Gas distribution system for improved transient phase deposition

• US 20060113038A1
• Filed: 05/04/2005
• Published: 06/01/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/29/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Applied Materials Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Applied Materials Incorporated
• Inventors: Rasheed, Muhammad M., Duncan, Robert, Gondhalekar, Sudhir, Salimian, Siamak, Geoffrion, Bruno, Gujer, Rudolf, Whitesell, Harry Smith, Krishnaraj, Padmanabhan
• Granted Patent: US 7,722,737 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 156/345.330
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/4558 Perforated rings

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention are directed to a gas distribution system which distributes the gas more uniformly into a process chamber. In one embodiment, a gas distribution system comprises a gas ring including an outer surface and an inner surface, and a gas inlet disposed at the outer surface of the gas ring. The gas inlet is fluidicly coupled with a first channel which is disposed between the outer surface and the inner surface of the gas ring. A plurality of gas outlets are distributed over the inner surface of the gas ring, and are fluidicly coupled with a second channel which is disposed between the outer surface and the inner surface of the gas ring. A plurality of orifices are fluidicly coupled between the first channel and the second channel. The plurality of orifices are spaced from the gas inlet by a plurality of distances, and have sizes which vary with the distances from the gas inlet as measured along the first channel, such that the size of the orifice increases with an increase in the distance between the orifice and the gas inlet as measured along the first channel.

Claims

1. A gas distribution system comprising:

a gas ring including an outer surface and an inner surface;

a gas inlet disposed at the outer surface of the gas ring, the gas inlet being fluidicly coupled with a first channel which is disposed between the outer surface and the inner surface of the gas ring;

a plurality of gas outlets distributed over the inner surface of the gas ring, the plurality of gas outlets being fluidicly coupled with a second channel which is disposed between the outer surface and the inner surface of the gas ring; and

a plurality of orifices fluidicly coupled between the first channel and the second channel, the plurality of orifices being spaced from the gas inlet by a plurality of distances, the orifices having sizes which vary with the distances from the gas inlet as measured along the first channel, such that the size of the orifice increases with an increase in the distance between the orifice and the gas inlet as measured along the first channel.

2. The gas distribution system of claim 1 wherein the plurality of orifices are substantially uniformly spaced along a circumference of the first channel.

3. The gas distribution system of claim 1 wherein the second channel extends 360°

around the inner surface of the gas ring.

4. The gas distribution system of claim 3 wherein the first channel extends less than 360°

partially around the inner surface of the gas ring with two first channel ends spaced from one another.

5. The gas distribution system of claim 4 wherein the gas inlet is coupled with the first channel at a location which is approximately midway between the two first channel ends in distance as measured along the first channel, and wherein the plurality of orifices comprise an even number of orifices which is greater than two.

6. The gas distribution system of claim 5 wherein the plurality of orifices are substantially symmetrically disposed with respect to a line passing through the gas inlet and a center of a circumference of the first channel.

7. The gas distribution system of claim 6 wherein six orifices are distributed along the circumference of the first channel.

8. In an apparatus for processing a semiconductor substrate by flowing a process gas into a chamber and causing a reaction of the process gas in the chamber, a gas distribution system for directing a flow of the process gas into the chamber, the gas distribution system comprising:

a gas ring including an outer periphery and an inner periphery;

a gas inlet disposed at the outer periphery of the gas ring, the gas inlet being fluidicly coupled with a first channel which is disposed between the outer periphery and the inner periphery of the gas ring; and

a plurality of gas outlets distributed over the inner periphery of the gas ring, the plurality of gas outlets being fluidicly coupled with a second channel which is disposed between the outer periphery and the inner periphery of the gas ring;

wherein the first channel is fluidicly coupled with the second channel at a plurality of locations via a plurality of openings which are spaced from the gas inlet by a plurality of distances, the openings having different sizes to provide a substantially uniform gas distribution via the gas outlets during a transient period when a gas is initially introduced into the gas ring.

9. The gas distribution system of claim 8 wherein the sizes of the openings vary with the distances from the gas inlet as measured along the first channel, such that the size of the opening increases with an increase in the distance between the opening and the gas inlet as measured along the first channel.

10. The gas distribution system of claim 8 wherein the plurality of openings are substantially symmetrically disposed with respect to a line passing through the gas inlet and a center of a circumference of the first channel.

11. The gas distribution system of claim 8 wherein the plurality of openings comprise an even number of openings which is greater than two, and wherein none of the openings lie on the line passing through the gas inlet and the center of the circumference of the first channel.

12. The gas distribution system of claim 8 wherein the plurality of openings are substantially uniformly spaced along the circumference of the first channel.

13. A method of distributing a gas flowing into a chamber for processing a substrate, the method comprising:

providing a gas ring including an outer surface and an inner surface, a first channel disposed between the outer surface and the inner surface, and a second channel disposed between the outer surface and the inner surface, the first channel being fluidicly coupled with the second channel via a plurality of orifices; and

introducing a gas into the gas ring via a gas inlet disposed at the outer surface of the gas ring, the gas flowing via the gas inlet into the first channel through the plurality of orifices into the second channel and through a plurality of gas outlets which are fluidicly coupled with the second channel, and into the chamber;

wherein the plurality of orifices are spaced from the gas inlet by a plurality of distances, wherein the orifices have different sizes to provide a substantially uniform distribution of the gas into the chamber via the gas outlets during a transient period when the gas is initially introduced into the gas ring.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the sizes of the openings vary with the distances from the gas inlet as measured along the first channel, such that the size of the opening increases with an increase in the distance between the opening and the gas inlet as measured along the first channel.

15. The method of claim 13 wherein the plurality of orifices are substantially symmetrically disposed with respect to a line passing through the gas inlet and a center of a circumference of the first channel.

16. The method of claim 13 wherein the plurality of orifices comprise an even number of orifices which is greater than two, and wherein none of the orifices lie on the line passing through the gas inlet and the center of the circumference of the first channel.

17. The method of claim 13 wherein the plurality of orifices are substantially uniformly spaced along the circumference of the first channel.

18. The method of claim 13 wherein the gas comprises a silicon-source gas.

19. The method of claim 13 wherein the gas is reacted inside the chamber to form a lining layer on the substrate.

20. The method of claim 13 wherein the gas is reacted inside the chamber by applying a plasma in the chamber.