Patent US6503330B1 successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US6503330B1
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Apparatus and method to achieve continuous interface and ultrathin film during atomic layer deposition
Assignee: Eugenus Inc
•
Filing: 1999-12-22
•
Granted: 2003-01-07
•
Expires: 2019-12-22
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 01:54
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.
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| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
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| 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 |