Apparatus and method for the deposition of silicon nitride films

• US 20060102076A1
• Filed: 10/07/2005
• Published: 05/18/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/25/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Applied Materials Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Applied Materials Incorporated
• Inventors: Seutter, Sean M., Tam, Alexander, Iyer, R. Suryanarayanan, Tran, Binh, Smith, Jacob W., Wilson, James K.
• Application Number:
  US11/245,758
• Publication Number:
  US 20060102076A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 118/715
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/345 Silicon nitride
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/4412 Details relating to the exhausts, e.g. pumps, filters, scrubbers, particle traps
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/45565 Shower nozzles
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/4557 Heated nozzles

Abstract

A method and apparatus for a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) chamber provides uniform heat distribution, uniform distribution of process chemicals in the CVD chamber, and minimization of by-product and condensate residue in the chamber. The improvements include a processing chamber comprising a chamber body, a base, and a chamber lid defining a processing region, a substrate support disposed in the processing region, a gas delivery system mounted on a chamber lid, the gas delivery system comprising an adapter ring and two blocker plates that define a gas mixing region, and a face plate fastened to the adapter ring, an exhaust system mounted at the base, a heating element positioned to heat the adapter ring; and a heating element positioned to heat a portion of the exhaust system.

Claims

1. An apparatus for deposition of a film on a semiconductor substrate, comprising;

a chamber wall, a base, and a chamber lid defining a processing region;

a substrate support disposed in the processing region;

a gas delivery system mounted on a chamber lid, the gas delivery system comprising an adapter ring and one or more blocker plates that define a gas mixing region, and a face plate fastened to the adapter ring;

an exhaust system mounted at the base;

a heating element positioned to heat the adapter ring; and

a heating element positioned to heat a portion of the exhaust system.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein one of the blocker plates is fastened to the chamber lid and the other blocker plate is fastened to the adapter ring.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the gas delivery system further comprises a divert line in communication with the exhaust system.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a slit valve liner positioned in a slit valve channel in the chamber body.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising an exhaust pumping plate surrounding the substrate support and a cover plate on the exhaust pumping plate, wherein the cover plate has optimized, non-uniformly distributed holes.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a vaporizer in fluid communication with the mixing region.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, further comprising a heating element configured to provide heat to the vaporizer.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the exhaust system comprises a ball valve and a throttle valve.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, further comprising an ISO valve and a spool piece.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, further comprising a convection gauge.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, further comprising a clean/vent line in communication with the ISO valve.

12. The apparatus of claim 8, further comprising heating elements to supply heat to the ball valve and the throttle valve.

13. The apparatus of claim 9, further comprising heating elements to supply heat to the ISO valve and the spool piece.

14. The apparatus of claim 11, further comprising heating elements to supply heat to the clean/vent line.

15. A method for deposition of a film on a semiconductor substrate, comprising:

providing a purge gas to a remote plasma generator;

flowing the purge gas to a gas delivery system;

providing precursor gas to a remote plasma generator while continuously providing the purge gas to the remote plasma generator;

flowing both precursor gas and purge gas to a gas delivery system;

stopping the providing the precursor gas to the remote plasma generator while continuing to provide the purge gas to the remote plasma generator.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the purge gas is selected from the group consisting of nitrogen, argon, helium, or hydrogen.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the flow of purge gas is about 1 to about 2 slm.