US2007234956A1PendingUtilityA1

Method and apparatus for providing uniform gas delivery to a reactor

60
Individually held — no corporate assignee on recordPriority: Apr 5, 2006Filed: Apr 5, 2006Published: Oct 11, 2007
Est. expiryApr 5, 2026(expired)· nominal 20-yr term from priority
Inventors:Jeremie J. DaltonM. Ziaul KarimAna R. Londergan
C23C 16/455C23C 16/45574C23C 16/45565C23C 16/45544
60
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Claims

Abstract

A gas distribution system for a reactor having at least two distinct gas source orifice arrays displaced from one another along an axis defined by a gas flow direction from the gas source orifice arrays towards a work-piece deposition surface such that at least a lower one of the gas source orifice arrays is located between a higher one of the gas source orifice arrays and the work-piece deposition surface. Orifices in the higher one of the gas source orifice arrays may spaced an average of 0.2-0.8 times a distance between the higher one of the gas source orifice arrays and the work-piece deposition surface, while orifices in the lower one of the gas source orifice arrays may be spaced an average of 0.1-0.4 times a distance between the higher one of the gas source orifice arrays and the work-piece deposition surface.

Claims

exact text as granted — not AI-modified
1 . A gas distribution system for a reactor, comprising at least two distinct gas source orifice arrays displaced from one another along an axis defined by a gas flow direction from the gas source orifice arrays towards a work-piece deposition surface such that at least a lower one of the gas source orifice arrays is located between a higher one of the gas source orifice arrays and the work-piece deposition surface.  
     
     
         2 . The gas distribution system of  claim 1 , wherein orifices in the higher one of the gas source orifice arrays are spaced an average of 0.2-0.8 times a distance between the higher one of the gas source orifice arrays and the work-piece deposition surface.  
     
     
         3 . The gas distribution system of  claim 1 , wherein orifices in the lower one of the gas source orifice arrays are spaced an average of 0.1-2 times a distance between the higher one of the gas source orifice arrays and the work-piece deposition surface.  
     
     
         4 . The gas distribution system of  claim 1 , wherein the higher one of the gas source orifice arrays comprises a planar source.  
     
     
         5 . The gas distribution system of clam  4 , wherein the planar source comprises a showerhead.  
     
     
         6 . The gas distribution system of  claim 1 , wherein the higher one of the gas source orifice arrays comprises a generally uniform distribution of orifices across a faceplate.  
     
     
         7 . The gas distribution system of  claim 6  wherein the lower one of the gas source orifice arrays comprises one or more conduits distributed axi-symetrically with respect to a radius of the planar showerhead.  
     
     
         8 . The gas distribution system of  claim 1  wherein the lower one of the gas source orifice arrays comprises one or more conduits distributed axi-symetrically with respect to the higher one of the gas source orifice arrays.  
     
     
         9 . The gas distribution system as in  claim 8 , wherein the lower one of the gas source orifice arrays comprises a number of spoke conduits leading from an axially centered feed conduit, and each spoke conduit includes a number of individual orifices spaced an average of 0.1-2 times a distance between the higher one of the gas source orifice arrays and the work-piece deposition surface.  
     
     
         10 . A method for introducing gases into a reactor, comprising flowing a purge gas into the reactor from a first gas source orifice array disposed a first distance from a surface of a work-piece along an axis defined by gas flow from the first gas source orifice array to the surface of the work-piece while flowing a first reactive precursor into the reactor from a second gas source orifice array separate from the first gas source orifice array and disposed at a second distance from the surface of a work-piece along the axis defined by gas flow, said second distance being less than said first distance.  
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising stopping the flow of the first reactive precursor from the second gas source array.  
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising flowing the purge gas into the reactor from one or more of the first gas source orifice array and the second gas source orifice array.  
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising flowing a second reactive precursor into the reactor through the first gas source orifice array while flowing the purge gas into the reactor through the second gas source orifice array.  
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , further comprising stopping the flow of the second reactive precursor from the first gas source array.  
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising flowing the purge gas into the reactor from one or more of the first gas source orifice array and the second gas source orifice array.  
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising evacuating unused amounts of the second reactive precursor from the reactor.  
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising evacuating unused amounts of the first reactive precursor from the reactor.  
     
     
         18 . A method for introducing gases into a reactor, comprising flowing a carrier gas and a reactive precursor into the reactor from a first gas source orifice array disposed a first distance from a surface of a work-piece along an axis defined by gas flow from the first gas source orifice array to the surface of the work-piece while flowing a second reactive precursor into the reactor from a second gas source orifice array separate from the first gas source orifice array and disposed at a second distance from the surface of a work-piece along the axis defined by gas flow, said second distance being less than said first distance.  
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the second reactive precursor is flowed into the reactor in a pulsed fashion via the second gas source orifice array.  
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 18 , further comprising stopping the flow of reactive precursors into the reactor while flowing a purge gas into the reactor from one or both of the first and second gas source orifice arrays.  
     
     
         21 . A method for introducing gases into a reactor, comprising flowing a first gas into the reactor from a first gas source orifice array disposed a first distance from a surface of a work-piece along an axis defined by gas flow from the first gas source orifice array to the surface of the work-piece while flowing a second gas into the reactor from a second gas source orifice array separate from the first gas source orifice array and disposed at a second distance from the surface of a work-piece along the axis defined by gas flow, said second distance being less than said first distance.  
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the first gas comprises a reactive precursor.  
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the first gas comprises a reactive precursor and a carrier gas.  
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the second gas comprises a reactive precursor.  
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the second gas comprises a reactive precursor and a carrier gas.  
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein the second gas comprises a second reactive precursor.  
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein the second gas comprises a second reactive precursor and a carrier gas.  
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein the second gas comprises a purge gas.  
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein the first gas comprises a purge gas.  
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein the second gas comprises a second reactive precursor.  
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein the second gas comprises a second reactive precursor and a second carrier gas.  
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein the second gas comprises a purge gas.  
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 29 , wherein the second gas comprises a reactive precursor.  
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 29 , wherein the second gas comprises a reactive precursor and a carrier gas.  
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 29 , wherein the second gas comprises the purge gas.

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