US 12,595,560 B2Granted

Method and apparatus for supplying improved gas flow to a processing volume of a processing chamber

AssigneeApplied Materials, Inc.

InventorsVishwas Kumar Pandey, Eric Kihara Shono, Kartik Shah, Christopher S. Olsen, Agus Sofian Tjandra, Tobin Kaufman-Osborn, Taewan Kim, Hansel Lo

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Abstract

The present disclosure generally provides methods of providing at least metastable radical molecular species and/or radical atomic species to a processing volume of a process chamber during an electronic device fabrication process, and apparatus related thereto. In one embodiment, the apparatus is a gas injection assembly disposed between a remote plasma source and a process chamber. The gas injection assembly includes a body, a dielectric liner disposed in the body that defines a gas mixing volume, a first flange to couple the gas injection assembly to a process chamber, and a second flange to couple the gas injection assembly to the remote plasma source. The gas injection assembly further includes one or more gas injection ports formed through the body and the liner.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A substrate processing system, comprising:

a substrate process chamber;
a gas inlet conduit coupled to a gas inlet of the process substrate process chamber;
a mixing plate coupled to the gas inlet conduit with an elliptical opening in the mixing plate that registers with, and fluidly couples with, the gas inlet conduit, the mixing plate defining a plane, and the elliptical opening in the mixing plate formed perpendicular to the plane and defined by a wall, wherein the mixing plate comprises:
a plurality of gas inlets formed in an outside edge of the mixing plate;
a first gas path including;
a first gas source conduit disposed in the mixing plate and connected to a first gas inlet of the plurality of gas inlets;
a first gas passage formed within the mixing plate and fluidly coupled to the gas inlet conduit by a corresponding first opening formed in the wall;
and
a second gas passage formed within the mixing plate and fluidly coupled to the gas inlet conduit by a corresponding second opening formed in the wall;
a first passage coupling the first gas passage and the second gas passage to the first gas source conduit;
and
a second gas path including:
a second gas source conduit disposed in the mixing plate and connected to a second gas inlet of the plurality of gas inlets;
a third gas passage formed within the mixing plate and fluidly coupled to the gas inlet conduit by a corresponding third opening formed in the wall;
and
a fourth gas passage formed within the mixing plate and fluidly coupled to the gas inlet conduit by a corresponding fourth opening formed in the wall;
a second passage coupling the third gas passage and the fourth gas passage to second gas source conduit, wherein the first gas path and the second gas path are opposite each other and are disposed in a common plane;
and
a remote plasma source fluidly coupled to the elliptical opening in the mixing plate by a remote plasma conduit;
and
a gas source fluidly coupled to the first gas inlet and second gas inlet.

18 more elements

A gas injection assembly, comprising:

a mixing plate with an outside edge having a plurality of gas inlets formed in the outside edge, a mixing plate opening formed through the mixing plate perpendicular to a major plane defined by the mixing plate, wherein the mixing plate opening is an elliptical opening and is defined by a wall and a plurality of gas openings are formed through the wall, wherein a plurality of gas paths fluidly couples each gas inlet of the plurality of gas inlets to a corresponding gas opening in the wall, wherein a first gas path of the plurality of gas paths includes:
a first gas passage is disposed in the mixing plate, the first gas passage coupling a second gas passage of the plurality of gas passages and a third gas passage of the plurality of gas passages to a first gas inlet of the plurality of gas inlets, and a second gas path of the plurality of gas paths includes:
a fourth gas passage is disposed in the mixing plate, the fourth gas passage coupling a fifth gas passage of the plurality of gas passages and a sixth gas passage of the plurality of gas passages to a second gas inlet of the plurality of gas inlets, wherein the first gas path and the second gas path are opposite each other and are disposed in a common plane.

A gas injection assembly, comprising:

a mixing plate defined by a plurality of quadrants and an outside edge;
a plurality of gas inlets formed in the outside edge;
a mixing plate opening formed perpendicularly through a plane defined parallel to the mixing plate, wherein the opening is an elliptical opening and a first axis is parallel to the plane, wherein the opening is defined by a wall and a plurality of gas openings are formed through the wall;
and
a plurality of gas paths fluidly coupling each gas inlet of the plurality of gas inlets to a corresponding gas opening of the plurality of gas openings, a first gas path of the plurality of gas paths includes:
at least a first gas passage of the plurality of gas passages and a second gas passage of the plurality of gas passages are coupled to a first gas inlet of the plurality of gas inlets by a first passage within the mixing plate, and a first gas path of the plurality of gas paths includes:
at least a third gas passage of the plurality of gas passages and a fourth gas passage of the plurality of gas passages are coupled to a second gas inlet of the plurality of gas inlets by a second passage within the mixing plate, wherein the first gas path and the second gas path are opposite each other and are disposed in a common plane.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 18/205,415Filed 2 Jun 2023 · continuation
Priority: 20 Dec 2018
Published: US 2023/0407471 A121 Dec 2023
Granted: 7 Apr 2026
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification18 codes

C23C 16/452
Characterised by the method used for generating reactive gas streams, e.g. by evaporation or sublimation of precursor materials: by activating…
B01F 23/10
Mixing according to the phases to be mixed, e.g. dispersing or emulsifying: mixing gases with gases
B01F 23/19
Mixing gases with gases: mixing systems, i.e. flow charts or diagrams; Arrangements, e.g. comprising controlling means
B01F 25/102
Mixing by creating a vortex flow, e.g. by tangential introduction of flow components: wherein the vortex is created by two or more jets introduced…

Family

Application62/782,551Us provisional application · filed 20 Dec 2018
Application16/662,134Parent of this continuation · filed 24 Oct 2019
US 2023/0407471 A1Pre-grant publication · published 21 Dec 2023
US 11,732,355 B2Parent of this continuation
US 11,697,875 B2Related patent
US 2020/0199748 A1Published application
US 12,595,560 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.