Abstract:
A gas delivery system for supplying a process gas from a gas supply ( 14) to a thermal processing furnace (10), a thermal processing furnace (10) equipped with the gas delivery system, and methods for delivering process gas to a thermal processing furnace ( 10). The gas delivery system comprises a plurality of regulators (16, 18), such as mass flow controllers, in a process gas manifold (25) coupling a gas supply (14) with a thermal processing furnace (10). The regulators ( 16, 18) establish a corresponding plurality of flows of a process gas at a plurality of flow rates communicated by the process gas manifold (25) to the thermal processing furnace (10). The gas delivery system may be a component of the thermal processing furnace (10) that further includes a liner (38) that surrounds a processing space (26) inside the thermal processing furnace (10).
Abstract:
A method of monitoring a processing system (100, 200, 300) in real-time using low-pressure based modeling techniques that include processing one or more of wafers (W) in a processing chamber (50, 104, 202); determining a measured dynamic process response for a rate of change for a process parameter; executing a real-time dynamic model to generate a predicted dynamic process response; determining a dynamic estimation error using a difference between the predicted dynamic process response and the expected process response; and comparing the dynamic estimation error to operational limits.
Abstract:
A method of purifying a metal carbonyl precursor (3a) in a metal precursor vaporization system (2) where the metal carbonyl precursor (3a) comprises a metal particulate impurity (3b). The method includes flowing a CO-containing gas through the metal precursor vaporization system (2) to a precursor collection system (7) in fluid communication with the metal precursor vaporization system (2) to separate the metal carbonyl precursor (3a) from the metal particulate impurity (3b) and to transfer the metal carbonyl precursor (3a) to the precursor collection system (7), and collecting the transferred metal carbonyl precursor (3a) in the precursor collection system (7), where an amount of the metal particulate impurity (3b) is lower in the precursor collection system (7) than in the precursor vaporization system (2) and the precursor collection system (7) is maintained at a lower temperature than the metal precursor vaporization system (2). A metal carbonyl precursor parameter may be monitored to determine a status of the metal carbonyl precursor (3a) and the need for purifying the metal carbonyl precursor (3a).
Abstract:
An in situ method for forming a HfO2 high-k dielectric layer in a batch wafer processing system (1, 100). The method comprises first loading a plurality of wafers (40, 110) into a process chamber (10, 102), and then pre-treating the plurality of wafers (40, 110) in the process chamber (10, 102) with a first oxidizer. After pre-treating the wafers (40, 110), and without removing the wafers (40, 110) from the process chamber (10, 102), the method then comprises depositing HfO2 on the plurality of wafers (40, 110) by atomic layer deposition, which comprises a plurality of deposition cycles, each cycle comprising alternating exposure of the plurality of wafers (40, 110) in the process chamber (40, 110) to a second oxidizer and a hafnium precursor. The hafnium precursor is selected from hafnium tert-butoxide (HTB) or hafnium tetra-diethylamide (TDEAH).
Abstract:
During the processing of substrates (105), the substrate surface may be subjected to a cleaning process using supercritical CO 2 . Surface matter may remain, for example, because it is only minimally soluble in the supercritical CO 2 . For example, an oxidation cleaning process causes the substrate structure (105) to cleave at several points leaving smaller fragments of oxidized residue behind. This residue has only minimal solubility in supercritical CO 2 due to the polar constituents resulting from oxidation. The method thus further includes processing the substrate (105) with supercritical CO 2 and a functionalizing agent that can react with the smaller fragments and/or other less soluble components. These functionalized components are rendered more soluble in supercritical CO 2 and are more easily removed than their predecessors.
Abstract:
A method and system (1 ) for forming a variable thickness seed layer (102, 116) on a substrate (25, 100, 110) for a subsequent metal electrochemical plating process, where the seed layer thickness profile improves uniformity of the electroplated metal layer compared to when using a constant thickness seed layer. The method includes providing a substrate (25, 100, 110) in a process chamber (10) containing a showerhead (30), with the center (106, 122) of the substrate (25, 100, 110) generally aligned with an inner gas delivery zone (32) of the showerhead (30) and the edge (104, 120) of the substrate (25, 100, 110) generally aligned with an outer gas delivery zone (34) of the showerhead (30). The method further includes depositing a seed layer (102, 116) on the substrate (25, 100, 110) by exposing the substrate (25, 100, 110) to a first gas containing a metal-containing precursor flowed through the inner gas delivery zone (32), and exposing the substrate (25, 100, 110) to a second gas flowed through the outer gas delivery zone (34), whereby the seed layer (102, 116) is deposited with a thickness at the edge (104, 120) of the substrate (25, 100, 110) that is less than the thickness at the center (106, 122) of the substrate (25, 100, 110).
Abstract:
A method (300) for precursor delivery includes transferring a precursor vapor from a precursor vaporization system (50, 150) to an intermediate precursor chamber (46, 146), collecting the precursor vapor in the intermediate precursor chamber (46, 146), flowing a process gas containing the collected precursor vapor to a process chamber (10, 110), and exposing a substrate (25, 125) in the process chamber (10, 110) to the process gas to deposit a layer including at least one element from the precursor vapor on the substrate (25, 125).
Abstract:
An adaptive real time thermal processing system is presented that includes a multivariable controller. The method includes creating a dynamic model of the MLD processing system and incorporating virtual sensors in the dynamic model. The method includes using process recipes comprising intelligent set points, dynamic models, and/or virtual sensors.
Abstract:
An adaptive real time thermal processing system is presented that includes a multivariable controller. The method includes creating a dynamic model of the MLD processing system and incorporating virtual sensors in the dynamic model. The method includes using process recipes comprising intelligent set points, dynamic models, and/or virtual sensors.
Abstract:
A method for low-temperature plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition of a silicon-nitrogen-containing film on a substrate (40,125). The method includes providing a substrate (40, 125) in a process chamber (10, 110), exciting a reactant gas in a remote plasma source (94, 205), thereafter mixing the excited reactant gas with a silazane precursor gas, and depositing a silicon-nitrogen-containing film on the substrate (40, 125) from the excited gas mixture in a chemical vapor deposition process. In one embodiment of the invention, the reactant gas can contain a nitrogen-containing gas to deposit a SiCNH film. In another embodiment of the invention, the reactant gas can contain an oxygen-containing gas to deposit a SiCNOH film.