Apparatus and method for hybrid chemical processing

• US 7,204,886 B2
• Filed: 11/13/2003
• Issued: 04/17/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/14/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Applied Materials Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Applied Materials Incorporated
• Inventors: Chang, Mei, Chung, Hua, Chen, Ling, Ku, Vincent W., Wu, Dien-Yeh
• Primary Examiner(s): Zervigon; Rudy
• Application Number:
  US10/712,690
• Publication Number:
  US 20040144311A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,251 Days
• Field of Search: 118/715, 118/719, 156/345.31, 156/345.29
• US Class Current: 118/715
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/45502 Flow conditions in reaction chamber
• 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 16/45544 characterized by the apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/45561 Gas plumbing upstream of the reaction chamber
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/45582 Expansion of gas before it reaches the substrate
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/54 Apparatus specially adapted for continuous coating

Abstract

A method and apparatus for performing multiple deposition processes is provided. In one embodiment, the apparatus includes a chamber body and a gas distribution assembly disposed on the chamber body. In one embodiment, the method comprises positioning a substrate surface to be processed within a chamber body, delivering two or more compounds into the chamber body utilizing a gas distribution assembly disposed on the chamber body to deposit a film comprising a first material, and then delivering two or more compounds into the chamber body utilizing a gas distribution assembly disposed on the chamber body to deposit a film comprising a second material. In one aspect of these embodiments, the gas distribution assembly includes a gas conduit in fluid communication with the chamber body, two or more isolated gas inlets equipped with one or more high speed actuating valves in fluid communication with the gas conduit, and a mixing channel in fluid communication with the gas conduit. The valves are adapted to alternately pulse one or more compounds into the gas conduit, and the mixing channel is adapted to deliver a continuous flow of one or more compounds into the gas conduit.

Claims

1. An apparatus for performing multiple deposition processes, comprising:

a chamber body;

a lid assembly attached to the chamber body;

a first gas delivery sub-assembly coupled to the lid assembly and configured for a cyclical layer deposition process, comprising;

a gas conduit positioned on and extending through the lid assembly and having an expanding channel in fluid communication with the chamber body;

a first gas inlet and a second gas inlet positioned on the gas conduit to form a circular gas flow pattern within the gas conduit; and

a first high speed actuating valve coupled to the first gas inlet, a second high speed actuating valve coupled to the second gas inlet and the first and second high speed actuating valves are configured to sequentially pulse a first gas and a second gas during the cyclical layer deposition process; and

a second gas delivery sub-assembly coupled to the lid assembly and configured for a chemical vapor deposition process, comprising;

an annular mixing channel in fluid communication with the gas conduit and adapted to deliver a continuous flow of one or more compounds into the gas conduit during the chemical vapor deposition process.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the gas conduit comprises a gradually increasing inner diameter.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the gas conduit has a frusto-conical shape.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the annular mixing channel is in fluid communication with the gas conduit via one or more passageways.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the circular gas flow pattern is selected from the group consisting of a vortex pattern, a spiral pattern and a derivative thereof.

5. An apparatus for performing multiple deposition processes, comprising:

a chamber body;

a lid assembly attached to the chamber body;

a first gas delivery sub-assembly coupled to the lid assembly and configured for a cyclical layer deposition process, comprising;

a gas conduit in fluid communication with the chamber body positioned on and extending through the lid assembly;

at least two flow paths in fluid communication with the gas conduit wherein each flow path is coupled to one or more high speed actuating valves for enabling the cyclical layer deposition process; and

a second gas delivery sub-assembly coupled to the lid assembly and configured for a chemical vapor deposition process, comprising;

an annular mixing channel concentrically disposed about the gas conduit and in fluid communication with the gas conduit via one or more passageways;

at least one nozzle connected to each of the one or more passageways and positioned to eject a gas into the gas conduit; and

a first gas inlet positioned on an inner wall of the annular mixing channel to form a circular gas flow pattern for the gas within the annular mixing channel.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the gas conduit further comprises a conical concave lower surface to help evenly distribute gases within the chamber body.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the at least one nozzle is radially positioned or substantially radially positioned in relation to the gas conduit.

8. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the at least one nozzle is tangentially positioned or substantially tangentially positioned in relation to the gas conduit.

9. The apparatus of claim 5, further comprising a second gas inlet positioned on an inner wall of the annular mixing channel.

10. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the gas conduit comprises a gradually increasing inner diameter towards the chamber body.

12. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the second gas inlet is positioned with the first gas inlet to form the circular gas flow pattern.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the circular gas flow pattern is selected from the group consisting of a vortex pattern, a spiral pattern and a derivative thereof.

14. An apparatus for performing multiple deposition processes, comprising:

a substrate support having a substrate receiving surface and contained within a chamber body;

a lid assembly attached to the chamber body;

a process gas channel contained within a gas conduit positioned on and extending through the lid assembly and having an expanding channel in fluid communication with the substrate support;

a first gas delivery sub-assembly coupled to the lid assembly and configured for a cyclical layer deposition process, comprising;

a first gas inlet and a second gas inlet positioned on the gas conduit to form a circular gas flow pattern within the process gas channel; and

a first high speed actuating valve coupled to the first gas inlet, a second high speed actuating valve coupled to the second gas inlet and the first and second high speed actuating valves are configured to enable sequential pulses of gases with a pulse time of about 1 second or less during the cyclical layer deposition process; and

a second gas delivery sub-assembly coupled to the lid assembly and configured for a chemical vapor deposition process, comprising;

an annular mixing channel in fluid communication with the substrate support and adapted to deliver a continuous flow of one or more compounds into the process gas channel during the chemical vapor deposition process.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the pulse time is about 0.1 seconds or less.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the circular gas flow pattern is selected from the group consisting of a vortex pattern, a spiral pattern and a derivative thereof.

17. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the annular mixing channel is in fluid communication with the gas conduit by a plurality of passageways formed through a surface of the gas conduit.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein each passageway of the plurality of passageways contains a nozzle positioned to eject the one or more compounds into the process gas channel.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the nozzle is radially positioned or substantially radially positioned in relation to the gas conduit.

20. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the nozzle is tangentially positioned or substantially tangentially positioned in relation to the gas conduit.