Alan Morrison

Chemical Vapor Deposition Chamber

Application

#6103014 Aug 15, 2000

Filed

Feb 23, 1996

Inventor

Lawrence Chung-Lai Lei (Cupertino, CA) · Ilya Perlov (Santa Clara, CA) · Karl Anthony Littau (Sunnyvale, CA) · Alan Ferris Morrison (San Jose, CA) · Mei Chang (Cupertino, CA) · Ashok K. Sinha (Palo Alto, CA)

Appl. No.

8/605809

Assignee

Applied Materials, Inc. (Santa Clara, CA)

International Classification

C23C 1600

U.S. Classification

118715

Abstract

Vacuum CVD chambers are disclosed which provide a more uniformly deposited thin film on a substrate. The chamber susceptor mount for the substrate is heated resistively with a single coil firmly contacting the metal of the susceptor on all sides, providing uniform temperatures across the susceptor mount for a substrate. A purge gas line is connected to openings in the susceptor outside of the periphery of the substrate to prevent edge and backside contamination of the substrate. A vacuum feed line mounts the substrate to the susceptor plate during processing. A refractory purge guide, or a plurality of placement pins, maintain a fixed gap passage for the purge gases to pass alongside the edge of the wafer and into the processing area of the chamber. An exhaust pumping plate improves the uniformity of exhaustion of spent gases from the chamber.

Resistance Heated Stem Mounted Aluminum Susceptor Assembly

Application

#5688331 Nov 18, 1997

Filed

Jul 1, 1996

Inventor

Michio Aruga (Tomisato, JP) · Atsunobu Ohkura (Yachimata, JP) · Akihiko Saito (Chiba, JP) · Kenji Suzuki (Narita, JP) · Kenichi Taguchi (Narita, JP) · Dale Robert DuBois (Los Gatos, CA) · Alan Ferris Morrison (Cupertino, CA)

Appl. No.

8/673599

Assignee

Applied Materisls, Inc. (Santa Clara, CA)

International Classification

C23C 1600

U.S. Classification

118725

Abstract

In CVD processes susceptors can be made of a thermally conductive ceramic such as aluminum nitride which has superior durability with respect to fluorine plasma. Such aluminum nitride susceptors can include an embedded heater element and/or embedded ground or RF electrodes which as a result of their embedment are protected from the deleterious effects of the processing chamber environment. The conductors leading to these elements are protected from exposure to the process chamber environment by passing through a cylindrical member filled with inert gas supporting the wafer support plate of said susceptor. Alternately, the conductors leading to these elements can be run through passages in a hermetically sealed stem supporting the susceptor wafer support plate. The stem passes through the wall of the processing chamber so that connections to the susceptor wafer support plate can be made outside the processing chamber. Such a stem supporting the susceptor support plate can also provide passages for passing vacuum and purge gas to the back of the wafer support plate.

Removable Ring For Controlling Edge Deposition In Substrate Processing Apparatus

Application

#5766365 Jun 16, 1998

Filed

Jun 7, 1995

Inventor

Salvador P. Umotoy (Antioch, CA) · Alan F. Morrison (San Jose, CA) · Karl A. Littau (Palo Alto, CA) · Richard A. Marsh (Austin, CA) · Lawrence Chung-Lai Lei (Milpitas, CA)

Appl. No.

8/472220

Assignee

Applied Materials, Inc. (Santa Clara, CA)

International Classification

C23C 1600

U.S. Classification

118728

Abstract

A substrate processing apparatus comprising a processing chamber in which a substrate support is located. The substrate support, which is in the form of a heater pedestal, has a surface dimensioned to receive the substrate, and is circumscribed by a removable purge ring which defines an annulus between itself and the pedestal. At the outer edge of the pedestal is a purge gas manifold, in the form of a cavity between the purge ring and the pedestal. The lower end of the manifold is sealed by means of a mechanical seal that is formed at process temperature as the pedestal expands from heating and comes into contact with the purge ring's lower edge. The upper end of the manifold opens into the annulus defined by the purge ring and the pedestal. The manifold is arranged so that during processing, purge gas is injected into the manifold and projected toward the edge of a substrate received on the surface of the pedestal. This gas moves upwards through the annulus defined between the purge ring and the substrate support.

Chemical Vapor Deposition Chamber

Application

#5935338 Aug 10, 1999

Filed

Feb 23, 1996

Inventor

Lawrence Chung-Lai Lei (Cupertino, CA) · Ilya Perlov (Santa Clara, CA) · Karl Anthony Littau (Sunnyvale, CA) · Alan Ferris Morrison (San Jose, CA) · Mei Chang (Cupertino, CA) · Ashok K. Sinha (Palo Alto, CA)

Appl. No.

