Microwave system for microwave-assisted surface chemistry annealing of ALD processes utilizing microwave radiation energy
A microwave system for use within a microwave-assisted thermal atomic layer deposition system is disclosed which include at least one microwave generator configured to output at least one microwave signal, at least one waveguide assembly in communication with the at least one microwave generator and configured to receive the microwave signal, one or more isolators positioned within the waveguide assembly and configured to reduce or eliminate backscatter of the microwave signal from the waveguide assembly to the at least one microwave generator, at least one tuning device in positioned within the waveguide assembly and configured receive the microwave signal from the isolator and tune the microwave signal, and at least one microwave delivery device in communication with the waveguide assembly and configured to direct at least a portion of the microwave signal into at least one processing chamber of the microwave-assisted thermal atomic layer deposition system.
1 . A microwave-assisted thermal atomic layer deposition system for depositing an atomic layer on a substrate, the microwave-assisted thermal atomic layer deposition system comprising:
a conical processing vessel in a processing chamber, the conical processing vessel having a wide end, a narrow end; and a length defined between the wide end and the narrow end
a platen vessel positioned at the wide end of the conical processing vessel and configured to receive and support the substrate;
at least one plasma source coupled to the narrow end of the conical processing vessel;
a microwave system including:
at least one microwave generator configured to output at least one microwave signal;
at least two waveguide assemblies configured to receive from the at least one microwave generator an input microwave signal via an input transition member, process the received input microwave signal, and output a processing microwave signal via an output transition member;
wherein each of the at least two waveguide assemblies are positioned at a non-parallel angle relative to a centerline of the length of the conical processing vessel;
wherein each of the at least two waveguide assemblies include:
the input transition member in communication with the at least one microwave generator and configured to receive, as the input microwave signal, the at least one microwave signal;
at least one isolator positioned within the at least two waveguide assemblies and configured to:
receive the input microwave signal from the at least one microwave generator;
reduce or eliminate backscatter of the received input microwave signal to the at least one microwave generator; and
emit the received input microwave signal as an isolated microwave signal;
at least one tuning device positioned within each of the at least two waveguide assemblies, the at least one tuning device configured to:
receive the isolated microwave signal emitted from the at least one isolator;
tune the isolated microwave signal; and
emit the tuned isolated microwave signal as a tuned microwave signal; and
an output transition member positioned within the at least two waveguide assemblies to receive the tuned microwave signal and emit the tuned microwave signal as the processing microwave signal;
at least two microwave delivery devices, each in communication with a respective waveguide assembly of the at least two waveguide assemblies, and configured to:
receive the processing microwave signal from the at least two waveguide assemblies; and
direct the processing microwave signal into the processing vessel of the microwave-assisted thermal atomic layer deposition system at a non-parallel angled direction of travel relative to the centerline of the length of the conical processing vessel, such that the at least two waveguide assemblies output the processing microwave signals in an angled direction of travel that is non-parallel relative to the centerline of the length of the conical processing vessel;
wherein the at least one isolator is positioned downstream from and directly coupled to an output of the at least one microwave generator and is positioned upstream from an input of the at least one tuning device;
wherein the two waveguide assemblies are configured to output the processing microwave signals such that, when the substrate is supported on the platen vessel:
the substrate is heated by the processing microwave signals to decrease the time needed to deposit an atomic layer on the substrate; and
when the supported substrate is covered by a deposited atomic layer, the deposited atomic layer is heated by the processing microwave signals to decrease the time needed to deposit an additional atomic layer on the deposited atomic layer.
2 . The microwave-assisted thermal atomic layer deposition system for depositing an atomic layer on a substrate of claim 1 , further comprising at least one solid state microwave generator configured to output at least one microwave signal having a power from about 10 W to 10 KW.
3 . The microwave-assisted thermal atomic layer deposition system for depositing an atomic layer on a substrate of claim 1 , further comprising at least one solid state microwave generator configured to output at least one microwave signal having a power from about 500 W to 2 KW.
4 . The microwave-assisted thermal atomic layer deposition system for depositing an atomic layer on a substrate of claim 1 , further comprising at least one solid state microwave generator configured to output at least one microwave signal frequency ranging from 1000 MHz to 4000 MHz.
5 . The microwave-assisted thermal atomic layer deposition system for depositing an atomic layer on a substrate of claim 1 , further comprising at least one solid state microwave generator configured to output at least one microwave signal frequency ranging from 5700 MHz to 5800 MHz.
6 . The microwave-assisted thermal atomic layer deposition system for depositing an atomic layer on a substrate of claim 1 , further comprising at least one solid state microwave generator configured to output at least one microwave signal frequency ranging from 2400 MHz to 2500 MHz.
