Multi-gas straight channel showerhead

• US 9,644,267 B2
• Filed: 07/09/2013
• Issued: 05/09/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/16/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Applied Materials Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Applied Materials Incorporated
• Inventors: Burrows, Brian H., Tam, Alexander, Stevens, Ronald, Choi, Kenric T., Grayson, Jacob, Acharya, Sumedh, Nijhawan, Sandeep, Washington, Lori D., Myo, Nyi O., Felsch, James David
• Primary Examiner(s): LUND, JEFFRIE ROBERT
• Application Number:
  US13/937,815
• Publication Number:
  US 20140014745A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,400 Days
• Field of Search: 118715, 15634533, 15634534
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/45514 Mixing in close vicinity to the substrate
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/45519 Inert gas curtains
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/45565 Shower nozzles
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/45574 Nozzles for more than one gas
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/45578 Elongated nozzles, tubes with holes
• CPC Class Codes: C30B 25/14 Feed and outlet means for the gases; Modifying the flow of the reactive gases
• CPC Class Codes: C30B 29/403 AIII-nitrides
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/0318 Processes
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/87153 Plural noncommunicating flow paths

Abstract

A method and apparatus that may be utilized for chemical vapor deposition and/or hydride vapor phase epitaxial (HVPE) deposition are provided. In one embodiment, a metal organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) process is used to deposit a Group III-nitride film on a plurality of substrates. A Group III precursor, such as trimethyl gallium, trimethyl aluminum or trimethyl indium and a nitrogen-containing precursor, such as ammonia, are delivered to a plurality of straight channels which isolate the precursor gases. The precursor gases are injected into mixing channels where the gases are mixed before entering a processing volume containing the substrates. Heat exchanging channels are provided for temperature control of the mixing channels to prevent undesirable condensation and reaction of the precursors.

Claims

1. A showerhead apparatus comprising:

a first plenum disposed within the showerhead apparatus;

a second plenum disposed within the showerhead apparatus;

a third plenum disposed within the showerhead apparatus;

a plurality of straight and parallel first gas flow channels for a first precursor gas formed within the showerhead apparatus and in fluid communication with the first plenum;

a plurality of straight and parallel second gas flow channels for a second precursor gas formed within the showerhead apparatus and in fluid communication with the second plenum;

a plurality of straight and parallel third gas flow channels for a third precursor gas formed within the showerhead apparatus and in fluid communication with the third plenum, wherein the first plenum is disposed between the second plenum and the first, second, and third gas flow channels, and the third plenum is disposed above the second plenum;

a first plurality of gas conduits formed within the showerhead apparatus and coupling the first plenum to the first gas flow channels;

a second plurality of gas conduits formed within the showerhead apparatus and coupling the second plenum to the second gas flow channels;

a third plurality of gas conduits formed within the showerhead apparatus and coupling the third plenum to the third gas flow channels;

a plurality of first gas injection holes formed within the showerhead apparatus and in fluid communication with the first gas flow channels;

a plurality of second gas injection holes formed within the showerhead apparatus and in fluid communication with the second gas flow channels;

a plurality of third gas injection holes formed within the showerhead apparatus and in fluid communication with the third gas flow channels; and

mixing channels formed in a surface of the showerhead apparatus and disposed downstream from the first, second and third gas injection holes for mixing the first precursor gas, the second precursor gas and the third precursor gas.

2. The showerhead apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of straight and parallel heat exchanging channels extending across the surface of the showerhead apparatus.

3. The showerhead apparatus of claim 2, wherein the mixing channels and the heat exchanging channels are parallel and are alternately arranged across the surface of the showerhead apparatus.

4. The showerhead apparatus of claim 2, wherein the heat exchanging channels are formed within walls that extend in the direction of the gas injection past the first, second and third gas injection holes toward a substrate processing volume.

5. The showerhead apparatus of claim 2, further comprising one or more temperature sensors for measuring the temperature of the showerhead apparatus, wherein the flow rate and temperature of heat exchanging fluid that flows through the heat exchanging channels is controlled based on the measured temperature.

6. The showerhead apparatus of claim 1, wherein the mixing channels are formed in the surface of the showerhead apparatus.

7. The showerhead apparatus of claim 1, wherein the mixing channels comprise straight and parallel channels extending across the surface of the showerhead apparatus.

8. The showerhead apparatus of claim 1, further comprising diverging walls coupled to opposing sides of the mixing channels wherein a distance between the diverging walls increases in a direction toward a substrate processing volume.

9. The showerhead apparatus of claim 1, having a central conduit fluidly isolated from the gas flow channels, plenums and mixing channels.

10. The showerhead apparatus of claim 9, wherein the central conduit is adapted to pass a fluid or a plasma therethrough.

11. The showerhead apparatus of claim 9, wherein the central conduit is a port for a temperature sensor.

12. A showerhead apparatus comprising:

a first plenum disposed within the showerhead apparatus;

a second plenum disposed within the showerhead apparatus;

a third plenum disposed within the showerhead apparatus;

a plurality of straight and parallel first gas flow channels for a first precursor gas formed within the showerhead apparatus and in fluid communication with the first plenum;

a plurality of straight and parallel second gas flow channels for a second precursor gas formed within the showerhead apparatus and in fluid communication with the second plenum;

a plurality of straight and parallel third gas flow channels for a third precursor gas formed within the showerhead apparatus and in fluid communication with the third plenum, wherein the first plenum is disposed between the second plenum and the first second, and third gas flow channels, and the third plenum is disposed above the second plenum;

a first plurality of gas conduits formed within the showerhead apparatus and coupling the first plenum to the first gas flow channels;

a second plurality of gas conduits formed within the showerhead apparatus and coupling the second plenum to the second gas flow channels;

a third plurality of gas conduits formed within the showerhead apparatus and coupling the third plenum to the third gas flow channels;

a plurality of first gas injection holes formed within the showerhead apparatus and in fluid communication with the first gas flow channels;

a plurality of second gas injection holes formed within the showerhead apparatus and in fluid communication with the second gas flow channels;

a plurality of third gas injection holes formed within the showerhead apparatus and in fluid communication with the third gas flow channels; and

heat exchanging channels disposed between sets of the first, second and third gas injection holes, and formed within walls that extend in the direction of the gas injection past the first, second and third gas injection holes toward a substrate processing volume, wherein an exterior of the walls define mixing channels into which a first, second, and third gas are injected through the first, second, and third gas injection holes to be mixed therein.

13. The showerhead apparatus of claim 12, wherein the mixing channels are defined on a surface of the showerhead apparatus which faces the substrate processing volume.

14. The showerhead apparatus of claim 12, wherein the exterior of the walls are substantially parallel to each other.

15. The showerhead apparatus of claim 12, wherein the mixing channels and heat exchanging channels are straight channels extending across a surface of the showerhead apparatus.

16. The showerhead apparatus of claim 12, wherein the first, second and third gas injection holes near a perimeter of the showerhead apparatus are larger than the first, second, and third gas injection holes near a center of the showerhead apparatus.

17. The showerhead apparatus of claim 12, wherein the density of the first, second and third gas injection holes near a perimeter of the showerhead apparatus are greater than the density of the first, second and third gas injection holes near a center of the showerhead apparatus.

18. The showerhead apparatus of claim 12, wherein the first, second and third gas injection holes are arranged to define a plurality of substantially wedge shaped gas injection zones.

19. The showerhead apparatus of claim 12, wherein a portion of the walls increasingly diverge in a direction toward a substrate processing volume.

20. The showerhead apparatus of claim 12, having a central conduit fluidly isolated from the gas flow channels, plenums, heat exchanging channels, and mixing channels.