The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Oct. 31, 2000
Filed:
Mar. 14, 1996
Robert F Foster, Phoenix, AZ (US);
Joseph T Hillman, Scottsdale, AZ (US);
Rikhit Arora, Mesa, AZ (US);
Tokyo Electron Limited, Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
Method and apparatus are disclosed for low temperature deposition of CVD and PECVD films utilizing a gas-dispersing showerhead position within one inch of a rotating substrate. The showerhead is positioned a suitable distance below a gas-dispensing apparatus such as a steady stay flow of gas develops between the ring and showerhead. A cylindrical structure extends between the gas-dispersing ring and a showerhead to contain the gas over the showerhead yielding a small boundary layer over the substrate to ensure efficient uniform deposition of a film on a substrate surface. In the one embodiment of the present invention the showerhead is bias with RF energy such that it acts as an electrode to incite a plasma proximate with the substrate for PECVD. The cylinder is isolated from the showerhead such as by a quartz insulator ring to prevent ignition of a plasma within the cylinder, or alternatively, the cylinder is fabricated of quartz material. The RF showerhead utilizes small gas-dispersing holes to further prevent ignition of a plasma within the cylinder. The very small showerhead-to-substrate spacing and the efficient delivery of the plasma and reacting gases produces low temperature CVD and PECVD of films on the substrate.