Applied Materials, Inc.

Alan F Morrison

Mei Yin Chang

Ashok K Sinha

Karl Anthony Littau

Lawrence C Lei

Ilya Perlov

Semyon Sherstinsky

Dale R Dubois

Simon W Tam

Richard A Marsh

Eric Andrew Englhardt

Salvador P Umotoy

Marvin De-Dui Liao

Yeh-Jen Kao

Dale DuBois

Michal Danek

Virendra V Rana

Cissy S Leung

Manus K Wong

Sandy M Chew

Ron L Rose

Charles C Harris

James F Roberts

Michael Danek

Shane D Clark

The construction of a film on a wafer, which is placed in a processing chamber, may be carried out through the following steps. A layer of material is deposited on the wafer. Next, the layer of material is annealed. Once the annealing is completed, the material may be oxidized. Alternatively, the material may be exposed to a silicon gas once the annealing is completed. The deposition, annealing, and either oxidation or silicon gas exposure may all be carried out in the same chamber, without need for removing the wafer from the chamber until all three steps are completed. A semiconductor wafer processing chamber for carrying out such an in-situ construction may include a processing chamber, a showerhead, a wafer support and a rf signal means. The showerhead supplies gases into the processing chamber, while the wafer support supports a wafer in the processing chamber. The rf signal means is coupled to the showerhead and the wafer support for providing a first rf signal to the showerhead and a second rf signal to the wafer support.

Method for constructing a film on a semiconductor wafer

A conventional plasma etch chamber is modified to reduce particulate generation in the chamber that contaminates the chamber and substrates mounted on a pedestal support being processed therein. A clamping ring cover in the chamber is made of ceramic. Grooves are machined into the cover and metal antennas can be mounted in the grooves to act as a getter for particles and pre-particle, non-volatile contaminants in the chamber. The clamping ring for the substrate being processed is also made of ceramic. Fewer particles are generated by ion bombardment using ceramic versus prior art clamping rings made of aluminum. Further, the cylinder clamping ring support which surrounds the pedestal support is fitted with a plurality of openings or windows to allow escape of purge gases that carry particles through the windows and into the adjoining exhaust system of the chamber and thus also away from the substrate being processed. Markedly fewer particles are deposited onto substrates using the modified plasma etch chamber of the invention than was found for unmodified chambers.

Etch chamber

The construction of a film on a wafer, which is placed in a processing chamber, may be carried out through the following steps. A layer of material is formed on the wafer, while the wafer is in the processing chamber. Next, the layer of material is oxidized, while the wafer is in the processing chamber. A semiconductor wafer processing chamber for carrying out such a construction in-situ may include a processing chamber, a showerhead, a wafer support and a rf signal means. The showerhead supplies gases into the processing chamber, while the wafer support supports a wafer in the processing chamber. The rf signal means is coupled to the showerhead and the wafer support for providing a first rf signal to the showerhead and a second rf signal to the wafer support.

Apparatus for constructing an oxidized film on a semiconductor wafer

Vacuum CVD chambers are disclosed which provide a more uniformly deposited thin film on a substrate. The chamber susceptor mount for the substrate is heated resistively with a single coil firmly contacting the metal of the susceptor on all sides, providing uniform temperatures across the susceptor mount for a substrate. A purge gas line is connected to openings in the susceptor outside of the periphery of the substrate to prevent edge and backside contamination of the substrate. A vacuum feed line mounts the substrate to the susceptor plate during processing. A refractory purge guide, or a plurality of placement pins, maintain a fixed gap passage for the purge gases to pass alongside the edge of the wafer and into the processing area of the chamber. An exhaust pumping plate improves the uniformity of exhaustion of spent gases from the chamber.

Chemical vapor deposition chamber

This invention provides a method and apparatus for supporting a wafer in a processing chamber, where the wafer is supported and heated from below via a heater pedestal having a diameter larger than that of the wafer. A process fluid flowing downward toward the top of the wafer is inhibited from depositing near the wafer edge by a shadow ring. The shadow ring, which is placed over but does not contact the wafer, physically masks an annular strip of the wafer near its edge. The shadow ring inhibits deposition of process fluides on the wafer in two distinct ways. First, the shadow ring physically obstructs process gas, flowing downward from above the wafer, from depositing on the masked portion of the wafer. Second, the shadow ring is used to direct a flow of a purge gas to inhibit process gas from seeping under the shadow ring and depositing near the wafer edge. A purge gas manifold is defined by a cylindrical annulus located concentrically below the shadow ring and circumscribing the heater pedestal. A purge gap between the wafer and the shadow ring forms the outlet of the purge gas manifold. The purge gas flows out of the purge gap, inhibiting the process gas from entering the purge gap, and thus further inhibiting deposition on the masked portion of the wafer.

