Patent US20030192645A1 successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US20030192645A1
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US
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Method and apparatus for creating circumferential process gas flow in a semiconductor wafer plasma reactor chamber
Assignee: Applied Materials Inc
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Filing: 2002-04-16
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2022-04-16
Abstract
Abstract A method and apparatus is disclosed for circumferential process gas flow in an ion etch or deposition plasma reactor. The process includes a method and apparatus for creating a flow of the desired gas, circumferentially around the outer edge portion of a semiconductor wafer positioned within a plasma reactor chamber. At least a portion of the desired gas is in a plasma state.
Inventors
- 👤 Jingboa Liu
- 👤 Taeho Shin
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-09 01:23
CPC Classifications
C; C23; C23C; C23C16/00; C23C16/44; C23C16/455; C23C16/45563; C23C16/45565; C23C16/45568; H; H01; H01J; H01J37/00; H01J37/32; H01J37/32431; H01J37/3244; H10; H10P; H10P72/00; H10P72/04; H10P72/0402
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 29
Claim 1
Independent Claim
159 words
1 . A semiconductor wafer plasma reactor system comprising: (a) a plasma reactor having an enclosed chamber comprising a sidewall, a floor and a ceiling; (b) a support member adapted for mounting a semiconductor wafer positioned in the chamber; (c) a process gas supply; (d) at least one process gas distribution apparatus positioned within the chamber at a predetermined location and adapted to receive gas from the process gas supply, each of the gas distribution apparatus comprising at least one process gas flow aperture, each of the gas distribution apparatus positioned at the predetermined location such that process gas flowing from its gas flow apertures creates a substantially circumferential process gas flow within the enclosed chamber along an outer edge portion of a semiconductor wafer positioned on the mounting surface of the support member; and (e) an energy source adapted to convert at least a portion of process gas in the enclosed chamber into a plasma of selected density.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
159 words
1 . A semiconductor wafer plasma reactor system comprising: (a) a plasma reactor having an enclosed chamber comprising a sidewall, a floor and a ceiling; (b) a support member adapted for mounting a semiconductor wafer positioned in the chamber; (c) a process gas supply; (d) at least one process gas distribution apparatus positioned within the chamber at a predetermined location and adapted to receive gas from the process gas supply, each of the gas distribution apparatus comprising at least one process gas flow aperture, each of the gas distribution apparatus positioned at the predetermined location such that process gas flowing from its gas flow apertures creates a substantially circumferential process gas flow within the enclosed chamber along an outer edge portion of a semiconductor wafer positioned on the mounting surface of the support member; and (e) an energy source adapted to convert at least a portion of process gas in the enclosed chamber into a plasma of selected density.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
55 words
2 . A semiconductor wafer plasma reactor system according to claim 1 wherein the process gas flowing from each gas distribution apparatus creates a directional spray vector of from greater than 0° to less than 180° relative to the sidewall of the enclosed chamber, away from the center of the wafer and toward the sidewall.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
20 words
3 . A semiconductor wafer plasma reactor system according to claim 2 wherein the spray directional vector is about 45°.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
22 words
4 . A semiconductor wafer plasma reactor system according to claim 1 wherein the energy source is a radio frequency energy source.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
21 words
5 . A semiconductor wafer plasma reactor system according to claim 1 wherein the energy source is a microwave energy source.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
20 words
6 . A semiconductor wafer plasma reactor system according to claim 1 wherein the process gas is a flurohydrocarbon gas.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
26 words
7 . A semiconductor wafer plasma reactor system according to claim 2 wherein the process gas distribution apparatus can be variably positioned, within the reactor chamber.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
24 words
8 . A semiconductor wafer plasma reactor system according to claim 1 which further comprises a secondary gas connected to the gas distribution apparatus.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
22 words
9 . A semiconductor wafer plasma reactor system according to claim 8 wherein the secondary gas supply comprises an inactive secondary gas.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
26 words
10 . A semiconductor wafer plasma reactor system according to claim 1 wherein each of the gas distribution apparatus is positioned in the reactor chamber ceiling.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
20 words
11 . A semiconductor wafer plasma reactor system according to claim 1 wherein the gas distribution apparatus is an injector.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
20 words
12 . A semiconductor wafer plasma reactor system according to claim 9 wherein the inactive gas is a carrier gas.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
