Applied Materials, Inc.

Norman M Nakashima

Dien-Yeh Wu

Hua Chung

Ling Chen

Seshadri Ganguli

Paul F Ma

Schubert S Chu

Vincent W Ku

Christophe Marcadal

Alan Hiroshi Ouye

Mei Yin Chang

Joseph F AuBuchon

Mark S Johnson

Steven H Kim

Roja Palakodeti

Embodiments of the invention provide an apparatus and a process for generating a chemical precursor used in a vapor deposition processing system. The apparatus includes a canister (e.g., ampoule) having a sidewall, a top, and a bottom encompassing an interior volume therein, inlet and outlet ports in fluid communication with the interior volume, and a thermally conductive coating disposed on or over the outside surface of the canister. The thermally conductive coating is more thermally conductive than the outside surface of the canister. The thermally conductive coating may contain aluminum, aluminum nitride, copper, brass, silver, titanium, silicon nitride, or alloys thereof. In some embodiments, an adhesion layer (e.g., titanium or tantalum) may be disposed between the outside surface of the canister and the thermally conductive coating. In other embodiments, the canister may contain a plurality of baffles or solid heat-transfer particles to help evenly heat a solid precursor therein.

Ampoule with a thermally conductive coating

Apparatus and method for forming thin layers on a substrate are provided. A processing chamber has a gas delivery assembly that comprises a lid with a cap portion and a covering member that together define an expanding channel at a central portion of the lid, the covering member having a tapered bottom surface extending from the expanding channel to a peripheral portion of the covering member. Gas conduits are coupled to the expanding channel and positioned at an angle from a center of the expanding channel to form a circular gas flow through the expanding channel. The bottom surface of the chamber lid is shaped and sized to substantially cover the substrate receiving surface. One or more valves are coupled to the passageway, and one or more gas sources are coupled to each valve. A choke is disposed on the chamber lid adjacent a perimeter of the tapered bottom surface.

Gas delivery apparatus and method for atomic layer deposition

Embodiments of the invention provide a method for treating the inner surfaces of a processing chamber and depositing a material on a during a vapor deposition process, such as atomic layer deposition (ALD) or by chemical vapor deposition (CVD). In one embodiment, the inner surfaces of the processing chamber and the substrate may be exposed to a reagent, such as a hydrogenated ligand compound during a pretreatment process. The hydrogenated ligand compound may be the same ligand as a free ligand formed from the metal-organic precursor used during the subsequent deposition process. The free ligand is usually formed by hydrogenation or thermolysis during the deposition process. In one example, the processing chamber and substrate are exposed to an alkylamine compound (e.g., dimethylamine) during the pretreatment process prior to conducting the vapor deposition process which utilizes a metal-organic chemical precursor having alkylamino ligands, such as pentakis(dimethylamino) tantalum (PDMAT).

In-situ chamber treatment and deposition process

Embodiments described herein provide ampoule assemblies to contain, store, or dispense chemical precursors. In one embodiment, an ampoule assembly is provided which includes an ampoule containing a first material layer disposed on the outside of the ampoule and a second material layer disposed over the first material layer, wherein the first material layer is thermally more conductive than the second material layer, an inlet line in fluid communication with the ampoule and containing a first manual shut-off valve disposed therein, an outlet line in fluid communication with the ampoule and containing a second manual shut-off valve disposed therein, and a first bypass line connected between the inlet line and the outlet line. In some embodiments, the ampoule assembly may contain disconnect fittings. In other embodiments, the first bypass line has a shut-off valve disposed therein to fluidly couple or decouple the inlet line and the outlet line.

Chemical delivery apparatus for CVD or ALD

An apparatus and method for performing a cyclical layer deposition process, such as atomic layer deposition is provided. In one aspect, the apparatus includes a substrate support having a substrate receiving surface, and a chamber lid comprising a tapered passageway extending from a central portion of the chamber lid and a bottom surface extending from the passageway to a peripheral portion of the chamber lid, the bottom surface shaped and sized to substantially cover the substrate receiving surface. The apparatus also includes one or more valves coupled to the gradually expanding channel, and one or more gas sources coupled to each valve.

