Zheng, Lingyi A. (Boise, ID, US)
Doan, Trung T. (Pflugerville, TX, US)
Breiner, Lyle D. (Meridian, ID, US)
Ping, Er-xuan (Meridian, ID, US)
Beaman, Kevin L. (Boise, ID, US)
Weimer, Ronald A. (Boise, ID, US)
Kubista, David J. (Nampa, ID, US)
Basceri, Cem (Boise, ID, US)

Plaque It!

10/652461

09/09/2008

08/28/2003

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Micron Technology, Inc. (Boise, ID, US)

118/724

118/715, 156/345.33

C23C16/00; C23C16/455; H01L21/306

118/724, 118/715, 118/725, 156/345.33

0579269		March, 1897	Hent
2508500	Apparatus for applying metal coatings on insulators	May, 1950	de Lange
3522836	METHOD OF MANUFACTURING WIRE AND THE LIKE	August, 1970	King
3618919	ADJUSTABLE HEAT AND GAS BARRIER	November, 1971	Beck
3620934	METHOD OF ELECTROLYTIC TINNING SHEET STEEL	November, 1971	Endle
3630769	PRODUCTION OF VAPOR-DEPOSITED Nb B Sn CONDUCTOR MATERIAL	December, 1971	Hart et al.
3630881		December, 1971	Lester et al.
3634212	ELECTRODEPOSITION OF BRIGHT ACID TIN AND ELECTROLYTES THEREFOR	January, 1972	Valayll et al.
4018949	Selective tin deposition onto aluminum piston skirt areas	April, 1977	Donakowski et al.
4098923	Pyrolytic deposition of silicon dioxide on semiconductors using a shrouded boat	July, 1978	Alberti et al.	438/784
4242182	Bright tin electroplating bath	December, 1980	Popescu
4269625	Bath for electroless depositing tin on substrates	May, 1981	Molenaar
4289061	Device and assembly for mounting parts	September, 1981	Emmett
4313783	Computer controlled system for processing semiconductor wafers	February, 1982	Davies et al.
4388342	Method for chemical vapor deposition	June, 1983	Suzuki et al.
4397753	Solder stripping solution	August, 1983	Czaja
4436674	Vapor mass flow control system	March, 1984	McMenamin
4438724	Grooved gas gate	March, 1984	Doehler et al.
4469801	Titanium-containing silicon nitride film bodies and a method of producing the same	September, 1984	Hirai et al.
4509456	Apparatus for guiding gas for LP CVD processes in a tube reactor	April, 1985	Kleinert et al.
4545136	Isolation valve	October, 1985	Izu et al.
4590042	Plasma reactor having slotted manifold	May, 1986	Drage
4593644	Continuous in-line deposition system	June, 1986	Hanak
4681777	Method for electroless and vapor deposition of thin films of three tin sulfide phases on conductive and nonconductive substrates	July, 1987	Engelken et al.
4826579	Electrolytic preparation of tin and other metals	May, 1989	Westfall
4871417	Method and apparatus for surface treating of substrates	October, 1989	Nishizawa et al.
4894132	Sputtering method and apparatus	January, 1990	Tanaka
4911638	Controlled diffusion environment capsule and system	March, 1990	Bayne et al.
4923715	Method of forming thin film by chemical vapor deposition	May, 1990	Matsuda et al.
4948979	Vacuum device for handling workpieces	August, 1990	Munakata et al.
4949669	Gas flow systems in CCVD reactors	August, 1990	Ishii et al.
4966646	Method of making an integrated, microminiature electric-to-fluidic valve	October, 1990	Zdeblick
4977106	Tin chemical vapor deposition using TiCl4 and SiH4	December, 1990	Smith
5015330	Film forming method and film forming device	May, 1991	Okumura et al.	438/694
5017404	Plasma CVD process using a plurality of overlapping plasma columns	May, 1991	Paquet et al.
5020476	Distributed source assembly	June, 1991	Bay et al.
5062446	Intelligent mass flow controller	November, 1991	Anderson
5076205	Modular vapor processor system	December, 1991	Vowles et al.
5090985	Method for preparing vaporized reactants for chemical vapor deposition	February, 1992	Soubeyrand
5091207	Process and apparatus for chemical vapor deposition	February, 1992	Tanaka
5131752	Method for film thickness endpoint control	July, 1992	Yu et al.
5136975	Injector and method for delivering gaseous chemicals to a surface	August, 1992	Bartholomew et al.
5172849	Method and apparatus for convection brazing of aluminum heat exchangers	December, 1992	Barten et al.
5200023	Infrared thermographic method and apparatus for etch process monitoring and control	April, 1993	Gifford et al.
5223113	Apparatus for forming reduced pressure and for processing object	June, 1993	Kaneko et al.
5232749	Formation of self-limiting films by photoemission induced vapor deposition	August, 1993	Gilton
5248527	Process for electroless plating tin, lead or tin-lead alloy	September, 1993	Uchida et al.
5286296	Multi-chamber wafer process equipment having plural, physically communicating transfer means	February, 1994	Sato et al.
5325020	Circular waveguide plasma microwave sterilizer apparatus	June, 1994	Campbell et al.
5364219	Apparatus for clean transfer of objects	November, 1994	Takahashi et al.
5366557	Method and apparatus for forming integrated circuit layers	November, 1994	Yu
5377429	Method and appartus for subliming precursors	January, 1995	Sandhu et al.
5380396	Valve and semiconductor fabricating equipment using the same	January, 1995	Shikida et al.
5409129	Welded cans	April, 1995	Tsukada et al.
5418180	Process for fabricating storage capacitor structures using CVD tin on hemispherical grain silicon	May, 1995	Brown
5427666	Method for in-situ cleaning a Ti target in a Ti + TiN coating process	June, 1995	Mueller et al.
5433787	Apparatus for forming deposited film including light transmissive diffusion plate	July, 1995	Suzuki et al.
5433835	Sputtering device and target with cover to hold cooling fluid	July, 1995	Demaray et al.
5445491	Method for multichamber sheet-after-sheet type treatment	August, 1995	Nakagawa et al.
5453124	Programmable multizone gas injector for single-wafer semiconductor processing equipment	September, 1995	Moslehi et al.
5480818	Method for forming a film and method for manufacturing a thin film transistor	January, 1996	Matsumoto et al.
5496410	Plasma processing apparatus and method of processing substrates by using same apparatus	March, 1996	Fukuda et al.
5498292	Heating device used for a gas phase growing mechanism or heat treatment mechanism	March, 1996	Ozaki
5500256	Dry process apparatus using plural kinds of gas	March, 1996	Watabe
5522934	Plasma processing apparatus using vertical gas inlets one on top of another	June, 1996	Suzuki et al.
5536317	Parylene deposition apparatus including a quartz crystal thickness/rate controller	July, 1996	Crain et al.
5562800	Wafer transport method	October, 1996	Kawamura et al.
5575883	Apparatus and process for fabricating semiconductor devices	November, 1996	Nishikawa et al.
5589002	Gas distribution plate for semiconductor wafer processing apparatus with means for inhibiting arcing	December, 1996	Su
5589110	Container for liquid metal organic compound	December, 1996	Motoda et al.
5592581	Heat treatment apparatus	January, 1997	Okase
5595606	Shower head and film forming apparatus using the same	January, 1997	Fujikawa et al.
5599513	Gas distribution plate for use with fluidized-bed gas-phase polymerizer	February, 1997	Masaki et al.
5624498	Showerhead for a gas supplying apparatus	April, 1997	Lee et al.
5626936	Phase change insulation system	May, 1997	Alderman
5640751	Vacuum flange	June, 1997	Faria
5643394	Gas injection slit nozzle for a plasma process reactor	July, 1997	Maydan et al.
5654589	Landing pad technology doubled up as local interconnect and borderless contact for deep sub-half micrometer IC application	August, 1997	Huang et al.
5693288	Seal assembly for thermal treatment furnaces using an atmospheric gas containing hydrogen gas	December, 1997	Nakamura
