# US 12,191,156 B2 · Ribbon beam plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition system for anisotropic deposition of thin films

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- Number: US 12,191,156 B2
- Document ID: US12191156B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/840,424
- Filed: 2020-04-05
- Published: 2021-06-24
- Granted: 2025-01-07
- Earliest claimed: 2019-12-18
- Assignees: Applied Materials, Inc.
- Applicants: APPLIED Materials, Inc.
- Inventors: John Hautala; Tristan Y. Ma; Peter F. Kurunczi
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12191156B2

## CPC

- H10P 50/283: {by chemical means}
- C23C 14/048: {using irradiation by energy or particles}
- C23C 14/221: {Ion beam deposition (C23C14/46, C23C14/48 take precedence)}
- C23C 14/225: {Oblique incidence of vaporised material on substrate}
- C23C 16/047: {using irradiation by energy or particles}
- C23C 16/452: by activating reactive gas streams before {their} introduction into the reaction chamber, e.g. by {ionisation} or addition of reactive species
- C23C 16/45563: {Gas nozzles}
- C23C 16/45578: {Elongated nozzles, tubes with holes}
- C23C 16/4583: {the substrate being supported substantially horizontally}
- C23C 16/50: using electric discharges {(generation and control of plasma in discharge tubes for surface treatment H01J37/32, H01J37/34)}
- C23C 16/513: using plasma jets
- H01J 37/3053: {for evaporating or etching}
- H01J 37/32357: {Generation remote from the workpiece, e.g. down-stream}
- H01J 37/32458: {Vessel}
- H01J 37/32623: {Mechanical discharge control means}
- H01J 37/32816: {Pressure}
- H10P 50/695: {characterised by the process involved to create the mask, e.g. lift-off masks or sidewalls or to modify the mask}
- H10P 50/73: {using masks for insulating materials}
- H10P 72/7618: {characterised by a movable susceptor, stage or support, others than those only rotating on their own vertical axis, e.g. susceptors on a rotating carrousel}
- C23C 14/3442: {using an ion beam}
- C23C 14/46: by ion beam produced by an external ion source
- H01J 2237/3151: Etching
- H01J 2237/3321: CVD [Chemical Vapor Deposition]
- H10P 14/6336: {in the presence of a plasma [PECVD]}
- H10P: GENERIC PROCESSES OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10
- 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)

## Abstract

A ribbon beam plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) system comprising a process chamber containing a platen for supporting a substrate, and a plasma source disposed adjacent the process chamber and adapted to produce free radicals in a plasma chamber, the plasma chamber having an aperture associated therewith for allowing a beam of the free radicals to exit the plasma chamber, wherein the process chamber is maintained at a first pressure and the plasma chamber is maintained at a second pressure greater than the first pressure for driving the free radicals from the plasma chamber into the process chamber.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A ribbon beam plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) system comprising:
a process chamber containing a platen for supporting a substrate; and
a plasma source disposed adjacent the process chamber and adapted to produce free radicals in a plasma chamber, the plasma chamber having an aperture associated therewith for allowing a beam of the free radicals to exit the plasma chamber, wherein the aperture is defined by a radially-elongated nozzle extending directly from the plasma chamber away from the plasma chamber and having a depth in a range of 7 millimeters to 20 millimeters for collimating the beam of free radicals exiting the plasma chamber, wherein at least a portion of the nozzle is located entirely outside of the plasma chamber, and wherein the nozzle is separate from, is attached to, and extends at least partially into, a sidewall of the plasma chamber;
wherein the process chamber is maintained at a first pressure and the plasma chamber is maintained at a second pressure greater than the first pressure for driving the free radicals from the plasma chamber into the process chamber and onto the substrate;
wherein an entirety of the plasma chamber, including the nozzle, is rotatable for directing the beam toward the platen at an oblique angle relative to a surface of the platen.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The ribbon beam PECVD system of claim 1, wherein the process chamber is at least one of rotatable and movable for directing the beam toward the platen at an oblique angle relative to a surface of the platen.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The ribbon beam PECVD system of claim 1, wherein the nozzle includes a plurality of cross members disposed in a parallel, spaced apart relationship across a width of the aperture.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The ribbon beam PECVD system of claim 1, wherein the first pressure in the process chamber is in a range of 10-6 torr to 10-2 torr, and the second pressure in the plasma chamber is in a range of 1 millitorr to 1 torr.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The ribbon beam PECVD system of claim 1, wherein the plasma source is configured to generate a plasma from a gaseous species supplied to the plasma chamber by a gas source.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The ribbon beam PECVD system of claim 5, wherein the gaseous species includes at least one of SiH4, CH4, NH3, O2, N2, SiCl4, GeH4, Ar, and WF6.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The ribbon beam PECVD system of claim 1, wherein the aperture is a primary aperture, the system further comprising a barrier disposed between the plasma chamber and the substrate and defining a secondary aperture located in a path of a ribbon beam emitted from the primary aperture.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The ribbon beam PECVD system of claim 1, further comprising a bias supply coupled to the plasma chamber and the process chamber and adapted to selectively apply a voltage difference between the plasma chamber and the substrate for extracting ions from the plasma chamber.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The ribbon beam PECVD system of claim 8, wherein the ribbon beam PECVD system is selectively operable in a first, ion beam mode, wherein the bias supply is activated to extract ions from the plasma chamber and produce a ribbon beam rich in ions, and a second, radical mode, wherein the bias supply not activated, thus producing a ribbon beam rich in free radicals and not as rich in ions.

