Asymmetrical chamber configuration

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9490152-B2
Application number	US-201213482814-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 29, 2012
Priority date	May 29, 2012
Publication date	Nov 8, 2016
Grant date	Nov 8, 2016

Abstract

A production tool includes a chamber, a heater in the chamber, and a pumping outlet on a side of the heater. A pumping liner is in the chamber and encircling the heater. The pumping liner and the heater have a first gap therebetween and a second gap therebetween. The second gap is different from the first gap, and the second gap is farther away from the first pumping outlet than the first gap.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus comprising:
a center outlet pipe;
a first reactor, a second reactor, and a third reactor surrounding the center outlet pipe and separated from each other by 120 degrees from each other, wherein each of the first reactor, the second reactor, and the second reactor comprises:
a chamber;
a heater in the chamber;
a pumping outlet on a side of the heater, wherein the pumping outlet is connected to the center outlet pipe; and
a pumping liner in the chamber and encircling the heater, wherein the pumping liner and the heater have a first gap therebetween, and a second gap therebetween, with the first gap and the second gap being measured in a same plane parallel to a major top surface of the heater, wherein the second gap is greater than the first gap, and wherein the second gap is farther away from the pumping outlet than the first gap.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the pumping liner forms a ring, with the ring having a center axis farther away from the pumping outlet than a center axis of the heater.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first gap is between a center axis of the heater and the pumping outlet, and the first and the second gaps are on opposite sides of the center axis of the heater, and wherein the first gap is substantially the smallest gap among all gaps between the heater and the pumping liner in the respective one of the first reactor, the second reactor, and the third reactor, and the second gap is the greatest gap among the all gaps.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the pumping liner forms a hollow cylinder, with a top of the pumping liner higher than a top surface of the heater.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first and the second gaps in a same one of the first reactor, the second reactor, and the third reactor are measured in locations aligned to a straight line, and the straight line passes the center outlet pipe in a top view of the apparatus.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the center outlet pipe is at a center of the first reactor, the second reactor, and the third reactor.

7. An apparatus comprising:
a first chamber;
a first heater in the first chamber, wherein an edge of the first heater forms a first ring having a first center axis, and wherein the first heater is configured to have a wafer placed thereon;
a first pumping outlet on a side of the first heater;
a first pumping liner forming a second ring encircling the first heater, wherein the second ring has a second center axis misaligned with the first center axis;
a second chamber;
a second heater in the second chamber, wherein an edge of the second heater forms a third ring having a third center axis;
a second pumping outlet on a side of the second heater;
a second pumping liner forming a fourth ring encircling the first heater, wherein the fourth ring has a fourth center axis misaligned with the third center axis;
a third chamber, wherein the first chamber, the second chamber, and the third chamber are separated from each other by 120 degrees;
a third heater in the third chamber, wherein an edge of the third heater forms a fifth ring having a fifth center axis;
a third pumping outlet on a side of the third heater; and
a third pumping liner forming a sixth ring encircling the first heater, wherein the sixth ring has a sixth center axis misaligned with the fifth center axis.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the first center axis is between the second center axis and the first pumping outlet.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the first center axis is substantially aligned to a line drawn between the second center axis and the first pumping outlet.

10. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the first pumping liner comprises a ceramic.

11. The apparatus of claim 7 further comprising a center outlet pipe located at a center of, and connected to, the first chamber, the second chamber, and the third chamber, wherein the first pumping outlet, the second pumping outlet, and the third pumping outlet.

12. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the first center axis and the second center axis are separated from each other by a distance in a range between about 0.01 inches and about 0.15 inches.

13. An apparatus comprising:
a first reactor having a first G 1 and a first G 2 ;
a second reactor having a second G 1 and a second G 2 ; and
a third reactor having a third G 1 and a third G 2 , wherein the first reactor, the second reactor, and the third reactor are located around a center, with the first reactor, the second reactor, and the third reactor separated from each other by 120 degrees, and wherein each of the first reactor, the second reactor, and the third reactor comprises:
a chamber;
a heater in the chamber; and
a pumping liner in the chamber and encircling the heater, wherein the first G 1 , the second G 1 , and the third G 1 are first distances between the pumping liner and the heater of the respective first reactor, the second reactor, and the third reactor, and the first G 2 , the second G 2 , and the third G 2 are second distances between the pumping liner and the heater of the respective first reactor, the second reactor, and the third reactor, and each of the first G 1 , the second G 1 , and the third G 1 are smaller than each of the first G 2 , the second G 2 , and the third G 2 , respectively.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the chamber of each of the first reactor, the second reactor, and the third reactor comprises a pumping outlet, and the apparatus comprises a center outlet pipe connected to the pumping outlets of the chambers of the first reactor, the second reactor, and the third reactor.

15. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the first G 1 is substantially the smallest gap among all gaps between the heater and the pumping liner in the first reactor, and the first G 2 is the greatest gap among the all gaps.

16. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the pumping liner forms a hollow cylinder, with a top of the pumping liner higher than a top surface of the heater.

17. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the first pumping liner forms a ring, and the ring has a first center axis farther away from the center than a second center axis of the heater.

18. The apparatus of claim 17 , wherein the first center axis, the second center axis, and the center are substantially aligned to a straight line.

19. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein a ratio of the first G 2 to the first G 1 is greater than about 1.25.

20. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the pumping liner comprises a ceramic.

Assignees

• Wang Lan-Hai
• Liu Ding-I
• Liao Si-Wen
• Yang Yong-Hung
• Hsu Jia-Wei
• Taiwan Semiconductor Mfg Co Ltd

Inventors

• Wang Lan-Hai
• Liu Ding-I
• Liao Si-Wen
• Yang Yong-Hung
• Hsu Jia-Wei

Classifications

• H10P72/0462

  characterised by the construction of the processing chambers, e.g. modular processing chambers · CPC title

• H10W10/17

  formed using trench refilling with dielectric materials, e.g. shallow trench isolations · CPC title

• H10W10/014

  using trench refilling with dielectric materials, e.g. shallow trench isolations · CPC title

• H10P72/0452 Primary

  characterised by the layout of the process chambers · CPC title

• C23C16/45591

  Fixed means, e.g. wings, baffles · CPC title