# US 10,370,761 B2 · Pulsed valve manifold for atomic layer deposition

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- Number: US 10,370,761 B2
- Document ID: US10370761B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/400,793
- Filed: 2017-01-06
- Published: 2017-05-04
- Granted: 2019-08-06
- Earliest claimed: 2011-10-28
- Assignees: ASM America, Inc.
- Applicants: Asm America, Inc.
- Inventors: Todd Dunn; Carl White; Mike Halpin; Eric Shero; Herbert Terhorst; Jerry Winkler
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10370761B2

## CPC

- C23C 16/45544: {characterized by the apparatus}
- C23C 16/455: characterised by the method used for introducing gases into reaction chamber or for modifying gas flows in reaction chamber
- C23C 16/45512: {Premixing before introduction in the reaction chamber}
- C23C 16/45561: {Gas plumbing upstream of the reaction chamber}
- C23C 16/45563: {Gas nozzles}
- C23C 16/45565: {Shower nozzles}
- C23C 16/4557: {Heated nozzles}
- C23C 16/45574: {Nozzles for more than one gas}
- C23C 16/45576: {Coaxial inlets for each gas}
- C23C 16/45589: {Movable means, e.g. fans}
- H10P 14/24: using chemical vapour deposition [CVD]
- H10P 14/43: Chemical deposition, e.g. chemical vapour deposition [CVD]
- H10P 14/6339: {deposition by cyclic CVD, e.g. ALD, ALE or pulsed CVD}
- 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)
- H10P: GENERIC PROCESSES OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10

## Abstract

A vapor deposition device includes a reactor including a reaction chamber and an injector for injecting vapor into the reaction chamber. The device also includes a manifold for delivering vapor to the injector. The manifold includes a manifold body having an internal bore, a first distribution channel disposed within the body in a plane intersecting the longitudinal axis of the bore, and a plurality of supply channels disposed within the body and in flow communication with the first distribution channel and with the bore. Each of the first supply channels is disposed at an acute angle with respect to the longitudinal axis of the bore, and each of the supply channels connects with the bore at a different angular position about the longitudinal axis. The distribution channel (and thus, the supply channels) can be connected with a common reactant source. Related deposition methods are also described.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method of deposition comprising:
providing a manifold configured to deliver vapor to an injector, the manifold comprising a manifold body having a bore disposed within the body, the bore extending along a longitudinal axis from an inlet to an outlet downstream of the inlet,
conducting an ALD process using the manifold, the ALD process comprising:
supplying an inert gas to the inlet of the bore,
supplying a first reactant vapor to a first portion of the bore such that the first reactant vapor enters the first portion of the bore at a plurality of angular positions about the longitudinal axis of the bore and at an acute angle with respect to the longitudinal axis of the bore,
providing the first reactant vapor along a second portion of the bore that is downstream of the first portion of the bore;
providing the first reactant vapor from the second portion of the bore downstream to the injector by way of the outlet, and
providing the first reactant vapor from the injector downstream to a reaction chamber.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein supplying the first reactant vapor comprises feeding the first reactant to the bore tangentially, as viewed in a transverse cross-section.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein supplying the first reactant vapor comprises feeding the bore through a plurality of first supply channels disposed within the body and in flow communication with the bore.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The method of claim 3, wherein supplying the first reactant vapor comprises feeding the first reactant vapor through a first distribution channel upstream of the first supply channels, the first distribution channel being disposed within the body and extending in a plane intersecting the longitudinal axis.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The method of claim 4, wherein each of the first supply channels connects with the first distribution channel at a different angular position about the longitudinal axis of the bore.

### Claim 6 (depends on 4)

The method of claim 4, wherein the first distribution channel is a C-shaped channel extending through an arc of between 180° and 300°.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein supplying the first reactant vapor comprises vaporizing a solid or liquid.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein supplying the first reactant vapor comprises activating a first reactant vapor valve.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The method of claim 8, further comprising supplying an inert gas to the first reactant gas valve.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising, while the first reactant vapor is not flowing in the bore, supplying a second reactant vapor to the bore such that the second reactant vapor enters the bore at a plurality of angular positions about the longitudinal axis of the bore and at an acute angle with respect to the longitudinal axis of the bore.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10, wherein the second reactant vapor enters the bore at a location downstream of where the first reactant vapor entered the bore.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the manifold comprises a diffuser block disposed over the injector and including the second portion of the bore, the method comprising supplying the first reactant vapor from the second portion of the bore in the diffuser block, through the outlet, and to the injector, the second portion of the bore in the diffuser block wider than the first portion of the bore.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The method of claim 12, wherein the manifold comprises a lower block disposed over and coupled to the diffuser block, the lower block including a part of the first portion of the bore, the method comprising supplying the first reactant vapor from the first portion of the bore in the lower block to the second portion of the bore in the diffuser block.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The method of claim 13, wherein the manifold comprises an upper block and an intermediate block disposed over and coupled to the lower block, the upper block and intermediate block defining parts of the first portion of the bore, the method comprising supplying the first reactant vapor from the upper block, through the intermediate block, to the lower block.

### Claim 15 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the injector comprises a dispersion mechanism, the method comprising distributing a flow of the first reactant vapor across a substrate in the reaction chamber by way of a dispersion mechanism.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The method of claim 15, wherein distributing the flow comprises flowing the first reactant vapor through a showerhead plate.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The method of claim 16, further comprising supplying the first reactant vapor to a showerhead plenum disposed over the showerhead plate.

### Claim 18 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising purging the first reactant vapor from the reaction chamber.

### Claim 19 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, providing a mixture of the inert gas and the first reactant vapor to the reaction chamber.

### Claim 20 (depends on 3)

The method of claim 3, further comprising providing a backpressure in the plurality of first supply channels.