Reactors having gas distributors and methods for depositing materials onto micro-device workpieces

Abstract

Reactors having gas distributors for depositing materials onto micro-device workpieces, systems that include such reactors, and methods for depositing materials onto micro-device workpieces are disclosed herein. In one embodiment, a reactor for depositing material on a micro-device workpiece includes a reaction chamber and a gas distributor in the reaction chamber. The gas distributor includes a first gas conduit having a first injector and a second gas conduit having a second injector. The first injector projects a first gas flow along a first vector and the second injector projects a second gas flow along a second vector that intersects the first vector in an external mixing zone facing the workpiece. In another embodiment, the mixing zone is an external mixing recess on a surface of the gas distributor that faces the workpiece.

1 - 54 . (canceled)  
   
   
       55 . A method for depositing material onto a micro-device workpiece in a reaction chamber, comprising: 
 passing a first gas flow through a first injector of a gas distributor along a first vector; and    passing a second gas flow through a second injector of the gas distributor along a second vector that intersects with the first vector in a mixing zone exposed to and over the micro-device workpiece.    
   
   
       56 . The method of  claim 55 , further comprising mixing the first gas flow and the second gas flow in the mixing zone.  
   
   
       57 . The method of  claim 55  wherein passing a first gas flow and passing a second gas flow occur at least partially simultaneously.  
   
   
       58 . The method of  claim 55  wherein passing a second gas flow occurs after terminating passing the first gas flow.  
   
   
       59 . The method of  claim 55 , further comprising passing a third gas flow through a third injector of the gas distributor.  
   
   
       60 . The method of  claim 55  wherein the first and second gas flows comprise the same gas.  
   
   
       61 . The method of  claim 55  wherein the first gas flow comprises a first precursor and the second gas flow comprises a second precursor, and wherein passing the first gas flow and passing the second gas flow occur at least substantially simultaneously.  
   
   
       62 . The method of  claim 55 , further comprising: 
 passing a third gas flow through a third injector of the gas distributor; and    wherein passing the first gas flow comprises passing a first precursor through the first injector and then terminating the first gas flow, wherein passing the third gas flow comprises passing a purge gas through the third injector after terminating the first gas flow and then terminating the third gas flow, and wherein passing the second gas flow comprises passing a second precursor through the second injector after terminating the third gas flow.    
   
   
       63 . The method of  claim 55 , further comprising: 
 passing a third gas flow through a third injector of the gas distributor; and    wherein passing the first gas flow comprises passing a first precursor, wherein passing the second gas flow comprises passing a second precursor at least substantially simultaneously with passing the first gas flow, and wherein passing the third gas flow comprises passing a purge gas after terminating the first and second gas flows.    
   
   
       64 . The method of  claim 55  wherein passing the first gas flow and passing the second gas flow comprise creating a vortex in the mixing zone of the first and second gas flows.  
   
   
       65 . A method for depositing material onto a micro-device workpiece in a reaction chamber, comprising: 
 flowing a first gas flow through a first injector of a gas distributor into an external mixing recess in the gas distributor; and    flowing a second gas flow through a second injector of the gas distributor into the external mixing recess over the micro-device workpiece.    
   
   
       66 . The method of  claim 65 , further comprising mixing the first gas flow and the second gas flow in the mixing zone.  
   
   
       67 . The method of  claim 65  wherein flowing the first gas flow and flowing the second gas flow occur at least partially simultaneously.  
   
   
       68 . The method of  claim 65  wherein flowing the second gas flow occurs after terminating flowing the first gas flow.  
   
   
       69 . The method of  claim 65 , further comprising flowing a third gas flow through a third injector of the gas distributor.  
   
   
       70 . The method of  claim 65  wherein flowing the first gas flow comprises flowing the first gas flow along a first vector, and flowing the second gas flow comprises flowing the second gas flow along a second vector transverse to the first vector.  
   
   
       71 . The method of  claim 65  wherein flowing the first gas flow comprises flowing the first gas flow along a first vector, and flowing the second gas flow comprises flowing the second gas flow along a second vector generally parallel to the first vector.  
   
   
       72 . The method of  claim 65 , further comprising creating a vortex in the mixing recess with the first and second gas flows.  
   
   
       73 . A method for depositing material onto a micro-device workpiece in a reaction chamber having a gas distributor, comprising: 
 dispensing a pulse of a first gas from a first outlet in the gas distributor into an external recess in the gas distributor; and    dispensing a pulse of a second gas from a second outlet in the gas distributor into the external recess in the gas distributor after terminating the pulse of the first gas.    
   
   
       74 . The method of  claim 73 , further comprising mixing the first gas and the second gas on a surface of the workpiece.  
   
   
       75 . The method of  claim 73 , further comprising dispensing a pulse of a purge gas through a third outlet into the recess of the gas distributor between the pulse of the first gas and the pulse of the second gas.  
   
   
       76 . The method of  claim 73  wherein dispensing the pulse of the first gas comprises dispensing the first gas along a first vector, and dispensing the pulse of the second gas comprises dispensing the second gas along a second vector transverse to the first vector.  
   
   
       77 . The method of  claim 73  wherein the dispensing procedures are repeated in serial order creating a vortex within the external recess in the gas distributor.