Gas delivery apparatus and method for atomic layer deposition

• US 6,916,398 B2
• Filed: 12/21/2001
• Issued: 07/12/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/26/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Applied Materials Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Applied Materials Incorporated
• Inventors: Chung, Hua, Chen, Ling, Ku, Vincent, Ouye, Alan, Wu, Dien-Yeh, Nakashima, Norman
• Primary Examiner(s): Hassanzadeh, Parviz
• Assistant Examiner(s): MOORE, KARLA A
• Application Number:
  US10/032,284
• Publication Number:
  US 20030079686A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,299 Days
• Field of Search: 156/345.33, 156/345.34, 118/715
• US Class Current: 156/345.33
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/34 Nitrides C23C16/303 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/4411 Cooling of the reaction chamber walls C23C16/45572 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/4412 Details relating to the exhausts, e.g. pumps, filters, scrubbers, particle traps
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/45504 Laminar flow
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/45508 Radial flow
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/45512 Premixing before introduction in the reaction chamber
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/45525 Atomic layer deposition [ALD]
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/45544 characterized by the apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/45563 Gas nozzles
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/45582 Expansion of gas before it reaches the substrate
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/28562 Selective deposition
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/76843 formed in openings in a dielectric
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/76846 Layer combinations
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/76871 Layers specifically deposited to enhance or enable the nucleation of further layers, i.e. seed layers

Abstract

One embodiment of the gas delivery assembly comprises a covering member having an expanding channel at a central portion of the covering member and having a bottom surface extending from the expanding channel to a peripheral portion of the covering member. One or more gas conduits are coupled to the expanding channel in which the one or more gas conduits are positioned at an angle from a center of the expanding channel. One embodiment of a chamber comprises a substrate support having a substrate receiving surface. The chamber further includes a chamber lid having a passageway at a central portion of the chamber lid and a tapered bottom surface extending from the passageway to a peripheral portion of the chamber lid. The bottom surface of the chamber lid is shaped and sized to substantially cover the substrate receiving surface. One or more valves are coupled to the passageway, and one or more gas sources are coupled to each valve. In one aspect, the bottom surface of the chamber lid may be tapered. In another aspect, a reaction zone defined between the chamber lid and the substrate receiving surface may comprise a small volume. In still another aspect, the passageway may comprise a tapered expanding channel extending from the central portion of the chamber lid. Another embodiment of the chamber comprises a substrate support having a substrate receiving surface. The chamber further comprises a chamber lid having an expanding channel extending from a central portion of the chamber lid and having a tapered bottom surface extending from the expanding channel to a peripheral portion of the chamber lid. One or more gas conduits are disposed around an upper portion of the expanding channel in which the one or more gas conduits are disposed at an angle from a center of the expanding channel. A choke is disposed on the chamber lid adjacent a perimeter of the tapered bottom surface.

Claims

1. A chamber, comprising:

a substrate support having a substrate receiving surface;

a chamber lid comprising;

an expanding channel at a central portion of the chamber lid; and

a tapered bottom surface extending from the expanding channel to a peripheral portion of the chamber lid, wherein the tapered bottom surface is shaped and sized to substantially cover the substrate receiving surface, and wherein a plurality of flow sections are defined between the tapered bottom surface of the chamber lid and the substrate receiving surface, wherein a ratio of a maximum area of the flow sections to a minimum area of the flow sections is less than about 2.0;

one or more gas conduits coupled to the expanding channel, wherein the one or more gas conduits are positioned at an angle from a center of the expanding channel and wherein the one or more gas conduits comprise one or more valves; and

one or more gas sources coupled to each valve.

2. The chamber of claim 1, wherein the ratio of the maximum area of the flow sections to the minimum area of the flow sections is less than about 1.5.

3. The chamber of claim 1, wherein the ratio of the maximum area of the flow sections to the minimum area of the flow sections is less then about 1.3.

4. The chamber of claim 1, wherein the ratio of the maximum area of the flow sections to the minimum area of the flow sections is about 1.0.