8/606267

Assignee

Applied Materials, Inc. (Santa Clara, CA)

International Classification

C23C 1600

U.S. Classification

118725

Abstract

Vacuum CVD chambers are disclosed which provide a more uniformly deposited thin film on a substrate. The chamber susceptor mount for the substrate is heated resistively with a single coil firmly contacting the metal of the susceptor on all sides, providing uniform temperatures across the susceptor mount for a substrate. A purge gas line is connected to openings in the susceptor outside of the periphery of the substrate to prevent edge and backside contamination of the substrate. A vacuum feed line mounts the substrate to the susceptor plate during processing. A refractory purge guide, or a plurality of placement pins, maintain a fixed gap passage for the purge gases to pass alongside the edge of the wafer and into the processing area of the chamber. An exhaust pumping plate improves the uniformity of exhaustion of spent gases from the chamber.

Chamber For Constructing A Film On A Semiconductor Wafer

Application

#2004009 May 27, 2004

Filed

Nov 18, 2003

Inventor

Michal Danek (Sunnyvale, CA) · Marvin Liao (Singapore, SG) · Eric Englhardt (Palo Alto, CA) · Mei Chang (Saratoga, CA) · Dale DuBois (Los Gatos, CA) · Alan Morrison (San Jose, CA)

Appl. No.

10/716096

Assignee

Applied Materials, Inc. ()

International Classification

C23C016/00

U.S. Classification

118/72300E

Abstract

The construction of a film on a wafer, which is placed in a processing chamber, may be carried out through the following steps. A layer of material is deposited on the wafer. Next, the layer of material is annealed. Once the annealing is completed, the material may be oxidized. Alternatively, the material may be exposed to a silicon gas once the annealing is completed. The deposition, annealing, and either oxidation or silicon gas exposure may all be carried out in the same chamber, without need for removing the wafer from the chamber until all three steps are completed. A semiconductor wafer processing chamber for carrying out such an in-situ construction may include a processing chamber, a showerhead, a wafer support and a rf signal means. The showerhead supplies gases into the processing chamber, while the wafer support supports a wafer in the processing chamber. The rf signal means is coupled to the showerhead and the wafer support for providing a first rf signal to the showerhead and a second rf signal to the wafer support.

Method For Constructing A Film On A Semiconductor Wafer

Application

#6699530 Mar 2, 2004

Filed

Feb 28, 1997

Inventor

Michal Danek (Sunnyvale, CA) · Marvin Liao (Singapore, SG) · Eric Englhardt (Palo Alto, CA) · Mei Chang (Saratoga, CA) · Dale R. DuBois (Los Gatos, CA) · Alan F. Morrison (San Jose, CA)

Appl. No.

08/808246

Assignee

Applied Materials, Inc. (Santa Clara, CA)

International Classification

B05D 306

U.S. Classification

427535, 427539, 427255394, 427255391, 427578, 438785, 438786

Abstract

The construction of a film on a wafer, which is placed in a processing chamber, may be carried out through the following steps. A layer of material is deposited on the wafer. Next, the layer of material is annealed. Once the annealing is completed, the material may be oxidized. Alternatively, the material may be exposed to a silicon gas once the annealing is completed. The deposition, annealing, and either oxidation or silicon gas exposure may all be carried out in the same chamber, without need for removing the wafer from the chamber until all three steps are completed. A semiconductor wafer processing chamber for carrying out such an in-situ construction may include a processing chamber, a showerhead, a wafer support and a rf signal means. The showerhead supplies gases into the processing chamber, while the wafer support supports a wafer in the processing chamber. The rf signal means is coupled to the showerhead and the wafer support for providing a first rf signal to the showerhead and a second rf signal to the wafer support.

Claim

What is claimed is: 1. A method of constructing a metal nitride film on a wafer, comprising the steps of: (a) forming said metal nitride film from a metallo-organic precursor upon said wafer; (b) plasma treating said metal nitride film In an environment comprising silicon; and (c) forming a cap layer of metal nitride on the metal nitride film of step (b). 2. The method of claim 1, wherein said step (a) comprises the steps oh (a1) depositing said nitride film upon said wafer inside a chamber; and (a2) treating said nitride film in a nitrogen-containing plasma; wherein said wafer is not removed from said chamber between said steps (a1) and (a2). 3. The method of claim 1, wherein said environment of step (b) comprises silane. 4. The method of claim 2, wherein said nitrogen-containing plasma in said step (a2) further comprises hydrogen. 5. The method of claim 4, wherein said nitrogen containing plasma comprises a nitrogen to hydrogen ratio of between 3:1 and 1:2. 6.