Directed gas injection apparatus for semiconductor processing

• US 7,103,443 B2
• Filed: 06/20/2002
• Issued: 09/05/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
• Original Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
• Inventors: Strang, Eric J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Picard, Leo
• Assistant Examiner(s): Masinick, Michael D.
• Application Number:
  US10/482,341
• Publication Number:
  US 20040166597A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,538 Days
• Field of Search: 700/121, 700/123, 700/175, 118/716, 118/719, 118/720, 438/689
• US Class Current: 700/175
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/3244 Gas supply means
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67017 Apparatus for fluid treatment H01L21/67126, H01L21/6715 take precedence

Abstract

A method and system for utilizing a gas injection plate comprising a number of shaped orifices (e.g., sonic and simple orifices, and divergent nozzles) in the gas inject system as part of a plasma processing system. By utilizing the shaped orifices, directionality of gas flow can be improved. This improvement is especially beneficial in high aspect ratio processing.

Claims

1. A method of operating a manufacturing system, wherein the manufacturing system comprises material processing system, transfer system, and process controller, the method comprising:

determining a process type;

selecting a gas injection plate based on the process type;

transferring the gas injection plate into the material processing system using the transfer system coupled to the material processing system;

coupling the gas injection plate to a gas supply system using the process controller; and

processing a substrate based on the process type.

2. The method of operating a manufacturing system as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

determining if an additional substrate requires processing using a different gas injection plate;

transferring the gas injection plate out of the material processing system using the transfer system if the additional substrate requires processing using the different gas injection plate; and

transferring the different gas injection plate into the material processing system using the transfer system.

3. The method of operating a manufacturing system as claimed in claim 1, wherein selecting a gas injection plate based on the process type further comprises:

selecting a plate substrate for the gas injection plate based on the process type;

etching a plurality of first features into a first surface of the plate substrate using a first pattern based on the process type; and

etching a plurality of second features through the plate substrate,

wherein, a gas injection orifice comprises a first feature having a depth of at least one half of the plate substrate thickness and a second feature comprising a through hole from the second surface to the first feature.

4. The method of operating a manufacturing system as claimed in claim 1, wherein processing a substrate type further comprises:

determining a substrate to be processed based on the process type;

transferring the substrate into the material processing system using the transfer system;

processing the substrate; and

transferring the substrate out of the material processing system using the transfer system.

5. The method of operating a manufacturing system as claimed in claim 1, wherein processing a substrate type further comprises:

determining if an operating point of the gas injection plate is below a threshold; and

signaling that gas injection plate needs to be changed if the operating point is below the threshold.

6. The method of operating a manufacturing system as claimed in claim 1, wherein processing a substrate type further comprises:

determining if an operating point of the gas injection plate is below a threshold; and

modifying at least one process parameter to move the operating point above the threshold.

7. The method of operating a manufacturing system as claimed in claim 1, wherein processing a substrate type further comprises:

determining if an operating point of the gas injection plate is below a threshold; and

changing the gas injection plate if the operating point is below the threshold.

8. The method of operating a manufacturing system as claimed in claim 7, wherein determining if the operating point of the gas injection plate is below a threshold further comprises monitoring the substrate to determine if the operating point of the gas injection plate is below a threshold.

9. The method of operating a manufacturing system as claimed in claim 7, wherein determining if the operating point of the gas injection plate is below a threshold further comprises monitoring a plasma to determine if the operating point of the gas injection plate is below a threshold.

10. The method of operating a manufacturing system as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

determining if an additional substrate requires processing using the process type; and

transferring the additional substrate into the material processing system using the transfer system when the additional wafer requires processing.

11. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the substrate comprises a semiconductor wafer.

13. The manufacturing system as claimed in claim 11, further comprising means for coupling the gas injection plate to a gas injection manifold.

12. A manufacturing system comprising:

material processing system having a gas supply system;

transfer system coupled to the material processing system; and

process controller coupled to the materials processing system and to the transfer system,

wherein the process controller determines a process type, selects a gas injection plate based on the process type, transfers the gas injection plate into the material processing system using the transfer system, couples the gas injection plate to the gas supply system; and

processes a substrate based on the process type.

14. The manufacturing system as claimed in claim 12, wherein the transfer system comprises at least one robotic arm.

15. The manufacturing system as claimed in claim 12, wherein the transfer system further uncouples the gas injection plate after processing the substrate when a next process type is different than a current process type.

16. The manufacturing system as claimed in claim 12, wherein the substrate comprises a wafer.

17. The manufacturing system as claimed in claim 12, wherein the substrate comprises a liquid crystal display panel.