Liquid phosphorous precursor delivery apparatus
AssigneeApplied Materials, Inc.
InventorsChau Nguyen, Visweswaren Sivaramakrishnan
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The present invention recognizes that the build-up of residue in a metal alloy injection valve used to inject a liquid phosphorous precursor compound is due to the nickel in the alloy affecting the liquid phosphorous precursor compound. The invention thus provides components manufactured of an alloy having a low nickel content, preferably less than 5% nickel, and more preferably less than 1%. In an additional aspect of the invention, the alloy is provided with a higher chromium content, preferably at least 15% chromium, more preferably 16-27%.
Claims28
A liquid injection used for a CVD chamber comprising;
- a container containing a liquid TEPO, TMP or TEP;
- an injection valve for converting said liquid TEPO, TMP or TEP into gaseous form, said injection valve having portions in contact with said liquid TEPO, TMP or TEP composed of a stainless steal alloy having less than about one percent (1%) nickel and at least 15% chromium;
- a liquid TEPO, TMP or TEP injection line coupling said container to said injection valve;
- a carrier gas source line coupled to said injection valve;
- and
- an outlet line coupling said injection valve to said CVD chamber.
An apparatus for the use with a liquid phosphorous precursor compound comprising:
- a container containing a liquid phosphorous precursor compound;
- a conduit;
- and
- an orifice disposed between the liquid container and the conduit, wherein at least one of the liquid container, the orifice, and the conduit has a surface of a stainless steel alloy having less than about one percent (1%) nickel.
An apparatus for delivering a liquid phosphorous precursor compound, comprising:
- a container containing a liquid phosphorous precursor compound;
- a conduit configured to convey said liquid phosphorous precursor compound or a gaseous product of said liquid phosphorous precursor compound from the container;
- a heating surface coupled to at least at one of a portion of said container and a portion of said conduit;
- wherein at least one of said portion of said container and said portion of said conduit is composed of a stainless steel-alloy having less than about one percent (1%) nickel.
A liquid flow injection valve for supplying TEPO, TMP or TEP to a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) chamber comprising:
- an injection orifice connected to a source containing liquid TEPO, TMP or TEP;
- and
- a valve outlet for delivering a gaseous mixture generated from said liquid TEPO, TMP or TEP to said CVD chamber;
- said injection orifice including a stainless steel alloy having less than about one percent (1%) nickel.
A method for injecting gaseous phosphorous precursor into a chemical vapor deposition chamber, the method comprising:
- providing a liquid TEPO, TMP or TEP through an injection valve including a stainless steel alloy having less than about one percent (1%) nickel;
- providing a carrier gas through said valve;
- creating a pressure differential in said valve;
- and
- heating said injection valve.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.