Processing chamber with gas recycling

Abstract

A semiconductor manufacturing process chamber with recyclability and a method for recycling chemical precursors are described. The process chamber includes a chamber body with a substrate support. The substrate support is spaced from a chamber cover to form a process region. A gas inlet provides a gas flow to the process region, and a recirculation chamber is in fluid communication with the process region. At least one fast-acting valve is connected to the recirculation chamber via a recirculation inlet line. A recirculation housing is in fluid communication with both the recirculation inlet line and the recirculation outlet line. A recirculation piston valve allows the gas within the process chamber to be recirculated to the original precursor container or to a different container for reuse.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application claims priority to Indian Patent Application No. 202341031781 filed on May 4, 2023, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated herein by reference.

[0002] Embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to apparatus and methods for recovering precursors from a processing chamber. Specifically, embodiments of the present disclosure provide apparatus and methods for directing a stream of unreacted metal precursors to a recovery system and then to an ampoule. Prior Art

[0003] Reliably producing submicron and smaller features is a key requirement for very large-scale integration (VLSI) and ultra-large-scale integration (ULSI) of semiconductor devices. However, as circuit technology continues to miniaturize, the size and pitch of circuit features (such as interconnects) place additional demands on processing capabilities. Various semiconductor components (e.g., interconnects, vias, capacitors, and transistors) require precise placement of high-aspect-ratio features. Reliable formation of these components is crucial for further increases in device density.

[0004] Furthermore, the electronics and semiconductor industries continue to strive to achieve greater yields while increasing the uniformity of layers deposited on substrates with increasingly larger surface areas. These same factors, combined with new materials, also provide for higher circuit integration per unit area on the substrate.

[0005] During semiconductor manufacturing, expensive and potentially hazardous precursors and reactants are used. For example, chemical vapor deposition (CVD), atomic layer deposition (ALD), and etching processes often employ expensive chemical precursors, which are used in excess to ensure complete reaction. These excess reactants and exhaust gases are sent to scrubbers for abatement and disposal. This results in the loss of expensive chemicals and the release of potential greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. Currently, chemical recovery systems are not used in the semiconductor industry.

[0006] Some molybdenum deposition processes use molybdenum chloride or molybdenum oxychloride as metal precursors. These precursors are very expensive, and only approximately 2% of the chemical ends up on the wafer, resulting in approximately 98% waste. Furthermore, existing molybdenum chloride and molybdenum oxychloride gas delivery systems are complex and expensive. Typically, multiple ampoules are required to store the molybdenum precursor. These are installed in subfabs, requiring temperature control of the entire tool's gas connections. This is difficult to implement and often plagued by reliability issues.

[0007] Therefore, there is a need in the art for equipment and methods for recycling semiconductor manufacturing process gases and reducing the impact of semiconductor manufacturing on the environment. Summary of the Invention

[0008] One or more embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to a semiconductor manufacturing process chamber comprising a chamber body having sidewalls, a bottom, and a lid enclosing an interior. A substrate support is positioned within the chamber body. The substrate support has a support surface spaced apart from the chamber lid to create a process zone. A gas inlet is configured to provide a gas flow to the process zone. An exhaust plenum is in fluid communication with the process zone. At least one exhaust piston valve connects the exhaust plenum to an exhaust line and a recirculation inlet line. At least one piston valve is configured to provide fluid communication between the exhaust line or the recirculation inlet line. A recirculation housing is in fluid communication with the recirculation inlet line.

[0009] Additional embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to a semiconductor manufacturing process chamber comprising a chamber body having sidewalls, a bottom, and a lid enclosing an interior. A substrate support is positioned within the chamber body. The substrate support has a support surface spaced apart from the chamber lid to create a process zone. A gas inlet is configured to provide a gas flow to the process zone. The gas inlet includes a support plate spaced apart from a showerhead to form an inlet plenum. The inlet plenum is in fluid communication with the process zone via the showerhead. An exhaust plenum is in fluid communication with the process zone. A recirculation housing is positioned on the lid of the process chamber. The recirculation housing is a piston pump having a recirculation plenum defined by a movable wall, a bellows, and a fixed wall. The recirculation plenum is in fluid communication with a recirculation inlet line and a recirculation outlet line. At least one exhaust piston valve connects the exhaust plenum to the exhaust line and the recirculation inlet line. The at least one piston valve is configured to provide fluid communication between the exhaust line or the recirculation inlet line. The ampoule connection is in fluid communication with the recirculation chamber via a recirculation outlet line and a recirculation piston valve.

