Apparatus and method for delivering uniform fluid flow in a chemical deposition system
First Claim
1. An apparatus for delivering fluid flow to a substrate, comprising:
- a showerhead comprising a fluid injection inlet; and
a diffuser located at a distil end of the fluid injection inlet relative to a fluid source, the diffuser comprising,a plurality of fluid passages connecting X injection points to Y exit points, where Y>
X and the plurality of fluid passages have substantially equal effective flow resistance and deliver substantially equal mass flux.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
Uniform fluid delivery to a substrate is provider using a diffuser. The diffuser is designed with a series of fluid (gas and/or liquid) passages of equal effective length/flow resistance, such that as the fluid passes through the diffuser, the gas exits all areas at the same time and with the same mass flux. These passages may not be physically the same, however they have the same effective length and flow resistance. The diffuser can be implemented using single or multiple stacked layers, and from several to many passages. The net effect is a uniform gas curtain to the wafer. Since the passages through the diffuser are effectively the same, the uniform gas curtain to the wafer is not sensitive to the quantity of gas, the gas flow rate or the gas pressure. Additionally, a faceplate can optionally be used to smooth out any jet effects of the diffuser exit holes.
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Citations
25 Claims
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1. An apparatus for delivering fluid flow to a substrate, comprising:
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a showerhead comprising a fluid injection inlet; and a diffuser located at a distil end of the fluid injection inlet relative to a fluid source, the diffuser comprising, a plurality of fluid passages connecting X injection points to Y exit points, where Y>
X and the plurality of fluid passages have substantially equal effective flow resistance and deliver substantially equal mass flux. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A method of depositing a film from a fluid precursor, comprising:
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providing in a film deposition system, a substrate for film deposition; and delivering a film precursor fluid to the substrate surface via a diffuser, the diffuser comprising a plurality of fluid passages connecting X injection points to Y exit points, where Y>
X and the plurality of fluid passages have substantially equal effective flow resistance and delivering substantially equal mass flux. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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Specification