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US6503330B1 Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Apparatus and method to achieve continuous interface and ultrathin film during atomic layer deposition

Assignee: Eugenus Inc
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Filing: 1999-12-22
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Granted: 2003-01-07
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Expires: 2019-12-22
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Abstract

Abstract A method and apparatus for performing atomic layer deposition in which a surface of a substrate is pretreated to make the surface of the substrate reactive for performing atomic layer deposition.

Inventors

  • 👤 Ofer Sneh
  • 👤 Thomas E. Seidel
  • 👤 Carl Galewski

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-11-09 01:35
CPC Classifications
C; C23; C23C; C23C16/00; C23C16/02; C23C16/0272; C23C16/44; C23C16/455; C23C16/45523; C23C16/45525; C23C16/45527; C23C16/45536; C23C16/45544

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 17
Claim 1
Independent Claim 108 words
An apparatus comprising: a mixing manifold having a common carrier gas inlet and a split flow of carrier gas after the carrier gas inlet, said mixing manifold having a first chemical inlet to introduce a first precursor chemical in one flow path of the split flow of the carrier gas and having a second chemical inlet to introduce a second precursor chemical in a second flow path of the split flow of the carrier gas; a reactor coupled to said mixing manifold to receive the first precursor chemical during a first time period and the second precursor chemical during a second time period to perform atomic layer deposition.
Claim 2
Independent Claim 108 words
An apparatus comprising: a mixing manifold having a common carrier gas inlet and a split flow of carrier gas after the carrier gas inlet, said mixing manifold having a first chemical inlet to introduce a first precursor chemical in one flow path of the split flow of the carrier gas and having a second chemical inlet to introduce a second precursor chemical in a second flow path of the split flow of the carrier gas; a reactor coupled to said mixing manifold to receive the first precursor chemical during a first time period and the second precursor chemical during a second time period to perform atomic layer deposition.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 18 words
The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the carrier gas flows at a constant regulated flow to said reactor.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 51 words
The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the carrier gas flows at a constant regulated flow to introduce the first precursor chemical into said reactor during the first time period and to purge the first precursor chemical from said reactor after the first time period, but prior to the second time period.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 37 words
The apparatus of claim 3 wherein the carrier gas introduces the second precursor chemical into said reactor during the second time period and to purge the second precursor chemical from said reactor after the second time period.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 24 words
The apparatus of claim 1 further including a plasma source coupled to said mixing manifold and said reactor to introduce plasma into said reactor.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 32 words
The apparatus of claim 1 further including a plasma source coupled between said mixing manifold and said reactor to vertically introduce the first and second precursor chemicals and plasma into said reactor.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 22 words
The apparatus of claim 1 further including a gas distributor disposed on said reactor to distribute the carrier gas entering said reactor.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 25 words
The apparatus of claim 1 further including a downstream vacuum pump and throttle valve to regulate the carrier gas to have a constant regulated flow.
Claim 10
Independent Claim 125 words
An apparatus comprising: a mixing manifold having a common carrier gas inlet and a split flow of carrier gas after the carrier gas inlet, said mixing manifold having a first chemical inlet to introduce a first precursor chemical into a first flow path of the split flow of the carrier gas and having a second chemical inlet to introduce a second precursor chemical into a second flow path of the split flow of the carrier gas, the carrier gas having a constant regulated flow; a reactor coupled to said mixing manifold to receive the first precursor chemical during a first time period and the second precursor chemical during a second time period to perform atomic layer deposition to deposit a film layer on a wafer.
Claim 11
Independent Claim 125 words
An apparatus comprising: a mixing manifold having a common carrier gas inlet and a split flow of carrier gas after the carrier gas inlet, said mixing manifold having a first chemical inlet to introduce a first precursor chemical into a first flow path of the split flow of the carrier gas and having a second chemical inlet to introduce a second precursor chemical into a second flow path of the split flow of the carrier gas, the carrier gas having a constant regulated flow; a reactor coupled to said mixing manifold to receive the first precursor chemical during a first time period and the second precursor chemical during a second time period to perform atomic layer deposition to deposit a film layer on a wafer.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim 29 words
The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the carrier gas purges the first precursor chemical from said reactor after the first time period, but prior to the second time period.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim 22 words
The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the carrier gas purges the second precursor chemical from said reactor after the second time period.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim 24 words
The apparatus of claim 11 further including a plasma source coupled to said mixing manifold and said reactor to introduce plasma into said reactor.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim 32 words
The apparatus of claim 11 further including a plasma source coupled between said mixing manifold and said reactor to vertically introduce the first and second precursor chemicals and plasma into said reactor.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim 22 words
The apparatus of claim 11 further including a gas distributor disposed on said reactor to distribute the carrier gas entering said reactor.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim 25 words
The apparatus of claim 10 further including a downstream vacuum pump and throttle valve to regulate the carrier gas to have the constant regulated flow.

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 2006-01-06 2006-07-08 2007-01-07 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 2010-01-06 2010-07-08 2011-01-07 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 2014-01-06 2014-07-08 2015-01-07 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

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