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US 11,230,763 B2Granted
Gas separation control in spatial atomic layer deposition
AssigneeApplied Materials, Inc.
InventorsNing Li, Steven D. Marcus, Tai T. Ngo, Kevin Griffin
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Apparatus and methods for spatial atomic layer deposition including at least one first exhaust system and at least one second exhaust system. Each exhaust system including a throttle valve and a pressure gauge to control the pressure in the processing region associated with the individual exhaust system.
Claims14
A spatial atomic layer deposition system, comprising:
- a processing chamber having walls defining a chamber volume, the processing chamber including a susceptor assembly and a gas distribution assembly, the processing chamber having at least one first processing region and at least one second processing region between the gas distribution assembly and the susceptor assembly, each of the at least one first processing region and the at least one second processing region separated by a gas curtain;
- a chamber exhaust system in fluid communication with the chamber volume and a vacuum source, the chamber exhaust system comprising a chamber exhaust throttle valve downstream of the processing chamber and upstream of the vacuum source;
- a first exhaust system in fluid communication with the at least one first processing region and a vacuum source, the first exhaust system comprising a first throttle valve and a first pressure gauge;
- a second exhaust system in fluid communication with the at least one second processing region and a vacuum source, the second exhaust system comprising a second throttle valve and a second pressure gauge;
- and
- a controller in communication with the first exhaust system and the second exhaust system to control the first throttle valve and the second throttle valve in response to signals from the first pressure gauge and the second pressure gauge, respectively, the controller configured to maintain separation of gases in the first processing region and the second processing region and to ensure that an amount of gas supplied to each processing region is equal to an amount of gas removed from each processing region.
3 more elements
A spatial atomic layer deposition system, comprising:
- a processing chamber having walls defining a chamber volume, the processing chamber including a susceptor assembly and a gas distribution assembly, the processing chamber having at least one first processing region, at least one second processing region, at least one third processing region and at least one fourth processing region, each processing region being positioned between the gas distribution assembly and the susceptor assembly, each processing region being separated from an adjacent processing region by a gas curtain;
- a chamber exhaust system in fluid communication with the chamber volume and a vacuum source, the chamber exhaust system including a chamber exhaust throttle valve downstream of the processing chamber and upstream of the vacuum source;
- a first exhaust system in fluid communication with the at least one first processing region and a vacuum source, the first exhaust system comprising a first throttle valve and a first pressure gauge;
- a second exhaust system in fluid communication with the at least one second processing region and a vacuum source, the second exhaust system comprising a second throttle valve and a second pressure gauge;
- a third exhaust system in fluid communication with the at least one third processing region, the third exhaust system comprising a third throttle valve and a third pressure gauge;
- a fourth exhaust system in fluid communication with the at least one fourth processing region, the fourth exhaust system comprising a fourth throttle valve and a fourth pressure gauge;
- and
- a controller in communication with the first exhaust system, the second exhaust system, the third exhaust system and the fourth exhaust system to control the first throttle valve in response to signals from the first pressure gauge, the second pressure gauge, the third pressure gauge and the fourth pressure gauge, respectively, the controller configured to maintain separation of gases in the first processing region and the second processing region and to ensure that an amount of gas supplied to each processing region is equal to an amount of gas removed from each processing region.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.