Vapor deposition system and method of operating

Abstract

A system for depositing a thin film on a substrate using a vapor deposition process is described. The deposition system includes a process chamber having a vacuum pumping system configured to evacuate the process chamber, a substrate holder coupled to the process chamber and configured to support the substrate, a gas distribution system coupled to the process chamber and configured to introduce a film forming composition to a process space in the vicinity of a surface of the substrate, a non-ionizing heat source separate from the substrate holder that is configured to receive a flow of the film forming composition and to cause thermal fragmentation of one or more constituents of the film forming composition when heated, and one or more power sources coupled to the heating element array and configured to provide an electrical signal to the at least one heating element zone. The deposition system further includes a remote source coupled to the process chamber and configured to supply a reactive composition to the process chamber to chemically interact with the substrate, wherein the remote source comprises a remote plasma generator, a remote radical generator, a remote ozone generator, or a water vapor generator, or a combination of two or more thereof.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A processing system for treating a substrate, comprising:
 a process chamber having a pumping system configured to evacuate the process chamber;   a substrate holder coupled to the process chamber and configured to support the substrate;   a gas distribution system coupled to the process chamber and configured to introduce a film forming composition to a process space in the vicinity of a surface of the substrate, wherein the gas distribution system includes a gas distribution plate having one or more openings formed there through to allow the film forming composition to flow into the process space; and   a heat source coupled to the gas distribution system, the heat source comprising one or more heating elements coupled to a power source, wherein the one or more heating elements are disposed on at least a portion of an interior surface of the one or more openings formed through the gas distribution plate, and configured to interact with the film forming composition and cause pyrolysis of one or more constituents of the film forming composition when heated.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more heating elements are composed of a resistive metal, a resistive metal alloy, or a resistive metal nitride in the form of a thick film deposited on the interior surface of the one or more openings. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein an insulation layer is disposed between said one or more heating elements and the surface upon which the one or more heating elements are formed. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein a protective layer is formed over said one or more heating elements.