Method and apparatus for deposition on large area substrates having reduced gas usage
AssigneeApplied Materials, Inc.
InventorsHari Ponnekanti, Randhir Thakur
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method and apparatus for processing a substrate is described. The apparatus includes a showerhead assembly in a processing chamber. The showerhead assembly is sized to cover a fraction of the length of the substrate. The showerhead assembly includes a first gas channel on a perimeter thereof and a second gas channel in a center thereof. The perimeter gas channel is configured to flow a first gas toward the substrate to form a gas curtain containing a reduced volume processing region between the showerhead and the substrate. Various thermal and/or deposition processes are performed on the substrate within the region interior of the gas curtain.
Claims34
An apparatus for forming thin films, comprising:
- a chamber defining an interior volume;
- and
- at least two showerhead assemblies movably coupled to the chamber within the interior volume opposing a movable substrate support surface, each of the showerhead assemblies being coupled to an actuator providing movement of the respective showerhead assembly in a first linear direction relative to the movable substrate support surface, each of the showerhead assemblies comprising an inner gas channel and an outer gas channel surrounding and separated from the inner gas channel, each of the inner gas channels and outer gas channels having a plurality of openings formed therein, the openings in the inner gas channels being directed toward the substrate support surface to deliver a first gas, and the openings in the outer gas channel being oriented to direct a second gas toward the substrate support surface and completely enclose the first gas.
An apparatus for forming thin films on flexible media, comprising:
- a chamber having at least two showerhead assemblies movably coupled to an interior of the chamber, each of the at least two showerhead assemblies being coupled to a first linear motion assembly to move the respective showerhead assemblies in a Z direction, each of the showerhead assemblies comprising an inner gas channel and an outer gas channel surrounding and separated from the inner gas channel, each of the inner gas channels and outer gas channels having a plurality of openings formed therein, the openings in the inner gas channels being directed toward the flexible media to deliver a first gas, and the openings in the outer gas channel being oriented to direct a second gas toward the flexible media and completely surround the first gas;
- and
- a movable substrate support surface disposed within the interior of the chamber in an opposing relationship to the at least two showerhead assemblies, the movable substrate support surface comprising a plurality of rollers to receive and support at least a portion of the flexible media and defining a linear substrate travel path in the X direction to move the flexible media relative to the at least two showerhead assemblies.
A method for processing a substrate, comprising:
- transferring a substrate to a processing chamber having an internal volume consisting of a first environment;
- flowing a first gas from a perimeter of a first showerhead assembly to form a processing region on a portion of the substrate, the processing region comprising a second environment that is substantially isolated from the first environment;
- flowing a second gas from a center of the first showerhead assembly to an area interior of the processing region to deposit a first thin film on the substrate;
- and
- moving the substrate in a first linear direction relative to the first showerhead assembly to deposit the first thin film on other portions of the substrate.
A method for processing a portion of a substrate, comprising:
- transferring a substrate to a processing chamber having a movable support surface adapted to move the first substrate in a first linear direction;
- depositing a first thin film on a portion of the substrate with a first showerhead assembly disposed in the processing chamber, the first showerhead assembly movable in a second linear direction that is substantially normal to the first linear direction;
- moving the substrate in the first linear direction relative to the first showerhead assembly;
- and
- altering the first thin film with a second showerhead assembly disposed in the processing chamber.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.