5716796	Optical blood hemostatic analysis apparatus and method	February, 1998	Bull et al.
5729896	Method for attaching a flip chip on flexible circuit carrier using chip with metallic cap on solder	March, 1998	Dalal et al.
5733375	Apparatus for supplying a treatment material	March, 1998	Fukuda et al.
5746434	Chamber interfacing O-rings and method for implementing same	May, 1998	Boyd et al.
5754297	Method and apparatus for monitoring the deposition rate of films during physical vapor deposition	May, 1998	Nulman
5766364	Plasma processing apparatus	June, 1998	Ishida et al.
5769950	Device for forming deposited film	June, 1998	Takasu et al.
5769952	Reduced pressure and normal pressure treatment apparatus	June, 1998	Komino
5772771	Deposition chamber for improved deposition thickness uniformity	June, 1998	Li et al.	118/723I
5788778	Deposition chamber cleaning technique using a high power remote excitation source	August, 1998	Shang et al.
5792269	Gas distribution for CVD systems	August, 1998	Deacon et al.
5792700	Semiconductor processing method for providing large grain polysilicon films	August, 1998	Turner et al.
5803938	Liquid vaporizing apparatus	September, 1998	Yamaguchi et al.
5819683	Trap apparatus	October, 1998	Ikeda et al.
5820641	Fluid cooled trap	October, 1998	Gu et al.
5827370	Method and apparatus for reducing build-up of material on inner surface of tube downstream from a reaction furnace	October, 1998	Gu
5833888	Weeping weir gas/liquid interface structure	November, 1998	Arya et al.
5846275	Clog-resistant entry structure for introducing a particulate solids-containing and/or solids-forming gas stream to a gas processing system	December, 1998	Lane et al.
5846330	Gas injection disc assembly for CVD applications	December, 1998	Quirk et al.
5851294	Gas injection system for semiconductor processing	December, 1998	Young et al.
5851849	Process for passivating semiconductor laser structures with severe steps in surface topography	December, 1998	Comizzoli et al.
5865417	Integrated electrically operable normally closed valve	February, 1999	Harris et al.
5866986	Microwave gas phase plasma source	February, 1999	Pennington
5868159	Pressure-based mass flow controller	February, 1999	Loan et al.
5879459	Vertically-stacked process reactor and cluster tool system for atomic layer deposition	March, 1999	Gadgil et al.	118/715
5885425	Method for selective material deposition on one side of raised or recessed features	March, 1999	Hsieh et al.
5895530	Method and apparatus for directing fluid through a semiconductor processing chamber	April, 1999	Shrotriya et al.
5902403	Method and apparatus for cleaning a chamber	May, 1999	Aitani et al.
5908947	Difunctional amino precursors for the deposition of films comprising metals	June, 1999	Vaartstra
5911238	Thermal mass flowmeter and mass flow controller, flowmetering system and method	June, 1999	Bump et al.
5932286	Deposition of silicon nitride thin films	August, 1999	Beinglass et al.
5940684	Method and equipment for manufacturing semiconductor device	August, 1999	Shakuda et al.
5953634	Method of manufacturing semiconductor device	September, 1999	Kajita et al.
5956613	Method for improvement of TiN CVD film quality	September, 1999	Zhao et al.
5958140	One-by-one type heat-processing apparatus	September, 1999	Arami et al.
5961775	Apparatus for removing organic resist from semiconductor	October, 1999	Fujimura et al.
5968587	Systems and methods for controlling the temperature of a vapor deposition apparatus	October, 1999	Frankel
5972430	Digital chemical vapor deposition (CVD) method for forming a multi-component oxide layer	October, 1999	DiMeo, Jr. et al.
5994181	Method for forming a DRAM cell electrode	November, 1999	Hsieh et al.
5997588	Semiconductor processing system with gas curtain	December, 1999	Goodwin et al.
5998932	Focus ring arrangement for substantially eliminating unconfined plasma in a plasma processing chamber	December, 1999	Lenz
6006694	Plasma reactor with a deposition shield	December, 1999	DeOrnellas et al.
6008086	Method of deposting uniform dielectric film deposition on textured surfaces	December, 1999	Schuegraf et al.
6016611	Gas flow control in a substrate processing system	January, 2000	White et al.
6022483	System and method for controlling pressure	February, 2000	Aral
6032923	Fluid valves having cantilevered blocking films	March, 2000	Biegelsen et al.
6039557	Apparatus for making gas-filled vesicles of optimal size	March, 2000	Unger et al.
6042652	Atomic layer deposition apparatus for depositing atomic layer on multiple substrates	March, 2000	Hyun et al.
6045620	Two-piece slit valve insert for vacuum processing system	April, 2000	Tepman et al.
6059885	Vapor deposition apparatus and method for forming thin film	May, 2000	Ohashi et al.
6062256	Micro mass flow control apparatus and method	May, 2000	Miller et al.
6070551	Deposition chamber and method for depositing low dielectric constant films	June, 2000	Li et al.
6079426	Method and apparatus for determining the endpoint in a plasma cleaning process	June, 2000	Subrahmanyam et al.
6080446	Method of depositing titanium nitride thin film and CVD deposition apparatus	June, 2000	Tobe et al.
6086677	Dual gas faceplate for a showerhead in a semiconductor wafer processing system	July, 2000	Umotoy et al.
6089543	Two-piece slit valve door with molded-in-place seal for a vacuum processing system	July, 2000	Freerks
6090210	Multi-zone gas flow control in a process chamber	July, 2000	Ballance et al.
6109206	Remote plasma source for chamber cleaning	August, 2000	Maydan et al.
6113698	Degassing method and apparatus	September, 2000	Raaijmakers et al.
6123107	Apparatus and method for mounting micromechanical fluid control components	September, 2000	Selser et al.
6129331	Low-power thermopneumatic microvalve	October, 2000	Henning et al.
6139700	Method of and apparatus for forming a metal interconnection in the contact hole of a semiconductor device	October, 2000	Kang et al.
6143077	Chemical vapor deposition apparatus	November, 2000	Ikeda et al.
6143078	Gas distribution system for a CVD processing chamber	November, 2000	Ishikawa et al.	118/715
6143659	Method for manufacturing aluminum metal interconnection layer by atomic layer deposition method	November, 2000	Leem	438/688
6144060	Integrated circuit devices having buffer layers therein which contain metal oxide stabilized by heat treatment under low temperature	November, 2000	Park et al.
6149123	Integrated electrically operable micro-valve	November, 2000	Harris et al.
6159297	Semiconductor process chamber and processing method	December, 2000	Herchen et al.
6159298	Thermal processing system	December, 2000	Saito et al.
6160243	Apparatus and method for controlling fluid in a micromachined boiler	December, 2000	Cozad
6161500	Apparatus and method for preventing the premature mixture of reactant gases in CVD and PECVD reactions	December, 2000	Kopacz et al.
6173673	Method and apparatus for insulating a high power RF electrode through which plasma discharge gases are injected into a processing chamber	January, 2001	Golovato et al.
6174366	Apparatus and method for processing of semiconductors, such as silicon chips	January, 2001	Ihantola
6174377	Processing chamber for atomic layer deposition processes	January, 2001	Doering et al.
6174809	Method for forming metal layer using atomic layer deposition	January, 2001	Kang et al.
