Water cooled gas injector

• US 20120031332A1
• Filed: 10/20/2011
• Published: 02/09/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/05/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Applied Materials Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Applied Materials Incorporated
• Inventors: Yokota, Yoshitaka, Ramamurthy, Sundar, Achutharaman, Vedapuram, Czarnik, Cory, Behdjat, Mehran, Olsen, Christopher
• Granted Patent: US 8,409,353 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 118/715
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/0214 the material being a silicon oxynitride, e.g. SiON or SiON:H
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02238 silicon in uncombined form, i.e. pure silicon
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02249 formation by combined oxidation and nitridation performed simultaneously
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02255 formation by thermal treatment H01L21/02252 takes precedence; after treatment of an insulating film H01L21/3105 and subgroups
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/31658 by thermal oxidation, e.g. of SiGe
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/31662 of silicon in uncombined form
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67109 mainly by convection
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67115 mainly by radiation

Abstract

A method and apparatus for oxidizing materials used in semiconductor integrated circuits, for example, for oxidizing silicon to form a dielectric gate. An ozonator is capable of producing a stream of least 70% ozone. The ozone passes into an RTP chamber through a water-cooled injector projecting into the chamber. Other gases such as hydrogen to increase oxidation rate, diluent gas such as nitrogen or O₂, enter the chamber through another inlet. The chamber is maintained at a low pressure below 20 Torr and the substrate is advantageously maintained at a temperature less than 800° C. Alternatively, the oxidation may be performed in an LPCVD chamber including a pedestal heater and a showerhead gas injector in opposition to the pedestal.

Claims

1. A fluid cooled gas injector configured to inject gas along an injector axis through a sidewall of a processing chamber, comprising:

a gas channel formed in an integral member and extending along and surrounding said injector axis and first and second fluid-cooling channels both formed in the integral member and extending along and surrounding respective first and second channel axes which respectively are parallel to and offset from said injector axis and are outside of the gas channel,

wherein each of the fluid-cooling channels and of the gas channel does not surround any other of the fluid-cooling channels and of the gas channel,

wherein the first and second fluid cooling channels are in continuous thermal contact with the gas channel through the integral member in directions parallel to the injector axis along the entire lengths of the first and second fluid cooling channels, and

wherein the first and second fluid-cooling channels are connected through a transverse passage adjacent the distal end of the injector and have respective external fluid connections at ends thereof opposite the distal end of the injector to allow recirculation of a cooling fluid through the first and second fluid-cooling channels and the transverse passage.

2. The injector of claim 1, wherein the gas channel is disposed between the first and second fluid-cooling channels.

3. The injector of claim 1, wherein the first and second fluid-cooling channels include arc-shaped portions about the injector axis adjacent the distal end of the injector.

4. The injector of claim 1, wherein the injector comprises a tubular body, the gas channel is machined along the injector axis into the tubular body and the first and second fluid-cooling channels are bored along the respective first and second channel axes into the tubular body.

5. The injector of claim 1, wherein the first fluid-cooling channel does not surround the second channel axis and the second fluid-cooling channel does not surround the first channel axis.

6. The injector of claim 1, wherein the gas channel comprises a cylindrical hole and the fluid-cooling channels are completely disposed on respective opposed sides of the cylindrical hole.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the two fluid-cooling channels include portions which are circular about respective ones of the channel axes.

8. The injector of claim 1, wherein the cooling fluid is a liquid.

13. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the cooling fluid is a liquid.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the liquid comprises water.

9. A fluid-cooled injector configured to inject processing gas along an injector axis into a processing chamber and projecting into the vacuum chamber along the injector axis, comprising:

a gas channel extending along and surrounding the injector axis;

two fluid-cooling channels extending along and surrounding respective parallel fluid-cooling axes offset from one another and from the injector axis,

wherein each of the gas channel and of the fluid-cooling channels does not surround any other of the gas channel and the fluid-cooling channels,

wherein the fluid-cooling channels are in continuous thermal contact with the gas channel in directions parallel to the injector axis through the integral member along the entire lengths of the fluid-cooling channels,

wherein the gas channel includes a gas nozzle at a distal end of the injector, and

wherein the two fluid cooling channels are connected together at the distal end through a transverse passage extending transverse to the axis and have respective external fluid connections at ends thereof opposite the distal end to allow recirculation of a cooling fluid through the two fluid-cooling channels.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the gas channel is disposed between the fluid-cooling channels.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the gas channel comprises a cylindrical hole and the fluid-cooling channels are completely disposed on respective opposed sides of the cylindrical hole.

12. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the two fluid-cooling channels include portions which are circular about respective ones of the fluid-cooling axes.