# US 10,312,076 B2 · Application of bottom purge to increase clean efficiency

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- Number: US 10,312,076 B2
- Document ID: US10312076B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/917,079
- Filed: 2018-03-09
- Published: 2018-09-13
- Granted: 2019-06-04
- Earliest claimed: 2017-03-10
- Assignees: Applied Materials, Inc.
- Applicants: Applied Materials, Inc.
- Inventors: Kalyanjit Ghosh; Sanjeev Baluja; Mayur G. Kulkarni
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10312076B2

## CPC

- H10P 14/6336: {in the presence of a plasma [PECVD]}
- C23C 16/401: {containing silicon}
- C23C 16/4408: {by purging residual gases from the reaction chamber or gas lines}
- C23C 16/4412: {Details relating to the exhausts, e.g. pumps, filters, scrubbers, particle traps}
- C23C 16/45502: {Flow conditions in reaction chamber}
- C23C 16/4585: {Devices at or outside the perimeter of the substrate support, e.g. clamping rings, shrouds}
- C23C 16/50: using electric discharges {(generation and control of plasma in discharge tubes for surface treatment H01J37/32, H01J37/34)}
- H01J 37/3244: {Gas supply means}
- H01J 37/32862: {In situ cleaning of vessels and/or internal parts}
- H10P 14/6681: {the precursor containing a compound comprising Si}
- H10P: GENERIC PROCESSES OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10
- C23C: COATING METALLIC MATERIAL; COATING MATERIAL WITH METALLIC MATERIAL; SURFACE TREATMENT OF METALLIC MATERIAL BY DIFFUSION INTO THE SURFACE, BY CHEMICAL CONVERSION OR SUBSTITUTION; COATING BY VACUUM EVAPORATION, BY SPUTTERING, BY ION IMPLANTATION OR BY CHEMICAL VAPOUR DEPOSITION, IN GENERAL (making metal-coated products by extrusion B21C23/22; covering with metal by connecting pre-existing layers to articles, see the relevant places, e.g. B21D39/00, B23K; metallising of glass C03C; metallising mortars, concrete, artificial stone, ceramics or natural stone C04B41/00; enamelling of, or applying a vitreous layer to, metals C23D; treating metal surfaces or coating of metals by electrolysis or electrophoresis C25D; single-crystal film growth C30B; by metallising textiles D06M11/83; decorating textiles by locally metallising D06Q1/04)
- H01J: ELECTRIC DISCHARGE TUBES OR DISCHARGE LAMPS (spark-gaps H01T; electric arc lamps H05B31/00; particle accelerators H05H)

## Abstract

Apparatus and methods for depositing a film in a PECVD chamber while simultaneously flowing a purge gas from beneath a substrate support are provided herein. In embodiments disclosed herein, a combined gas exhaust volume circumferentially disposed about the substrate support, below a first volume and above a second volume, draws processing gases from the first volume down over an edge of a first surface of the substrate support and simultaneously draws purge gases from the second volume upward over an edge of a second surface of the substrate support. The gases are than evacuated from the combined exhaust volume through an exhaust port fluidly coupled to a vacuum source.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method of processing a substrate, comprising:
positioning the substrate on a first surface of a substrate support disposed in a processing volume of a processing chamber, the processing chamber comprising a chamber body having a chamber base, one or more sidewalls, and a chamber lid defining the processing volume,
wherein the processing volume comprises a first volume and a second volume,
wherein the first volume is located between the first surface and a surface of a showerhead facing the processing volume, and
wherein the second volume is defined by a plane of a second surface of the substrate support, opposite the first surface and substantially parallel thereto, and the surface of a chamber base facing the processing volume;
flowing a purge gas into the second volume;
flowing one or more gaseous precursors into the first volume;
forming a plasma of one or more gaseous precursors;
exposing the substrate to the plasma; and
depositing a material layer on the substrate while simultaneously evacuating a processing gas comprising one or both of unreacted gaseous precursor or gaseous precursor reaction byproducts and the purge gas from the processing volume through a gas exhaust volume disposed between the plane of the first surface and the chamber base,
wherein the processing gas is evacuated from the first volume to a combined gas exhaust volume through a first gas inlet and the purge gas is evacuated from the second volume to the combined gas exhaust volume through a second gas inlet, and
wherein an opening into the combined gas exhaust volume from the first gas inlet is located below the plane of the first surface and an opening into the combined gas exhaust volume from the second gas inlet is located above the plane of the second surface.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the plane of the first surface and plane of the second surface are substantially parallel.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The method of claim 2, wherein the processing gas and the purge gas are further evacuated through an exhaust pumping channel that is disposed radially outward of the gas exhaust volume between the plane of the first surface and the chamber base.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more gaseous precursors comprise silicon.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more gaseous precursors comprise TEOS.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The method of claim 5, wherein the purge gas comprises oxygen.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The method of claim 6, wherein a flowrate of the one or more gaseous precursors into the first volume is between about 5 gm/min and about 25 gm/min.

