Methods for controlling formation of deposits in a deposition system and deposition methods including the same
AssigneeCree, Inc.
InventorsJoseph John Sumakeris, Michael James Paisley, Michael John O'Loughlin
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method for controlling parasitic deposits in a deposition system for depositing a film on a substrate, the deposition system defining a reaction chamber for receiving the substrate and including a process gas in the reaction chamber and an interior surface contiguous with the reaction chamber, includes flowing a buffer gas between the interior surface and at least a portion of the process gas to form a gas barrier layer such that the gas barrier layer inhibits contact between the interior surface and components of the process gas.
Claims40
A method for controlling parasitic deposits in a deposition system for depositing a film on a substrate, the deposition system defining a reaction chamber for receiving the substrate and including a process gas in the reaction chamber and an interior surface contiguous with the reaction chamber, the method comprising:
- providing a buffer gas to the reaction chamber at a temperature greater than a temperature of the process gas in the reaction chamber;
- and
- flowing the buffer gas to form a flowing gas barrier layer between the interior surface and at least a portion of the process gas, such that the flowing gas barrier layer inhibits contact between the interior surface and components of the process gas.
A method for controlling parasitic deposits in a deposition system for depositing a film on a substrate, the deposition system defining a reaction chamber for receiving the substrate and including a process gas in the reaction chamber and an interior surface contiguous with the reaction chamber, the method comprising:
- flowing the process gas through the reaction chamber in a flow directions wherein the flow direction is substantially horizontal;
- and
- flowing a buffer gas through the reaction chamber in the flow direction to form a flowing gas barrier layer between the interior surface and at least a portion of the process gas, such that the flowing gas barrier layer inhibits contact between the interior surface and components of the process gas;
- wherein the step of flowing the buffer gas includes flowing the buffer gas through the reaction chamber at substantially the same velocity as the process gas;
- and
- wherein the step of flowing the buffer gas includes providing a substantially laminar flow of the buffer gas along the interior surface to at least a location downstream of the substrate.
A method for controlling parasitic deposits in a deposition system for depositing a film on a substrate, the deposition system defining a reaction chamber for receiving the substrate and including a process gas in the reaction chamber and an interior surface contiguous with the reaction chamber, the method comprising:
- flowing a buffer gas to form a flowing gas barrier layer between the interior surface and at least a portion of the process gas, such that the flowing gas barrier layer inhibits contact between the interior surface and components of the process gas;
- and
- heating the interior surface to a temperature sufficient to promote sublimation of parasitic deposits from the process gas that deposit on the interior surface.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.