber in a first direction forming a diffusion barrier in the second flow restriction between the second inlet port and the reaction chamber; and

wherein the second inlet port and the first exhaust port cooperate to provide gas flow in a second direction forming a diffusion barrier in the first flow restriction between the first inlet port and the reaction chamber.

21. The substrate processing system of claim 20, wherein the first and second directions are substantially opposite or each other.

22. A method for processing a substrate using atomic layer deposition, the method comprising:

in a first reactant pulse, directing the flow of a first reactant into a reaction chamber and over a substrate in a first direction;

in a purging pulse, directing a purging gas into the reaction chamber and over the substrate in a second direction;

in a second reactant pulse, directing a second reactant into the reaction chamber and over the substrate in the second direction; and

in a second purging pulse, directing the purging gas into the reaction chamber and over the substrate in the first direction.

23. A method of processing a substrate, comprising:

providing a reactor including a reaction chamber, a first inlet port, a second inlet port, a first exhaust port, a second exhaust port, and a first flow restriction dividing the reaction chamber from the first inlet port and the first exhaust port and a second flow restriction dividing the reaction chamber form the second inlet port and the second exhaust port;

directing a second reactant into the reaction chamber through the second inlet port and forming a diffusion barrier between the first inlet port and the reaction chamber in the first flow restriction; and

directing a first reactant into the reaction chamber through the first inlet port and forming a diffusion barrier between the second inlet port and the reaction chamber in the second flow restriction.