Susceptors with film deposition control features

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12394659-B2
Application number	US-202217730967-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 27, 2022
Priority date	Apr 30, 2021
Publication date	Aug 19, 2025
Grant date	Aug 19, 2025

Abstract

A susceptor has a circular pocket portion, an annular ledge portion, and an annular rim ledge portion. The circular pocket portion is arranged along a rotation axis and has a perforated surface. The annular ledge portion extends circumferentially about pocket portion and has ledge surface that slopes axially upward from the perforated surface. The rim portion extends circumferentially about the ledge portion and is connected to the pocket portion by the ledge portion of the susceptor. The susceptor has one or more of a tuned pocket, a contact break, a precursor vent, and a purge channel located radially outward of the perforated surface to control deposition of a film onto a substrate supported by the susceptor. Semiconductor processing systems, film deposition methods, and methods of making susceptors are also described.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A susceptor, comprising:
a circular pocket portion arranged along a rotation axis and having a perforated surface;
an annular ledge portion extending circumferentially about the circular pocket portion and having a ledge surface, the ledge surface sloping upward along the rotation axis from the perforated surface and having a support circumference at which the ledge surface is arranged to support a substrate along a periphery of the substrate; and
an annular rim portion extending circumferentially about the annular ledge portion, connected to the circular pocket portion by the annular ledge portion of the susceptor, and having a planar rim surface axially offset from the ledge surface of the susceptor;
wherein the planar rim surface and the support circumference define therebetween a tuned pocket adapted to tune an edge thickness, relative to a radially inner region of the substrate of a film deposited onto the substrate supported on the ledge surface of the susceptor.

2. The susceptor of claim 1 , wherein the tuned pocket defines a flattening pocket depth configured to flatten film thickness onto the substrate radially inward of the periphery of the substrate relative to the radially inner region of the substrate.

3. The susceptor of claim 2 , wherein the susceptor is formed from graphite, and wherein the flattening pocket depth is between about 0.8 millimeters and about 1.09 millimeters.

4. The susceptor of claim 2 , wherein the ledge surface is arranged to support the substrate such that a topside of the substrate is axially between the planar rim surface of the annular rim portion and the perforated surface of the circular pocket portion.

5. The susceptor of claim 1 , wherein the tuned pocket defines a roll-up pocket depth configured to increase film thickness onto the substrate radially inward of the periphery of the substrate relative to the radially inner region of the substrate.

6. The susceptor of claim 5 , wherein the roll-up pocket depth is less than a flattening pocket depth, wherein the roll-up pocket depth is less than a roll-down flattening pocket depth.

7. The susceptor of claim 5 , wherein the ledge surface is arranged to support the substrate such that a topside of the substrate is substantially coplanar with the planar rim surface of the annular rim portion.

8. The susceptor of claim 1 , wherein the tuned pocket defines roll-down pocket depth configured to decrease film thickness onto the substrate radially inward of the periphery of the substrate relative to the radially inner region of the substrate.

9. The susceptor of claim 8 , wherein the roll-down pocket depth is greater than a roll-up pocket depth, wherein the roll-down pocket depth is greater than a flattening pocket depth.

10. The susceptor of claim 8 , wherein the ledge surface is arranged to support the substrate such that a topside of the substrate is axially between the planar rim surface of the annular rim portion and the perforated surface of the circular pocket portion.

11. The susceptor of claim 1 , wherein the susceptor is formed from graphite, wherein the graphite is encapsulated by a silicon carbide coating.

12. The susceptor of claim 1 , wherein the susceptor has at least one of:
(a) a contact break located on the ledge surface of the susceptor to limit contact between the substrate and the ledge surface of the susceptor;
(b) a purge channel array located on the ledge surface of the susceptor to flow a purge gas between the periphery of the substrate and the ledge surface of the susceptor; and
(c) a precursor vent array located radially outward of the perforated surface to vent precursor from within a gap defined between the substrate and the annular rim portion of the susceptor.

13. A semiconductor processing system, comprising:
a reactor having a hollow interior;
a divider seated within the hollow interior of the reactor with a divider aperture, the divider dividing the hollow interior of the reactor into an upper chamber and a lower chamber;
a susceptor arranged within the hollow interior of the reactor and supported for rotation about a rotation axis, the rotation axis extending through the divider aperture, wherein the susceptor comprises:
a circular pocket portion arranged along the rotation axis and having a perforated surface;
an annular ledge portion extending circumferentially about the circular pocket portion and having a ledge surface, the ledge surface sloping upward along the rotation axis from the perforated surface and having a support circumference at which the ledge surface is arranged to support a substrate along a periphery of the substrate; and
an annular rim portion extending circumferentially about the annular ledge portion, connected to the circular pocket portion by the annular ledge portion of the susceptor, and having a planar rim surface axially offset from the ledge surface of the susceptor;
wherein the planar rim surface and the support circumference define therebetween a tuned pocket to tune an edge thickness, relative to a radially inner region of the substrate, of a film deposited onto the substrate supported on the ledge surface of the susceptor;

a purge source connected to the reactor and configured to flow a purge gas through the lower chamber of the reactor; and
a precursor source connected to the reactor and configured to flow a precursor gas through the upper chamber of the reactor.

14. A film deposition method, comprising:
at a susceptor including a circular pocket portion arranged along a rotation axis and having a perforated surface; an annular ledge portion extending circumferentially about the circular pocket portion and having a ledge surface, the ledge surface sloping upward along the rotation axis from the perforated surface and having a support circumference at which the ledge surface is arranged to support a substrate along a periphery of the substrate; and an annular rim portion extending circumferentially about the annular ledge portion, connected to the circular pocket portion by the annular ledge portion of the susceptor, and having a planar rim surface axially offset from the annular ledge surface of the susceptor; the planar rim surface and the support circumference defining therebetween a tuned pocket configured and adapted to tune an edge thickness, relative to a radially inner region of the substrate, of a film deposited onto the substrate supported on the ledge surface of the susceptor,
supporting the substrate on the ledge surface of the susceptor, the substrate having a topside and an underside axially separated from one another by the periphery of the substrate;
flowing a purge gas through the perforated surface and into a purged volume defined between the underside of the substrate and the perforated surface of the susceptor;
flowing a precursor gas across the topside of the substrate;
depositing the film onto the topside of the substrate using the precursor gas; and
tuning edge thickness of the film deposited onto the topside of the substrate using the tuned pocket defined by the susceptor.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the tuned pocket is a flattening pocket depth, the method further comprising homogenizing precursor concentration within a gap relative to precursor concentration at the radially inner region of the substrate.

16. The method of claim 14 , wherein the tuned pocket is a roll-up pocket depth, the method further comprising increasing precursor concentration within a gap relative to precursor concentration at the radially inner region of the substrate.

17. The method

Assignees

• Asm Ip Holding Bv

Inventors

• Huang Shujin
• Su Junwei
• Lin Xing
• Demos Alexandros
• Naik Rutvij
• Wang Wentao
• Goodman Matthew
• Scott Robin
• Kajbafvala Amir
• James Robinson
• Alvandi-Tabrizi Youness
• Miskin Caleb

Classifications

• H10P72/7616

  characterised by a coating, a hardness or a material · CPC title

• H10P72/7611 Primary

  characterised by edge profile or support profile · CPC title

• H10P72/7624 Primary

  characterised by the mechanical construction of the susceptor, stage or support · CPC title

• H10P72/7612

  characterised by lifting arrangements, e.g. lift pins · CPC title

• H10P72/0436 Primary

  mainly by radiation · CPC title