7 . The microwave-assisted thermal atomic layer deposition system for depositing an atomic layer on a substrate of claim 1 , wherein the at least one tuning device comprises an automatic tuning device configured to autonomously tune the isolated microwave signal.
8 . The microwave-assisted thermal atomic layer deposition system for depositing an atomic layer on a substrate of claim 7 , further comprising at least one detector device positioned within the at least two waveguide assemblies, the at least one detector device in communication with the at least one tuning device.
9 . The microwave-assisted thermal atomic layer deposition system for depositing an atomic layer on a substrate of claim 8 , wherein the at least one detector device comprises a precision power detector (PPD).
10 . The microwave-assisted thermal atomic layer deposition system for depositing an atomic layer on a substrate of claim 1 , wherein the at least one tuning device comprises a manual tuning device configured permit tuning of the isolated microwave signal.
11 . The microwave-assisted thermal atomic layer deposition system for depositing an atomic layer on a substrate of claim 10 , further comprising at least one directional coupler co-located with the at least one isolator and the at least one tuning device within the at least two waveguide assemblies, the directional coupler in communication with the at least one tuning device.
12 . The microwave-assisted thermal atomic layer deposition system for depositing an atomic layer on a substrate of claim 1 , wherein the at least one microwave delivery device is configured to emit the processing microwave signal comprising linearly polarized microwave signal.
13 . The microwave-assisted thermal atomic layer deposition system for depositing an atomic layer on a substrate of claim 1 , wherein the at least one microwave delivery device is configured to emit the processing microwave signal comprising a circularly polarized microwave signal.
14 . The microwave-assisted thermal atomic layer deposition system for depositing an atomic layer on a substrate of claim 1 , wherein the at least one microwave delivery device is configured to emit the processing microwave signal comprising an elliptically polarized microwave signal.
15 . The microwave-assisted thermal atomic layer deposition system for depositing an atomic layer on a substrate of claim 1 , wherein the at least one microwave delivery device is configured to emit the processing microwave signal comprising a microwave signal having a TE 11 mode.
16 . The microwave-assisted thermal atomic layer deposition system for depositing an atomic layer on a substrate of claim 1 , wherein the at least one microwave delivery device is configured to emit the processing microwave signal having a TM 01 mode.
17 . The microwave-assisted thermal atomic layer deposition system for depositing an atomic layer on a substrate of claim 1 , wherein the at least one microwave delivery device comprises a first microwave delivery device configured to emit a first processing microwave signal and at least a second microwave delivery device configured to emit at least a second processing microwave signal.
18 . The microwave-assisted thermal atomic layer deposition system for depositing an atomic layer on a substrate of claim 17 , wherein the polarization of the first processing microwave signal emitted from the first microwave delivery device and the polarization of at least a second processing microwave signal emitted from the at least a second microwave delivery device are the same polarization.
19 . The microwave-assisted thermal atomic layer deposition system for depositing an atomic layer on a substrate of claim 17 , wherein the polarization of the first processing microwave signal emitted from the first microwave delivery and the polarization of at least a second processing microwave signal emitted from the at least a second microwave delivery device are different polarizations.
20 . The microwave-assisted thermal atomic layer deposition system for depositing an atomic layer on a substrate of claim 17 , wherein the wavelength of the first processing microwave signal emitted from the first microwave delivery and the wavelength of at least a second processing microwave signal emitted from the at least a second microwave delivery device are the same wavelength.
21 . The microwave-assisted thermal atomic layer deposition system for depositing an atomic layer on a substrate of claim 17 , wherein the wavelength of the first processing microwave signal emitted from the first microwave delivery device and the wavelength of at least a second processing microwave signal emitted from the at least a second microwave delivery device are different wavelengths.
22 . The microwave-assisted thermal atomic layer deposition system for depositing an atomic layer on a substrate of claim 1 , wherein the at least one microwave delivery device comprises at least one waveguide coupled to and in communication with the processing vessel, the at least one waveguide configured to receive the at least one microwave signal from the at least one microwave generator and direct the at least one microwave signal into the processing vessel.
23 . The microwave-assisted thermal atomic layer deposition system for depositing an atomic layer on a substrate of claim 1 , wherein the processing vessel is a conical vessel configured to direct the processing microwave signal toward a substrate positioned in a platen vessel coupled to the conical vessel.
24 . The microwave-assisted thermal atomic layer deposition system for depositing an atomic layer on a substrate of claim 1 , wherein the input transition member is selected from the group consisting of a filter, a polarizer, and a waveplate.
25 . The microwave-assisted thermal atomic layer deposition system for depositing an atomic layer on a substrate of claim 1 , wherein the output transition member is a coaxial transition device.