# US 11,028,481 B2 · Substrate treating apparatus and method > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,028,481 B2 - Document ID: US11028481B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/233,057 - Filed: 2018-12-26 - Published: 2019-05-09 - Granted: 2021-06-08 - Earliest claimed: 2012-05-30 - Assignees: Jusung Engineering Co., Ltd. - Applicants: Jusung Engineering Co., Ltd. - Inventors: Chui Joo Hwang; Jeung Hoon Han; Young Hoon Kim; Seung Hoon Seo - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11028481B2 ## CPC - C23C 16/50: using electric discharges {(generation and control of plasma in discharge tubes for surface treatment H01J37/32, H01J37/34)} - C23C 16/455: characterised by the method used for introducing gases into reaction chamber or for modifying gas flows in reaction chamber - C23C 16/45536: {Use of plasma, radiation or electromagnetic fields} - C23C 16/45544: {characterized by the apparatus} - C23C 16/45551: {for relative movement of the substrate and the gas injectors or half-reaction reactor compartments} - C23C 16/45563: {Gas nozzles} - C23C 16/45574: {Nozzles for more than one gas} - C23C 16/458: characterised by the method used for supporting substrates in the reaction chamber - C23C 16/4584: {the substrate being rotated} - C23C 16/509: using internal electrodes - C23C 16/5096: {Flat-bed apparatus} - H01J 37/32082: {Radio frequency generated discharge (H01J37/32357, H01J37/32366, H01J37/32394 and H01J37/32403 take precedence)} - H01J 37/3244: {Gas supply means} - H01J 37/32532: {Electrodes} - H10P 14/412: {Deposition of metallic or metal-silicide materials} - H10P 14/43: Chemical deposition, e.g. chemical vapour deposition [CVD] - C23C 16/54: Apparatus specially adapted for continuous coating - H01J 37/32752: {for moving the material across the discharge} - H10P 14/24: using chemical vapour deposition [CVD] - H10P 14/3411: {Silicon, silicon germanium or germanium} - H10P 72/0451: {Apparatus for manufacturing or treating in a plurality of work-stations} - 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) - H10P: GENERIC PROCESSES OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10 ## Abstract Disclosed is an apparatus and method of processing substrate, which facilitates to improve deposition uniformity of a thin film deposited on a substrate, and to control quality of a thin film, wherein the apparatus includes a process chamber; a substrate supporter for supporting at least one of substrates, wherein the substrate supporter is provided in the bottom of the process chamber; a chamber lid confronting the substrate supporter, the chamber lid for covering an upper side of the process chamber; and a gas distributor for locally distributing activated source gas on the substrate, wherein the gas distributor locally confronting the substrate supporter is provided in the chamber lid, wherein the gas distributor forms plasma by the use of plasma formation gas, and activates the source gas by distributing the source gas to some of plasma area for formation of the plasma. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A substrate processing method comprising: placing at least one substrate on a substrate supporter provided inside a process chamber; and locally distributing activated source gas on the substrate using a gas distributor which locally confronts the substrate supporter and is provided in a chamber lid for covering the process chamber, wherein the gas distributor forms plasma using a plasma formation gas, and distributes a source gas to a plasma overlapping area for formation of the plasma, and thus activates the source gas, wherein the gas distributor includes first and second plasma formation spaces which are spatially separated from each other, and are supplied with the plasma formation gas; and a source gas distribution space provided between the first and second plasma formation spaces to separate the first and second plasma formation spaces from each other, and is supplied with the source gas, wherein the source gas is activated by plasma to include some of a lower area of the source gas distribution space, wherein the gas distributor includes a plurality of ground electrodes to spatially separate the first and second plasma formation space from the source gas distribution space, and first and second plasma electrodes respectively inserted into the first and second plasma formation spaces, wherein locally distributing the activated source gas on the substrate includes: supplying plasma formation gas to each of the first and second plasma formation spaces; forming plasma to include some of a lower area of the source gas distribution space by supplying plasma power to the first and second plasma electrodes; and distributing the source gas to a plasma formation area formed in the lower area of the source gas distribution space through the source gas distribution space, and activating the source gas. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein a distance between the substrate and a lower surface of each of the first and second plasma electrodes is the same as or different from a distance between the substrate and a lower surface of the plurality of ground electrodes. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the plasma formation gas is formed of inert gas or reactant gas which reacts with the source gas. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the source gas includes reactant gas which reacts with the source gas. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising distributing a reactant gas, which reacts with the source gas, to the plasma formation area formed to include some of a lower area of a reactant gas distribution space, through the reactant gas distribution space penetrating through each of the first and second plasma electrodes, activating the reactant gas, and distributing the activated reactant gas on the substrate. ### Claim 6 A substrate processing method comprising: placing at least one substrate on a substrate supporter provided inside a process chamber; and locally distributing activated source gas on the substrate using a gas distributor which locally confronts the substrate supporter and is provided in a chamber lid for covering the process chamber, wherein the gas distributor forms plasma using a plasma formation gas, and distributes a source gas to a plasma overlapping area for formation of the plasma, and thus activates the source gas, wherein the gas distributor includes first and second plasma formation spaces which are spatially separated from each other, and are supplied with the plasma formation gas; and a source gas distribution space which is provided between the first and second plasma formation spaces to separate the first and second plasma formation spaces from each other, and is supplied with the source gas, wherein the source gas is activated by plasma to include some of a lower area of the source gas distribution space, wherein the gas distributor includes a plurality of ground electrodes to spatially separate the first and second plasma formation space from each other, first and second plasma electrodes respectively inserted into the first and second plasma formation spaces, and the source gas distribution space penetrating through a ground partition for spatially separating the first and second plasma formation spaces from each other, wherein locally distributing the activated source gas on the substrate includes: supplying plasma formation gas to each of the first and second plasma formation spaces; forming plasma to include some of a lower area of the source gas distribution space by supplying plasma power to the first and second plasma electrodes; and distributing the source gas to a plasma formation area formed in the lower area of the source gas distribution space through the source gas distribution space, and activating the source gas. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, wherein a distance between the substrate and a lower surface of each of the first and second plasma electrodes is the same as or different from a distance between the substrate and a lower surface of the plurality of ground electrodes. ### Claim 8 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, wherein the plasma formation gas is formed of an inert gas or a reactant gas which reacts with the source gas. ### Claim 9 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, wherein the source gas includes a reactant gas which reacts with the source gas. ### Claim 10 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, further comprising distributing a reactant gas, which reacts with the source gas, to the plasma formation area formed to include some of a lower area of a reactant gas distribution space, through the reactant gas distribution space penetrating through each of the first and second plasma electrodes, activating the reactant gas, and distributing the activated reactant gas on the substrate.