Apparatuses and methods for atomic layer deposition

• US 8,293,015 B2
• Filed: 09/14/2011
• Issued: 10/23/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/03/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Applied Materials Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Applied Materials Incorporated
• Inventors: Zheng, Bo, Ai, Hua, Jackson, Michael, Yuan, Xiaoxiong, Wang, Hougong, Umotoy, Salvador P., Yu, Sang Ho, Lam, Hyman W. H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Zervigon, Rudy
• Application Number:
  US13/232,317
• Publication Number:
  US 20120000422A1
• Time in Patent Office: 405 Days
• Field of Search: 118/715, 156/345.33, 156/345.34
• US Class Current: 118/715
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/4412 Details relating to the exhausts, e.g. pumps, filters, scrubbers, particle traps
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/45536 Use of plasma, radiation or electromagnetic fields
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/45544 characterized by the apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/45565 Shower nozzles
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/4558 Perforated rings
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32449 Gas control, e.g. control of the gas flow
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/87265 Dividing into parallel flow paths with recombining

Abstract

Embodiments of the invention provide apparatuses and methods for atomic layer deposition (ALD), such as plasma-enhanced ALD (PE-ALD). In some embodiments, a PE-ALD chamber is provided which includes a chamber lid assembly coupled with a chamber body having a substrate support therein. In one embodiment, the chamber lid assembly has an inlet manifold assembly containing an annular channel encompassing a centralized channel, wherein the centralized channel extends through the inlet manifold assembly, and the inlet manifold assembly further contains injection holes extending from the annular channel, through a sidewall of the centralized channel, and to the centralized channel. The chamber lid assembly further contains a showerhead assembly disposed below the inlet manifold assembly, a water box disposed between the inlet manifold assembly and the showerhead assembly, and a remote plasma system (RPS) disposed above and coupled with the inlet manifold assembly, and in fluid communication with the centralized channel.

Claims

1. An inlet manifold assembly for a vapor deposition process, comprising:

an annular channel encompassing a centralized channel, wherein the centralized channel extends through the inlet manifold assembly; and

injection holes extending from the annular channel, through a sidewall of the centralized channel, and into the centralized channel, wherein the injection holes comprise a first plurality of injection holes extending towards or substantially towards a central axis of the centralized channel and the injection holes comprise a second plurality of injection holes extending tangential or substantially tangential towards the sidewall of the centralized channel,

wherein each injection hole has a diameter within a range from about 0.06 inches to about 0.12 inches.

2. The inlet manifold assembly of claim 1, wherein the first plurality of injection holes contains three or more injection holes and the second plurality of injection holes contains three or more injection holes.

3. The inlet manifold assembly of claim 1, wherein the inlet manifold assembly comprises aluminum or an aluminum alloy.

4. The inlet manifold assembly of claim 3, wherein the inlet manifold assembly comprises an aluminum alloy, and the aluminum alloy further comprises magnesium and silicon.