PECVD process

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9458537-B2
Application number	US-201514869371-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 29, 2015
Priority date	Oct 26, 2012
Publication date	Oct 4, 2016
Grant date	Oct 4, 2016

Abstract

A method of processing a substrate according to a PECVD process is described. Temperature profile of the substrate is adjusted to change deposition rate profile across the substrate. Plasma density profile is adjusted to change deposition rate profile across the substrate. Chamber surfaces exposed to the plasma are heated to improve plasma density uniformity and reduce formation of low quality deposits on chamber surfaces. In situ metrology may be used to monitor progress of a deposition process and trigger control actions involving substrate temperature profile, plasma density profile, pressure, temperature, and flow of reactants.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An apparatus for processing a substrate, comprising:
a chamber comprising a side wall and a floor;
a lid coupled to the side wall of the chamber, the side wall, floor, and lid defining an internal volume of the chamber, the lid comprising:
a gas distributor having a plurality of gas flow openings formed therethrough; and
a metrology device to direct light through one of the gas flow openings and record light reflected through the gas flow opening;

an electrode between the gas distributor and the side wall, the electrode coupled to a first tuning circuit; and
a substrate support disposed in the internal volume of the chamber.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the metrology device comprises a collimator with a fiber optic light source.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the lid further comprises a first plate coupled to the gas distribution plate, and the collimator is disposed through the first plate.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the first plate comprises an opening through which the collimator is disposed, and the opening provides a gap that allows lateral motion of the collimator.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 , further comprising a seating plate between the first plate and the gas distribution plate, the seating plate comprising a recess aligned with the gas flow opening, wherein the collimator is seated in the recess.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 , further comprising an RF strap coupled to the collimator.

7. The apparatus of claim 5 , further comprising a plurality of fasteners that coupled the collimator to the first plate, each fastener comprising a resilient member.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the substrate support includes a zoned heater and an electrode coupled to a second tuning circuit.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the lid further comprises a gas distributor heater.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the zoned heater has a heater and a thermal sensor for each zone.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the gas distributor heater heats a periphery of the gas distributor.

12. An apparatus for processing a substrate, comprising:
a chamber comprising a side wall and a floor;
a lid coupled to the side wall of the chamber, the side wall, floor, and lid defining an internal volume of the chamber, the lid comprising:
a gas distributor having a plurality of gas flow openings formed therethrough; and
a metrology device comprising a fiber optic to direct light through one of the gas flow openings and receive light reflected through the gas flow opening;

an electrode between the gas distributor and the side wall, the electrode coupled to a first tuning circuit; and
a substrate support disposed in the internal volume of the chamber, the substrate support having a plurality of thermal zones.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the lid further comprises a first zoned plate, the metrology device comprises a collimator that houses the fiber optic, and the collimator is disposed through an opening in the first zoned plate.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the lid further comprises a seating plate between the first zoned plate and the gas distributor, and an extension of the collimator is seated in the seating plate.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the lid further comprises a second zoned plate between the seating plate and the gas distributor, the second zoned plate having a plurality of openings, wherein each opening of the second zoned plate is aligned with a gas flow opening of the gas distributor.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the extension is seated in a recess formed in the seating plate, and the recess has a slanted wall.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the first tuning circuit has a first adjustable component.

18. The apparatus of claim 17 , wherein the substrate support further comprises an electrode coupled to a second tuning circuit with a second adjustable component.

19. A plasma processing system, comprising:
a first chamber comprising a side wall and a floor;
a lid coupled to the side wall of the first chamber, the side wall, floor, and lid defining an internal volume of the first chamber, the lid of the first chamber comprising:
a gas distributor having a plurality of gas flow openings formed therethrough;
a gas distributor heater disposed around a periphery of the gas distributor; and
a metrology device to direct light through one of the gas flow openings and record light reflected through the gas flow opening;

an electrode between the gas distributor of the first chamber and the side wall of the first chamber, the electrode coupled to a first tuning circuit; and
a substrate support disposed in the internal volume of the first chamber; and
a second chamber coupled to the first chamber, the second chamber comprising a side wall and a floor;
a lid coupled to the side wall of the second chamber, the side wall, floor, and lid defining an internal volume of the second chamber, the lid of the second chamber comprising:
a gas distributor having a plurality of gas flow openings formed therethrough;
a gas distributor heater disposed around a periphery of the gas distributor; and
a metrology device to direct light through one of the gas flow openings and record light reflected through the gas flow opening;

an electrode between the gas distributor of the second chamber and the side wall of the second chamber, the electrode coupled to a second tuning circuit; and
a substrate support disposed in the internal volume of the second chamber;
and a common vacuum line coupled to the first chamber and the second chamber.

20. The processing system of claim 19 , further comprising a first gas source coupled by a common controller to the lid of the first chamber and the lid of the second chamber, and a second gas source coupled by individual controllers to the lid of the first chamber and the lid of the second chamber.

Assignees

• Applied Materials Inc

Inventors

• Rajagopalan Nagarajan
• Han Xinhai
• Tsiang Michael Wenyoung
• Ogata Masaki
• Jiang Zhijun
• Rocha-Alvarez Juan Carlos
• Nowak Thomas
• Zhou Jianhua
• Sankarakrishnan Ramprakash
• Bansal Amit Kumar
• Lee Jeongmin
• Egan Todd
• Budiarto Edward
• Panasyuk Dmitriy
• Lee Terrance Y
• Chen Jian J
• Ayoub Mohamad A
• Park Heung Lak
• Reilly Patrick
• Shaikh Shahid
• Kim Bok Hoen
• Starik Sergey
• Balasubramanian Ganesh

Classifications

• H10P95/00

  Generic processes or apparatus for manufacture or treatments not covered by the other groups of this subclass · CPC title

• H10P72/0604

  Process monitoring, e.g. flow or thickness monitoring · CPC title

• H10P72/0602 Primary

  Temperature monitoring · CPC title

• H10P72/76

  using mechanical means, e.g. clamps or pinches · CPC title

• G01N21/55

  Specular reflectivity · CPC title