6178660	Pass-through semiconductor wafer processing tool and process for gas treating a moving semiconductor wafer	January, 2001	Emmi et al.
6182603	Surface-treated shower head for use in a substrate processing chamber	February, 2001	Shang et al.
6183563	Apparatus for depositing thin films on semiconductor wafers	February, 2001	Choi et al.
6190459	Gas treatment apparatus	February, 2001	Takeshita et al.
6192827	Double slit-valve doors for plasma processing	February, 2001	Welch et al.
6193802	Parallel plate apparatus for in-situ vacuum line cleaning for substrate processing equipment	February, 2001	Pang et al.
6194628	Method and apparatus for cleaning a vacuum line in a CVD system	February, 2001	Pang et al.
6197119	Method and apparatus for controlling polymerized teos build-up in vacuum pump lines	March, 2001	Dozoretz et al.
6200415	Load controlled rapid assembly clamp ring	March, 2001	Maraschin
6203613	Atomic layer deposition with nitrate containing precursors	March, 2001	Gates et al.
6206967	Low resistivity W using B2H6 nucleation step	March, 2001	Mak et al.
6206972	Method and apparatus for providing uniform gas delivery to substrates in CVD and PECVD processes	March, 2001	Dunham
6207937	Temperature control system for a thermal reactor	March, 2001	Stoddard et al.
6210754	Method of adjusting for parallel alignment between a shower head and a heater platform in a chamber used in integrated circuit fabrication	April, 2001	Lu et al.
6211033	Integrated capacitor bottom electrode for use with conformal dielectric	April, 2001	Sandhu et al.
6211078	Method of improving resist adhesion for use in patterning conductive layers	April, 2001	Mathews
6214714	Method of titanium/titanium nitride integration	April, 2001	Wang et al.
6237394	Apparatus and method for correcting drift in a sensor	May, 2001	Harris et al.
6237529	Source for thermal physical vapor deposition of organic electroluminescent layers	May, 2001	Spahn
6245192	Gas distribution apparatus for semiconductor processing	June, 2001	Dhindsa et al.
6251190	Gate electrode connection structure by in situ chemical vapor deposition of tungsten and tungsten nitride	June, 2001	Mak et al.
6255222	Method for removing residue from substrate processing chamber exhaust line for silicon-oxygen-carbon deposition process	July, 2001	Xia et al.
6263829	Process chamber having improved gas distributor and method of manufacture	July, 2001	Schneider et al.
6264788	Plasma treatment method and apparatus	July, 2001	Tomoyasu et al.
6270572	Method for manufacturing thin film using atomic layer deposition	August, 2001	Kim et al.
6273954	System for manufacturing a semiconductor device	August, 2001	Nishikawa et al.
6277757	Methods to modify wet by dry etched via profile	August, 2001	Lin et al.
6277763	Plasma processing of tungsten using a gas mixture comprising a fluorinated gas and oxygen	August, 2001	Kugimiya et al.
6280584	Compliant bond structure for joining ceramic to metal	August, 2001	Kumar et al.
6287965	Method of forming metal layer using atomic layer deposition and semiconductor device having the metal layer as barrier metal layer or upper or lower electrode of capacitor	September, 2001	Kang et al.
6287980	Plasma processing method and plasma processing apparatus	September, 2001	Hanazaki et al.
6290491	Method for heating a semiconductor wafer in a process chamber by a shower head, and process chamber	September, 2001	Shahvandi et al.
6291337	Elimination of cracks generated after a rapid thermal process step of a semiconductor wafer	September, 2001	Sidhwa
6294394	Ramp rate limiter to control stress during ramping	September, 2001	Erickson et al.
6297539	Doped zirconia, or zirconia-like, dielectric film transistor structure and deposition method for same	October, 2001	Ma et al.
6302964	One-piece dual gas faceplate for a showerhead in a semiconductor wafer processing system	October, 2001	Umotoy et al.
6302965	Dispersion plate for flowing vaporizes compounds used in chemical vapor deposition of films onto semiconductor surfaces	October, 2001	Umotoy et al.
6303953	Integrated capacitor bottom electrode with etch stop layer	October, 2001	Doan et al.
6305314	Apparatus and concept for minimizing parasitic chemical vapor deposition during atomic layer deposition	October, 2001	Sneh et al.
6309161	Load lock with vertically movable support	October, 2001	Hofmeister
6315859	Apparatus and method for improving uniformity in batch processing of semiconductor wafers	November, 2001	Donohoe
6328803	Method and apparatus for controlling rate of pressure change in a vacuum process chamber	December, 2001	Rolfson et al.
6329297	Dilute remote plasma clean	December, 2001	Balish et al.
6333272	Gas distribution apparatus for semiconductor processing	December, 2001	McMillin et al.
6334928	Semiconductor processing system and method of using the same	January, 2002	Sekine et al.
6342277	Sequential chemical vapor deposition	January, 2002	Sherman
6346477	Method of interlayer mediated epitaxy of cobalt silicide from low temperature chemical vapor deposition of cobalt	February, 2002	Kaloyeros et al.
6347602	Plasma processing apparatus	February, 2002	Goto et al.
6347918	Inflatable slit/gate valve	February, 2002	Blahnik
6355561	ALD method to improve surface coverage	March, 2002	Sandhu et al.
6358323	Method and apparatus for improved control of process and purge material in a substrate processing system	March, 2002	Schmitt et al.
6364219	Bladder water gun with shaped stream discharge orifices	April, 2002	Zimmerman et al.
6374831	Accelerated plasma clean	April, 2002	Chandran et al.
6383300	Heat treatment apparatus and cleaning method of the same	May, 2002	Saito et al.
6387185	Processing chamber for atomic layer deposition processes	May, 2002	Doering et al.
6387207	Integration of remote plasma generator with semiconductor processing chamber	May, 2002	Janakiraman et al.
6402806	Method for unreacted precursor conversion and effluent removal	June, 2002	Schmitt et al.
6402849	Process tube having slit type process gas injection portion and hole type waste gas exhaust portion, and apparatus for fabricating semiconductor device	June, 2002	Kwag et al.
6415736	Gas distribution apparatus for semiconductor processing	July, 2002	Hao et al.
6419462	Positive displacement type liquid-delivery apparatus	July, 2002	Horie et al.
6420230	Capacitor fabrication methods and capacitor constructions	July, 2002	Derderian et al.
6420742	Ferroelectric memory transistor with high-k gate insulator and method of fabrication	July, 2002	Ahn et al.
6425168	Quartz glass jig for heat-treating semiconductor wafers and method for producing same	July, 2002	Takaku et al.
6428859	Sequential method for depositing a film by modulated ion-induced atomic layer deposition (MII-ALD)	August, 2002	Chiang et al.
6432256	Implanatation process for improving ceramic resistance to corrosion	August, 2002	Raoux
6432259	Plasma reactor cooled ceiling with an array of thermally isolated plasma heated mini-gas distribution plates	August, 2002	Noorbakhsh et al.
6432831	Gas distribution apparatus for semiconductor processing	August, 2002	Dhindsa et al.
6435865	Apparatus and method for positioning gas injectors in a vertical furnace	August, 2002	Tseng et al.
6444039	Three-dimensional showerhead apparatus	September, 2002	Nguyen
6450117	Directing a flow of gas in a substrate processing chamber	September, 2002	Murugesh et al.
