EP-4741528-A1 - SEMICONDUCTOR PROCESSING APPARATUS

EP4741528A1EP 4741528 A1EP4741528 A1EP 4741528A1EP-4741528-A1

Abstract

A semiconductor processing apparatus is disclosed. The semiconductor processing apparatus comprises a process chamber configured to receive a plurality of substrates; an accumulator vessel in fluid communication with the process chamber, configured to store a precursor in gas form; and at least two solid state precursor storage vessels, each being configured to receive a precursor in gas form, to cause said received gas form precursor to be converted to a solid state inside the respective solid state precursor storage vessel, and to cause said solid state precursor to be converted to gas phase. Each of the at least two solid state precursor storage vessels are in fluid communication with the accumulator vessel.

Inventors

JDIRA, LUCIAN
Trabelsi, Fatma
BANKRAS, RADKO
Yukananto, Riza
PROSERPIO, DAVIDE
TERHORST, HERBERT
OOSTERLAKEN, THEODORUS G.M.
van Haastert, Simon
JONGBLOED, BERT
KNAEPEN, WERNER

Assignees

ASM IP Holding B.V.

Dates

Publication Date: 20260513
Application Date: 20251015

Claims (20)

A semiconductor processing apparatus comprising: a process chamber configured to receive a plurality of substrates; an accumulator vessel in fluid communication with the process chamber, configured to store a precursor in gas form; and at least two solid state precursor storage vessels, each being configured to receive a precursor in gas form, to cause said received gas form precursor to be converted to a solid state inside the respective solid state precursor storage vessel, and to cause said solid state precursor to be converted to gas phase; wherein each of the at least two solid state precursor storage vessels are in fluid communication with the accumulator vessel so as to allow provision of precursor in gas form to the accumulator vessel.
The semiconductor processing apparatus of claim 1 wherein each of the at least two solid state precursor storage vessels is in fluid communication with a bulk precursor supply for providing a precursor in gas form.
The semiconductor processing apparatus of claim 1 or 2, wherein each of the at least two solid state precursor storage vessels comprises a respective heater.
The semiconductor processing apparatus of any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein each of the at least two solid state precursor storage vessels comprises a respective gas inlet port configured to conduct a precursor in gas form into the respective solid state precursor storage vessel.
The semiconductor processing apparatus of any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising: a first gas line for providing a fluidic connection between a first solid state precursor storage vessel of the at least two solid state precursor storage vessels and the accumulator vessel; a second gas line for providing a fluidic connection between a second of the at least two solid state precursor storage vessels and the accumulator vessel; a first gas flow control valve disposed in the first gas line and a second gas flow control valve in the second gas line; and a controller configured to cause the first gas flow control valve to be set to a closed state while substantially simultaneously causing the second gas flow control valve to be set to an open state.
The semiconductor processing apparatus of any one of claims 1 to 5, further comprising: a third gas line for providing a fluidic connection between a bulk precursor supply for providing a precursor in gas form and a first of the at least two solid state precursor storage vessels; a fourth gas line for providing a fluidic connection between the bulk precursor supply and a second of the at least two solid state precursor storage vessels; a third gas flow control valve disposed in the third gas line and a fourth gas flow control valve in the fourth gas line; and a controller configured to cause the third gas flow control valve to be set to an open state while substantially simultaneously causing the fourth gas flow control valve to be set to a closed state.
The semiconductor processing apparatus of claim 6, further comprising a third gas flow control valve heater for heating the third gas flow control valve and a fourth gas flow control valve heater for heating the fourth gas flow control valve.
The semiconductor processing apparatus of any one of claims 1-7, wherein the accumulator vessel comprises an accumulator vessel heater.
The semiconductor processing apparatus of any one of claims 1-8, comprising a fifth gas flow control valve disposed upstream of the accumulator vessel and configured to control a gas flow into the accumulator vessel from any of the at least two solid state precursor storage vessels; and a fifth gas flow control valve heater.
The semiconductor processing apparatus of any one of claims 1-9, comprising a sixth gas flow control valve disposed downstream of the accumulator vessel and configured to control a gas flow from the accumulator vessel into the process chamber; and a sixth gas flow control valve heater.
The semiconductor processing apparatus of any one of claims 1 to 10, comprising an enclosure for enclosing at least a part of the semiconductor processing apparatus located between a bulk precursor supply and the process chamber, and an enclosure heater for heating an interior of the enclosure.
A method of providing a precursor gas to a process chamber of a semiconductor processing apparatus, the semiconductor processing apparatus comprising a process chamber configured to receive a plurality of substrates; an accumulator vessel in fluid communication with the process chamber, configured to store a precursor in gas form; and at least two solid state precursor storage vessels, each being configured to receive a precursor in gas form, to cause said received gas form precursor to be converted to a solid state inside the respective solid state precursor storage vessel, and to cause said solid state precursor to be converted to gas phase; wherein each of the at least two solid state precursor storage vessels are in fluid communication with the accumulator vessel so as to allow provision of gas phase precursor to the accumulator vessel; wherein the method comprises: i) causing a first solid state precursor storage vessel of the at least two solid state precursor storage vessels to receive a precursor in gas form and to convert said precursor to a solid state; ii) causing a second solid state precursor storage vessel of the at least two solid state precursor storage vessels to convert solid state precursor to gas form and to provide precursor in gas form to the accumulator vessel; and iii) causing a precursor gas to be provided to the process chamber from the accumulator vessel.
The method of claim 12, wherein steps i) and ii) are performed substantially simultaneously.
The method of claim 12 or 13, wherein step ii) and step iii) do not overlap substantially in time.
The method of any one of claims 12 to 14, further comprising, after step iii), causing the second solid state precursor storage vessel to receive a precursor in gas form and to convert said precursor to a solid state, and causing the first solid state precursor storage vessel to convert solid state precursor to gas form and to provide precursor in gas form to the accumulator vessel.
The method of any one of claims 12 to 15, wherein causing a solid state precursor storage vessel to receive a precursor in gas form comprises causing a bulk precursor supply to provide the precursor in gas form to the solid state precursor storage vessel.
The method of any one of claims 12 to 16, wherein the accumulator vessel comprises a pressure transducer and a thermocouple, wherein step iii) comprises determining an amount of precursor provided to the process chamber based on data received from the pressure transducer and thermocouple.
The method of any one of claims 12 to 17, wherein step iii) comprises closing an input port of the accumulator vessel so that no further precursor gas is provided to the accumulator vessel while precursor gas is supplied to the process chamber.
The method of any one of claims 12 to 17, wherein step iii) comprises leaving open an input port of the accumulator vessel so that precursor gas is provided to the accumulator vessel while precursor gas is supplied to the process chamber.
A method of forming a layer on a plurality of substrates using the semiconductor processing apparatus of any one of claims 1 to 11, the method comprising the steps of: causing a first solid state precursor storage vessel of the at least two solid state precursor storage vessels to receive gas precursor from a bulk precursor supply while supplying precursor from a second solid state precursor storage vessel of the at least two solid state precursor storage vessels to the accumulator vessel; providing precursor from the accumulator vessel to the process chamber while causing the first solid state precursor storage vessel to receive gas precursor from the bulk precursor supply; providing a purge gas to the process chamber while causing the first solid state precursor storage vessel to receive gas precursor from the bulk precursor supply and causing the second solid state precursor storage vessel to provide gas precursor to the accumulator vessel; providing a second process gas to the process chamber while causing the first solid state precursor storage vessel to receive gas precursor from the bulk precursor supply and causing the second solid state precursor storage vessel to provide gas precursor to the accumulator vessel; and providing a purge gas to the process chamber while causing the first solid state precursor storage vessel to receive gas precursor from the bulk precursor supply and causing the second solid state precursor storage vessel to provide gas precursor to the accumulator vessel.

