SUBSTRATE REACTOR WITH ADJUSTABLE INJECTORS FOR MIXING GASES WITHIN REACTION CHAMBER

• US 20100255658A1
• Filed: 04/07/2009
• Published: 10/07/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/07/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ASM IP Holding B.V. (ASM International NV)
• Original Assignee: ASM America Incorporated (ASM International NV)
• Inventors: Alexander, James A., Disanto, John, Aggarwal, Ravinder, Conner, Rand
• Granted Patent: US 8,486,191 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 438/478
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/04 Coating on selected surface areas, e.g. using masks
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/45504 Laminar flow
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/45563 Gas nozzles
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/45574 Nozzles for more than one gas

Abstract

Methods and apparatuses for separately injecting gases into a reactor for a substrate processing system. The flow profiles of the gases are controlled with two or more sets of adjustable gas flow injectors. The methods are particularly useful for selective deposition of gases in a CVD system using volatile combinations of precursors and etchants. In either case, the gases are provided along separate flow paths that intersect in a relatively open reaction space, rather than in more confined upstream locations.

Claims

1. A reactor for processing substrates, comprising:

a reaction chamber;

a substrate support for supporting a substrate inside the reaction chamber;

a first gas delivery path configured to convey a first gas from a first reactant source to a mixing space;

a second gas delivery path configured to convey a second gas from a second reactant source to the mixing space;

a first set of adjustable gas injectors that inject the first gas into the mixing space and control a gas flow profile of the first gas into the mixing space; and

a second set of adjustable gas injectors that inject the second gas into the mixing space and control a gas flow profile of the second gas into the mixing space, wherein the first and second gases mix at the mixing space and form a common flow path from the mixing space to the substrate support, the common flow path having no flow restrictions between the mixing space and the substrate support.

2. The reactor of claim 1, further comprising:

a first reactant source configured to deliver the first gas; and

a second reactant source configured to deliver the second gas, wherein the first and second gases comprise a precursor for vapor deposition and a vapor etchant, respectively.

3. The reactor of claim 2, wherein the precursor comprises trisilane (Si₃H₈) and the etchant comprises diatomic chlorine (Cl₂).

4. The reactor of claim 2, wherein the precursor comprises a silane and the etchant comprises hydrogen chloride (HCl).

5. The reactor of claim 1, further comprising an injector housing at least partially containing the first and second sets of injectors, wherein the first and second gas delivery paths extend through the housing.

6. The reactor of claim 1, further comprising:

a first injector housing at least partially containing the first set of injectors, the first gas delivery path extending through the first housing; and

a second injector housing at least partially containing the second set of injectors, the second gas delivery path extending through the second housing.

7. The reactor of claim 5, wherein the first and second sets of injectors can be accessed from a common direction relative to the housing.

8. The reactor of claim 5, wherein the first and second sets of injectors can be accessed from different directions relative to the housing, said different directions separated by at least 30 degrees.

9. The reactor of claim 5, wherein the first and second sets of injectors can be accessed from generally opposing directions relative to the housing.

10. The reactor of claim 1, wherein the reaction chamber is a horizontal flow reaction chamber.

11. The reactor of claim 1, wherein the substrate support is configured to support a substrate of a particular diameter, the mixing space having a width perpendicular to a direction of gas flow of the first and second gases, said width being greater than or equal to the diameter of the substrate.

12. The reactor of claim 1, wherein the first and second gas delivery paths are configured so that the first and second gases mix within a reaction space defined by the reaction chamber.

13. The reactor of claim 1, wherein each of the first and second sets of injectors is configured to inject a plurality of gas jets, each injector of each injector set configured to control a flow rate of one of the gas jets, relative to flow rates of others of the gas jets.

14. A reactor for processing substrates, comprising:

a reaction chamber defining a reaction space;

a substrate support for supporting a substrate inside the reaction chamber;

a first gas delivery path configured to convey a first gas from a first reactant source to the reaction space;

a second gas delivery path configured to convey a second gas from a second reactant source to the reaction space;

a first set of adjustable gas injectors that inject the first gas into the reaction space and control a gas flow profile of the first gas into the reaction space; and

a second set of adjustable gas injectors that inject the second gas into the reaction space and control a gas flow profile of the second gas into the reaction space, wherein the first and second gases initially mix within the reaction space.

15. The reactor of claim 14, further comprising:

a first reactant source configured to deliver the first gas; and

a second reactant source configured to deliver the second gas, wherein the first and second gases comprise a precursor for vapor deposition and a vapor etchant, respectively.

16. The reactor of claim 15, wherein the precursor comprises trisilane (Si₃H₈) and the etchant comprises diatomic chlorine (Cl₂).

17. The reactor of claim 15, wherein the precursor comprises a silane and the etchant comprises hydrogen chloride (HCl).

18. The reactor of claim 14, further comprising an injector housing at least partially containing the first and second sets of injectors, wherein the first and second gas delivery paths extend through the housing.

19. The reactor of claim 14, further comprising:

a first injector housing at least partially containing the first set of injectors, the first gas delivery path extending through the first housing; and

a second injector housing at least partially containing the second set of injectors, the second gas delivery path extending through the second housing.

20. The reactor of claim 16, wherein the first and second sets of injectors can be accessed from a common direction relative to the housing.

21. The reactor of claim 16, wherein the first and second sets of injectors can be accessed from different directions relative to the housing, said different directions separated by at least 30 degrees.

22. The reactor of claim 16, wherein the first and second sets of injectors can be accessed from generally opposing directions relative to the housing.