6451119	Apparatus and concept for minimizing parasitic chemical vapor deposition during atomic layer deposition	September, 2002	Sneh et al.
6458416	Deposition methods	October, 2002	Derderian et al.
6461436	Apparatus and process of improving atomic layer deposition chamber performance	October, 2002	Campbell et al.
6461931	Thin dielectric films for DRAM storage capacitors	October, 2002	Eldridge
6486081	Gas distribution system for a CVD processing chamber	November, 2002	Ishikawa et al.	438/788
6503330	Apparatus and method to achieve continuous interface and ultrathin film during atomic layer deposition	January, 2003	Sneh et al.
6506254	Semiconductor processing equipment having improved particle performance	January, 2003	Bosch et al.
6508268	Vacuum pressure control apparatus	January, 2003	Kouketsu et al.
6509280	Method for forming a dielectric layer of a semiconductor device	January, 2003	Choi
6534007	Method and apparatus for detecting the endpoint of a chamber cleaning	March, 2003	Blonigan et al.
6534395	Method of forming graded thin films using alternating pulses of vapor phase reactants	March, 2003	Werkhoven et al.
6540838	Apparatus and concept for minimizing parasitic chemical vapor deposition during atomic layer deposition	April, 2003	Sneh et al.
6541353	Atomic layer doping apparatus and method	April, 2003	Sandhu et al.
6551929	Bifurcated deposition process for depositing refractory metal layers employing atomic layer deposition and chemical vapor deposition techniques	April, 2003	Kori et al.
6562140	Apparatus for fabrication of thin films	May, 2003	Bondestam et al.
6562141	Dual degas/cool loadlock cluster tool	May, 2003	Clarke
6573184	Apparatus and method for depositing thin film on wafer using atomic layer deposition	June, 2003	Park
6579372	Apparatus and method for depositing thin film on wafer using atomic layer deposition	June, 2003	Park
6579374	Apparatus for fabrication of thin films	June, 2003	Bondestam et al.
6580174	Vented vias for via in pad technology yield improvements	June, 2003	McCormick et al.
6585823	Atomic layer deposition	July, 2003	Van Wijck	117/89
6589868	Si seasoning to reduce particles, extend clean frequency, block mobile ions and increase chamber throughput	July, 2003	Rossman
6593644	System of a package fabricated on a semiconductor or dielectric wafer with wiring on one face, vias extending through the wafer, and external connections on the opposing face	July, 2003	Chiu et al.
6596085	Methods and apparatus for improved vaporization of deposition material in a substrate processing system	July, 2003	Schmitt et al.
6602346	Gas-purged vacuum valve	August, 2003	Gochberg
6613656	Sequential pulse deposition	September, 2003	Li
6622104	Heat treatment apparatus, calibration method for temperature measuring system of the apparatus, and heat treatment system	September, 2003	Wang et al.
6630201	Adsorption process for atomic layer deposition	October, 2003	Chiang et al.
6635965	Method for producing ultra-thin tungsten layers with improved step coverage	October, 2003	Lee et al.
6638672	Exposure apparatus, coating/developing apparatus, method of transferring a substrate, method of producing a device, semiconductor production factory, and method of maintaining an exposure apparatus	October, 2003	Deguchi
6638859	Apparatus and method to achieve continuous interface and ultrathin film during atomic layer deposition	October, 2003	Sneh et al.
6638879	Method for forming nitride spacer by using atomic layer deposition	October, 2003	Hsieh et al.
6641673	Fluid injector for and method of prolonged delivery and distribution of reagents into plasma	November, 2003	Yang
6656282	Atomic layer deposition apparatus and process using remote plasma	December, 2003	Kim et al.
6663713	Method and apparatus for forming a thin polymer layer on an integrated circuit structure	December, 2003	Robles et al.
6666982	Protection of dielectric window in inductively coupled plasma generation	December, 2003	Brcka
6673196	Plasma processing apparatus	January, 2004	Oyabu
6689220	Plasma enhanced pulsed layer deposition	February, 2004	Nguyen
6704913	In situ wafer heat for reduced backside contamination	March, 2004	Rossman
6705345	Micro valve arrays for fluid flow control	March, 2004	Bifano
6706334	Processing method and apparatus for removing oxide film	March, 2004	Kobayashi et al.
6716284	Apparatus and process of improving atomic layer deposition chamber performance	April, 2004	Campbell et al.
6734020	Valve control system for atomic layer deposition chamber	May, 2004	Yang et al.
6758911	Apparatus and process of improving atomic layer deposition chamber performance	July, 2004	Campbell et al.
6770145	Low-pressure CVD apparatus and method of manufacturing a thin film	August, 2004	Saito et al.
6773507	Apparatus and method for fast-cycle atomic layer deposition	August, 2004	Jallepally et al.
6787185	Deposition methods for improved delivery of metastable species	September, 2004	Derderian et al.
6787463	Chemical vapor deposition methods, and atomic layer deposition method	September, 2004	Mardian et al.
6800139	Film deposition apparatus and method	October, 2004	Shinriki et al.
6807971	Heat treatment apparatus and cleaning method of the same	October, 2004	Saito et al.	134/22.11
6814813	Chemical vapor deposition apparatus	November, 2004	Dando et al.
6818067	Processing chamber for atomic layer deposition processes	November, 2004	Doering et al.
6818249	Reactors, systems with reaction chambers, and methods for depositing materials onto micro-device workpieces	November, 2004	Derderian
6821347	Apparatus and method for depositing materials onto microelectronic workpieces	November, 2004	Carpenter et al.
6830652	Microwave plasma processing apparatus	December, 2004	Ohmi et al.
6838114	Methods for controlling gas pulsing in processes for depositing materials onto micro-device workpieces	January, 2005	Carpenter et al.
6845734	Deposition apparatuses configured for utilizing phased microwave radiation	January, 2005	Carpenter et al.
6849131	Truncated dummy plate for process furnace	February, 2005	Chen et al.
6861094	Methods for forming thin layers of materials on micro-device workpieces	March, 2005	Derderian et al.
6861356	Method of forming a barrier film and method of forming wiring structure and electrodes of semiconductor device having a barrier film	March, 2005	Matsuse et al.
6881295	Air-tight vessel equipped with gas feeder uniformly supplying gaseous component around plural wafers	April, 2005	Nagakura
6887521	Gas delivery system for pulsed-type deposition processes used in the manufacturing of micro-devices	May, 2005	Basceri
6905547	Method and apparatus for flexible atomic layer deposition	June, 2005	Londergan et al.
6905549	Vertical type semiconductor device producing apparatus	June, 2005	Okuda et al.	118/715
6926775	Reactors with isolated gas connectors and methods for depositing materials onto micro-device workpieces	August, 2005	Carpenter et al.
6955725	Reactors with isolated gas connectors and methods for depositing materials onto micro-device workpieces	October, 2005	Dando
6966936	Processing system, evacuating system for processing system, low-pressure CVD system, and evacuating system and trapping device for low-pressure CVD system	November, 2005	Yamasaki et al.
6991684	Heat-treating apparatus and heat-treating method	January, 2006	Kannan et al.	118/724
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Lund, Jeffrie R.