Heater with shadow ring and purge above wafer surface

An improved deposition chamber deposits useful layers on substrates. The improved chamber includes a substrate edge protection system which, in combination with a purge gas, protects selected portions of the edge and underside of the substrate from the deposition gas while preventing the creation of a masked area on the substrate edge. The substrate is supported on a solid receiving plate, and a positioning assembly aligns the substrate to the receiving plate. In some embodiments, the invention may include a stem interconnected to the substrate, a heat limiting member disposed about the stem, and a shroud extending about the stem.

Chemical vapor deposition of a thin film onto a substrate

Apparatus for CVD processing wherein a wafer mounted on a vertically movable susceptor beneath a showerhead. The susceptor extends beyond the outer perimeter of the wafer such that, when the susceptor is raised into contact with a shield ring which normally rests on a ring support in the chamber, the shield ring engages outer portion of the susceptor beyond the perimeter of the wafer, lifting the shield ring off its support. The shield ring shields the edge of the top surface of the susceptor during the deposition, whereby unwanted deposition on the susceptor is prevented while, at the same time, allowing for deposition over the entire upper surface of the wafer. To center the shield ring and the susceptor with respect to each other, the shield ring may include a plurality of centering protrusions, at least some of which engage the susceptor as it moves upwards to lift the shield ring off its supports in the chamber.

Substrate support shield in wafer processing reactors

A substrate processing apparatus comprising a processing chamber in which a substrate support is located. The substrate support, which is in the form of a heater pedestal, has a surface dimensioned to receive the substrate, and is circumscribed by a removable purge ring which defines an annulus between itself and the pedestal. At the outer edge of the pedestal is a purge gas manifold, in the form of a cavity between the purge ring and the pedestal. The lower end of the manifold is sealed by means of a mechanical seal that is formed at process temperature as the pedestal expands from heating and comes into contact with the purge ring's lower edge. The upper end of the manifold opens into the annulus defined by the purge ring and the pedestal. The manifold is arranged so that during processing, purge gas is injected into the manifold and projected toward the edge of a substrate received on the surface of the pedestal. This gas moves upwards through the annulus defined between the purge ring and the substrate support. Consequently, processing gas is prevented from contacting the extreme edge portion of the substrate. This reduces unwanted deposition on the peripheral edge and lower surface of the substrate.

Removable ring for controlling edge deposition in substrate processing

An improved deposition chamber deposits useful layers on substrates. The improved chamber includes a substrate edge protection system which, in combination with a purge gas, protects selected portions of the edge and underside of the substrate from the deposition gas while preventing the creation of a masked area on the substrate edge. The substrate is supported on a solid receiving plate, which is supported by a stem having a heat limiting member and a shroud to protect the stem and a positioning assembly aligns the substrate to the receiving plate.

Chemical vapor deposition chamber with a purge guide

A compound clamp ring secures a semiconductor wafer having a wafer flat portion to a wafer pedestal during wafer processing while maintaining a continuous seal between the wafer edges and the wafer pedestal to prevent leakage of coolant gases circulated at the backside of the wafer into the process environment. The clamp ring has an annular wafer clamp surface adapted to press a round portion of the wafer into sealing abutment with the wafer pedestal. A cavity formed in the clamp ring securely receives a comb-like array of resilient flexures that are adapted to apply a yieldable bias to the flat portion of the wafer to complete the seal between the wafer and the pedestal at the flat portion of the wafer; and encloses the flexures to shield the flexures from process gases.

Compound clamp ring for semiconductor wafers

A substrate lifting apparatus for use in a substrate processing apparatus which includes a thermal reactor having a substrate processing chamber and a substrate support located in the chamber. The lifting apparatus consists of a generally circular shaped support with four seats formed therein; four substrate lifting elements, each having a substrate engaging end and a securing tab sized to be received in a seat; a fastener, associated with each lifting element, which secures the tab into the seat; and an adjuster, associated with each lifting element, located between the tab and the seat. When the tab is secured in the seat and the adjuster is operated, the lifting element is caused to move in a plane parallel to a plane formed through the center of the fastener and the adjuster.

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San Jose, CA, United States of America

Alan F Morrison