Vapor deposition systems and methods

• US 20060021573A1
• Filed: 06/27/2005
• Published: 02/02/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Veeco Instruments Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Cambridge NanoTech Incorporated (Veeco Instruments Incorporated)
• Inventors: Becker, Jill S., Monsma, Douwe J.
• Granted Patent: US 8,202,575 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 118/715
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2258/0216 from CVD treatment or semi-conductor manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 53/0407 Constructional details of adsorbing systems
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/44 characterised by the method of coating C23C16/04 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/4412 Details relating to the exhausts, e.g. pumps, filters, scrubbers, particle traps
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/45525 Atomic layer deposition [ALD]
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/45544 characterized by the apparatus

Abstract

Vapor deposition systems and methods associated with the same are provided. The systems may be designed to include features that can promote high quality deposition; simplify manufacture, modification and use; as well as, reduce the footprint of the system, amongst other advantages.

Claims

1. An atomic layer deposition system comprising:

a reaction chamber designed to enclose a substrate, the reaction chamber having a top surface, a bottom surface and a sidewall between the top and bottom surfaces;

a first precursor supply connected to a precursor port formed in the bottom surface; and

a second precursor supply connected to a precursor port formed in the bottom surface,

wherein an outlet port is formed in the bottom surface.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the first precursor supply and the second precursor supply are connected to the same precursor port formed in the bottom surface.

3. The system of claim 2, further comprising a manifold including an outlet connected to the precursor port and a first inlet connected to the first precursor supply via a first supply line and a second inlet connected to the second precursor supply via a second supply line.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the first precursor supply and the second precursor supply are respectively connected to a first precursor port and a second precursor port formed in the bottom surface.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein a precursor port formed in the bottom surface is on a substantially opposite side of the substrate as the outlet port.

6. The system of claim 1, further comprising a first supply line attached to an outlet of the first precursor supply and fluidly connected to a precursor port formed in the bottom surface and a second supply line attached to an outlet of the second precursor supply and fluidly connected to a precursor port formed in the bottom surface.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the first supply line and the second supply line extend vertically in a substantially straight line from the first precursor supply and the second precursor supply.

8. The system of claim 6, further comprising a first heater associated with the first supply line and a second heater associated with the second supply line.

9. The system of claim 6, further comprising a first pulse valve associated with the first supply line and a second pulse valve associated with the second supply line.

10. The system of claim 1, further comprising an inert gas supply connected to a port formed in the bottom surface.

11. The system of claim 1, further comprising a vacuum pump connected to the outlet port formed in the bottom surface.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the outlet port is connected to the vacuum pump via a pumping line that extends vertically from the pump in a substantially straight line.

13. The system of claim 11, further comprising a trap positioned between the reaction chamber and a vacuum gauge.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein the trap is positioned, at least in part, in the outlet port.

15. The system of claim 1, further comprising a trap constructed and arranged in a flow path of gaseous species from the reaction chamber, wherein a majority of the surface area of the trap is substantially parallel to flow of gaseous species through the trap.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the trap is designed such that a precursor deposition distance along a length of the trap may be determined by a user by eye and is correlated to the precursor overdose.

17. The system of claim 1, wherein the top surface and the sidewall are free of ports.

18. The system of claim 1, wherein each precursor supply is connected to a precursor port formed in the bottom surface.

19. The system of claim 1, further comprising a cabinet enclosing the first precursor supply and the second precursor supply, wherein the reaction chamber is positioned above a top surface of the cabinet.

20. The system of claim 1, wherein the reaction chamber is designed to enclose a single substrate.

21. The system of claim 1, further comprising a first heater external of the reaction chamber constructed and arranged to heat the substrate.

22. The system of claim 21, further comprising a second heater extending around a perimeter of the reaction chamber to heat components of the reaction chamber independently from the first heater.

23. The system of claim 1, wherein the top surface and the sidewall are free of heaters.

24. The system of claim 1, further comprising a lid that defines the top surface.

25. The system of claim 1, wherein the reaction chamber includes an O-ring groove including a rounded bottom corner and an O-ring supporting edge lower than a top of the sidewall of the reactor.

26. An atomic layer deposition system comprising:

a reaction chamber designed to enclose a substrate, the reaction chamber having a top surface, a bottom surface and a sidewall between the top and bottom surfaces;

a first precursor supply connected to a precursor port formed in the bottom surface; and

a second precursor supply connected to the precursor port formed in the bottom surface.

