APPARATUS AND PROCESS FOR PLASMA-ENHANCED ATOMIC LAYER DEPOSITION

• US 20070119371A1
• Filed: 11/06/2006
• Published: 05/31/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/04/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Applied Materials Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Applied Materials Incorporated
• Inventors: Shah, Kavita, Ganguli, Seshadri, Marcadal, Christophe, Wu, Dien-Yeh, MA, PAUL, Wu, Frederick, Chu, Schubert
• Application Number:
  US11/556,752
• Publication Number:
  US 20070119371A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 118/723.E
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/18 from metallo-organic compounds
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/45536 Use of plasma, radiation or electromagnetic fields
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/45542 Plasma being used non-continuously during the ALD reactions
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/45544 characterized by the apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/45553 characterized by the use of precursors specially adapted for ALD
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/45563 Gas nozzles
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/45565 Shower nozzles
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/509 using internal electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/5096 Flat-bed apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32082 Radio frequency generated discharge H01J37/32357, H01J37/32366, H01J37/32394 and H01J37/32403 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/3244 Gas supply means
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32449 Gas control, e.g. control of the gas flow
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32522 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32623 Mechanical discharge control means
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32633 Baffles
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/28562 Selective deposition
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/76844 Bottomless liners
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/76846 Layer combinations
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/76873 for electroplating
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2221/1089 Stacks of seed layers
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00 : Indexing scheme for arrangements or methods for connecting or disconnecting semiconductor or solid-state bodies as covered by H01L24/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/0002 : Not covered by any one of groups H01L24/00, H01L24/00 and H01L2224/00

Abstract

Embodiments of the invention provide an apparatus configured to form a material during an atomic layer deposition (ALD) process, such as a plasma-enhanced ALD (PE-ALD) process. In one embodiment, a lid assembly is configured to expose a substrate to a sequence of gases and plasmas during a PE-ALD process. The lid assembly comprises components that are capable of being electrically insulated, electrically grounded or RF energized. In one example, the lid assembly comprises a grounded gas manifold assembly positioned above electrically insulated components, such as an insulation cap, a plasma screen insert and an isolation ring. A showerhead, a plasma baffle and a water box are positioned between the insulated components and become RF hot when activated by a plasma generator. Other embodiments of the invention provide deposition processes to form layers of materials within the process chamber.

Claims

1. A lid assembly for processing substrates within a process chamber, comprising:

a showerhead assembly having an inner region and an outer region;

a plasma screen disposed above the showerhead assembly and configured to direct a first process gas to the inner region and a second process gas to the outer region;

a first gas region located above the inner region of the showerhead assembly and between the showerhead assembly and the plasma screen; and

a second gas region located above the outer region of the showerhead assembly.

2. The lid assembly of claim 1, wherein the inner region of the showerhead assembly comprises a plasma baffle.

3. The lid assembly of claim 2, wherein the plasma baffle comprises a plurality of slots for distributing the first process gas through the showerhead assembly.

4. The lid assembly of claim 3, wherein each of the slots is positioned at a predetermined injection angle relative to a vertical axis passing through a center of the inner region, and the predetermined injection angle is within a range from about 20°

to about 70°

.

5. The lid assembly of claim 4, wherein the range is from about 40°

to about 50°

.

6. The lid assembly of claim 1, further comprising a cooling assembly positioned on the showerhead assembly.

7. The lid assembly of claim 6, wherein the second gas region is located between the cooling assembly and the showerhead assembly.

8. The lid assembly of claim 7, wherein the cooling assembly comprises a plurality of passageways to provide fluid communication from the plasma screen to the second gas region.

9. The lid assembly of claim 1, wherein the plasma screen comprises an electrically insulating material, and the plasma screen comprises an inner area for receiving the first process gas and an outer area for receiving the second process gas.

10. The lid assembly of claim 9, wherein the inner area of the plasma screen comprises a plurality of holes for directing the first process gas.

11. The lid assembly of claim 10, wherein the inner area further comprises a zone free of the plurality of holes.

12. The lid assembly of claim 11, wherein a first flow pattern of the first process gas is directed with a line-of-sight to the zone.

13. The lid assembly of claim 12, wherein the line-of-sight of the first flow pattern is obscured with the plurality of holes.

14. The lid assembly of claim 9, wherein the outer area of the plasma screen comprises a plurality of slots for directing the second process gas.

15. The lid assembly of claim 14, wherein the plurality of slots are perpendicular or substantially perpendicular to a plurality of holes within the first area of the plasma screen.

16. The lid assembly of claim 1, wherein the showerhead assembly has a bottom surface to substantially cover a substrate receiving surface within a process chamber.

17. The lid assembly of claim 16, wherein the outer region comprises a plurality of holes for distributing a second process gas through the showerhead assembly.