79 words
13 . A process gas distribution device for use in a semiconductor wafer plasma chamber of a plasma reactor for processing a semiconductor wafer; comprising at least one gas distribution apparatus connectable to a process gas supply, the at least one gas distribution apparatus comprising at least one process gas flow aperture positioned so that a process gas supplied through the at least one gas distribution apparatus aperture flows circumferentially around an outer edge portion of the semiconductor wafer.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
79 words
13 . A process gas distribution device for use in a semiconductor wafer plasma chamber of a plasma reactor for processing a semiconductor wafer; comprising at least one gas distribution apparatus connectable to a process gas supply, the at least one gas distribution apparatus comprising at least one process gas flow aperture positioned so that a process gas supplied through the at least one gas distribution apparatus aperture flows circumferentially around an outer edge portion of the semiconductor wafer.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
56 words
14 . A process gas distribution device according to claim 13 wherein the at least one gas distribution apparatus is positionable in the reactor chamber to create flow from the gas distribution apparatus apertures which has a spray directional vector from more than 0° to less than 180° relative to a sidewall of the reactor chamber.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
19 words
15 . A process gas distribution device according to claim 14 wherein the spray directional vector is about 45°.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
23 words
16 . A process gas distribution device according to claim 13 , wherein the at least one gas distribution apparatus is an injector.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
19 words
17 . A process gas distribution device according to claim 13 wherein the process gas comprises a fluorohydrocarbon gas.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
29 words
18 . A process gas distribution device according to claim 13 wherein the at least one gas distribution apparatus is positioned in the ceiling of the plasma reactor chamber.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
26 words
19 . A process gas distribution device according to claim 11 where in the injectors are mounted in a common gas feed chamber in the ceiling.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
72 words
20 . A method for treating a substrate in a gas plasma reactor comprising: supplying a process gas to one or more gas distribution apparatus in the gas plasma reactor and providing a gas flow from each of the one or more gas distribution apparatus such that the combined gas flow from the one or more gas distribution apparatus is a circumferential gas flow along an outer edge portion of the substrate.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
72 words
20 . A method for treating a substrate in a gas plasma reactor comprising: supplying a process gas to one or more gas distribution apparatus in the gas plasma reactor and providing a gas flow from each of the one or more gas distribution apparatus such that the combined gas flow from the one or more gas distribution apparatus is a circumferential gas flow along an outer edge portion of the substrate.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
22 words
21 . A method according to claim 20 further comprising converting the process gas in the gas plasma reactor into a plasma.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
53 words
22 . A method according to claim 20 further comprising creating a spray directional vector for the gas flow from each of the one or more gas distribution apparatus from greater than 0° to less than 180° relative to a sidewall of the reactor chamber, and away from the center of the wafer.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
19 words
23 . A method according to claim 22 wherein the spray directional vector is variable with the reactor chamber.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
16 words
24 . A method according to claim 22 wherein the spray directional vector is about 45°.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
91 words
25 . A method for creating a circumferential gas flow in a gas plasma reactor, comprising: (a) creating at least a partial vacuum within an enclosed reactor chamber within the gas plasma reactor; (b) injecting a process gas into the reactor chamber in a manner to create a substantially circumferential process gas flow around an outer edge portion of a substantially circular shaped semiconductor wafer substantially centrally positioned in said enclosed reactor chamber; and (c) energizing the substantially circumferential process gas flow in the enclosed reactor chamber into a plasma state.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
91 words
25 . A method for creating a circumferential gas flow in a gas plasma reactor, comprising: (a) creating at least a partial vacuum within an enclosed reactor chamber within the gas plasma reactor; (b) injecting a process gas into the reactor chamber in a manner to create a substantially circumferential process gas flow around an outer edge portion of a substantially circular shaped semiconductor wafer substantially centrally positioned in said enclosed reactor chamber; and (c) energizing the substantially circumferential process gas flow in the enclosed reactor chamber into a plasma state.
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