23. The reactor of claim 14, wherein the reaction chamber is a horizontal flow reaction chamber.

24. The reactor of claim 14, further comprising a mixing space within the reaction space, wherein the first and second gases mix at the mixing space and form a common flow path from the mixing space to the substrate support, wherein the common flow path has no restrictions between the mixing space and the substrate support.

25. The reactor of claim 14, wherein the substrate support is configured to support a substrate of a particular diameter, the mixing space having a width perpendicular to a direction of gas flow of the first and second gases, said width being greater than or equal to the diameter of the substrate.

26. An apparatus for selectively forming a semiconductor film on a substrate, the apparatus comprising:

a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) reactor comprising a reaction space;

a substrate support for supporting a substrate within the reaction space;

a first inlet set of one or more inlets in fluid communication with the reaction space;

a second inlet set of one or more inlets in fluid communication with the reaction space;

a first reactant source configured to supply a precursor for semiconductor deposition to the first inlet set; and

a second reactant source configured to supply an etchant to the second inlet set,

wherein the inlet sets and sources define separate flow paths for the precursor and the etchant to a mixing space within the reaction space, wherein the first and second inlet sets are disposed on the same wall of the mixing space.

27. A method for processing substrates in a reaction chamber, comprising:

providing a substrate within a reaction chamber;

conveying a first gas from a first reactant source to a mixing space through a first gas delivery path;

conveying a second gas from a second reactant source to the mixing space through a second gas delivery path;

adjusting a first set of injectors to inject the first gas into the mixing space and control a gas flow profile of the first gas into the mixing space;

adjusting a second set of injectors to inject the second gas into the mixing space and control a gas flow profile of the second gas into the mixing space; and

causing the first and second gases to mix at the mixing space and flow along a common flow path from the mixing space to the substrate, wherein the common flow path has no flow restrictions between the mixing space and the substrate.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein conveying the first gas comprises conveying a precursor for vapor deposition, and wherein conveying the second gas comprises conveying a vapor etchant.

29. The method of claim 27, wherein conveying the first gas through the first gas delivery path and conveying the second gas through the second gas delivery path comprises conveying the first and second gases through an injector housing at least partially containing the first and second sets of injectors.

30. The method of claim 27, wherein conveying the first gas through the first gas delivery path comprises conveying the first gas through a first injector housing at least partially containing the first set of injectors, and wherein conveying the second gas through the second gas delivery path comprises conveying the second gas through a second injector housing at least partially containing the second set of injectors.

31. The method of claim 29, wherein adjusting the first and second sets of injectors comprises accessing the first and second sets of injectors from a common direction relative to the housing.

32. The method of claim 29, wherein adjusting the first set of injectors comprises accessing the first set of injectors from a first direction relative to the housing, and wherein adjusting the second set of injectors comprises accessing the second set of injectors from a second direction relative to the housing, the first and second directions being separated by at least 30 degrees.

33. The method of claim 29, wherein adjusting the first set of injectors comprises accessing the first set of injectors from a first direction relative to the housing, and wherein adjusting the second set of injectors comprises accessing the second set of injectors from a second direction relative to the housing, the first and second directions generally opposing one another.

34. The method of claim 27, wherein the mixing space has a width perpendicular to a direction of gas flow of the first and second gases, said width being greater than or equal to a diameter of the substrate.

35. A method for processing substrates in a reaction chamber, comprising:

conveying a first gas from a first reactant source through a first gas delivery path to a reaction space;

conveying a second gas from a second reactant source through a second gas delivery path to the reaction space;

adjusting a first set of injectors to inject the first gas into the reaction space and control a gas profile of the first gas into the reaction space; and

adjusting a second set of injectors to inject the second gas into the reaction space and control a gas profile of the second gas into the reaction space;

wherein the first and second gases mix within the reaction space.

36. The method of claim 35, wherein conveying the first gas comprises conveying a precursor for vapor deposition, and wherein conveying the second gas comprises conveying a vapor etchant.

37. The method of claim 35, wherein conveying the first gas through the first gas delivery path and conveying the second gas through the second gas delivery path comprises conveying the first and second gases through an injector housing at least partially containing the first and second sets of injectors.

38. The method of claim 35, wherein conveying the first gas through the first gas delivery path comprises conveying the first gas through a first injector housing at least partially containing the first set of injectors, and wherein conveying the second gas through the second gas delivery path comprises conveying the second gas through a second injector housing at least partially containing the second set of injectors, the second gas delivery path extending through the second housing.

39. The method of claim 37, wherein adjusting the first and second sets of injectors comprises accessing the first and second sets of injectors from a common direction relative to the housing.

40. The method of claim 37, wherein adjusting the first set of injectors comprises accessing the first set of injectors from a first direction relative to the housing, and wherein adjusting the second set of injectors comprises accessing the second set of injectors from a second direction relative to the housing, the first and second directions being separated by at least 30 degrees.

41. The method of claim 37, wherein adjusting the first set of injectors comprises accessing the first set of injectors from a first direction relative to the housing, and wherein adjusting the second set of injectors comprises accessing the second set of injectors from a second direction relative to the housing, the first and second directions generally opposing one another.

42. A method for selectively forming a semiconductor film on a substrate, the method comprising:

providing a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) reactor comprising a reaction space;

supporting the substrate within the reaction space with a substrate support;

conveying a precursor for semiconductor deposition from a first reactant source to a first inlet set of one or more inlets in fluid communication with the reaction space; and

conveying an etchant from a second reactant source to a second inlet set of one or more inlets in fluid communication with the reaction space, wherein the inlet sets and sources define separate flow paths for the precursor and the etchant to a mixing space within the reaction space, wherein the first and second inlet sets are disposed on the same wall of the mixing space.