18. The lid assembly of claim 17, wherein the plurality of holes have at least about 1,000 holes or more.

19. The lid assembly of claim 18, wherein the plurality of holes have at least about 1,800 holes or more.

20. The lid assembly of claim 1, wherein the inner region of the showerhead assembly is a plasma baffle that is removable from the outer region of the showerhead plate.

21. The lid assembly of claim 20, wherein the showerhead plate and the plasma baffle each independently comprises a lower surface having a mean roughness of at least about 0.38 μ

m.

22. The lid assembly of claim 21, wherein the mean roughness is at least about 5.08 μ

m.

23. A lid assembly for processing substrates within a process chamber, comprising:

a grounded gas manifold containing at least one gas line;

an insulation cap containing a channel configured to receive a gas from the at least one gas line, wherein the grounded gas manifold is positioned above the insulation cap;

a showerhead assembly having an outer region containing a plurality of holes and an inner region containing a plasma baffle having a plurality of slots; and

a plasma screen positioned between the insulation cap and the plasma baffle, wherein the plasma screen comprises a plurality of holes forming an obscured pathway between the plasma baffle and the channel.

24. A lid assembly for processing substrates within a process chamber, comprising:

a grounded gas manifold containing at least one gas line;

an insulation cap containing a channel configured to receive a gas from the at least one gas line, wherein the grounded gas manifold is positioned above the insulation cap;

a showerhead assembly having an inner region and an outer region; and

a plasma screen positioned between the insulation cap and the showerhead assembly, wherein the plasma screen comprises a plurality of holes forming an obscured pathway between the inner region of the showerhead assembly and the channel.

25. A lid assembly for processing substrates within a process chamber, comprising:

a grounded gas manifold containing at least one gas line;

an insulation cap containing a channel configured to receive a gas from the at least one gas line, wherein the grounded gas manifold is positioned above the insulation cap;

a showerhead assembly having an inner region and an outer region, wherein the outer region comprises a plurality of holes; and

a plasma baffle positioned within the inner region and containing a plurality of slots, wherein the plurality of holes and the plurality of slots each independently have an obscured pathway to the channel.

26. The lid assembly of claim 25, wherein the showerhead assembly is configured to ignite a plasma.

27. The lid assembly of claim 26, wherein a plasma screen is disposed above the plasma baffle and configured for directing a first process gas to the plasma baffle and a second process gas to the outer region.

28. The lid assembly of claim 27, wherein the plasma screen prohibits a secondary plasma from forming between the grounded gas manifold and the plasma screen.

29. The lid assembly of claim 27, wherein a first gas region is located between the plasma baffle and the plasma screen.

30. The lid assembly of claim 29, further comprising a cooling assembly positioned on the showerhead assembly.

31. The lid assembly of claim 30, wherein the second gas region is located between the cooling assembly and the showerhead assembly.

32. The lid assembly of claim 31, wherein the cooling assembly comprises a plurality of passageways leading into the second gas region.

33. The lid assembly of claim 32, wherein the plurality of passageways provide fluid communication between the plasma screen and the second gas region.

34. The lid assembly of claim 33, wherein the plurality of passageways form an obscured pathway between the second gas region and the channel.

35. The lid assembly of claim 33, wherein the plurality of passageways form an obscured pathway between the second gas region and an upper surface of the plasma screen.

36. The lid assembly of claim 33, wherein the insulation cap further comprises a second channel configured to flow the second process gas from a second gas line.

37. The lid assembly of claim 36, wherein the plurality of passageways provide a second obscured pathway between the second gas region to the second channel.

38. The lid assembly of claim 27, wherein the plasma screen comprises an electrically insulating material, and the plasma screen comprises an inner area for receiving the first process gas and an outer area for receiving the second process gas.

39. The lid assembly of claim 38, wherein the first area of the plasma screen comprises a plurality of holes for directing the first process gas towards the plasma baffle, and the plurality of holes form an obscured pathway between the plasma baffle and the channel.

40. The lid assembly of claim 38, wherein the second area of the plasma screen comprises a plurality of slots for directing the second process gas, and the plurality of slots are perpendicular or substantially perpendicular to a plurality of holes within the first area of the plasma screen.

41. The lid assembly of claim 25, wherein the plurality of slots are positioned at a predetermined injection angle relative to a vertical axis passing through a center of the inner region, and the predetermined injection angle is within a range from about 20°

to about 70°

.

42. The lid assembly of claim 41, wherein the range is from about 40°

to about 50°

.

43. The lid assembly of claim 41, wherein the plasma baffle and the showerhead plate each comprises a lower surface having a mean roughness of at least about 0.38 μ

m.

44. The lid assembly of claim 43, wherein the mean roughness is at least about 5.08 μ

m.