BATCH DEPOSITION SYSTEM USING A SUPERCRITICAL DEPOSITION PROCESS
A batch deposition chamber for use in a supercritical deposition process is divided into a plurality of compartments each adapted to receive therein a wafer. A supercritical fluid is introduced into the compartments at the same flow rate via respective feed tubes for depositing a film on the wafers. Each of the ambient temperature and the surface temperature of the wafers is controlled at the same temperature among all the wafers by using temperature sensors provided for the respective wafers and a temperature controller.
1 . A supercritical batch deposition system comprising:
a pressure chamber that includes at least one partition for dividing said pressure chamber into a plurality of compartments in a vertical direction, each of said compartments being adapted to receive therein a wafer;
a plurality of reagent inlet ports that introduce supercritical reagent into respective said compartments;
a plurality of temperature sensors each for measuring a temperature in a corresponding one of said compartments; and
a temperature controller that controls the temperature of said compartments at a target temperature based on the temperature measured by said temperature sensors.
2 . The batch deposition system according to claim 1 , wherein said plurality of temperature sensors include at least two temperature sensors for each of said compartments, one and the other of said two temperature sensors measuring an ambient temperature and a surface temperature, respectively, of each of said wafers.
3 . The batch deposition system according to claim 2 , wherein said temperature controller controls the surface temperature of said wafers at a fixed temperature based on the surface temperature measured by said one of said two temperature sensors, and controls the ambient temperature of said wafers at another fixed temperature based on the ambient temperature measured by the other of said two temperature sensors.
4 . The batch deposition system according to claim 1 , wherein said pressure chamber comprises therein a plurality of supercritical-solution inlet ports that introduce a solution prepared by dissolving the reagent in a supercritical fluid into respective said compartments.
5 . The batch deposition system according to claim 4 , wherein said reagent is introduced into said plurality of compartments at the same flow rate.
6 . The batch deposition system according to claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of flow rate controllers each in association with a corresponding one of said target inlet ports.
7 . The batch deposition system according to claim 6 , wherein said partition has therein a through-hole that communicates together adjacent two of said compartments.
8 . A method for depositing a film by using a supercritical batch deposition process comprising:
receiving each of a plurality of wafers in a corresponding one of a plurality of compartments formed in a pressure chamber;
introducing a supercritical reagent into said compartments;
controlling a temperature of said compartments at a target temperature; and
controlling a flow rate of said reagent introduced into said compartments at a target flow rate.