Process gas management for an inductively-coupled plasma deposition reactor

• US 9,605,342 B2
• Filed: 03/16/2015
• Issued: 03/28/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/12/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ASM IP Holding B.V. (ASM International NV)
• Original Assignee: ASM IP Holding B.V. (ASM International NV)
• Inventors: Alokozai, Fred, Milligan, Robert Brennan
• Primary Examiner(s): Maldonado, Julio J
• Assistant Examiner(s): ISAAC, STANETTA D
• Application Number:
  US14/659,152
• Publication Number:
  US 20150184291A1
• Time in Patent Office: 743 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 16/45563 Gas nozzles
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/505 using radio frequency discharges
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/507 using external electrodes, e.g. in tunnel type reactors
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 2237/3321 CVD [Chemical Vapor Deposition]
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/321 the radio frequency energy being inductively coupled to the plasma
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/3244 Gas supply means
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02274 in the presence of a plasma [PECVD]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/0262 Reduction or decomposition of gaseous compounds, e.g. CVD
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/28556 by chemical means, e.g. CVD, LPCVD, PECVD, laser CVD H01L21/28518 - H01L21/28537 and H01L21/28568 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/6851 With casing, support, protector or static constructional installations

Abstract

Embodiments related to hardware and methods for processing a semiconductor substrate are disclosed. One example film deposition reactor includes a process gas distributor including a plasma gas-feed inlet located to supply plasma gas to a plasma generation region within the film deposition reactor and a precursor gas-feed inlet located to supply film precursor gas downstream of the plasma generation region; an insulating confinement vessel configured to maintain a plasma generation region at a reduced pressure within the film deposition reactor and an inductively-coupled plasma (ICP) coil arranged around a portion of a sidewall of the insulating confinement vessel and positioned so that the sidewall separates the plasma generation region from the ICP coil; and a susceptor configured to support the semiconductor substrate so that a film deposition surface of the semiconductor substrate is exposed to a reaction region formed downstream of the process gas distributor.

Claims

1. A film deposition reactor for processing a substrate, the film deposition reactor comprising:

a process gas distributor comprising;

a support structure;

one or more plasma gas supply lines included within the support structure;

one or more precursor supply lines included within the support structure;

a plasma gas distributor supported by the support structure, the plasma gas distributor comprising a plasma gas-feed inlet coupled to at least one of the one or more plasma gas supply lines and located to supply plasma gas to a plasma generation region within the film deposition reactor, and

a precursor gas distributor located downstream of the plasma gas distributor and supported by the support structure, the precursor gas distributor comprising a precursor gas-feed inlet coupled to at least one of the one or more precursor supply lines and located to supply film precursor gas downstream of the plasma generation region; and

a susceptor configured to support the substrate so that a film deposition surface of the substrate is exposed to a reaction region formed downstream of the process gas distributor.

2. The film deposition reactor of claim 1, further comprising an insulator coupled to the plasma gas distributor and the precursor gas distributor.

3. The film deposition reactor of claim 1, wherein the plasma gas distributor comprises a plurality of radially arranged plasma gas feed inlets.

4. The film deposition reactor of claim 1, wherein the plasma gas-feed inlet is angled to direct exiting plasma gas within the plasma generation region.

5. The film deposition reactor of claim 1, wherein the precursor gas distributor comprises a plurality of plasma passthroughs.

6. The film deposition reactor of claim 5, wherein the plasma passthroughs positioned farther from a center of the precursor gas distributor have larger openings relative to one or more plasma passthroughs positioned closer to the center.

7. The film deposition reactor of claim 1, further comprising an insulating confinement vessel configured to maintain the plasma generation region at a reduced pressure within the film deposition reactor.

8. The film deposition reactor of claim 7, further comprising an ICP coil arranged around a portion of a sidewall of the insulating confinement vessel and positioned so that the sidewall separates the plasma generation region from the ICP coil.

9. The film deposition reactor of claim 1, wherein the precursor gas distributor comprises a plurality of azimuthal precursor gas distributors.

10. The film deposition reactor of claim 9, wherein the precursor gas distributor comprises a plurality of radial precursor gas distributors, and wherein the precursor gas distributor comprises a plurality of plasma pass-through openings formed between the plurality of azimuthal precursor gas distributors and the plurality of radial precursor gas distributors.

11. The film deposition reactor of claim 10, wherein the plurality of radial precursor gas distributors includes a precursor gas entry location positioned at a center of the precursor gas distributor.

12. The film deposition reactor of claim 10, wherein the plurality of radial precursor gas distributors includes one or more precursor gas entry locations positioned between a center and an outer edge of the precursor gas distributor.

13. The film deposition reactor of claim 1, where the precursor gas distributor comprises a no-mix showerhead assembly including a plurality of precursor gas-feed inlets and a plurality of plasma pass-through openings.

14. A process gas distribution assembly for a film deposition reactor configured to process a substrate, the process gas distribution assembly comprising:

a support structure having a precursor gas supply line and a plasma gas supply line located therein;

a plasma gas distributor coupled to and supported by the support structure, the plasma gas distributor including one or more plasma gas-feed inlets fluidly coupled to the plasma gas supply line; and

a precursor gas distributor located downstream of the plasma gas distributor and coupled to and supported by the support structure and extending away from the plasma gas distributor, the precursor gas distributor including one or more precursor gas-feed inlets fluidly coupled to the precursor gas supply line.

15. The process gas distribution assembly of claim 14, further comprising an insulating confinement vessel configured to maintain the plasma generation region at a reduced pressure within the film deposition reactor.

16. The process gas distribution assembly of claim 14, further comprising an ICP coil arranged around a portion of a sidewall of an insulating confinement vessel and positioned so that the sidewall separates the plasma generation region from the ICP coil.

17. The process gas distribution assembly of claim 14, further comprising an electrical insulator disposed between the plasma gas distributor and the precursor gas distributor.