Apparatus and process for plasma-enhanced atomic layer deposition

US7850779B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• Applied Materials, Inc. · US

Inventors

• Paul F. Ma · Santa Clara, US
• Kavita Shah · San Francisco, US
• Dien-Yeh Wu · San Jose, US
• Seshadri Ganguli · Sunnyvale, US
• Christophe Marcadal · Sunnyvale, US
• Frederick Wu · Cupertino, US
• Schubert S. Chu · San Francisco, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Nov 6, 2006
• Grant date: Dec 14, 2010
• Expiry date: Nov 6, 2026

Classification

• Technology area (CPC H): Electricity
• CPC primary: H01L2924/0002
• WIPO field: Surface technology, coating
• WIPO sector: Chemistry

Abstract

Embodiments of the invention provide an apparatus configured to form a material during an atomic layer deposition (ALD) process, such as a plasma-enhanced ALD (PE-ALD) process. In one embodiment, a lid assembly for conducting a vapor deposition process within a process chamber is provided which includes an insulation cap and a plasma screen. In one example, the insulation cap has a centralized channel configured to flow a first process gas from an upper surface to an expanded channel and an outer channel configured to flow a second process gas from an upper surface to a groove which is encircling the expanded channel. In one example, the plasma screen has an upper surface containing an inner area with a plurality of holes and an outer area with a plurality of slots. The insulation cap may be positioned on top of the plasma screen to form a centralized gas region with the expanded channel and a circular gas region with the groove.