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US 2002/0157611 A1Published application
ALD reactor and method with controlled wall temperature
AssigneeASM International N.V.
InventorsNiklas Bondestam, Sven Lindfors
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AssigneeASM International N.V.
InventorsNiklas Bondestam, Sven Lindfors
Estimating the term…
The present invention relates to improved methods and apparatus for atomic layer deposition (ALD) of thin films on substrates such as wafers and flat panel displays. The invention provides an ALD reactor comprising a first temperature regulating system to control the temperature of the substrate and a second temperature regulating system to independently control the temperature of the reaction chamber walls. The invention also provides a method for ALD of a film onto a substrate in a reaction chamber, in which the temperature of the substrate is maintained to maximize ALD on the substrate while the temperature of the reaction chamber walls is set to minimize film growth thereon, whether by ALD, condensation, physisorption or thermal decomposition. The temperature of the walls may be maintained at the same temperature as the substrate, or higher or lower than the substrate temperature, depending upon the particular reaction being used.
An atomic layer deposition apparatus for growing thin films on a substrate configured to expose the substrate to alternate surface reactions of vapor-phase reactants, the apparatus comprising:
A method for growing a thin film on a substrate by exposing the substrate in a reaction chamber defined by a plurality of walls to alternate surface reactions of vapor-phase reactants, comprising:
A method for growing a thin film on a substrate by exposing the substrate in a reaction chamber defined by a plurality of chamber walls to alternate surface reactions of vapor-phase reactants, comprising:
A method for preventing unwanted deposition on walls of an atomic layer deposition reaction chamber, comprising controlling a temperature of the substrate and independently controlling a temperature of at least those portions of the chamber walls exposed to reactants, such that a rate of deposition by self-limited atomic layer deposition on the substrate is maximized while film growth on the walls is reduced relative to controlling a temperature of the substrate alone.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.