5. A chamber, comprising:

a substrate support having a substrate receiving surface;

a chamber lid comprising;

an expanding channel at a central portion of the chamber lid; and

a tapered bottom surface extending from the expanding channel to a peripheral portion of the chamber lid, wherein the tapered bottom surface is shaped and sized to substantially cover the substrate receiving surface, and wherein a reaction zone defined between the chamber lid and the substrate receiving surface comprises about 1.000 cm³ or less and the substrate receiving surface is adapted to receive a 200 mm diameter substrate;

one or more gas conduits coupled to the expanding channel, wherein the one or more gas conduits are positioned at an angle from a center of the expanding channel and wherein the one or more gas conduits comprise one or more valves; and

one or more gas sources coupled to each valve.

6. The chamber of claim 5, wherein the reaction zone comprises about 500 cm³ or less.

7. The chamber of claim 5, wherein the reaction zone comprises about 200 cm³ or less.

8. A chamber, comprising:

a substrate support having a substrate receiving surface;

a chamber lid comprising;

an expanding channel at a central portion of the chamber lid; and

a tapered bottom surface extending from the expanding channel to a peripheral portion of the chamber lid, wherein the tapered bottom is surface shaped and sized to substantially cover the substrate receiving surface, and wherein a reaction zone defined between the chamber lid and the substrate receiving surface comprises about 3,000 cm³ or less and the substrate receiving surface is adapted to receive a 300 mm diameter substrate.

9. The chamber of claim 8, wherein the reaction zone comprises about 1,500 cm³ or less.

10. The chamber of claim 8, wherein the reaction zone comprises about 600 cm³ or less.

11. A chamber, comprising:

a substrate support having a substrate receiving surface;

a chamber lid comprising;

an expanding channel at a central portion of the chamber lid; and

a tapered bottom surface extending from the expanding channel to a peripheral portion of the chamber lid, wherein the tapered bottom surface is shaped and sized to substantially cover the substrate receiving surface;

one or more gas conduits coupled to the expanding channel, wherein at least one of the one or more gas conduits has an inner diameter which increases toward the expanding channel and wherein the one or more gas conduits are positioned at an angle from a center of the expanding channel and wherein the one or more gas conduits comprises one or more valves and couple the one or more valves to the expanding channel; and

one or more gas sources coupled to each valve.

12. The chamber of claim 11, wherein at least one of the one or more gas conduits has a tapered inner diameter which increases toward the expanding channel.

13. The chamber of claim 11, wherein at least one of the one or more gas conduits comprises a plurality of sections having a progressively larger inner diameter toward the expanding channel.

18. The chamber of claim 11, wherein a longitudinal axis of at least one of the one or more gas conduits is not parallel to a longitudinal axis of the expanding channel.

19. The chamber of claim 11, wherein a longitudinal axis of a least one of the one or more gas conduits is disposed at a 90 degree angle to the longitudinal axis of the expanding channel.

20. The chamber of claim 11, wherein a longitudinal axis of a least one of the one or more gas conduits is angled downwardly with respect to a plane which could be drawn perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the expanding channel.

21. The chamber of claim 11, wherein a longitudinal axis of at least one of the one or more gas conduits is angled upwardly with respect to a plane which could be drawn perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the expanding channel.

14. A chamber, comprising:

a substrate support having a substrate receiving surface;

a chamber lid comprising;

an expanding channel at a central portion of the chamber lid; and

a tapered bottom surface extending from the expanding channel to a peripheral portion of the chamber lid, wherein the tapered bottom surface is shaped and sized to substantially cover the substrate receiving surface;

one or more gas conduits coupled to the expanding channel, wherein a longitudinal axis of at least one of the one or more gas conduits is not parallel to a longitudinal axis of the expanding channel, and wherein the one or more gas conduits comprise one or more valves; and

one or more gas sources coupled to each valve.

15. The chamber of claim 14, wherein the longitudinal axis of at least one of the one or more gas conduits is disposed at a 90 degree angle to the longitudinal axis of the expanding channel.

16. The chamber of claim 14, wherein the longitudinal axis of at least one of the one or more gas conduits is angled downwardly with respect to a plane which could be drawn perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the expanding channel.

17. The chamber of claim 14, wherein the longitudinal axis of at least one of the one or more gas conduits is angled upwardly with respect to a plane which could be drawn perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the expanding channel.