Dual-direction chemical delivery system for ALD/CVD chambers

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9353440-B2
Application number	US-201314137007-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 20, 2013
Priority date	Dec 20, 2013
Publication date	May 31, 2016
Grant date	May 31, 2016

Abstract

Provided are gas distribution apparatus with a delivery channel having an inlet end, an outlet end and a plurality of apertures spaced along the length. The inlet end is connectable to an inlet gas source and the outlet end is connectible with a vacuum source. Also provided are gas distribution apparatus with spiral delivery channels, intertwined spiral delivery channels, splitting delivery channels, merging delivery channels and shaped delivery channels in which an inlet end and outlet end are configured for rapid exchange of gas within the delivery channels.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A gas distribution apparatus to control a flow of gas into a process chamber, comprising:
a gas distribution plate having a front side and a back side;
a gas delivery channel extending through the gas distribution plate, the delivery channel having a length defined by a first end and a second end, the delivery channel including a plurality of apertures spaced along the length extending through the gas distribution plate to the front side of the gas distribution plate;
a gas delivery system connected to the first end and the second end of the delivery channel, the gas delivery system comprising a first inlet line in flow communication with the first end of the delivery channel and the second inlet line in flow communication with the second end of the delivery channel, a pump line, a first purge line in flow communication with the first inlet line and a second purge line in flow communication with the second inlet line; and
a controller to regulate the flow of the gas through the delivery channel and into the process chamber.

2. The gas distribution apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising an inlet line in flow communication with the first inlet line and the second inlet line and an inlet wye which separates gas flowing through the inlet line into the first inlet line and second inlet line.

3. The gas distribution apparatus of claim 2 , further comprising an inlet valve in flow communication with the inlet line upstream of the inlet wye.

4. The gas distribution apparatus of claim 2 , further comprising a first inlet valve in flow communication with the first inlet line and a second inlet valve in flow communication with the second inlet line.

5. The gas distribution apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a purge line in flow communication with the first purge line and the second purge line and a purge wye to separate gas flowing through the purge line into the first inlet line and second inlet line.

6. The gas distribution apparatus of claim 5 , wherein further comprising a purge valve in flow communication with the purge line upstream of the purge wye.

7. The gas distribution apparatus of claim 5 , further comprising a first purge valve in flow communication with the first purge line and a second purge valve in flow communication with the second purge line.

8. The gas distribution apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the pump line is in flow communication with the first inlet line and the second inlet line.

9. The gas distribution apparatus of claim 8 , further comprising a pump valve in flow communication with the pump line.

10. The gas distribution apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the purge line maintains a constant flow of a purge gas.

11. The gas distribution apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a bypass line in flow communication with the inlet line and the pump line.

12. A gas distribution apparatus to control a flow of gas into a process chamber, comprising:
a gas distribution plate having a front side and a back side;
a first gas delivery channel extending through the gas distribution plate, the first delivery channel having a length defined by a first end and a second end, the first delivery channel including a plurality of apertures spaced along the length extending through the gas distribution plate to the front side of the gas distribution plate;
a second gas delivery channel extending through the gas distribution plate, the second delivery channel having a length defined by a third end and a fourth end, the second delivery channel including a plurality of apertures spaced along the length extending through the gas distribution plate to the front side of the gas distribution plate;
a gas delivery system comprising a first inlet line, a second inlet line, a third inlet line, a fourth inlet line, a pump line, a first purge line, a second purge line, a third purge line and a fourth purge line, the first inlet line in flow communication with the first end of the first gas delivery channel, the second inlet line in flow communication with the second end of the first gas delivery channel, the third inlet line in flow communication with the third end of the second gas delivery channel and the fourth inlet line in flow communication with the fourth end of the second gas delivery channel, the first purge line in flow communication with the first inlet line, the second purge line in flow communication with the second inlet line, the third purge line in flow communication with the third inlet line and the fourth purge line in flow communication with the fourth inlet line; and
a controller to regulate the flow of the gas through the first gas delivery channel and the second gas delivery channel and into the process chamber.

13. The gas distribution apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the first gas delivery channel and the second gas delivery channel are intertwined spirals.

14. The gas distribution apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the first gas delivery channel is positioned above the second gas delivery channel.

15. The gas distribution apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the purge line maintains a constant flow of a purge gas.

16. The gas distribution apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a bypass line in flow communication with one or more of the first inlet line and the second inlet line and the pump line, and a second bypass line in flow communication with one or more of the third inlet line and the fourth inlet line and with the pump line.

17. A processing chamber comprising at least one gas distribution apparatus according to claim 12 .

18. The processing chamber of claim 17 , wherein the gas distribution apparatus comprises at least two first gas delivery channels and at least two second gas delivery channels, each of the first gas delivery channels and second gas delivery channels arranged to form a circular gas distribution assembly.

Assignees

• Applied Materials Inc

Inventors

• Ge Zhenbin
• Kao Chien-Teh
• Huston Joel M
• Chang Mei

Classifications

• Y10T137/4259

  With separate material addition · CPC title

• C23C16/45578

  Elongated nozzles, tubes with holes · CPC title

• B08B9/0325

  Control mechanisms therefor · CPC title

• C23C16/45565 Primary

  Shower nozzles · CPC title

• C23C16/4412

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