Gas delivery apparatus for atomic layer deposition

• US 7,780,785 B2
• Filed: 10/25/2002
• Issued: 08/24/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/26/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Applied Materials Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Applied Materials Incorporated
• Inventors: Chang, Mei, Chung, Hua, Chen, Ling, Ku, Vincent, Ouye, Alan, Wu, Dien-Yeh, Nakashima, Norman
• Primary Examiner(s): Zervigon; Rudy
• Application Number:
  US10/281,079
• Publication Number:
  US 20030121608A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,860 Days
• Field of Search: 118/715, 118/728, 118/50, 156/345.29, 156/345.33
• US Class Current: 118/715
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/34 Nitrides C23C16/303 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/4404 Coatings or surface treatment on the inside of the reaction chamber or on parts thereof
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/4411 Cooling of the reaction chamber walls C23C16/45572 takes precedence
• 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 21/76841 Barrier, adhesion or liner layers
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/0396 Involving pressure control

Abstract

An apparatus and method for performing a cyclical layer deposition process, such as atomic layer deposition is provided. In one aspect, the apparatus includes a substrate support having a substrate receiving surface, and a chamber lid comprising a tapered passageway extending from a central portion of the chamber lid and a bottom surface extending from the passageway to a peripheral portion of the chamber lid, the bottom surface shaped and sized to substantially cover the substrate receiving surface. The apparatus also includes one or more valves coupled to the gradually expanding channel, and one or more gas sources coupled to each valve.

Claims

1. A chamber, comprising:

a chamber body;

a substrate support at least partially disposed within the chamber body and having a substrate receiving surface;

a chamber lid comprising an expanding channel extending downwardly from a central portion of the chamber lid and a tapered bottom surface extending radially from the expanding channel to a peripheral portion of the chamber lid, wherein the tapered bottom surface and the expanding channel share a co-linear symmetry axis, and wherein the tapered bottom surface is shaped and sized to substantially cover the substrate receiving surface;

one or more valves in fluid communication with the expanding channel; and

one or more gas sources in fluid communication with each valve.

2. The chamber of claim 1, further comprising one or more gas conduits fluidly connecting the one or more valves and the expanding channel and disposed normal to a longitudinal axis of the expanding channel.

3. The chamber of claim 2, wherein the one or more gas conduits are disposed at an angle to the longitudinal axis of the expanding channel.

4. The chamber of claim 1, wherein the tapered bottom surface comprises a surface selected from the group consisting of a straight surface, a concave surface, a convex surface, or combinations thereof.

5. The chamber of claim 1, wherein the expanding channel is shaped as a truncated cone.

6. The chamber of claim 1, wherein the expanding channel comprises an upper portion and a lower portion, the upper portion having a smaller inner diameter than the lower portion.

7. The chamber of claim 1, wherein a common gas source is coupled to each valve and wherein separate gas sources are coupled to each valve.

8. The chamber of claim 1, further comprising a choke disposed on the chamber lid adjacent a perimeter of the bottom surface.

25. The chamber of claim 1, wherein each of the one or more valves have a diaphragm that moves from an open position to a closed position, or from a closed position to an open position, in about 1.0 seconds or less.

9. A chamber, comprising:

a substrate support having a substrate receiving surface;

a chamber lid comprising an expanding channel extending from a central longitudinal axis of the chamber lid and comprising a tapered bottom surface extending radially from the expanding channel to a peripheral portion of the chamber lid;

one or more gas conduits connected to an upper portion of the expanding channel, wherein the one or more gas conduits are connected at an angle normal to the expanding channel from a center of the expanding channel;

one or more valves disposed below the expanding channel and coupled to the expanding channel via the one or more gas conduits; and

a choke disposed on the chamber lid adjacent a perimeter of the tapered bottom surface.

10. The chamber of claim 9, wherein the one or more gas conduits are connected at an angle to the longitudinal axis of the expanding channel.

26. The chamber of claim 9, wherein each of the one or more valves have a diaphragm that moves from an open position to a closed position, or from a closed position to an open position, in about 1.0 seconds or less.

11. A gas delivery assembly, comprising:

a chamber lid comprising an expanding channel extending downwardly from 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;

one or more gas conduits connected to an upper portion of the expanding channel, wherein the one or more gas conduits are connected at an angle orthogonal from a longitudinal axis of the expanding channel; and

one or more valves disposed below the expanding channel and coupled to the expanding channel via the one or more gas conduits.

12. The gas delivery assembly of claim 11, wherein the one or more gas conduits are angled downwardly.

13. The gas delivery assembly of claim 11, wherein the one or more gas conduits are disposed normal to the longitudinal axis of the expanding channel.

14. The gas delivery assembly of claim 11, wherein the tapered bottom surface comprises a surface selected from the group consisting of a straight surface, a concave surface, a convex surface, or combinations thereof.

15. The gas delivery assembly of claim 11, wherein the expanding channel is shaped as a truncated cone.

16. The gas delivery assembly of claim 11, wherein the expanding channel comprises an upper portion and a lower portion, the upper portion having a smaller inner diameter than the lower portion.

17. The gas delivery assembly of claim 11, wherein a common gas source is coupled to each valve and wherein separate gas sources are coupled to each valve.

18. The gas delivery assembly of claim 11, further comprising a choke disposed on the chamber lid adjacent a perimeter of the bottom surface.

19. A chamber, comprising:

a substrate support at least partially disposed within a chamber body and having a substrate receiving surface;

a chamber lid comprising an expanding channel extending downwardly from a central axis of the chamber lid and a tapered bottom surface extending radially from the central axis of the chamber lid from the expanding channel to a peripheral portion of the chamber lid, the tapered bottom surface shaped and sized to substantially cover the substrate receiving surface, wherein the expanding channel and the tapered bottom surface are disposed symmetrically about the central axis;

one or more valves in fluid communication with the expanding channel, each of the one or more valves having a diaphragm; and

one or more gas sources in fluid communication with each valve, wherein the diaphragm moves from an open position to a closed position, or from a closed position to an open position, in about 1.0 seconds or less.

20. The chamber of claim 19, further comprising one or more gas conduits fluidly connecting the one or more valves and the expanding channel and disposed normal to the central axis of the expanding channel.

21. The chamber of claim 19, wherein the one or more gas conduits are disposed at an angle to the central axis of the expanding channel.

22. The chamber of claim 19, wherein the tapered bottom surface comprises a surface selected from the group consisting of a straight surface, a concave surface, a convex surface, or combinations thereof.

23. The chamber of claim 19, wherein the expanding channel is shaped as a truncated cone.

24. The chamber of claim 19, wherein the diaphragm moves from the open position to the closed position, or from the closed position to the open position, in about 0.5 seconds or less.