Perkins Coie LLP

The invention claimed is:

1. A microfeature workpiece processing system comprising: a process chamber having a workpiece area adapted to receive a plurality of spaced-apart microfeature workpieces arranged relative to a longitudinal axis of the process chamber; a first set of injection tubes having three first gas conduits extending longitudinally within the process chamber proximate the workpiece area, each of the first gas conduits having a plurality of first outlets spaced longitudinally along a length of each of the first gas conduits, the first outlets being oriented toward the workpiece area and adapted to direct a first gas flow transverse to the longitudinal axis, wherein the three first gas conduits are equiangularly spaced apart along a periphery of the process chamber and at an angle less than 180 degrees from one another; a second set of injection tubes having three second gas conduits extending longitudinally within the process chamber proximate the workpiece area, each of the second gas conduits having a plurality of second outlets spaced longitudinally along a length of each of the second gas conduits, the second outlets being oriented toward the workpiece area and adapted to direct a second gas flow transverse to the longitudinal axis, wherein the second gas conduits are equiangularly spaced apart along a periphery of the process chamber and at an angle less than 180 degrees from one another, and wherein each adjacent pair of the first gas conduits is separated by one of the second gas conduits and each adjacent pair of the second gas conduits is separated by one of the first gas conduits; a first gas supply line adapted to deliver a first gas to the first gas conduit; a second gas supply line adapted to deliver a second gas to the second gas conduit, the second gas supply line being independent of the first gas supply line and the second gas being different from the first gas; and a controller operatively coupled to the first gas supply line and the second gas supply line, the controller being programmed to terminate the first gas flow before initiating the second gas flow.

