Methods and Apparatus for Combinatorial PECVD or PEALD

Abstract

Apparatus and methods for depositing materials on a plurality of site-isolated regions on a substrate are provided. The deposition uses PECVD or PEALD. The apparatus include an inner chamber with an aperture and barrier that can be used to isolate the regions during the deposition and prevent the remaining portions of the substrate from being exposed to the deposition process. The process parameters for the deposition process are varied among the site-isolate regions in a combinatorial manner.

What is claimed: 
     
         1 . An apparatus for deposition of material on a substrate, the apparatus comprising:
 a first chamber;   a second chamber;   a plasma source;   a substrate support;   a substrate positioning system;
 wherein the second chamber, the plasma source, the substrate support, and the substrate positioning system are disposed within the first chamber; 
 wherein the second chamber encloses the substrate support; 
 wherein the second chamber comprises a top surface being parallel to a top surface of the substrate support; 
 wherein the second chamber comprises a bottom surface being parallel to the top surface of the substrate support,
 the substrate support being positioned between the top surface and the bottom surface of the second chamber; 
 
 wherein the second chamber comprises one or more sidewalls connecting the top surface of the second chamber to the bottom surface of the second chamber; 
 wherein the top surface of the second chamber comprises an aperture; 
 wherein an area of the aperture is less than an area of the substrate support; 
 wherein the aperture is operable to allow site-isolated deposition of a material using plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) or plasma enhanced atomic layer deposition (PEALD) in a plurality of site-isolated regions on the substrate; and 
 wherein the substrate positioning system is operable to align any area of the substrate support with respect to the aperture such that any area of the substrate support corresponds to one of the plurality of site-isolated regions on the substrate. 
   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising a plasma source operable to vary plasma process parameters during the PECVD and the PEALD in a combinatorial manner among the plurality of site-isolated regions. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the plasma process parameters comprise at least one of source gases for a plasma generator, plasma filtering parameters, exposure time, gas flow rate, frequency, plasma generator power, plasma generation method, chamber pressure, substrate temperature, distance between plasma source and substrate, substrate bias voltage, or combinations thereof. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the plasma source is operable to ignite plasma within the first chamber and outside of the second chamber. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , further comprising a showerhead disposed within the first chamber and outside of the second chamber. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the plasma source is a remote plasma source. 
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising a barrier positioned at edges of the aperture, wherein the barrier extends down from the top surface of the second chamber toward the substrate support, and wherein, during the PECVD and the PEALD, the barrier is operable to restrict plasma or reactive radical species access to site-isolated regions of the plurality of site-isolated regions on the substrate not aligned with the aperture. 
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 7 , wherein, during the PECVD and the PEALD, the barrier is separated from the substrate by a gap, wherein the gap is less than 0.5 mm. 
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein the gap control a flow of process gasses into one of the plurality of site-isolated regions defined by the barrier. 
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 7 , wherein the barrier defines a boundary of each the plurality of site-isolated regions on the substrate. 
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 7 , wherein the barrier is formed from one of a fluoropolymer, quartz, or ceramic. 
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising a gas purge system comprising a plurality of flow outlets at an edge of the substrate support. 
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein the gas purge system is operable to provide a gas flow into each of the plurality of site-isolated regions through a gap between the substrate and a portion of the second chamber, and wherein the gas purge system is operable to provide a gas flow out of each of the plurality of site-isolated regions through the aperture. 
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising a shutter disposed between the first chamber and the aperture. 
     
     
         15 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the substrate positioning system is operable to rotate the substrate support about two parallel non-collinear axes. 
     
     
         16 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the substrate positioning system comprises linear X-Y translators. 
     
     
         17 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the substrate positioning system is operable to move the substrate support in a direction perpendicular to the top surface of the substrate support. 
     
     
         18 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the second chamber is formed from quartz or ceramic. 
     
     
         19 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising a substrate heater mounted in the substrate support. 
     
     
         20 . The apparatus of  claim 19 , wherein the substrate heater is operable to vary a temperature of the substrate in a combinatorial manner during the PECVD and the PEALD of different ones of the plurality of site-isolated regions.