Gas delivery apparatus and method for atomic layer deposition

A chamber for processing substrates, comprising:

• a chamber lid, comprising:
• an expanding channel at a central portion of the chamber lid;
• a tapered bottom surface extending from the expanding channel to a peripheral portion of the chamber lid;
• a first conduit coupled to a first gas inlet within the expanding channel;
• and
• a second conduit coupled to a second gas inlet within the expanding channel, wherein the first conduit and the second conduit are positioned to provide a gas flow selected from the group of vortex, helix, and spiral through the expanding channel.

A method for depositing a material on a substrate, comprising:

• positioning a substrate on a substrate support within a process chamber containing a gas delivery system capable of forming a gas flow in a circular direction;
• flowing at least one carrier gas into the process chamber to form a circular directional gas;
• exposing the substrate to the circular directional gas;
• pulsing the at least one precursor into the at least one carrier gas;
• and
• depositing a material containing at least one element from the at least one precursor onto the substrate.

A method of depositing a material on a substrate, comprising:

• positioning a substrate on a substrate support within a process chamber that includes a chamber body and a chamber lid, comprising:
• an expanding channel at a central portion of the chamber lid;
• a tapered bottom surface extending from the expanding channel to a peripheral portion of the chamber lid, wherein the tapered bottom surface is shaped and sized to substantially cover the substrate;
• a first conduit coupled to a first gas inlet within the expanding channel;
• and
• a second conduit coupled to a second gas inlet within the expanding channel, wherein the first conduit and the second conduit are positioned to provide a gas flow in a direction selected from the group consisting of vortex, helix, spiral, and derivatives thereof;
• flowing at least one carrier gas through the first and second conduits to form a directional gas;
• exposing the substrate to the directional gas;
• pulsing at least one precursor into the at least one carrier gas;
• and
• depositing a material containing at least one element from the at least one precursor onto the substrate.