2. The microfeature workpiece processing system of claim 1 wherein the first and second outlets are oriented to direct the first gas flow transverse to the second gas flow.

3. The microfeature workpiece processing system of claim 1 wherein the first outlets are oriented to direct the first gas flow substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the process chamber.

4. The microfeature workpiece processing system of claim 3 wherein the second outlets are oriented to direct the second gas flow substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the process chamber.

5. The microfeature workpiece processing system of claim 1 wherein the first outlets are oriented to direct the first gas flow toward centers of the microfeature workpieces.

6. The microfeature workpiece processing system of claim 5 wherein the second outlets are oriented to direct the second gas flow toward centers of the microfeature workpieces.

7. The microfeature workpiece processing system of claim 1 wherein the first gas conduits are substantially parallel to the second gas conduits.

8. The microfeature workpiece processing system of claim 1 further comprising a third gas supply line adapted to deliver a third gas to the process chamber.

9. The microfeature workpiece processing system of claim 1 further comprising a vacuum adapted to exhaust the first gas from the process chamber before the second gas flow is initiated.

10. The microfeature workpiece processing system of claim 1 wherein each pair of the plurality of spaced-apart microfeature workpieces is separated by a process space, and wherein individual first and second outlets generally correspond to each process space to deliver a flow of the first and second gas to each process space, respectively.

11. A microfeature workpiece processing system comprising: a process chamber adapted to receive a plurality of microfeature workpieces spaced from one another in a first direction to define process spaces between adjacent workpieces; a first gas supply line; a second gas supply line; a first set of injection tubes having three first gas conduits in fluid communication with the first gas supply line and having an outlet length extending in the first direction within the process chamber, each of the first gas conduits having a plurality of first outlets spaced along the outlet length in the first direction, the first outlets being adapted to direct a first gas flow from the first gas supply line transversely into the process spaces, wherein the three first gas conduits are equiangularly spaced apart along a periphery of the process chamber and at an angle less than 180 degrees from one another; a second set of injection tubes having three second gas conduits in fluid communication with the second gas supply line and having an outlet length extending in the first direction within the process chamber, each of the second gas conduits having a plurality of second outlets spaced along the outlet length in the first direction, the second outlets being adapted to direct a second gas flow from the second gas supply line transversely into the process spaces, wherein the second gas conduits are equiangularly spaced apart along a periphery of the process chamber and at an angle less than 180 degrees from one another, and wherein each adjacent pair of the first gas conduits is separated by one of the second gas conduits and each adjacent pair of the second gas conduits is separated by one of the first gas conduits; a controller operatively coupled to the first gas supply line and to the second gas supply line and adapted to selectively control the first gas flow and the second gas flow; and a purge gas supply line adapted to deliver a purge gas to the process chamber; wherein the controller is programmed to terminate the first gas flow and deliver the purge gas to the process chamber to purge excess first gas from the process chamber before initiating the second gas flow.

12. The microfeature workpiece processing system of claim 11 wherein the first and second outlets are oriented to direct the first gas flow transverse to the second gas flow.

13. The microfeature workpiece processing system of claim 11 wherein the first outlets are oriented to direct the first gas flow toward centers of the microfeature workpieces.

14. The microfeature workpiece processing system of claim 13 wherein the second outlets are oriented to direct the second gas flow toward centers of the microfeature workpieces.

15. The microfeature workpiece processing system of claim 11 wherein the first gas conduits are substantially parallel to the second gas conduits.

16. The microfeature workpiece processing system of claim 11 further comprising a third gas supply line adapted to deliver a third gas to the process chamber.

17. The microfeature workpiece processing system of claim 11 further comprising a vacuum coupled to the controller and adapted to exhaust the first gas from the process chamber before the second gas flow is initiated.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention is related to equipment and methods for processing microfeature workpieces, e.g., semiconductor wafers. Aspects of the invention have particular utility in connection with batch deposition of materials on microfeature workpieces, such as by atomic layer deposition or chemical vapor deposition.

BACKGROUND

Thin film deposition techniques are widely used in the manufacturing of microfeatures to form a coating on a workpiece that closely conforms to the surface topography. In the context of microelectronic components, for example, the size of the individual components in the devices on a wafer is constantly decreasing, and the number of layers in the devices is increasing. As a result, the density of components and the aspect ratios of depressions (e.g., the ratio of the depth to the size of the opening) are increasing. The size of such wafers is also increasing to provide more real estate for forming more dies (i.e., chips) on a single wafer. Many fabricators are currently transitioning from 200 mm to 300 mm workpieces, and even larger workpieces will likely be used in the future. Thin film deposition techniques accordingly strive to produce highly uniform conformal layers that cover the sidewalls, bottoms, and corners in deep depressions that have very small openings.

One widely used thin film deposition technique is chemical vapor deposition (CVD). In a CVD system, one or more precursors that are capable of reacting to form a solid thin film are mixed in a gas or vapor state, and then the precursor mixture is presented to the surface of the workpiece. The surface of the workpiece catalyzes the reaction between the precursors to form a solid thin film at the workpiece surface. A common way to catalyze the reaction at the surface of the workpiece is to heat the workpiece to a temperature that causes the reaction.

Although CVD techniques are useful in many applications, they also have several drawbacks. For example, if the precursors are not highly reactive, then a high workpiece temperature is needed to achieve a reasonable deposition rate. Such high temperatures are not typically desirable because heating the workpiece can be detrimental to the structures and other materials already formed on the workpiece. Implanted or doped materials, for example, can migrate within silicon workpieces at higher temperatures. On the other hand, if more reactive precursors are used so that the workpiece temperature can be lower, then reactions may occur prematurely in the gas phase before reaching the intended surface of the workpiece. This is undesirable because the film quality and uniformity may suffer, and also because it limits the types of precursors that can be used.

Atomic layer deposition (ALD) is another thin film deposition technique. FIGS. 1A and 1B schematically illustrate the basic operation of ALD processes. Referring to FIG. 1A, a layer of gas molecules A coats the surface of a workpiece W. The layer of A molecules is formed by exposing the workpiece W to a precursor gas containing A molecules, and then purging the chamber with a purge gas to remove excess A molecules. This process can form a monolayer of A molecules on the surface of the workpiece W because the A molecules at the surface are held in place during the purge cycle by physical adsorption forces at moderate temperatures or chemisorption forces at higher temperatures. The layer of A molecules is then exposed to another precursor gas containing B molecules. The A molecules react with the B molecules to form an extremely thin layer of solid material C on the workpiece W. The chamber is then purged again with a purge gas to remove excess B molecules.