27. The system of claim 26, further comprising a manifold including an outlet connected to the precursor port and a first inlet connected to the first precursor supply via a first supply line and a second inlet connected to the second precursor supply via a second supply line.

28. The system of claim 27, further comprising a first pulse valve associated with the first supply line and a second pulse valve associated with the second supply line.

29. The system of claim 26, further comprising an outlet port formed in the bottom surface.

30. The system of claim 29, wherein the precursor port formed in the bottom surface is on a substantially opposite side of the substrate as the outlet port.

31. The system of claim 29, wherein the outlet port is connected to a vacuum pump.

32. The system of claim 31, further comprising a trap positioned between the reaction chamber and a vacuum gauge.

33. The system of claim 32, wherein the trap is positioned, at least in part, in the outlet port.

34. The system of claim 26, further comprising a trap constructed and arranged in a flow path of gaseous species from the reaction chamber, wherein a majority of the surface area of the trap is substantially parallel to flow of gaseous species through the trap.

35. The system of claim 34, wherein the trap is designed such that a precursor deposition distance along a length of the trap may be determined by a user by eye and is correlated to the precursor overdose.

36. The system of claim 26, wherein the top surface and the sidewall are free of ports.

37. The system of claim 26, wherein the top surface and sidewalls are free of heaters.

38. The system of claim 26, further comprising a cabinet enclosing the first precursor supply and the second precursor supply, wherein the reaction chamber is positioned above a top surface of the cabinet

39. The system of claim 26, wherein the reaction chamber is designed to enclose a single substrate.

40. The system of claim 26, wherein the reaction chamber is designed to enclose multiple substrates.

41. An atomic layer deposition process comprising:

positioning a substrate in a reaction chamber having a top surface, a bottom surface and a sidewall between the top and bottom surfaces;

introducing a first precursor into the reaction chamber through a precursor port formed in the bottom surface;

removing gaseous species through an outlet port formed in the bottom surface;

introducing a second precursor in to the reaction chamber through a precursor port formed in the bottom surface; and

removing gaseous species through the outlet port formed in the bottom surface.

42. The process of claim 41, further comprising introducing an inert gas into the reaction chamber.

43. The process of claim 41, wherein introducing the first precursor comprises pulsing the first precursor and introducing the second precursor comprises pulsing the second precursor.

44. The process of claim 43, wherein a layer of the first precursor is deposited on the substrate by pulsing the first precursor and a layer of the second precursor is deposited on the monolayer of the first precursor by pulsing the second precursor, the first precursor and the second precursor reacting to form a layer comprising a compound.

45. The process of claim 43, further comprising repeating the steps of pulsing the first precursor and pulsing the second precursor.

46. The process of claim 41, wherein the first precursor and the second precursor are introduced through the same precursor port.

47. The process of claim 41, wherein the gaseous species includes unreacted precursor and reaction product.

48. The process of claim 48, further comprising depositing unreacted precursor in a trap positioned between the outlet port and a vacuum gauge, wherein a majority of the surface area of the trap is substantially parallel to flow of gaseous species through the trap.

49. The process of claim 48, further comprising observing by eye a precursor deposition distance along a length of the trap to determine information related to precursor overdose.

50. A trap designed for use in a vapor deposition system to trap gaseous species, wherein a majority of the surface area of the trap is substantially parallel to flow of gaseous species through the trap.

51. The trap of claim 50, wherein the trap includes a corrugated surface.

52. The trap of claim 51, wherein the trap is a coil assembly including a flat foil portion assembled with a corrugated thin foil portion.

53. The trap of claim 50, wherein the trap is designed such that a precursor deposition distance along a length of the trap may be determined by a user by eye and is correlated to a precursor overdose.

54. The trap of claim 50, wherein at least 75% of the surface area of the trap is substantially parallel to flow of gaseous species through the trap.

55. The trap of claim 50, wherein at least 95% of the surface area of the trap is substantially parallel to flow of gaseous species through the trap.

56. The trap of claim 50, wherein substantially all of the surface area of the trap is substantially parallel to flow of gaseous species through the trap.

57. The trap of claim 50, wherein the trap is designed to be positioned between an outlet port and a vacuum gauge of the deposition system.

58. The trap of claim 50, wherein the trap is formed of non-porous material.

59. The trap of claim 50, wherein the system is an atomic layer deposition system.

60. The trap of claim 50, wherein the trap is designed to trap unreacted precursor.