Ultra high purity conditions for atomic scale processing
AssigneeKurt J. Lesker Company
InventorsGilbert Bruce Rayner, Jr., Noel Christopher O'Toole, Daniel Edward Carlsen
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Abstract
An apparatus for atomic scale processing is provided. The apparatus may include a reactor and an inductively coupled plasma source. The reactor may have inner and outer surfaces such that a portion of the inner surfaces define an internal volume of the reactor. The internal volume of the reactor may contain a fixture assembly to support a substrate wherein the partial pressure of each background impurity within the internal volume may be below 10−6 Torr to reduce the role of said impurities in surface reactions during atomic scale processing.
Claims17
An apparatus r atomic scale processing, comprising:
- a reactor having inner and outer surfaces;
- wherein at least a portion of the inner surfaces define an internal volume of the reactor;
- a fixture assembly positioned within the internal volume of the reactor having a surface configured to hold a substrate within the internal volume of the reactor;
- and
- an inductively coupled plasma source;
- wherein the inductively coupled plasma source and the reactor are connected at a first connection point;
- and
- wherein a system control software is provided to establish a partial pressure of each background impurity within the internal volume of the reactor below approximately 10-6 Torr to reduce said background impurities role in surface reactions at least during atomic scale processing.
An apparatus for supplying precursor gas or vapor to an ultra-high purity background and controlling the partial pressure of said precursor gas or vapor, comprising:
- a reactor having inner and outer surfaces;
- wherein at least a portion of the inner surfaces define an internal volume of the reactor, and
- wherein an ultra-high purity level is established within the internal volume of the reactor;
- a fixture assembly positioned within the internal volume of the reactor having a surface configured to hold a substrate within the internal volume of the reactor;
- at least one primary precursor gas or vapor delivery arrangement;
- and
- at least one supplemental precursor gas or vapor delivery arrangement,
- wherein the at least one primary precursor gas or vapor delivery arrangement comprises a device to sequentially supply the reactor with a precursor gas or vapor, and wherein a device of the at least one supplemental precursor gas or vapor delivery arrangement continuously supplies the reactor with a precursor gas or vapor, and
- wherein a system control software is provided to control the at least one primary precursor gas or vapor delivery arrangement and the at least one supplemental precursor gas or vapor delivery arrangement.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.