Gas baffle and distributor for semiconductor processing chamber

Abstract

Apparatus and methods for distributing gas in a semiconductor process chamber are provided. In an embodiment, a gas distributor for use in a gas processing chamber comprises a body. The body includes a baffle with a gas deflection surface to divert the flow of a gas from a first direction to a second direction. The gas deflection surface comprises a concave surface. The concave surface comprises at least about 75% of the surface area of the gas deflection surface. The concave surface substantially deflects the gas toward a chamber wall and provides decreased metal atom contamination from the baffle so that season times can be reduced.

1 . A method of processing a semiconductor wafer in a semiconductor process chamber, the method comprising:
 cleaning the chamber with a clean gas.   seasoning the chamber for about 25 to 60 seconds;   placing the wafer in the chamber to coat the wafer with a dielectric layer;   coating the wafer with the dielectric layer with an HDP-CVD process, the layer having no more than about 2×10 12  metal atoms per square centimeter; and   removing the coated wafer from the chamber.   
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the HDP-CVD process comprises at least one of a medium power HDP-CVD process or a high power HDP-CVD process. 
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the chamber is seasoned for about 25 to 45 seconds. 
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the chamber is seasoned for about 25 to 35 seconds. 
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the dielectric layer has from about 0.3×10 12  to 2.0×10 12  metal atoms per square centimeter. 
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the dielectric layer has from about 0.3×10 12  to 1.5×10 12  metal atoms per square centimeter. 
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the dielectric layer has from about 0.3×10 12  to 1.0×10 12  metal atoms per square centimeter. 
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the metal is aluminum. 
   
   
       9 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising deflecting the clean gas toward the chamber wall with a concave gas deflection surface. 
   
   
       10 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the total time to clean the chamber, season the chamber, place the wafer in the chamber, process the wafer in the chamber and remove the wafer from the chamber corresponds to a throughput of at least about 8 wafers per hour. 
   
   
       11 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising deflecting the clean gas with a baffle, wherein the metal atoms of the dielectric layer comprises a dominant metal element and the dominant metal element corresponds to a dominant metal element of the baffle. 
   
   
       12 . A semiconductor substrate processing device, the device comprising:
 an enclosure having a ceiling and a sidewall;   a substrate support adapted to support a semiconductor substrate with the enclosure;   a high density plasma deposition system adapted to deliver a high density plasma to the semiconductor substrate to form a dielectric layer on the substrate;   a gas distributor positioned centrally above the substrate support to deliver a deposition gas to a substrate, the gas distributor comprising a baffle to deflect a gas toward the sidewall;   a gas delivery system adapted to control gas delivery to the gas distributor;   a processor coupled to the gas delivery system and the plasma deposition system to season the chamber and a apply the dielectric layer to the wafer; and   wherein the baffle and the enclosure are adapted to provide no more than about 1.5×10 12  metal atoms per square centimeter on the layer for a high power process with a season time of about 25 to 60 seconds.   
   
   
       13 . The device of  claim 12  wherein the plasma deposition system is adapted to provide the dielectric layer with a thickness from about 4000 A to 8000 A. 
   
   
       14 . The device of  claim 12  wherein the plasma deposition system is adapted to deliver a medium power process, and the baffle and the enclosure are adapted to provide no more than about 1.0×10 12  metal atoms per square centimeter on the dielectric layer for a medium power process with a season time of about 25 to 60 seconds. 
   
   
       15 . The device of  claim 12  wherein the enclosure and the gas distributor are adapted so that the metal atoms of the dielectric layer comprises a dominant metal element and the dominant metal element corresponds to a dominant metal element of the baffle.