Microwave plasma reactors
First Claim
1. A process for depositing a component on a substrate, the process comprising:
- (a) providing a microwave plasma assisted reactor comprising;
(i) a first microwave chamber having a reference plane at a reference axial location Z0, the first microwave chamber comprising an electromagnetic wave source and extending in an axial direction z>
Z0;
(ii) a plasma chamber having an outer wall, the plasma chamber extending into the first microwave chamber such that at least a portion of the plasma chamber is located at z>
Z0 and at least a portion of the plasma chamber is located at z<
Z0;
(iii) a conductive stage for supporting a substrate holder and having a reference surface extending into the plasma chamber and defining a second microwave chamber in the plasma chamber (i) at z<
Z0 and (ii) between the plasma chamber outer wall and the conductive stage;
(iv) a conducting short adjustably disposed in the second microwave chamber below Z0 and in electrical contact with the plasma chamber outer wall and the conductive stage, the axial distance between the conducting short and Z0 being L2, and the axial distance between the conducting short and the reference surface of the conductive stage being L1; and
(v) a deposition substrate mounted above an upper surface of the conductive stage;
wherein L2 and L1 are capable of adjustment in the reactor by moving the conducting short, such that different microwave modes are produced in the first microwave chamber and in the second microwave chamber during operation of the reactor;
(b) operating the reactor at a pressure ranging from about 10 Torr to about 760 Torr;
(c) adjusting the axial position of the conducting short and optionally the conductive stage of the reactor to optimize at least one of (i) a deposition area of the substrate having a deposition non-uniformity of 15% or less, (ii) a reactor power density, and (iii) a component deposition rate; and
,(d) depositing a component on the substrate.
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Accused Products
Abstract
New and improved microwave plasma assisted reactors, for example chemical vapor deposition (MPCVD) reactors, are disclosed. The disclosed microwave plasma assisted reactors operate at pressures ranging from about 10 Torr to about 760 Torr. The disclosed microwave plasma assisted reactors include a movable lower sliding short and/or a reduced diameter conductive stage in a coaxial cavity of a plasma chamber. For a particular application, the lower sliding short position and/or the conductive stage diameter can be variably selected such that, relative to conventional reactors, the reactors can be tuned to operate over larger substrate areas, operate at higher pressures, and discharge absorbed power densities with increased diamond synthesis rates (carats per hour) and increased deposition uniformity.
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Citations
21 Claims
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1. A process for depositing a component on a substrate, the process comprising:
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(a) providing a microwave plasma assisted reactor comprising; (i) a first microwave chamber having a reference plane at a reference axial location Z0, the first microwave chamber comprising an electromagnetic wave source and extending in an axial direction z>
Z0;(ii) a plasma chamber having an outer wall, the plasma chamber extending into the first microwave chamber such that at least a portion of the plasma chamber is located at z>
Z0 and at least a portion of the plasma chamber is located at z<
Z0;(iii) a conductive stage for supporting a substrate holder and having a reference surface extending into the plasma chamber and defining a second microwave chamber in the plasma chamber (i) at z<
Z0 and (ii) between the plasma chamber outer wall and the conductive stage;(iv) a conducting short adjustably disposed in the second microwave chamber below Z0 and in electrical contact with the plasma chamber outer wall and the conductive stage, the axial distance between the conducting short and Z0 being L2, and the axial distance between the conducting short and the reference surface of the conductive stage being L1; and (v) a deposition substrate mounted above an upper surface of the conductive stage; wherein L2 and L1 are capable of adjustment in the reactor by moving the conducting short, such that different microwave modes are produced in the first microwave chamber and in the second microwave chamber during operation of the reactor; (b) operating the reactor at a pressure ranging from about 10 Torr to about 760 Torr; (c) adjusting the axial position of the conducting short and optionally the conductive stage of the reactor to optimize at least one of (i) a deposition area of the substrate having a deposition non-uniformity of 15% or less, (ii) a reactor power density, and (iii) a component deposition rate; and
,(d) depositing a component on the substrate. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A process for tuning a microwave plasma assisted reactor, the process comprising:
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(a) providing a microwave plasma assisted reactor comprising; (i) a first microwave chamber having a reference plane at a reference axial location Z0, the first microwave chamber comprising an electromagnetic wave source and extending in an axial direction z>
Z0;(ii) a plasma chamber having an outer wall, the plasma chamber extending into the first microwave chamber such that at least a portion of the plasma chamber is located at z>
Z0 and at least a portion of the plasma chamber is located at z<
Z0;(iii) a conductive stage for supporting a substrate holder and having a reference surface extending into the plasma chamber and defining a second microwave chamber in the plasma chamber (i) at z<
Z0 and (ii) between the plasma chamber outer wall and the conductive stage;(iv) a conducting short adjustably disposed in the second microwave chamber below Z0 and in electrical contact with the plasma chamber outer wall and the conductive stage, the axial distance between the conducting short and Z0 being L2, and the axial distance between the conducting short and the reference surface of the conductive stage being L1; and (v) a deposition substrate mounted above an upper surface of the conductive stage; wherein L2 and L1 are capable of adjustment in the reactor by moving the conducting short, such that different microwave modes are produced in the first microwave chamber and in the second microwave chamber during operation of the reactor; (b) selecting a plurality of combinations of L1 and L2; (c) operating the reactor at each of the plurality of combinations of L1 and L2 and at a pressure ranging from about 10 Torr to about 760 Torr to deposit a component on the substrate; (d) measuring one or more deposition properties resulting from the operation of the reactor at each of the plurality of combinations of L1 and L2; and
,(e) selecting a set of tuned L1 and L2 values based on the measured deposition properties in part (d). - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A process for depositing a component on a substrate, the process comprising:
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(a) providing a microwave plasma assisted reactor comprising; (i) a plasma chamber comprising an outer wall and defining (A) an upper interior cavity and (B) a lower interior cavity; (ii) a conductive stage for supporting a substrate holder and having an upper reference surface extending into the plasma chamber lower interior cavity, the conductive stage defining a microwave chamber in the plasma chamber lower interior cavity between the plasma chamber outer wall and the conductive stage; and (iii) a conducting short adjustably disposed in the microwave chamber below the reference surface by an axial distance L1, the conducting short being in electrical contact with the plasma chamber outer wall and the conductive stage, wherein L1 is capable of adjustment in the reactor by moving the conducting short; (b) operating the reactor at a selected pressure to deposit a component on the deposition substrate.
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Specification