FIG. 2 illustrates the stages of one cycle for forming a thin solid layer using ALD techniques. A typical cycle includes (a) exposing the workpiece to the first precursor A, (b) purging excess A molecules, (c) exposing the workpiece to the second precursor B, and then (d) purging excess B molecules. The purge process typically comprises introducing a purge gas, which is substantially nonreactive with either precursor, and exhausting the purge gas and excess precursor from the reaction chamber in a pumping step. In actual processing, several cycles are repeated to build a thin film on a workpiece having the desired thickness. For example, each cycle may form a layer having a thickness of approximately 0.5-1.0 Å, and thus it takes approximately 60-120 cycles to form a solid layer having a thickness of approximately 60 Å.

One drawback of ALD processing is that it has a relatively low throughput compared to CVD techniques. For example, ALD processing typically takes several seconds to perform each A-purge-B-purge cycle. This results in a total process time of several minutes to form a single thin layer of only 60 Å. In contrast to ALD processing, CVD techniques only require about one minute to form a 60 Å thick layer. In single-wafer processing chambers, ALD processes can be 500%-2000% longer than corresponding single-wafer CVD processes. The low throughput of existing single-wafer ALD techniques limits the utility of the technology in its current state because the ALD process may be a bottleneck in the overall manufacturing process.

One promising solution to increase the throughput of ALD processing is processing a plurality of wafers (e.g., 20-250) simultaneously in a batch process. FIG. 3 schematically illustrates a conventional batch ALD reactor 10 having a processing enclosure 20 coupled to a gas supply 30 and a vacuum 40 . The processing enclosure 20 generally includes an outer wall 22 and an annular liner 24 . A platform 60 seals against the outer wall 22 or some other part of the processing enclosure 20 via a seal 62 to define a process chamber 25 . Gas is introduced from the gas supply 30 to the process chamber 25 by a gas nozzle 32 that introduces gas into a main chamber 28 of the process chamber 25 . Under influence of the vacuum 40 , the gas introduced via the gas nozzle 32 will flow through the main chamber 28 and outwardly into an annular exhaust 26 to be drawn out with the vacuum 40 . A plurality of workpieces W, e.g., semiconductor wafers, may be held in the processing enclosure 20 in a workpiece holder 70 . In operation, a heater 50 heats the workpieces W to a desired temperature and the gas supply 30 delivers the first precursor A, the purge gas, and the second precursor B as discussed above in connection with FIG. 2.

However, when depositing material simultaneously on a large number of workpieces in an ALD reactor 10 such as that shown in FIG. 3, it can be difficult to uniformly deposit the precursors A and B across the surface of each of the workpieces W. Removing excess precursor from the spaces between the workpieces W can also be problematic. In an ALD reactor 10 such as that shown in FIG. 3, diffusion is the primary mechanism for removing residual precursor that is not chemisorbed on the surface of one of the workpieces. This is not only a relatively slow process that significantly reduces the throughput of the reactor 10 , but it also may not adequately remove residual precursor. As such, conventional batch ALD reactors may have a low throughput and form nonuniform films.

In U.S. Patent Application Publication 2003/0024477 (the entirety of which is incorporated herein by reference), Okuda et al. suggest a system that employs a large plenum extending along the interior wall of a reaction tube. This plenum has a series of slots along its length with the intention of flowing gas parallel to the surfaces of the substrates treated in the tube. Although Okuda et al. suggest that this system may be used in both CVD and ALD applications, using such a system in ALD systems can be problematic. If a second precursor is introduced into the plenum before the first precursor is adequately purged from the plenum, the two precursors may react within the plenum. As a consequence, sufficient purge gas must be delivered to the plenum to adequately clear the first precursor, which may require even longer purge processes between delivery of the precursors. Such extended purges will reduce throughput and increase manufacturing costs. Throughput may be maintained by selecting less reactive precursors, but such precursors may require higher workpiece temperatures or preclude the use of some otherwise desirable precursors.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIGS. 1A and 1B are schematic cross-sectional views of stages in ALD processing in accordance with the prior art.

FIG. 2 is a graph illustrating a cycle for forming a layer using ALD techniques in accordance with the prior art.

FIG. 3 is a schematic representation of a system including a reactor for depositing a material onto a microfeature workpiece in accordance with the prior art.

FIG. 4 is a schematic longitudinal cross-sectional view, taken along line 4 - 4 of FIG. 5, of a microfeature workpiece processing system in accordance with one embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 5 is a schematic transverse cross-sectional view of the microfeature workpiece processing system of FIG. 4, taken along line 5 - 5 of FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 is a schematic transverse cross-sectional view of a microfeature workpiece processing system in accordance with a modified embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 7 is a schematic longitudinal cross-sectional view, taken along line 7 - 7 of FIG. 8, of a microfeature workpiece processing system in accordance with another embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 8 is a schematic transverse cross-sectional view of the microfeature workpiece processing system of FIG. 7, taken along the line 8 - 8 in FIG. 7.

FIG. 9 is a schematic longitudinal cross-sectional view of a microfeature workpiece processing system in accordance with still another embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

A. Overview

Various embodiments of the present invention provide microfeature workpiece processing systems and methods for depositing materials onto microfeature workpieces. Many specific details of the invention are described below with reference to exemplary systems for depositing materials onto microfeature workpieces. The term “microfeature workpiece” is used throughout to include substrates upon which and/or in which microelectronic devices, micromechanical devices, data storage elements, read/write components, and other features are fabricated. For example, microfeature workpieces can be semiconductor wafers such as silicon or gallium arsenide wafers, glass substrates, insulative substrates, and many other types of materials. The microfeature workpieces typically have submicron features with dimensions of 0.05 microns or greater. Furthermore, the term “gas” is used throughout to include any form of matter that has no fixed shape and will conform in volume to the space available, which specifically includes vapors (i.e., a gas having a temperature less than the critical temperature so that it may be liquefied or solidified by compression at a constant temperature). Moreover, the term “transverse” is used throughout to mean oblique, perpendicular, and/or not parallel. Several embodiments in accordance with the invention are set forth in FIGS. 4-9 and the following text to provide a thorough understanding of particular embodiments of the invention. A person skilled in the art will understand, however, that the invention may have additional embodiments, or that the invention may be practiced without several of the details of the embodiments shown in FIGS. 4-9.

