Inlet manifold and methods for increasing gas dissociation and for PECVD of dielectric films
First Claim
1. In an RF vacuum deposition chamber system, a gas inlet manifold which is an RF electrode and includes at least a plurality of gas inlet holes therein, each hole comprising an outlet at the processing side of the gas inlet manifold and an inlet spaced from the processing side, said outlet being larger than said inlet, for increasing the dissociation by RF energy applied to the gas inlet manifold of gas passing through the holes.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Reexamination
Accused Products
Abstract
An inlet gas manifold for a vacuum deposition chamber incorporates inlet apertures which increase in diameter or cross-section transverse to the direction of gas flow. The aperture configuration increases the dissociation gases such as nitrogen and, thus increases the rate of silicon nitride deposition provided by nitrogen gas chemistry, without requiring the use of reactants such as ammonia. While one could use ammonia in the deposition gas chemistry if desired, the process provides the option of completely eliminating ammonia. The inlet manifold containing the increasing-diameter gas inlet holes provides enhanced control of the process and the deposited film, and is also useful for forming other dielectrics such as silicon oxide and silicon oxynitride. In particular, silicon oxynitride films are characterized by low hydrogen content and by compositional uniformity.
634 Citations
11 Claims
- 1. In an RF vacuum deposition chamber system, a gas inlet manifold which is an RF electrode and includes at least a plurality of gas inlet holes therein, each hole comprising an outlet at the processing side of the gas inlet manifold and an inlet spaced from the processing side, said outlet being larger than said inlet, for increasing the dissociation by RF energy applied to the gas inlet manifold of gas passing through the holes.
Specification