# US 10,767,262 B2 · Gas supply apparatus and gas supply method

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- Number: US 10,767,262 B2
- Document ID: US10767262B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/663,866
- Filed: 2017-07-31
- Published: 2018-02-08
- Granted: 2020-09-08
- Earliest claimed: 2016-08-03
- Assignees: Tokyo Electron Limited
- Applicants: Tokyo Electron Limited
- Inventors: Shigeyuki Okura; Yu Nunoshige
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10767262B2

## CPC

- C23C 16/45527: {characterized by the ALD cycle, e.g. different flows or temperatures during half-reactions, unusual pulsing sequence, use of precursor mixtures or auxiliary reactants or activations}
- C23C 16/045: {Coating cavities or hollow spaces, e.g. interior of tubes; Infiltration of porous substrates}
- C23C 16/34: Nitrides {(C23C16/303 takes precedence)}
- C23C 16/45544: {characterized by the apparatus}
- C23C 16/45561: {Gas plumbing upstream of the reaction chamber}
- C23C 16/52: Controlling or regulating the coating process {(C23C16/45557, C23C16/279 take precedence)}
- 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)

## Abstract

A gas supply apparatus for forming a film by supplying a source gas, a substitution gas, and a reaction gas to a substrate in a processing chamber includes a source gas flow passage; a reaction gas flow passage; a first and second carrier gas flow passages connected to the source gas flow passage and the reaction gas flow passage; a substitution gas flow passage configured to supply the substitution gas into the processing chamber through a supply control device; a gas storage part installed in the substitution gas flow passage, and configured to store the substitution gas; a valve installed in the substitution gas flow passage, and installed in a downstream side of the gas storage part; and a control unit configured to control opening/closing of the valve such that the substitution gas is stored in the gas storage part to increase an internal pressure of the gas storage part.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A gas supply apparatus for forming a film by sequentially supplying a source gas, a substitution gas, and a reaction gas to a substrate in a processing chamber under a vacuum atmosphere for a plurality of cycles, wherein the substitution gas substitutes an atmosphere, and the reaction gas reacts with the source gas and generates a reaction product on the substrate, the apparatus comprising:
a source gas flow passage configured to supply the source gas into the processing chamber, a source gas supply control device being installed in the source gas flow passage;
a reaction gas flow passage installed independently of the source gas flow passage, and configured to supply the reaction gas into the processing chamber, a reaction gas supply control device being installed in the reaction gas flow passage;
a first carrier gas flow passage and a second carrier gas flow passage connected to the source gas flow passage and the reaction gas flow passage, respectively, and configured to supply a carrier gas, a carrier gas supply control device being installed in each of the first carrier gas flow passage and the second carrier gas flow passage, and a valve being installed in a downstream side of each of the first carrier gas flow passage and the second carrier gas flow passage;
a substitution gas flow passage configured to supply the substitution gas into the processing chamber through a supply control device, the supply control device being different from the carrier gas supply control devices which are installed in the first carrier gas flow passage and the second carrier gas flow passage, and also being different from the source gas supply control device and the reaction gas supply control device;
a substitution gas storage part installed in the substitution gas flow passage, and configured to store only the substitution gas;
a valve installed in the substitution gas flow passage, and installed in a downstream side of the substitution gas storage part; and
a control unit configured to control opening and closing of the valves such that after the substitution gas is stored in the substitution gas storage part to increase an internal pressure of the substitution gas storage part, the substitution gas is supplied into the processing chamber from the substitution gas storage part,
wherein a first orifice and a second orifice are installed in a downstream side of the valve of the first carrier gas flow passage and a downstream side of the valve of the second carrier gas flow passage, respectively,
wherein a diameter of the downstream side of the valve of the first carrier gas flow passage and a diameter of the downstream side of the valve of the second carrier gas flow passage are smaller than a diameter of an upstream side of the valve of the first carrier gas flow passage and a diameter of an upstream side of the valve of the second carrier gas flow passage, respectively, and are smaller than a diameter of the substitution gas flow passage; and
wherein a time period during which the carrier gas is supplied into the processing chamber and a time period during which the substitution gas is supplied into the processing chamber overlap with each other.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the substitution gas flow passage includes a first substitution gas flow passage connected to the source gas flow passage and a second substitution gas flow passage connected to the reaction gas flow passage.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the carrier gas is continuously supplied into the processing chamber during the plurality of cycles.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1, wherein a flow rate of the carrier gas supplied into the processing chamber is 1,000 sccm or less.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the source gas is a titanium chloride gas or a tungsten chloride gas, and the reaction gas is a nitrifying gas that nitrifies the source gas and forms titanium nitride or tungsten nitride on the substrate.