Apparatus for integrated gas and radiation delivery

• US 7,922,863 B2
• Filed: 12/22/2006
• Issued: 04/12/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Applied Materials Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Applied Materials Incorporated
• Inventors: Seutter, Sean M., Ripley, Martin John
• Primary Examiner(s): Hassanzadeh; Parviz
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chen; Keath T
• Application Number:
  US11/615,633
• Publication Number:
  US 20080152840A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,572 Days
• Field of Search: 156/345.34, 118/723.MP
• US Class Current: 156/345.34
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/45565 Shower nozzles

Abstract

An apparatus for photo-assisted or photo-induced processes is disclosed, comprising a process chamber having an integrated gas and radiation distribution plate. In one embodiment, the plate has one set of apertures for distributing one or more process gases, and another set of apertures for distributing radiation to a process region in the chamber.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a process chamber having a process region defined therein;

a plate having one or more first apertures for distributing at least one gas into the process region and one or more second apertures for distributing radiation into the process region;

a light transmitting conduit, having an optical fiber or a light pipe, disposed inside the one or more second apertures, wherein the light transmitting conduit is connected to at least one radiation source such that light from the radiation source pass through the optical fiber or the light pipe to the process chamber; and

a support proximate the plate for supporting a substrate for processing inside the chamber.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the conduit is surrounded by a channel configured for providing a gas flow around a tip of the conduit.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the plate comprises at least two zones each having different configurations of the one or more first apertures and the one or more second apertures.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one radiation source comprises a first radiation source and a second radiation source, and the second radiation source having at least one spectral characteristic that is different from the first radiation source.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the process chamber is one of a deposition chamber and an etching chamber.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the light transmitting conduit is a flexible conduit.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the end of the light transmitting conduit is provided with a diffuser to increase a larger illumination.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first aperture comprises a channel region connected to an outwardly tapered region near a bottom of the plate.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first aperture further comprises an outwardly tapered region at a top surface of the plate.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first aperture comprises a channel region connected to a narrower region towards a bottom of the plate.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the ratio of the lateral dimensions between the narrower region and the channel region is about 1:

4.