Gas delivery apparatus for atomic layer deposition

Apparatus and method for forming thin layers on a substrate are provided. A processing chamber has a gas delivery assembly that comprises a lid with a cap portion and a covering member that together define an expanding channel at a central portion of the lid, the covering member having a tapered bottom surface extending from the expanding channel to a peripheral portion of the covering member. Gas conduits are coupled to the expanding channel and positioned at an angle from a center of the expanding channel to form a circular gas flow through the expanding channel, The bottom surface of the chamber lid is shaped and sized to substantially cover the substrate receiving surface. One or more valves are coupled to the passageway, and one or more gas sources are coupled to each valve. A choke is disposed on the chamber lid adjacent a perimeter of the tapered bottom surface.

Embodiments are related to ampoule assemblies containing bypass lines and valves. In one embodiment, ampoule assembly is provided which includes inlet and outlet lines coupled with and in fluid communication to an ampoule body, a bypass line connected between the inlet and outlet lines and containing a bypass valve disposed therein. The ampoule assembly further contains a shut-off valve disposed in the inlet line between the ampoule body and a connection point of the bypass line and the inlet line, a shut-off valve disposed in the outlet line between the ampoule body and a connection point of the bypass line and the outlet line, another shut-off valve disposed in the inlet line between the ampoule body and a disconnect fitting disposed on the inlet line, and another shut-off valve disposed in the outlet line between the ampoule body and a disconnect fitting disposed on the outlet line.

Embodiments as described herein provide an apparatus and a method for performing an atomic layer deposition process. In one embodiment, a deposition chamber assembly contains a substrate support having a substrate receiving surface, and a chamber lid containing a tapered passageway extending from a central portion of the chamber lid, and a bottom surface extending from the passageway to a peripheral portion of the chamber lid, the bottom surface shaped and sized to substantially cover the substrate receiving surface. The system also includes one or more valves coupled to the gradually expanding channel, and one or more gas sources coupled to each valve. In one example, the gas source is a gas box assembly which is attached to the deposition chamber by at least one disconnect fitting and contains an inlet tube directed away from the gas outlet.

Embodiments described herein provide ampoule assemblies to contain, store, or dispense chemical precursors. In one embodiment, an ampoule assembly is provided which includes an ampoule containing a first material layer disposed on the outside of the ampoule and a second material layer disposed over the first material layer, wherein the first material layer is thermally more conductive than the second material layer, an inlet line in fluid communication with the ampoule and containing a first manual shut-off valve disposed therein, an outlet line in fluid communication with the ampoule and containing a second manual shut-off valve disposed therein, and a first bypass line connected between the inlet line and the outlet line. In some embodiments, the ampoule assembly may contain disconnect fittings. In other embodiments, the first bypass line has a shut-off valve disposed therein to fluidly couple or decouple the input line and the outlet line.

An ampoule assembly is configured with a bypass line and valve to allow the purging of the lines and valves connected to the ampoule. The ampoule assembly, in one embodiment, includes an ampoule, an inlet line, an outlet line, and a bypass line connected between the inlet line and the outlet line, the bypass line having a shut-off valve disposed therein to fluidly couple or decouple the inlet line and the outlet line. The shut-off valve disposed in the bypass line may be remotely controllable. Also, additional remotely controllable shut-off valves may be provided in the inlet and the outlet lines.

One embodiment of the gas delivery assembly comprises a covering member having an expanding channel at a central portion of the covering member and having a bottom surface extending from the expanding channel to a peripheral portion of the covering member. One or more gas conduits are coupled to the expanding channel in which the one or more gas conduits are positioned at an angle from a center of the expanding channel. One embodiment of a chamber comprises a substrate support having a substrate receiving surface. The chamber further includes a chamber lid having a passageway at a central portion of the chamber lid and a tapered bottom surface extending from the passageway to a peripheral portion of the chamber lid. The bottom surface of the chamber lid is shaped and sized to substantially cover the substrate receiving surface. One or more valves are coupled to the passageway, and one or more gas sources are coupled to each valve. In one aspect, the bottom surface of the chamber lid may be tapered. In another aspect, a reaction zone defined between the chamber lid and the substrate receiving surface may comprise a small volume. In still another aspect, the passageway may comprise a tapered expanding channel extending from the central portion of the chamber lid. Another embodiment of the chamber comprises a substrate support having a substrate receiving surface. The chamber further comprises a chamber lid having an expanding channel extending from a central portion of the chamber lid and having a tapered bottom surface extending from the expanding channel to a peripheral portion of the chamber lid. One or more gas conduits are disposed around an upper portion of the expanding channel in which the one or more gas conduits are disposed at an angle from a center of the expanding channel. A choke is disposed on the chamber lid adjacent a perimeter of the tapered bottom surface.

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Sunnyvale, CA, United States of America

Norman M Nakashima