Some embodiments of the invention provide microfeature workpiece processing systems. In one such embodiment, a microfeature workpiece processing system includes a process chamber, a first gas conduit, a second gas conduit, a first gas supply line, and a second gas supply line. The process chamber has a workpiece area adapted to receive a plurality of spaced-apart microfeature workpieces arranged relative to a longitudinal axis of the process chamber. The first gas conduit extends longitudinally within the process chamber proximate the workpiece area. This first gas conduit may have a plurality of first outlets spaced longitudinally along a length of the first gas conduit. The first outlets may be oriented toward the workpiece area and adapted to direct a first gas flow transverse to the longitudinal axis. In one embodiment, the second gas conduit may also extend longitudinally within the process chamber proximate the workpiece area and include a plurality of second outlets spaced longitudinally along a length of the second gas conduit. The second outlets may be oriented toward the workpiece area and adapted to direct the second gas flow transverse to the longitudinal axis. The direction of the second gas flow may be transverse to the direction of the first gas flow. The first gas supply line may be adapted to deliver a first gas to the first gas conduit, and the second gas supply line may be adapted to deliver a second gas to the second gas conduit. The second gas supply line may be independent of the first gas supply line, and the second gas may be different from the first gas.

A microfeature workpiece processing system in accordance with another embodiment of the invention includes a process chamber, a first gas conduit, a second gas conduit, a first gas supply line, and a second gas supply line. The process chamber may be adapted to receive a plurality of transversely oriented microfeature workpieces spaced from one another in a longitudinal direction. The first gas conduit may extend longitudinally within the process chamber and include a plurality of outlets spaced longitudinally along a length of the first gas conduit; each of the outlets is oriented to direct a first gas flow transversely across a surface of one of the workpieces. The second gas conduit may have a second outlet oriented to direct a second gas flow longitudinally within the process chamber, e.g., generally perpendicular to the direction of the first gas flow. The first gas supply line is adapted to deliver a first gas to the first gas conduit, and the second gas supply line is adapted to deliver a second gas to the second gas conduit.

An alternative embodiment of the invention provides a method of depositing a reaction product on each of a batch of microfeature workpieces. In accordance with this method, a plurality of workpieces may be positioned in the process chamber, with the workpieces spaced from one another in a first direction to define a process space between each pair of adjacent workpieces. A first gas may be delivered to an elongate first delivery conduit that has a length in the first direction and may direct a first gas flow of the first gas into at least one of the process faces from each of a plurality of outlets spaced in the first direction along the length of the first delivery conduit. Each of the first gas flows is directed to flow along a first vector transverse to the first direction. A second gas may be delivered to an elongate second delivery conduit that has a length in the first direction. A second gas flow of the second gas may be directed into at least one of the process spaces from each of a plurality of outlets spaced in the first direction along the length of the second delivery conduit. Each of the second gas flows may be directed to flow along a second vector that is transverse to the first direction and may also be transverse to the first vector.

An alternative embodiment of the invention provides a method of depositing a reaction product that includes positioning a plurality of microfeature workpieces similar to the previous method. A first gas may be delivered to a first delivery conduit and directed into process spaces between the workpieces as in the prior embodiment. In this embodiment, however, a second gas is delivered to a second delivery conduit and a second gas flow of the second gas is directed in the first direction, which may be substantially perpendicular to the first gas flow.

For ease of understanding, the following discussion is subdivided into two areas of emphasis. The first section discusses microfeature workpiece processing systems in accordance with selected embodiments of the invention. The second section outlines methods in accordance with other aspects of the invention.

B. Microfeature Workpiece Processing System

FIGS. 4 and 5 schematically illustrate a microfeature workpiece processing system 100 in accordance with one embodiment of the invention. The processing system 100 includes a reactor 110 adapted to receive a plurality of microfeature workpieces W, which may be carried in a workpiece holder 70 . The reactor 110 generally includes an enclosure 120 defined by an outer wall 122 and a platform 160 (FIG. 4) upon which the workpiece holder 70 may be supported. The outer wall 122 may sealingly engage the platform 160 (schematically illustrated in FIG. 4 as an O-ring seal 162 ). This will define a process chamber 125 within which the workpiece holder 70 and microfeature workpieces W may be received. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 4, the workpieces W are positioned in a workpiece area of the process chamber 125 that is substantially centered about a longitudinal axis A of the process chamber 125 .

This particular reactor 110 includes an annular liner 124 that may functionally divide the process chamber 125 into a main chamber 128 and an annular exhaust 126 . The annular exhaust 126 may be in fluid communication with a vacuum 170 , e.g., a vacuum pump, via a vacuum line 172 . During the pumping phase of the purge process noted above in connection with FIG. 2, the vacuum 170 may exhaust gas from the main chamber 128 via this annular exhaust 126 .

The reactor 110 may also include a heater 150 . The heater 150 can be any conventional design. In one exemplary embodiment, the heater 150 may comprise an induction heater. Other suitable heaters 150 for use in connection with particular processes to be carried out in the processing system 100 will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art.

The processing system 100 also includes a first gas conduit 140 a and a second gas conduit 140 b that extend longitudinally within the main chamber 128 of the process chamber 125 . The gas conduits 140 a - b are positioned proximate the workpiece area where the workpieces W are received. Each of the gas conduits 140 includes a plurality of outlets 142 spaced longitudinally along its length and oriented toward the workpieces W. In the illustrated embodiment, the outlets 142 of each of the gas conduits 140 are adapted to direct a flow of gas from one of the gas supplies 130 a - c (discussed below) transverse to the longitudinal axis A of the process chamber 125 . In one specific implementation, the outlets 142 may be oriented to direct a flow of gas perpendicular to this axis A. The first and second gas conduits 140 a and 140 b may be positioned within the main chamber 128 of the enclosure 120 in any suitable relative orientation. In the illustrated embodiment, the gas conduits 140 a and 140 b are substantially parallel to one another and oriented at an angle less than 180 degrees from one another. If so desired, the outlets 142 of the first gas conduit 140 a may be oriented to direct a flow of gas generally parallel to the direction in which the outlets 142