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US 10,460,936 B2Granted
Photo-assisted deposition of flowable films
AssigneeApplied Materials, Inc.
InventorsBrian Saxton Underwood, Abhijit Basu Mallick, Mukund Srinivasan, Juan Carlos Rocha-Alvarez
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method and apparatus for forming a flowable film are described. The method includes providing an oxygen free precursor gas mixture to a processing chamber containing a substrate. The oxygen free precursor gas is activated by exposure to UV radiation in the processing chamber. Molecular fragments resulting from the UV activation are encouraged to deposit on the substrate to form a flowable film on the substrate. The substrate may be cooled to encourage deposition. The film may be hardened by heating and/or by further exposure to UV radiation.
Claims19
A processing chamber, comprising:
- a chamber lid;
- a UV transparent window disposed in the chamber lid;
- a chamber body defining a processing space, the processing space containing a substrate support;
- a first UV transparent divider having a plurality of openings;
- a gas volume formed between the UV transparent window and the first UV transparent divider, the gas volume fluidly coupled to a first flow channel through which at least one first gas enters the processing chamber;
- a distribution volume separated from the gas volume by the first UV transparent divider, the distribution volume being fluidly coupled to a second flow channel through which at least one second gas enters the distribution volume;
- and
- a source of UV radiation directed towards the gas volume, the UV transparent window disposed directly between the source of UV radiation and the gas volume.
5 more elements
A method of processing a substrate, comprising:
- disposing the substrate in a processing space defined in a chamber body of a processing chamber;
- providing, via a first flow channel, a first precursor gas to a gas volume of the processing chamber, first flow channel being fluidly coupled to the gas volume, the gas volume being formed between a UV transparent window disposed in a lid of the processing chamber and at least one UV transparent divider, the at least one UV transparent divider having a plurality of openings formed therethrough;
- activating the first precursor gas by exposing the first precursor gas to UV radiation in the gas volume of the chamber, the UV transparent window being disposed directly between a source of the UV radiation and the gas volume;
- flowing the activated first precursor gas to the processing space through the at least one UV transparent divider, wherein the gas volume is defined by the lid of the processing chamber and the at least one UV transparent divider;
- providing, via a second flow channel, a second precursor gas to a distribution volume of the processing chamber, the distribution volume being adjacent to the gas volume and separated from the gas volume by the at least one UV transparent divider, the second flow channel being fluidly coupled to the distribution volume;
- and
- forming an oxygen free flowable film on the substrate from the activated first precursor gas.
4 more elements
A method of processing a substrate, comprising:
- disposing the substrate in a processing space defined in a chamber body of a processing chamber;
- providing, via a first flow channel, a first precursor gas to a gas volume of the processing chamber, the first flow channel being fluidly coupled to the gas volume, the gas volume being formed between a UV transparent window disposed in a lid of the processing chamber and at least one UV transparent divider, wherein the gas volume is separated from the processing space by the at least one UV transparent divider, the at least one UV transparent divider having a plurality of openings;
- decomposing the first precursor gas by exposing the first precursor gas to UV radiation in the gas volume of the chamber, the UV transparent window being disposed directly between a source of the UV radiation and the gas volume;
- flowing the decomposed first precursor gas to the processing space through the at least one UV transparent divider;
- providing, via a second flow channel, a second precursor gas to a distribution volume of the chamber, the second flow channel being fluidly coupled to the distribution volume;
- and
- forming an oxygen free flowable film on the substrate from the decomposed first precursor gas and the second precursor gas.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.