### Claim 8 (depends on 6)

The method of claim 6, further comprising maintaining the substrate at a temperature between about 350° C. and about 550° C.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein a flowrate of the purge gas is between about 1 slm and about 10 slm.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more gaseous precursors are delivered to the first volume through a showerhead coupled to an RF power supply.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10, wherein a face plate of the showerhead is maintained at a temperature between about 100° C. and about 300° C.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the processing chamber comprises:
a first liner disposed in a circumferential channel of the chamber body,
wherein the first liner is located between the plane of the second surface and the chamber base;
a second liner disposed radially inwardly of the first liner,
wherein the first liner and the second liner define an exhaust channel; and
a third liner disposed radially inwardly of the one or more sidewalls between the first liner and the chamber lid,
wherein the second liner, the third liner, and a third surface of the substrate support, connecting the first and second surfaces, define the combined gas exhaust volume when the substrate support is in a raised position, and
wherein the first gas inlet to the combined gas exhaust volume is disposed between the third surface of the substrate support and the third liner and the second gas inlet to the combined gas exhaust volume is disposed between the third surface of the substrate support and the second liner when the substrate support is in the raised position.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The method of claim 12, wherein a width of the first gas inlet is between about 0.5 mm and about 10 mm.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The method of claim 13, wherein a width of the second gas inlet is between about 1 mm and about 3 mm.

### Claim 15

A method of processing a substrate, comprising:
positioning a substrate on a first surface of a substrate support disposed in a processing volume of a processing chamber, wherein the processing volume comprises a first volume disposed between a chamber lid and the substrate support and a second volume disposed between the substrate support and a chamber base;
heating the substrate to a temperature between about 350° C. and about 550° C.;
flowing a purge gas into the second volume, the purge gas comprising O2;
flowing a gaseous precursor comprising TEOS into the first volume;
forming a plasma of the gaseous precursor;
exposing the substrate to the plasma; and
depositing an oxide layer on the substrate while simultaneously evacuating a processing gas and the purge gas from the second volume,
wherein the processing gas comprises one or both of unreacted TEOS gas or TEOS gas reaction byproducts,
wherein the processing gas and the purge gas are evacuated through a combined gas exhaust volume disposed between a plane of a first surface and the chamber base,
wherein the processing gas is evacuated from the first volume through a first gas inlet to the combined gas exhaust volume and the purge gas is evacuated from the second volume through a second gas inlet to the combined gas exhaust volume, and
wherein an opening into the combined gas exhaust volume from the first gas inlet is located below the plane of the first surface and an opening into the combined gas exhaust volume from the second gas inlet is located above the plane of a second surface.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The method of claim 15, wherein the, wherein the plane of the first surface and the plane of the second surface are substantially parallel.

### Claim 17

An processing chamber, comprising:
a chamber body having a chamber base, one or more sidewalls, and a chamber lid defining a processing volume;
a substrate support disposed in the processing volume, the substrate support having a first surface, a second surface opposite the first surface, and a third surface connecting the first surface and the second surface around a circumference of the substrate support;
a first liner disposed in a circumferential channel in the chamber body,
wherein the first liner is located between a plane of the second surface and the chamber base;
a second liner disposed radially inwardly of the first liner,
wherein the first liner and the second liner define an exhaust channel; and
a third liner disposed radially inwardly of the one or more sidewalls between the first liner and the chamber lid,
wherein the second liner, the third liner, and the third surface of the substrate support define a combined gas exhaust volume when the substrate support is in a raised position,
wherein a first inlet to the combined gas exhaust volume is disposed between the substrate support and the third liner and a second inlet to the combined gas exhaust volume is disposed between the substrate support and the second liner when the substrate support is in the raised position, and
wherein an opening into the combined gas exhaust volume from the first inlet is below the plane of the first surface and an opening into the combined gas exhaust volume form the second inlet is above the plane of the second surface when the substrate support is in the raised position.

### Claim 18 (depends on 17)

The processing chamber of claim 17, wherein a width of the first inlet is between about 0.5 mm and about 10 mm.

### Claim 19 (depends on 18)

The processing chamber of claim 18, wherein a width of the second inlet is between about 1 mm and about 3 mm.

### Claim 20 (depends on 19)

The processing chamber of claim 19, further comprising a showerhead disposed in a chamber lid.