Method and systems for in-situ formation of intermediate reactive species

• US 9,589,770 B2
• Filed: 03/08/2013
• Issued: 03/07/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/08/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ASM IP Holding B.V. (ASM International NV)
• Original Assignee: ASM IP Holding B.V. (ASM International NV)
• Inventors: Winkler, Jereld Lee
• Primary Examiner(s): DHINGRA, RAKESH KUMAR
• Application Number:
  US13/791,246
• Publication Number:
  US 20140251953A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,460 Days
• Field of Search: 118/715, 118/723.ME, 118/723.IR, 118/723.ER, 156/345.33, 156/345.34, 156/345.35
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B08B 7/0035 by radiant energy, e.g. UV, laser, light beam or the like
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/452 by activating reactive gas streams before their introduction into the reaction chamber, e.g. by ionisation or addition of reactive species
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/45557 Pulsed pressure or control pressure
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/50 using electric discharges generation and control of plasma in discharge tubes for surface treatment H01J37/32, H01J37/34
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/52 Controlling or regulating the coating process C23C16/45557, C23C16/279 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 2237/3321 CVD [Chemical Vapor Deposition]
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 2237/334 Etching
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 2237/335 Cleaning
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32357 Generation remote from the workpiece, e.g. down-stream
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32422 Arrangement for selecting ions or species in the plasma
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32449 Gas control, e.g. control of the gas flow
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32862 In situ cleaning of vessels and/or internal parts

Abstract

A system and method for providing intermediate reactive species from a remote plasma unit to a reaction chamber are disclosed. The system includes a pressure control device to control a pressure at the remote plasma unit as intermediate reactive species from the remote plasma unit are provided to the reaction chamber.

Claims

1. A remote plasma system comprising:

a reactor comprising a reaction chamber;

a remote plasma unit fluidly coupled to the reaction chamber and to a vacuum source;

a first gas source fluidly coupled to the remote plasma unit, wherein the first gas source comprises a precursor for intermediate reactive species;

a pressure control device in fluid communication with and interposed between the remote plasma unit and the vacuum source, wherein the pressure control device controls a pressure upstream of the pressure control device and wherein the pressure control device is a closed-loop pressure control device;

a control valve, between the remote plasma unit and the reaction chamber, to pulse the intermediate reactive species from the remote plasma unit to the reaction chamber and to maintain steady-state operation of remote plasma unit; and

a controller coupled to the pressure control device and to the control valve and configured to control the pressure control device and the control valve to maintain steady-state operation of the remote plasma unit when the intermediate reactive species are pulsed to the reaction chamber using the control valve to switch a flow of the intermediate reactive species between the reaction chamber and the vacuum source.

2. The remote plasma system of claim 1, further comprising a flow control unit coupled to the first gas source.

3. The remote plasma system of claim 1, wherein the reactor is selected from the group consisting of a plasma-enhance chemical vapor deposition reactor, a plasma-enhanced atomic layer deposition reactor, a plasma-enhanced etch reactor, a plasma-enhanced clean reactor, and a plasma-enhanced treatment reactor.

4. The remote plasma system of claim 1, wherein the control valve is a fast-response pneumatic valve.

5. The remote plasma system of claim 1, further comprising an integrated inlet manifold block.

6. The remote plasma system of claim 1, further comprising a catalyst between the remote plasma unit and the reaction chamber.

7. The remote plasma system of claim 6, wherein the catalyst is between the remote plasma unit and the control valve.

8. The remote plasma system of claim 6, wherein the catalyst comprises a material selected from the group consisting of, iron, magnesium oxide (MgO), titanium oxide (TiO2), platinum, palladium, and rhodium.

9. The remote plasma system of claim 1, further comprising a conductance match region between the remote plasma unit and the pressure control device.

10. The remote plasma system of claim 1, wherein the remote plasma unit is an inductively coupled plasma unit.

11. The remote plasma system of claim 1, wherein the remote plasma unit is a microwave plasma unit.

12. The remote plasma system of claim 1, wherein the first gas source comprises one or more of ammonia (NH3), water vapor (H2O), hydrogen peroxide (H202), MMH (mono methyl hydrazine), UDMH (unsymmetrically dimethyl hydrazine), 02/H2, N2/H2, and H2S.

13. A plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition system comprising:

a deposition reactor comprising a reaction chamber;

a remote plasma unit fluidly coupled to the reaction chamber and to a vacuum source;

a first reactant source coupled to the remote plasma unit, wherein the first reactant source is a precursor for intermediate reactive species;

a pressure control device in fluid communication with and interposed between the remote plasma unit and the vacuum source, wherein the pressure control device controls a pressure upstream of the pressure control device, and wherein the pressure control device is a closed-loop pressure control device;

a control valve, between the remote plasma unit and the reaction chamber, to pulse the intermediate reactive species from the remote plasma unit to the reaction chamber and to maintain steady-state operation of remote plasma unit; and

a controller coupled to the pressure control device and to the control valve to control the pressure control device and the control valve, the controller configured to maintain steady-state operation of the remote plasma unit when intermediate reactive species are pulsed to the reaction chamber using the control valve to switch a flow of the intermediate reactive species between the reaction chamber and the vacuum source.

14. The plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition system of claim 13, further comprising a catalyst between the remote plasma unit and the control valve.

15. The plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition system of claim 14, wherein the catalyst comprises a material selected from the group consisting of, iron, magnesium oxide (MgO), titanium oxide (TiO2), platinum, palladium, and rhodium.

16. The plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition system of claim 13, further comprising a conductance match region between the remote plasma unit and the vacuum source.

17. The plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition system of claim 16, wherein the conductance match region is between the remote plasma unit and the pressure control device.

18. The plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition system of claim 13, wherein the first reactant source comprises one or more of ammonia (NH3), water vapor (H2O), hydrogen peroxide (H202), MMH (mono methyl hydrazine), UDMH (unsymmetrically dimethyl hydrazine), 02/H2, N2/H2, and H2S.

19. A remote plasma system comprising:

a reactor comprising a reaction chamber;

a remote plasma unit fluidly coupled to the reaction chamber and to a vacuum source;

a first gas source fluidly coupled to the remote plasma unit, wherein the first gas source comprises a precursor for intermediate reactive species;

a pressure control device in fluid communication with and interposed between the remote plasma unit and the vacuum source, wherein the pressure control device controls a pressure upstream of the pressure control device and wherein the pressure control device is a closed-loop pressure control device;

a control valve, between the remote plasma unit and the reaction chamber, to pulse the intermediate reactive species from the remote plasma unit to the reaction chamber and to maintain steady-state operation of remote plasma unit;

a controller coupled to the pressure control device and to the control valve and configured to control the pressure control device and the control valve to maintain steady-state operation of the remote plasma unit when the intermediate reactive species are pulsed to the reaction chamber using the control valve to switch a flow of the intermediate reactive species between the reaction chamber and the vacuum source; and

a catalyst between the remote plasma unit and the control valve, the catalyst comprising a material selected from the group consisting of, iron, magnesium oxide (MgO), titanium oxide (TiO2), platinum, palladium, and rhodium.

20. The remote plasma system of claim 19, further comprising a conductance match region between the remote plasma unit and the vacuum source.