Variable flow deposition apparatus and method in semiconductor substrate processing

A method of processing a substrate in a vacuum chamber, comprising:

• reducing the conductance level of a non-sealing flow restrictor surrounding the substrate to a first, non-zero conductance level, wherein the flow restrictor couples the interior of the chamber to an exhaust port of the chamber;
• admitting a substrate into the chamber for processing with a deposition gas;
• admitting the deposition gas into the chamber to react with a substrate in the chamber while the flow restrictor is at the first conductance level wherein the flow restrictor at the first conductance level limits the exhaustion of deposition gas through the exhaust flow restrictor to the exhaust port to a first, non-zero flow rate to facilitate retaining deposition gas in the chamber to react with the substrate;
• and
• after sufficient substrate processing with the deposition gas, increasing the conductance of the non-sealing flow restrictor to a second, higher conductance level to increase the flow rate of residue gases being exhausted through the flow restrictor to the exhaust port to a second, higher flow rate.

A method of depositing deposition materials onto a substrate in a vacuum chamber, comprising:

• in a first cycle, closing a non-sealing circular flow restrictor surrounding the substrate wherein the flow restrictor couples the interior of the chamber to an exhaust port of the chamber and admitting a first deposition gas into the chamber to react with a substrate in the chamber while the flow restrictor is closed wherein the closed flow restrictor limits the exhaustion of the first deposition gas through the exhaust flow restrictor to the exhaust port to facilitate depositing a first deposition material onto the substrate;
• in a second cycle, opening the flow restrictor and purging the chamber of the first deposition gas while the flow restrictor is open;
• in a third cycle, closing the flow restrictor and admitting a second deposition gas into the chamber to react with the substrate in the chamber while the flow restrictor is closed wherein the closed flow restrictor limits the exhaustion of the second deposition gas through the exhaust flow restrictor to the exhaust port to facilitate depositing a second deposition material onto the substrate;
• in a fourth cycle, opening the flow restrictor and purging the chamber of the second deposition gas while the flow restrictor is open;
• and
• repeating the above cycles thereby repeatedly and alternately closing and opening the flow restrictor and alternately depositing the first and second materials while the flow restrictor is closed, and alternately purging the first and second deposition gasses while the flow restrictor is open.

A vacuum processing chamber for processing a substrate with a process gas, comprising:

• a pressure vessel which defines an interior;
• a substrate support positioned within said vessel interior and having a support surface adapted to support a substrate for processing;
• a process gas inlet disposed in said vessel and having an inlet flow valve to control the admission of a process gas into the vessel interior;
• an exhaust outlet having an outlet flow restrictor disposed in said vessel on at least two sides of said substrate support and adapted to exhaust a residue gas from the chamber interior, said non-sealing outlet flow restrictor having a first conductance level and a second, higher conductance level;
• and
• a chamber controller adapted to in alternating first and second cycles, actuate the non-sealing outlet flow restrictor to the first conductance level in the first cycle;
• and in the second cycle, increase the conductance of the non-sealing outlet flow restrictor to the second conductance level, said controller further being adapted to control the process gas inlet valve to admit a process gas into the vessel interior during at least a portion of the first cycle and to at least reduce the admission of process gas into the vessel interior during at least a portion of the second cycle.

A vacuum processing chamber for processing a substrate with a deposition gas, comprising:

• a pressure vessel which defines an interior;
• a substrate support positioned within said vessel interior and having a support surface adapted to support a substrate for processing;
• a deposition gas inlet disposed in said vessel and having an inlet valve to control the admission of a deposition gas into the vessel interior;
• a processing region within the chamber interior and formed above said support surface;
• an exhaust outlet disposed in said vessel and having an exhaust passageway and an outlet flow restrictor adapted to exhaust a residue gas from the processing region, said outlet flow restrictor having an annular-shaped flow restrictor body having an open position and a closed position wherein the open position defines a flow restrictor passageway which surrounds said substrate support and couples said processing region to said exhaust passageway.

A vacuum chamber for depositing a plurality of different deposition materials onto a substrate with a plurality of different deposition gasses, comprising:

• a pressure vessel which defines an interior;
• a substrate support means positioned within said vessel interior, for supporting a substrate for deposition;
• process gas inlet means for alternately admitting first and second deposition gasses into said vessel interior;
• exhaust outlet means surrounding said support means, for directing residue deposition gasses from the vessel interior;
• pump means for pumping residue process gasses through said exhaust outlet means;
• outlet flow restrictor means disposed in said exhaust outlet means and surrounding said support means, for
• in a first cycle, closing said outlet means while said inlet means admits a first deposition gas into the vessel interior to deposit a first deposition material onto the substrate in the interior while limiting the exhaustion of the first deposition gas through the outlet means;
• in a second cycle, opening the outlet means to purge the chamber of the first deposition gas;
• in a third cycle, closing the outlet means while said inlet means admits a second deposition gas into the interior to deposit a second deposition material onto the substrate in the interior while limiting the exhaustion of the second deposition gas through the outlet means;
• in a fourth cycle, opening the outlet means to purge the chamber of the second deposition gas;
• and
• repeating the above cycles thereby repeatedly and alternately closing and opening the outlet means wherein the first and second materials are alternately deposited while the outlet means is closed, and the interior is alternately purged of the first and second deposition gasses while the outlet means is open.