Vapor based site-isolated processing systems and methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10364497-B2
Application number	US-201715427882-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 8, 2017
Priority date	Feb 11, 2016
Publication date	Jul 30, 2019
Grant date	Jul 30, 2019

Abstract

Embodiments provided herein describe systems and method for processing substrates. A substrate is provided. A showerhead is positioned above the substrate. The showerhead includes a plurality of injection ports, at least one isolation channel, and at least one exhaust port on a bottom surface thereof. The at least one isolation channel separates the plurality of injection ports into two or more sections. The at least one exhaust port is positioned within the at least one isolation channel. The plurality of injection ports are not in fluid communication with the at least one exhaust port within the showerhead. At least one processing fluid is caused to be delivered from the plurality of injection ports onto the substrate. At least some of the at least one processing fluid is caused to be removed from the substrate through the at least one exhaust port.

First claim

What is claimed:

1. A method for processing a substrate, the method comprising:
providing a substrate;
positioning a showerhead above the substrate, wherein the showerhead comprises a plurality of injection ports, at least one isolation channel, and at least one exhaust port on a bottom surface thereof, wherein the at least one isolation channel separates the plurality of injection ports into two or more sections, wherein at least one of the two or more sections is a planar surface including a plurality of injection ports disposed in an array along a first axis and a second axis of the planar surface, the at least one exhaust port is positioned within the at least one isolation channel, and the plurality of injection ports are not in fluid communication with the at least one exhaust port within the showerhead;
causing at least one processing fluid to be delivered from the plurality of injection ports onto the substrate;
causing at least some of the at least one processing fluid to be removed from the substrate through the at least one exhaust port;
wherein the at least one isolation channel comprises an isolation wall extending from the bottom surface of the showerhead, and wherein a distance between a lower end of the isolation wall and the substrate is less than a distance between the plurality of injection ports and the substrate; and
wherein the showerhead further comprises at least one processing fluid channel formed therein, each of the at least one processing fluid channels being in fluid communication with the injection ports of a respective one of the two or more sections of injection ports, and wherein the causing of the at least one processing fluid to be delivered from the plurality of injection ports onto the substrate comprising delivering the at least one processing fluid to the at least one processing fluid channel.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the causing of the at least one processing fluid to be removed from the substrate through the at least one exhaust port comprises applying a vacuum or a partial pressure to the at least one exhaust port.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the isolation wall at least partially extends around at least one of the two or more sections of injection ports.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein each of the at least one processing fluid channel is not in fluid communication with the others of the at least one processing fluid channel within the showerhead.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the causing of the at least one processing fluid to be delivered from the plurality of injection ports onto the substrate comprises:
delivering a first processing fluid to a first of the at least one processing fluid channel within the showerhead, and
delivering a second processing fluid to a second of the at least one processing fluid channel within the showerhead,
wherein the second processing fluid differs from the first processing fluid with respect to at least one of chemical composition, vapor concentration, or a combination thereof.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising causing at least some of the at least one processing fluid to flow towards a periphery of the substrate.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the showerhead further comprises a purge port on the bottom surface thereof, the purge port being positioned between two of the two or more sections of injection ports, and further comprising causing an inert gas to be delivered from the purge port onto the substrate.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the distance between the lower end of the isolation wall and the substrate is between about 0.1 millimeters (mm) and about 5 mm.

9. A method for processing a substrate, the method comprising:
providing a substrate;
positioning a showerhead above the substrate, wherein the showerhead comprises a plurality of processing fluid channels extending therethrough and a plurality of injection ports, at least one isolation channel, and at least one exhaust port on a bottom surface thereof, wherein the at least one isolation channel separates the plurality of injection ports into a plurality of sections, wherein at least one of the plurality of sections is a planar surface including a plurality of injection ports disposed in an array along a first axis and a second axis of the planar surface, the injection ports of each of the plurality of sections of injection ports is in fluid communication with a respective one of the processing fluid channels, the at least one exhaust port is positioned within the at least one isolation channel, and the plurality of injection ports are not in fluid communication with the at least one exhaust port within the showerhead;
delivering a processing fluid to each of the plurality of processing fluid channels such that the processing fluid flows through the plurality of injection ports and onto the substrate;
applying a vacuum or a partial pressure to the at least one exhaust port such that at least some of the processing fluid is removed from the substrate through the at least one exhaust port;
wherein the at least one isolation channel comprises an isolation wall extending from the bottom surface of the showerhead, and wherein a distance between a lower end of the isolation wall and the substrate is less than a distance between the plurality of injection ports and the substrate; and
wherein the isolation wall at least partially extends around at least one of the plurality of sections of injection ports.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein each of the plurality of processing fluid channels is not in fluid communication with the others of the plurality of processing fluid channels within the showerhead.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the delivering of the processing fluid to each of the plurality of processing fluid channels comprises:
delivering a first processing fluid to a first of the plurality of processing fluid channels within the showerhead, and
delivering a second processing fluid to a second of the plurality of processing fluid channels within the showerhead,
wherein the second processing fluid differs from the first processing fluid with respect to at least one of chemical composition, vapor concentration, or a combination thereof.

Assignees

• Intermolecular Inc

Inventors

• Donoso Bernardo
• Littau Karl
• Bartholomew Lawrence D

Classifications

• C23C16/45565 Primary

  Shower nozzles · CPC title

• C23C16/45574

  Nozzles for more than one gas · CPC title

• C23C16/4412

  Details relating to the exhausts, e.g. pumps, filters, scrubbers, particle traps · CPC title

• C23C16/45544

  characterized by the apparatus · CPC title