EP0473067A1
Expired / Lapsed
EP
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Wafer processing reactor
Assignee: Applied Materials Inc
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Filing: 1991-08-22
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2011-08-22
Abstract
Abstract A wafer processing reactor having an input manifold (37) to enable control of a process gas flow profile over a wafer (16) that is being processed. Both process gas relative concentrations and flow rates can be controlled, thereby enabling an increased uniformity of processing across the wafer (16).
Inventors
- 👤 Roger N. Anderson
- 👤 Paul R. Lindstrom
- 👤 Wayne Johnson
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-06 02:55
CPC Classifications
C; C23; C23C; C23C16/00; C23C16/44; C23C16/455
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 15
Claim 1
Independent Claim
94 words
Wafer processing reactor comprising: - reactor chamber walls (11 - 13) that enclose a reaction chamber (14) within which wafers (16) are to be processed; - a gas inlet port (31) for supplying at least one process gas into said reaction chamber (14); and - a gas supply manifold (37) that injects at least one process gas to a plurality of spatially separated inlets (310) to said gas inlet port (31), thereby providing an ability to control a gas flow distribution of said at least one process gas through said gas inlet port (31).
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
94 words
Wafer processing reactor comprising: - reactor chamber walls (11 - 13) that enclose a reaction chamber (14) within which wafers (16) are to be processed; - a gas inlet port (31) for supplying at least one process gas into said reaction chamber (14); and - a gas supply manifold (37) that injects at least one process gas to a plurality of spatially separated inlets (310) to said gas inlet port (31), thereby providing an ability to control a gas flow distribution of said at least one process gas through said gas inlet port (31).
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
33 words
Wafer processing reactor as in claim 1, wherein at least two different process gases are injected through inlets (310), thereby enabling control over the distribution of gas composition as well as flow rate.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
27 words
Wafer processing reactor as in claim 1 or 2, further comprising: means (42, 44) for controlling a rate of gas flow through each of said inlets (310).
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
60 words
Wafer processing reactor as in claim 3, wherein said means for controlling a rate of gas flow comprises a plurality of flow controllers (42, 44), each located in a flow path from a source of process gas to one of said inlets (310) and being preferably selected from the set consisting of mass flow controllers, fixed orifices and micrometer valves.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
46 words
Wafer processing reactor as in claim 4, wherein each of said inlets (310) can be connected to at least two different sources of process gas, whereby a total flow rate and a relative concentration of process gases can be controlled through each of said inlets (310).
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
68 words
Wafer processing reactor as in any of the claims 1 to 5, further comprising within said gas inlet port (31 - a plurality of vanes (38) that separates this gas inlet port (31) into a plurality of gas flow channels (51), whereby mixing of gases injected through different inlets (310) can be delayed until process gases through these different inlets reach a distal end of these vanes (38).
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
14 words
Wafer processing reactor as in claim 6, wherein said vanes (38) are all parallel.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
37 words
Wafer processing reactor as in claim 6, wherein said vanes (38) are oriented such that process gases flow in the most direct direction toward a location in said reactor at which wafers (16) are located for processing.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
29 words
Wafer processing reactor as in claim 8, wherein each of said vanes (38) is directed toward a point at which a wafer (16) is to be centered for processing.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
50 words
Wafer processing reactor as in claim 8, wherein said vanes (38) are all parallel, whereby these vanes produce a flow pattern such that, when a wafer (16) is placed within said reaction chamber for processing, a flow pattern is produced that, at the wafer, is laterally symmetric across the wafer.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
100 words
Wafer processing reactor as in any of the claims 6 to 10, further comprising: wherein a side wall portion of said reactor walls has formed therethrough a slit (39), located between a distal end of said vanes (38) and said process chamber (14), within which process gases from different channels (51) can begin to mix before reaching a location at which a wafer (16) is to be located for processing, thereby smoothing a flow rate profile of gases passing through said channels (51) before these gases reach said location at which a wafer (16) is to be located for processing.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
38 words
Wafer processing reactor as in claim 11, further comprising: between said slit (39) and the location at which a wafer (16) is to be processed, a preheat ring (36) for preheating gases before they reach a wafer (16).
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
14 words
Wafer processing reactor as in claim 6, wherein said vanes are not all parallel.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
53 words
Wafer processing reactor as in any of the preceding claims, wherein said side wall portion (12) of said walls (11 - 13) includes a cylindrical section (311) that encircles a circular region within which a wafer (16) is to be located for processing and across which said at least one process gas flows.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
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