Description

FIELD The present disclosure relates generally to the field of semiconductor processing methods, and associated structures and apparatus, and to the field of device and integrated circuit manufacture. More particularly the present disclosure generally relates to semiconductor processing apparatus in which precursor may be stored in the solid state. BACKGROUND In the field of semiconductor manufacturing apparatus, batch processing apparatuses, for example vertical furnaces, may provide a significant increase in throughput as compared with single wafer tools which generally process wafers one by one. However, the amount of precursor required to be provided to a reactor chamber or process chamber of a vertical furnace in order to form a layer of a required thickness on each of a plurality of wafers, or substrates, contained therein, is significantly greater than the amount required to be provided to a reactor chamber of a single wafer tool to form a layer of the same required thickness. Further, in order to provide for example an acceptable throughput and/or a required precursor pressure in the process chamber, the required quantity of precursor may need to be provided within a specific, short time span. Some precursors, for example ammonia, can be stored in gas form for long periods of time without decomposition. Storage in gas form enables fast and reliable delivery of precursor. Supply of such precursors to the process chamber is relatively straightforward as the required amount of gas can be flowed from a sub-fab supply. Other precursors may decompose when stored in gas form, especially if they are required to be stored at a particular temperature to avoid deposition on surfaces of a container in which a precursor gas is contained, rendering them no longer suitable for use in a deposition process. For such precursors, alternative solutions are needed. There is a need for apparatus and methods capable of supplying large amounts of gas phase precursor on demand and with high flow rate. Any discussion, including discussion of problems and solutions, set forth in this section, has been included in this disclosure solely for the purpose of providing a context for the present disclosure, and should not be taken as an admission that any or all of the discussion was known at the time the invention was made or otherwise constitutes prior art. BRIEF SUMMARY This summary introduces a selection of concepts in a simplified form, which are described in further detail below. This summary is not intended to necessarily identify key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used to limit the scope of the claimed subject matter. According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a semiconductor processing apparatus comprising a process chamber configured to receive a plurality of substrates, an accumulator vessel in fluid communication with the process chamber, the accumulator vessel being configured to store a precursor in gas form, and at least two solid state precursor storage vessels, each being configured to receive a precursor in gas form, to cause said received gas form precursor to be converted to a solid state inside the respective solid state precursor storage vessel, and to cause said solid state precursor to be converted to gas phase. Each of the at least two solid state precursor storage vessels are in fluid communication with the accumulator vessel so as to allow provision of precursor in gas form to the accumulator vessel. Providing the precursor to the solid state precursor storage vessels in gas form may have advantages over provision in liquid or powder form. Provision of the precursor in liquid form, for example being dissolved or otherwise carried by a solvent, to a precursor storage vessel followed by evaporation of the solvent in the vessel requires an additional drying step in the process of (re) filling the precursor storage vessel, may result in solvent contamination of the precursor to be extracted from the vessel, and may be limited in capacity, thus limiting the number of substrates which can be processes, impacting throughput. Providing the precursor in powder form may causing clogging and a carrier gas may be required in order to remove precursor from the vessel. By providing at least two solid state precursor storage vessels, one of the solid state precursor storage vessels may receive and store precursor while another of the solid state precursor storage vessels may supply precursor to the accumulator vessel, allowing for continuous supply of precursor gas to the accumulator vessel. By providing the accumulator vessel for short-term storage of precursor gas close to the process chamber, high doses of precursor can be collected and provided to the process chamber in a shorter time period than would be needed for the same amount of precursor gas to be sublimated, allowing for faster provision of precursor to the process chamber a