Method for supplying vaporized precursor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9637821-B2
Application number	US-201314096508-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 4, 2013
Priority date	Sep 29, 2009
Publication date	May 2, 2017
Grant date	May 2, 2017

Abstract

A method for supplying vapor to a chamber includes providing a first diverter valve that, when open, diverts vapor away from the chamber, and a second diverter valve that, when open, supplies the vapor to the chamber; supplying a carrier gas to the chamber; after supplying the carrier gas, creating plasma in the chamber while a substrate is in the chamber; opening the first diverter valve and closing the second diverter valve; supplying the vapor by vaporizing at least one liquid precursor in a carrier gas; after a first predetermined period sufficient for the vapor to reach steady-state flow, closing the first diverter valve and opening the second diverter valve to supply the vapor to the chamber; and after a second predetermined period following the first predetermined period, opening the first diverter valve and closing the second diverter valve to stop supplying the vapor to the chamber.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for supplying vapor to a chamber in a plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) system, comprising:
providing a first diverter valve that, when open, diverts vapor away from the chamber, and a second diverter valve that, when open, supplies the vapor to the chamber; and
supplying a carrier gas to the chamber;
after supplying the carrier gas,
creating plasma in the chamber while a substrate is in the chamber;
opening the first diverter valve and closing the second diverter valve;
supplying the vapor by vaporizing at least one liquid precursor in a carrier gas;
after a first predetermined period sufficient for the vapor to reach steady-state flow, closing the first diverter valve and opening the second diverter valve to supply the vapor to the chamber;
after a second predetermined period following the first predetermined period, opening the first diverter valve and closing the second diverter valve to stop supplying the vapor to the chamber; and
after a third predetermined period following the second predetermined period, turning off the plasma.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
providing a first fluid path that includes a first filter that filters the vapor flowing from a vapor supply to the chamber;
providing at least one second fluid path that is parallel to the first fluid path and that includes a second filter that filters vapor flowing from the vapor supply to the chamber; and
using a plurality of valves to switch vapor delivery to the chamber between the first fluid path and the second fluid path.

3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising:
monitoring a first pressure on a vapor supply side of the first fluid path and the at least one second fluid path;
monitoring a second pressure on a chamber side of the first path and the at least one second path; and
determining a pressure differential based on the first and second pressures.

4. The method of claim 3 , further comprising generating a filter change indication when the pressure differential is greater than a predetermined threshold.

5. The method of claim 4 , further comprising selectively opening and closing the plurality of valves in response to user input.

6. The method of claim 3 , further comprising controlling the plurality of valves to change one of the first fluid path and the second fluid path to the other of the first fluid path and the second fluid path when the pressure differential is greater than a predetermined threshold.

7. The method of claim 2 , further comprising a third fluid path that provides fluid communication between at least one purge valve, the first fluid path and the at least one second fluid path, and a vacuum pump.

8. The method of claim 2 , further comprising heating, using a heat exchanger, fluid flowing through the first fluid path and the at least one second fluid path.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one liquid precursor comprises tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS).

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first and second diverter valves have a composite flow coefficient that is greater than 0.80 and a response time that is less than 100 ms.

11. A method for supplying vapor to a chamber in a plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) system, the method comprising:
supplying vapor by vaporizing at least one liquid precursor in a carrier gas;
providing a diverter including a first diverter valve that, when open, diverts the vapor away from the chamber, and a second diverter valve that, when open, diverts the vapor to the chamber, wherein:
the carrier gas is supplied at a first time;
plasma is created in the chamber while a substrate is in the chamber at a second time after the first time;
the first diverter valve is open and the second diverter valve is closed at a third time, which is after the second time, when the at least one liquid precursor is supplied to divert the vapor away from the chamber;
the first diverter valve is closed and the second diverter valve is open at a fourth time, after the third time, when the at least one liquid precursor is supplied to supply the vapor to the chamber;
the first diverter valve is opened and the second diverter valve is closed at a fifth time, after the fourth time, to stop supplying the vapor to the chamber; and
the plasma is turned off at a sixth time after the fifth time.

Assignees

• Lam Res Corp

Inventors

• Slevin Damien
• Laird Brad
• Bailey Curtis
• Li Ming
• Reddy Sirish
• Sims James
• Sabri Mohamed
• Sangplug Saangrut

Classifications

• Y10T137/0318

  Processes · CPC title

• C23C16/4486

  by producing an aerosol and subsequent evaporation of the droplets or particles · CPC title

• C23C16/45589 Primary

  Movable means, e.g. fans · CPC title

• C23C16/45561

  Gas plumbing upstream of the reaction chamber · CPC title

• C23C16/4402 Primary

  Reduction of impurities in the source gas · CPC title