IP Library Granted Patent US 11,613,812
Granted Patent B2
US 11,613,812 · App. 17/011,853 · Granted Mar 28, 2023

PECVD process

Inventors: Nagarajan Rajagopalan (Santa Clara, CA); Xinhai Han (Santa Clara, CA); Michael Wenyoung Tsiang (Fremont, CA); Masaki Ogata (San Jose, CA); Zhijun Jiang (Sunnyvale, CA); Juan Carlos Rocha-Alvarez (San Carlos, CA); Thomas Nowak (Cupertino, CA); Jianhua Zhou (Campbell, CA); Ramprakash Sankarakrishnan (Santa Clara, CA); Amit Kumar Bansal (Milpitas, CA); Jeongmin Lee (San Ramon, CA); Todd Egan (Fremont, CA); Edward Budiarto (Fremont, CA); Dmitriy Panasyuk (Santa Clara, CA); Terrance Y. Lee (Oakland, CA); Jian J. Chen (Fremont, CA); Mohamad A. Ayoub (Los Gatos, CA); Heung Lak Park (San Jose, CA); Patrick Reilly (Pleasanton, CA); Shahid Shaikh (Santa Clara, CA); Bok Hoen Kim (San Jose, CA); Sergey Starik (Kiev, UA); Ganesh Balasubramanian (Fremont, CA)
Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
C23C16/52C23C16/458C23C16/4557C23C16/45565C23C16/46C23C16/50C23C16/505C23C16/509C23C16/5096G01B11/0625G01B11/0683G01N21/55G01N21/658H01L21/00H01L21/67248H01L21/67253H01L21/687G01N2201/1222
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,613,812
App. No.
17/011,853
Granted
Mar 28, 2023
Kind
B2
Abstract

A method of processing a substrate according to a PECVD process is described. Temperature profile of the substrate is adjusted to change deposition rate profile across the substrate. Plasma density profile is adjusted to change deposition rate profile across the substrate. Chamber surfaces exposed to the plasma are heated to improve plasma density uniformity and reduce formation of low quality deposits on chamber surfaces. In situ metrology may be used to monitor progress of a deposition process and trigger control actions involving substrate temperature profile, plasma density profile, pressure, temperature, and flow of reactants.

Claims (43)

1. An apparatus for processing a substrate, comprising:

a chamber comprising a side wall and a floor;

a lid assembly coupled to the side wall of the chamber, the side wall, floor, and lid defining an internal volume of the chamber, the lid assembly comprising:

a gas distributor having a plurality of gas flow openings formed therethrough; and

an electrode between the gas distributor and the side wall, the electrode coupled to a first tuning circuit; and

an isolator that contacts the electrode and separates the electrode electrically and thermally from the gas distributor.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first turning circuit comprises:

an electronic sensor;

an electronic controller, wherein the electronic controller is a variable capacitor;

a first inductor in series with the electronic controller; and

a second inductor in parallel with the electronic controller.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the electrode is a ring electrode.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the electrode is a continuous loop around a circumference of the chamber surrounding the internal volume.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the electrode is a perforated electrode.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the electrode is a plate electrode.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a second electrode coupled to the substrate support.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 , further comprising a third electrode coupled to the substrate support.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the isolator comprises a dielectric material.

10. An apparatus for processing a substrate, comprising:

a chamber body comprising a side wall and a floor;

a lid assembly coupled to the side wall of the chamber, wherein the side wall, floor, and lid define an internal volume of the chamber, and wherein the lid assembly comprises:

a gas distributor having a plurality of gas flow openings formed therethrough; and

an electrode disposed adjacent to the chamber body and separating the chamber body from the other components of the lid assembly, the electrode coupled to a first tuning circuit comprising an electronic sensor and an electronic controller.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 , further comprising:

a zoned blocker plate that contacts the gas distributor and provides multiple gas pathways therethrough, the zoned blocker plate comprising:

a first zoned plate; and

a second zoned plate.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 , further comprising an isolator that contacts the electrode and separates the electrode electrically and thermally from the gas distributor.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the electrode is a ring electrode.

14. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the electrode is a perforated electrode.

15. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the electrode is a plate electrode.

16. An apparatus for processing a substrate, comprising:

a chamber body comprising a side wall and a floor;

a lid coupled to the side wall of the chamber body, wherein the side wall, floor, and lid define an internal volume of a chamber, and wherein the lid comprises:

a gas distributor having a plurality of gas flow openings formed therethrough; and

an electrode disposed in the side wall; and

a zoned blocker plate that contacts the gas distributor and provides multiple gas pathways, the zoned blocker plate comprising:

a first zoned plate; and

a second zoned plate.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 , further comprising an isolator that contacts the electrode and separates the electrode electrically and thermally from the gas distributor and from the chamber body.

18. The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the electrode is a ring electrode.

19. The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the electrode is a perforated electrode.

20. The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the electrode is a plate electrode.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 29, 2020
From: RAJAGOPALAN, NAGARAJAN; HAN, XINHAI; TSIANG, MICHAEL WENYOUNG; OGATA, MASAKI; JIANG, ZHIJUN; ROCHA-ALVAREZ, JUAN CARLOS; NOWAK, THOMAS; ZHOU, JIANHUA; SANKARAKRISHNAN, RAMPRAKASH; BANSAL, AMIT KUMAR; LEE, JEONGMIN; EGAN, TODD; BUDIARTO, EDWARD; PANASYUK, DMITRIY; LEE, TERRANCE Y; CHEN, JIAN J; AYOUB, MOHAMAD A; PARK, HEUNG LAK; REILLY, PATRICK; SHAIKH, SHAHID; KIM, BOK HOEN; STARIK, SERGEY; BALASUBRAMANIAN, GANESH
To: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.
Reel/Frame 053916/0796 →
Continuity (9)
Continuation 15976468 · May 10, 2018
Continuation 15802496 · Nov 3, 2017
Continuation 15278455 · Sep 28, 2016
Continuation 14869371 · Sep 29, 2015
Continuation 14056203 · Oct 17, 2013
Provisional Application 61761515 · Feb 6, 2013
Provisional Application 61738247 · Dec 17, 2012
Provisional Application 61719319 · Oct 26, 2012
Related Publication 20200399756A1 · Dec 24, 2020