US5269847A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Variable rate distribution gas flow reaction chamber
Assignee: Applied Materials Inc
•
Filing: 1992-05-04
•
Granted: 1993-12-14
•
Expires: 2012-05-04
Abstract
Abstract A wafer processing reactor having an input manifold to enable control of a process gas flow profile over a wafer 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.
Inventors
- 👤 Roger N. Anderson
- 👤 Paul R. Lindstrom
- 👤 Wayne Johnson
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-07 13:21
CPC Classifications
C; C23; C23C; C23C16/00; C23C16/44; C23C16/455; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S438/00; Y10S438/935
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 13
Claim 1
Independent Claim
134 words
Wafer processing reactor comprising: reactor chamber walls that enclose a reaction chamber within which wafers are to be processed; a gas inlet port for supplying at least one process gas into said reaction chamber adjacent an edge of said wafer in a plane parallel to said wafer, said gas inlet port having a width slightly wider than the diameter of the wafer; and a gas supply manifold that injects at least one process gas through a plurality of spatially separated inlets into said gas inlet port, each of said inlets having a means of separate flow control in flow path from a source of process gas to one of said inlets, thereby providing an ability to control a gas flow spatial distribution of said at least one process gas through said gas inlet port.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
134 words
Wafer processing reactor comprising: reactor chamber walls that enclose a reaction chamber within which wafers are to be processed; a gas inlet port for supplying at least one process gas into said reaction chamber adjacent an edge of said wafer in a plane parallel to said wafer, said gas inlet port having a width slightly wider than the diameter of the wafer; and a gas supply manifold that injects at least one process gas through a plurality of spatially separated inlets into said gas inlet port, each of said inlets having a means of separate flow control in flow path from a source of process gas to one of said inlets, thereby providing an ability to control a gas flow spatial distribution of said at least one process gas through said gas inlet port.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
38 words
Wafer processing reactor as in claim 1 wherein at least two different process gases are injected through inlets adjacent an edge of said wafer, thereby enabling control over the distribution of gas composition as well as flow rate.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
14 words
Wafer processing reactor as in claim 1 wherein said wafer is rotated during processing.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
44 words
Wafer processing reactor as in claim 1 wherein said side wall portion of said walls includes a cylindrical section that encircles a circular region within which a wafer is to be located for processing and across which said at least one process gas flows.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
28 words
Wafer processing reactor as in claim 1 wherein each of said flow controllers are selected from the set consisting of mass flow controllers, fixed orifices and micrometer valves.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
44 words
Wafer processing reactor as in claim 1 wherein each of said inlets 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.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
30 words
Wafer processing reactor as in claim 1 wherein gas flow is adjusted to be higher near the center of a wafer being processed than near the periphery of said wafer.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
128 words
Wafer processing reactor comprising: reactor chamber walls that enclose a reaction chamber within which wafers are to be processed; a gas inlet port for supplying at least one process gas into said reaction chamber, and, within said gas inlet port a plurality of vanes that separate this gas inlet port into a plurality of gas flow channels, whereby mixing of gases injected through different inlets can be delayed until process gases through these different inlets reach a distal end of these vanes, and a gas supply manifold that injects at least one process gas to a plurality of spatially separated inlets to said gas inlet port, thereby providing an ability to control a gas flow distribution of said at least one process gas through said gas inlet port.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
128 words
Wafer processing reactor comprising: reactor chamber walls that enclose a reaction chamber within which wafers are to be processed; a gas inlet port for supplying at least one process gas into said reaction chamber, and, within said gas inlet port a plurality of vanes that separate this gas inlet port into a plurality of gas flow channels, whereby mixing of gases injected through different inlets can be delayed until process gases through these different inlets reach a distal end of these vanes, and a gas supply manifold that injects at least one process gas to a plurality of spatially separated inlets to said gas inlet port, thereby providing an ability to control a gas flow distribution of said at least one process gas through said gas inlet port.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
13 words
Wafer processing reactor as in claim 8 wherein said vanes are all parallel.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
88 words
Wafer processing reactor as in claim 8 further comprising: wherein a side wall portion of said reactor walls has formed therethrough a slit, located between a distal end of said vanes and said process chamber, within which process gases from different channels can begin to mix before reaching a location at which a wafer is to be located for processing, thereby smoothing a flow rate profile of gases passing through said channels before these gases reach said location at which a wafer is to be located for processing.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
14 words
Wafer processing reactor as in claim 8 wherein said vanes are not all parallel.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US4123316A
Cited
US4539068A
Cited
US4307283A
Cited
EP0027578A1
Cited
US4392915A
Cited
JPS60189928A
Cited
JPS61100935A
Cited
JPS61101020A
Cited
US4612077A
Cited
US4736705A
Cited
US4795529A
Cited
US4872947A
Cited
JPS63161607A
Cited
US4913929A
Cited
JPS63303061A
Cited
US4818326A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1996-12-13 | 1997-06-14 | 1997-12-14 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2000-12-13 | 2001-06-14 | 2001-12-14 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2004-12-13 | 2005-06-14 | 2005-12-14 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |