MULTI-STATION DEPOSITION APPARATUS AND METHOD

• US 20100316800A1
• Filed: 08/20/2010
• Published: 12/16/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/16/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Applied Materials Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Applied Materials Incorporated
• Inventors: Chang, Mei, Lei, Lawrence C., Glenn, Walter B.
• Granted Patent: US 7,923,069 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 427/255.393
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/45512 Premixing before introduction in the reaction chamber
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/45519 Inert gas curtains
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/45551 for relative movement of the substrate and the gas injectors or half-reaction reactor compartments
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/45565 Shower nozzles
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/4586 Elements in the interior of the support, e.g. electrodes, heating or cooling devices
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/54 Apparatus specially adapted for continuous coating
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67017 Apparatus for fluid treatment H01L21/67126, H01L21/6715 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67167 surrounding a central transfer chamber
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/6719 characterized by the construction of the processing chambers, e.g. modular processing chambers

Abstract

A multi-station deposition apparatus capable of simultaneous processing multiple substrates using a plurality of stations, where a gas curtain separates the stations. The apparatus further comprises a multi-station platen that supports a plurality of wafers and rotates the wafers into specific deposition positions at which deposition gases are supplied to the wafers. The deposition gases may be supplied to the wafer through single zone or multi-zone gas dispensing nozzles.

Claims

1. An apparatus for depositing material on a wafer, comprising:

a vacuum deposition chamber;

a substrate support adapted for supporting a substrate in at least a first deposition position and a second deposition position within the vacuum deposition chamber;

a plurality of gas curtain distributors disposed within the vacuum deposition chamber, a first gas curtain distributor fixed in a position relative to the substrate support; and

a gas dispensing system, disposed within the vacuum deposition chamber and having one or more gas dispensing nozzles aligned with the first deposition position and a second deposition position.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:

a rotatable platen disposed within the vacuum deposition chamber and having the substrate support fixed thereto, wherein the substrate support is one of a plurality of substrate supports fixed to the platen in a polar array.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the plurality of gas curtain distributors are fixed to the rotatable platen.

4. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the gas curtain distributors are disposed between the substrate supports disposed in the rotatable platen.

5. The apparatus of claim 2 further comprises:

an actuator for inducing relative motion between the platen and the gas dispensing system.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the gas dispensing system further comprises:

a gas supply for supplying a plurality of gases;

a central hub, coupled to the gas supply, having at least one gas distribution manifold, said central hub being mounted on said platen; and

a plurality of gas dispensing arms extending from the central hub, each of the gas dispensing arms coupling gas from the central hub to at least one gas dispensing nozzle.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the at least one gas distribution manifold comprises a plurality of gas distribution manifolds, wherein each of the said manifolds is independently rotatable to position at least one of the gas dispensing arms over one or more of the substrate supports.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a temperature control element, wherein the temperature control element independently controls the temperature of a substrate when supported by at least one of the substrate supports.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the gas curtain distributors produce vertical sheets of a gas.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the substrate supports are located upon the platen in a circular pattern.

11. A method of depositing a material on a wafer comprising:

introducing a first deposition gas proximate a wafer disposed a first deposition position within a vacuum deposition chamber, the vacuum deposition chamber having a second deposition position disposed adjacent the first deposition position;

introducing a first deposition gas proximate the wafer while positioned;

providing a first gas curtain between the first deposition position and a second deposition position within the vacuum deposition chamber; and

moving the wafer to the second deposition while maintaining a relative position between the first gas curtain and the wafer.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the first gas curtain is positioned between the second deposition position and a third deposition position defined within the vacuum deposition chamber when the wafer is in the second deposition position.

13. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

providing a second gas curtain between the first deposition position and the second deposition position while the wafer is in the second deposition position.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the first gas used at the first deposition position is silane and the second gas used at the second deposition position is tungsten hexafluoride.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the first deposition gas and the second deposition gas forms a layer through an atomic layer deposition process.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein a chemical vapor deposition process is performed in at least one of the deposition positions.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein providing the first gas curtain further comprises:

flowing a separation gas in an orientation that remains stationary relative to the wafer as the wafer moves from the first deposition position to the second deposition position.

18. The method of claim 11, wherein, at each deposition, supplying a continuous follow of purge gas having a reactant gas intermittently inserted into the continuous flow of purge gas as a burst of reactant gas.

19. The method of claim 11, wherein moving the wafer to the second deposition position further comprises:

rotating a platen comprising a plurality of wafer supports about its central axis, wherein the wafer is disposed on one of the wafer supports.

20. The method of claim 11, wherein moving the wafer to the second deposition position further comprises:

rotating the wafer relative a centerline of the vacuum deposition chamber.