# US 10,370,762 B2 · Apparatus and methods for photo-excitation processes

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- Number: US 10,370,762 B2
- Document ID: US10370762B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/359,090
- Filed: 2016-11-22
- Published: 2018-09-27
- Granted: 2019-08-06
- Earliest claimed: 2013-03-15
- Assignees: Applied Materials, Inc.
- Applicants: Applied Materials, Inc.
- Inventors: Stephen Moffatt
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10370762B2

## CPC

- C23C 16/483: {using coherent light, UV to IR, e.g. lasers}
- C23C 16/28: Deposition of only one other non-metal element
- C23C 16/45504: {Laminar flow}
- C30B 25/02: Epitaxial-layer growth
- C30B 25/165: {the flow of the reactive gases}
- C30B 30/00: Production of single crystals or homogeneous polycrystalline material with defined structure characterised by the action of electric or magnetic fields, wave energy or other specific physical conditions
- H10P 14/24: using chemical vapour deposition [CVD]
- H10P 14/3402: {characterised by the chemical composition}
- 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)
- C30B: SINGLE-CRYSTAL GROWTH (by using ultra-high pressure, e.g. for the formation of diamonds, B01J3/06); UNIDIRECTIONAL SOLIDIFICATION OF EUTECTIC MATERIAL OR UNIDIRECTIONAL DEMIXING OF EUTECTOID MATERIAL; REFINING BY ZONE-MELTING OF MATERIAL (zone-refining of metals or alloys C22B); PRODUCTION OF A HOMOGENEOUS POLYCRYSTALLINE MATERIAL WITH DEFINED STRUCTURE (casting of metals, casting of other substances by the same processes or devices B22D; working of plastics B29; modifying the physical structure of metals or alloys C21D, C22F); SINGLE CRYSTALS OR HOMOGENEOUS POLYCRYSTALLINE MATERIAL WITH DEFINED STRUCTURE; AFTER-TREATMENT OF SINGLE CRYSTALS OR A HOMOGENEOUS POLYCRYSTALLINE MATERIAL WITH DEFINED STRUCTURE (for producing semiconductor devices or parts thereof H10); APPARATUS THEREFOR
- H10P: GENERIC PROCESSES OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10

## Abstract

Embodiments of the disclosure provide a method and apparatus for depositing a layer on a substrate. In one embodiment, the method includes exposing a surface of the substrate disposed within a processing chamber to a fluid precursor, directing an electromagnetic radiation generated from a radiation source to a light scanning unit such that the electromagnetic radiation is deflected and scanned across the surface of the substrate upon which a material layer is to be formed, and initiating a deposition process with the electromagnetic radiation having a wavelength selected for photolytic dissociation of the fluid precursor to deposit the material layer onto the surface of the substrate. The radiation source may comprise a laser source, a bright light emitting diode (LED) source, or a thermal source. In one example, the radiation source is a fiber laser producing output in the ultraviolet (UV) wavelength range.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A substrate processing chamber, comprising:
a rotatable substrate support having a substrate supporting surface for supporting a substrate to be disposed on the substrate supporting surface, the substrate support operable to vertically move between a loading position and an elevated processing position;
a gas supply operable to provide a fluid precursor through a gas inlet into the processing chamber, wherein the gas inlet is disposed at a sidewall of the processing chamber at about the same elevation as the substrate support when operated at the elevated processing position, and the gas inlet is configured to flow the fluid precursor radially across a surface of the substrate in a laminar manner;
a radiation source operable to emit an electromagnetic radiation; and
a light scanning unit, the light scanning unit operable to direct the electromagnetic radiation from the radiation source to scan across the fluid precursor at or near a surface of the substrate, the electromagnetic radiation having a wavelength and a power level selected for photolytic dissociation of the fluid precursor to deposit a material layer onto the surface of the substrate.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The substrate processing chamber of claim 1, wherein the radiation source comprises a laser source, a bright light emitting diode (LED) source, or a thermal source.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The substrate processing chamber of claim 1, further comprising:
an optical component disposed along an optical path between the radiation source and the substrate, the optical component operable to shape the electromagnetic energy and project out a line beam in a desired shape to cover a portion or the entire surface of the substrate.

### Claim 4

A substrate processing chamber, comprising:
an upper dome;
a lower dome opposing the upper dome;
a base ring disposed between the upper dome and the lower dome, the upper dome, the base ring and the lower dome defining an internal region therein;
a rotatable substrate support disposed within the internal region;
a gas outlet disposed at a sidewall of the base ring;
a gas inlet disposed at the sidewall of the base ring opposing the gas outlet, the gas inlet operable to flow a fluid precursor in a laminar manner radially across a top surface of a substrate to be disposed on the substrate support;
a radiation source operable to emit an electromagnetic radiation; and
a rotary light scanning unit having a plurality of reflecting facets, the rotary light scanning unit is operable to direct the electromagnetic radiation from the radiation source to scan across the fluid precursor at or near the top surface of the substrate, the electromagnetic radiation having a wavelength and a power level selected for photolytic dissociation of the fluid precursor to form a material layer onto the surface of the substrate.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The substrate processing chamber of claim 4, wherein the upper dome and the lower dome are formed of quartz.

### Claim 6 (depends on 4)

The substrate processing chamber of claim 4, further comprising:
an optical component disposed along an optical path between the radiation source and the substrate support, the optical component is operable to shape the electromagnetic energy and project out a line beam.

### Claim 7 (depends on 4)

The substrate processing chamber of claim 4, wherein the radiation source comprises a laser source or a bright light emitting diode (LED) source.

### Claim 8 (depends on 4)

The substrate processing chamber of claim 4, wherein the rotatable substrate support is operable to move vertically.

### Claim 9 (depends on 4)

The substrate processing chamber of claim 4, further comprising:
an array of heating lamps disposed below the lower dome.

### Claim 10 (depends on 4)

The substrate processing chamber of claim 4, wherein the radiation source is configured to deliver the electromagnetic radiation in a pulsed mode with a pulse duration of about 0.01 microsecond (psec) to about 100 millisecond (msec) and an energy density ranging from 0.1 J/cm2 to about 1.0 J/cm2.

### Claim 11

A substrate processing chamber, comprising:
a top, a bottom, and a sidewall disposed between the top and the bottom, the top, the bottom and the sidewall defining an internal region therein;
a rotatable substrate support disposed within the internal region;
a gas inlet disposed at the sidewall, the gas inlet is operable to flow a fluid precursor radially across a surface of the substrate support in a laminar manner;
a radiation source operable to emit an electromagnetic radiation; and
a light scanning unit having a plurality of reflecting facets, the light scanning unit is operable to direct the electromagnetic radiation from the radiation source to scan across the fluid precursor adjacent the surface of the substrate support, the electromagnetic radiation having a wavelength and a power level selected for photolytic dissociation of the fluid precursor to form a material layer.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The substrate processing chamber of claim 11, further comprising:
an optical component disposed along an optical path between the radiation source and the substrate support, the optical component operable to shape the electromagnetic energy and project out a line beam.

### Claim 13 (depends on 11)

The substrate processing chamber of claim 11, wherein the radiation source comprises a laser source or a bright light emitting diode (LED) source.