Ampoule for a semiconductor manufacturing precursor
AssigneeApplied Materials, Inc.
InventorsCarl White, Mohith Verghese, David Marquardt, Jose Alexandro Romero
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Abstract
Ampoules for a semiconductor manufacturing precursors and methods of use are described. The ampoules include a container with an inlet port and an outlet port. The ampoules comprise an inlet plenum located between the inlet port and the cavity and an outlet plenum located between the outlet port and the cavity. A flow path is defined by a plurality of tubular walls and an ingress openings of the ampoule, through which a carrier gas flows in contact with the precursor.
Claims20
An ampoule for a semiconductor manufacturing precursor, the ampoule comprising:
- a container defining a cavity configured to hold the precursor;
- an inlet port and an outlet port, both in fluid communication with the cavity;
- an inlet plenum located between the inlet port and the cavity;
- an outlet plenum located between the outlet port and the cavity;
- a plurality of elongate walls containing the precursor arranged to define flow channels, each of the elongate walls comprising an ingress opening;
- and
- a flow path defined by the flow channels and the ingress openings, through which a carrier gas flows in contact with the precursor.
An ampoule for dispensing a vapor mixture of a carrier gas and a low vapor pressure precursor used in semiconductor manufacturing, the ampoule comprising:
- a container having a bottom wall, sidewalls, and a lid, the container defining a cavity configured to hold the precursor, such that a height (H) of the cavity spans from a lower surface of the lid to a top surface of the bottom wall;
- a single inlet port and a single outlet port, both in fluid communication with the cavity;
- an inlet plenum located between the inlet port and the cavity;
- an outlet plenum located between the outlet port and the cavity;
- a plurality of elongate tubular walls containing the precursor arranged to define flow channels, each of the elongate walls comprising an ingress opening, the ingress openings being off-set such that not one ingress opening overlaps with another ingress opening;
- and
- a tortuous flow path defined by the flow channels and the ingress openings, through which a carrier gas flows in contact with the precursor.
A method of providing a flow of precursor, the method comprising:
- flowing a carrier gas through an inlet port and an inlet plenum of an ampoule having a low vapor pressure precursor therein;
- directing the flow of the carrier gas within the ampoule and in contact with the precursor through a flow path defined by a plurality of elongate walls and ingress openings of each of the elongate walls, through which a carrier gas flows in contact with the precursor;
- and
- flowing the carrier gas and precursor out of the ampoule through an outlet plenum and an outlet port.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.