PECVD process

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9816187-B2
Application number	US-201615278455-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 28, 2016
Priority date	Oct 26, 2012
Publication date	Nov 14, 2017
Grant date	Nov 14, 2017

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. A semiconductor processing apparatus, comprising:
a chamber with a side wall and a floor;
a lid coupled to the side wall, and together with the side wall and floor defining an internal volume, the lid comprising:
a gas distributor having a plurality of gas flow openings; and
a metrology device that directs and receives light through one of the gas flow openings; and

a substrate support disposed in the internal volume.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the metrology device directs light toward the substrate support and receives light reflected from inside the internal volume.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the lid further comprises a zoned plate having a gas flow opening aligned with a gas flow opening of the gas distributor, wherein the metrology device directs and receives light through the gas flow openings of the zoned plate and the gas distributor.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the lid further comprises a second zoned plate and the metrology device includes a collimator that fits an opening in the second zoned plate.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the collimator does not contact the second zoned plate when disposed in the opening of the second zoned plate.

6. The apparatus of claim 3 , further comprising an electrode between the gas distributor and the side wall.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the electrode is coupled to a tuning circuit having a variable impedance.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the tuning circuit comprises a variable capacitor.

9. The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the lid further comprises a heater.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the heater is disposed at a periphery of the gas distributor.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the substrate support comprises a zoned heater.

12. A semiconductor processing apparatus, comprising:
a chamber with a side wall and a floor;
a lid coupled to the side wall, and together with the side wall and floor defining an internal volume, the lid comprising:
a gas distributor having a plurality of gas flow openings; and
a metrology device that directs and receives light through one of the gas flow openings;

a substrate support disposed in the internal volume; and

an electrode between the gas distributor and the side wall.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the metrology device comprises a fiber optic and a collimator housing the fiber optic, and the collimator fits an opening formed in the lid.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the lid comprises a first zoned plate and a second zoned plate, and the opening is formed in the second zoned plate.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the collimator seats in the first zoned plate.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the collimator does not contact the second zoned plate when disposed in the opening of the second zoned plate.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the substrate support comprises a zoned heater.

18. The apparatus of claim 17 , wherein the electrode is coupled to a variable impedance source.

19. A semiconductor processing apparatus, comprising:
a chamber with a side wall and a floor;
a lid coupled to the side wall, and together with the side wall and floor defining an internal volume, the lid comprising:
a gas distributor having a plurality of gas flow openings; and
a metrology device that directs and receives light through one of the gas flow openings;

a substrate support disposed in the internal volume; and

an electrode between the gas distributor and the side wall, the electrode coupled to a variable impedance source.

20. The apparatus of claim 19 , wherein the lid comprises a first zoned plate and a second zoned plate, an opening is formed in the second zoned plate, the metrology device comprises a fiber optic and a collimator housing the fiber optic, and the collimator fits the opening in the second zoned plate.

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

• C23C16/4557

  Heated nozzles · CPC title