### Claim 10

A ribbon beam plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) system comprising:
a process chamber containing a platen for supporting a substrate; and
a plasma source disposed adjacent the process chamber and adapted to produce free radicals from a gaseous species supplied to a plasma chamber, the plasma chamber having an aperture associated therewith for allowing a beam of the free radicals to exit the plasma chamber, wherein the aperture is defined by a radially-elongated nozzle extending directly from the plasma chamber away from the plasma chamber and having a depth in a range of 7 millimeters to 20 millimeters for collimating the beam of free radicals exiting the plasma chamber, wherein at least a portion of the nozzle is located entirely outside of the plasma chamber, and wherein the nozzle is separate from, is attached to, and extends at least partially into, a sidewall of the plasma chamber;
wherein the process chamber is maintained at a first pressure in a range of 10-6 torr to 10-2 torr, and the plasma chamber is maintained as a second pressure in a range of 1 millitorr to 1 torr for driving the free radicals from the plasma chamber into the process chamber and onto the substrate; and
wherein at least one of the platen and the plasma chamber is at least one of movable and rotatable for directing the beam toward the platen at an oblique angle relative to a surface of the platen;
wherein an entirety of the plasma chamber, including the nozzle, is rotatable for directing the beam toward the platen at an oblique angle relative to a surface of the platen.

### Claim 11

A method of operating a ribbon beam plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) system including a process chamber containing a platen for supporting a substrate, and a plasma source disposed adjacent the process chamber, the method comprising:
supplying a gaseous species to a plasma chamber of the plasma source from a gas source;
igniting the gaseous species to produce an energetic plasma in the plasma chamber;
establishing a pressure differential between the plasma chamber and the process chamber to extract a collimated ribbon beam containing free radicals of the plasma through an aperture associated with the plasma chamber for driving the free radicals from the plasma chamber into the process chamber and onto the substrate, and wherein the aperture is defined by a radially-elongated nozzle extending directly from the plasma chamber away from the plasma chamber and having a depth in a range of 7 millimeters to 20 millimeters, wherein at least a portion of the nozzle is located entirely outside of the plasma chamber, and wherein the nozzle is separate from, is attached to, and extends at least partially into, a sidewall of the plasma chamber; and
rotating an entirety of the plasma chamber, including the nozzle, for directing the beam toward the substrate at an oblique angle relative to a surface of the substrate.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11, wherein the gaseous species includes at least one of SiH4, CH4, NH3, O2, N2, SiCl4, GeH4, Ar, and WF6.

### Claim 13 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11, wherein a first pressure in the process chamber is in a range of 10-6 torr to 10-2 torr, and a second pressure in the plasma chamber is in a range of 1 millitorr to 1 torr.

### Claim 14 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11, wherein the nozzle includes a plurality of cross members disposed in a parallel, spaced apart relationship across a width of the aperture.

### Claim 15 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11, wherein the aperture is a primary aperture, the method further comprising directing the ribbon beam through a secondary aperture in a barrier disposed between the plasma chamber and the substrate.

### Claim 16 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11, further comprising operating the PECVD system in an ion beam mode by activating a bias supply coupled to the plasma chamber and the process chamber to selectively apply a voltage difference between the plasma chamber and the substrate for extracting ions from the plasma chamber to produce a ribbon beam rich in ions.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The method of claim 16, further comprising operating the PECVD system in a radical mode by not activating the bias supply to produce a ribbon beam rich in free radicals and not as rich in ions.