PLASMA ATOMIC LAYER DEPOSITION SYSTEM AND METHOD
First Claim
1. A gas deposition chamber for depositing solid material layers onto substrates supported therein comprising:
- an external chamber wall disposed along a longitudinal axis and formed to surround a hollow gas deposition volume comprising a volume expanding top portion and a substantially constant volume cylindrical middle portion;
a top circular aperture axially centered by the longitudinal axis for providing access to the volume expanding top portion and a plasma source flange surrounding the top circular aperture;
a substrate support chuck comprising a circular substrate support surface supported inside the cylindrical middle portion of the hollow gas deposition volume with the circular substrate support surface axially centered by and substantially orthogonal to the longitudinal axis;
a bottom circular aperture axially centered by the longitudinal axis for providing access to the cylindrical middle portion of the hollow gas deposition volume wherein the external chamber wall includes a trap flange surrounding the bottom circular aperture and further wherein a diameter of the bottom circular aperture is larger than a diameter of the circular substrate support surface;
a load port aperture passing through the external chamber wall to the cylindrical middle portion; and
,a precursor input port passing through the external chamber wall proximate to the top circular aperture for delivering a gas flow into the volume expanding top portion of the hollow gas deposition volume.
6 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An improved gas deposition chamber includes a hollow gas deposition volume formed with a volume expanding top portion and a substantially constant volume cylindrical middle portion. The hollow gas deposition volume may include a volume reducing lower portion. An aerodynamically shaped substrate support chuck is disposed inside gas deposition chamber with a substrate support surface positioned in the constant volume cylindrical middle portion. The volume expanding top portion reduces gas flow velocity between gas input ports and the substrate support surface. The aerodynamic shape of the substrate support chuck reduces drag and helps to promote laminar flow over the substrate support surface. The volume reducing lower portion helps to increase gas flow velocity after the gas has past the substrate support surface. The improved gas deposition chamber is configurable to 200 mm diameter semiconductor wafers using ALD and or PALD coating cycles. An improved coating method includes expanding process gases inside the deposition chamber prior to the process gas reaching surfaces of a substrate being coated. The method further includes compressing the process gases inside the deposition chamber after the process gas has flowed past surfaces of the substrate being coated.
-
Citations
35 Claims
-
1. A gas deposition chamber for depositing solid material layers onto substrates supported therein comprising:
-
an external chamber wall disposed along a longitudinal axis and formed to surround a hollow gas deposition volume comprising a volume expanding top portion and a substantially constant volume cylindrical middle portion; a top circular aperture axially centered by the longitudinal axis for providing access to the volume expanding top portion and a plasma source flange surrounding the top circular aperture; a substrate support chuck comprising a circular substrate support surface supported inside the cylindrical middle portion of the hollow gas deposition volume with the circular substrate support surface axially centered by and substantially orthogonal to the longitudinal axis; a bottom circular aperture axially centered by the longitudinal axis for providing access to the cylindrical middle portion of the hollow gas deposition volume wherein the external chamber wall includes a trap flange surrounding the bottom circular aperture and further wherein a diameter of the bottom circular aperture is larger than a diameter of the circular substrate support surface; a load port aperture passing through the external chamber wall to the cylindrical middle portion; and
,a precursor input port passing through the external chamber wall proximate to the top circular aperture for delivering a gas flow into the volume expanding top portion of the hollow gas deposition volume. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
-
-
24. A method for coating a substrate with a solid material layer comprising the steps of:
-
supporting the substrate on substrate support surface disposed in a substantially constant volume middle portion of a hollow gas deposition volume; introducing a first process gas into a volume expanding top portion of the hollow gas deposition volume and allowing the first process gas to expand in volume prior to impinging surfaces of the substrate; drawing the process gas out of the hollow deposition chamber through a exit port wherein the exit port is positioned opposed to the volume expanding top portion of the hollow gas deposition volume; removing substantially all of the first process gas from the hollow gas deposition volume while delivering an flow of inert gas into the hollow gas deposition volume; introducing a second process gas into the volume expanding top portion of the hollow gas deposition volume and allowing the second process gas to expand in volume prior to impinging surfaces of the substrate; and
,removing substantially all of the second process gas from the hollow gas deposition volume while delivering an flow of inert gas into the hollow gas deposition volume. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27, 28)
-
-
29. A gas deposition system having a front face and a plurality of non-front faces comprising:
-
a frame for supporting elements of the gas deposition system; a first gas deposition chamber supported on the frame comprising an external chamber wall disposed along a longitudinal axis and formed to surround a hollow gas deposition volume comprising a volume expanding top portion and a substantially constant volume cylindrical middle portion; a first aerodynamically shaped substrate support chuck disposed inside the first gas deposition chamber for supporting a first substrate in the substantially constant volume cylindrical middle portion; a first substrate load port aperture passing through the external chamber wall of the first gas deposition chamber for providing access for loading the first substrate onto the first substrate support surface; and
,a gas panel, a vacuum system and an electronic controller and associated user interface each supported on the frame and interfaced with the first gas deposition chamber for performing gas deposition cycles suitable for coating surfaces of the first substrate. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35)
-
Specification