[0010] Another embodiment of the present disclosure is directed to a method for recovering a metal precursor for semiconductor manufacturing. The method includes directing gas from a process area of ​​a processing chamber from a recirculation plenum through at least one fast-acting valve and a recirculation inlet line, and directing the gas from the recirculation plenum through a recirculation outlet line and a recirculation valve to an ampoule. Simple diagram description

[0011] In order to enable a detailed understanding of the manner in which the above-described features of the present disclosure are achieved, a more particular description of the disclosure, briefly summarized above, may be obtained by reference to the embodiments, some of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. It should be noted, however, that the drawings illustrate only typical embodiments of the present disclosure and are therefore not to be considered limiting of its scope, as the disclosure may admit to other equally effective embodiments.

[0012] FIG. 1 illustrates a semiconductor manufacturing processing chamber with a recirculation pump in an expanded position according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0013] FIG. 2 illustrates the semiconductor manufacturing process chamber of FIG. 1 with the recirculation pump in a compression position according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0014] FIG. 3 shows a schematic diagram of a semiconductor manufacturing process chamber and flow paths / valves. Implementation Method

[0015] Before describing several exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure, it should be understood that the present disclosure is not limited to the details of construction or process steps set forth in the following description. The present disclosure is capable of other embodiments and can be practiced or carried out in various ways.

[0016] As used in this specification and the appended claims, the term "substrate" refers to a surface or portion of a surface on which a process acts. Those skilled in the art will also understand that references to a substrate may also refer to only a portion of a substrate unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. In addition, references to depositing on a substrate may refer to both a bare substrate and a substrate on which one or more films or features are deposited or formed.

[0017] As used herein, "substrate" refers to any substrate or material surface formed on a substrate upon which film processing is performed during a manufacturing process. For example, depending on the application, substrate surfaces upon which processing may be performed include materials such as silicon, silicon oxide, strained silicon, silicon on insulator (SOI), carbon-doped silicon oxide, amorphous silicon, doped silicon, germanium, gallium arsenide, glass, sapphire, and any other materials such as metals, metal nitrides, metal alloys, and other conductive materials. Substrates include, but are not limited to, semiconductor wafers. Substrates may be exposed to pretreatment processes to grind, etch, reduce, oxidize, hydroxylate, anneal, UV cure, electron beam cure, and / or bake the substrate surface. In addition to performing film processing directly on the surface of the substrate itself, as described in more detail below, any of the disclosed film processing steps may also be performed on an underlying layer formed on the substrate, and the term "substrate surface" is intended to include such underlying layers as the context dictates. Thus, for example, where a film / layer or portion of a film / layer has been deposited onto a substrate surface, the exposed surface of the newly deposited film / layer becomes the substrate surface.

[0018] As used herein, "atomic layer deposition" or "cyclic deposition" refers to a process that involves sequential exposure to two or more reactive compounds to deposit a layer of material on a substrate surface. A substrate, or a portion of a substrate, is exposed separately to two or more reactive compounds, which are introduced into a reaction zone of a processing chamber. In a time-domain ALD process, exposure to each reactive compound is separated by a time delay to allow each compound to adhere to and / or react on the substrate surface and subsequently purge from the processing chamber. These reactive compounds are referred to as being exposed to the substrate sequentially. In a spatial ALD process, different portions of the substrate surface, or material on the substrate surface, are exposed simultaneously to two or more reactive compounds, such that any given point on the substrate is not substantially exposed to more than one reactive compound simultaneously. As used in this specification and the appended claims, as those skilled in the art will understand, the term "substantially" in this context means that there is a possibility that a small portion of the substrate may be exposed to multiple reactive gases simultaneously due to diffusion, and that such simultaneous exposure is unintentional.

[0019] In one aspect of a time-domain ALD process, a first reactive gas (i.e., a first precursor or compound A) is pulsed into the reaction zone, followed by a first time delay. Next, a second precursor or compound B is pulsed into the reaction zone, followed by a second delay. During each time delay, a purge gas (such as argon) is introduced into the processing chamber to purge the reaction zone or otherwise remove any residual reactive compound or reaction byproducts from the reaction zone. Alternatively, the purge gas can flow continuously throughout the deposition process, with only the purge gas flowing during the time delays between pulses of the reactive compounds. The reactive compounds are pulsed alternately until a desired film or film thickness is formed on the substrate surface. In either case, an ALD process of pulsing compound A, purge gas, compound B, and purge gas is referred to as a cycle. The cycle can begin with either compound A or compound B and continue in the corresponding order of cycles until a film having a desired thickness is achieved.

[0020] In one embodiment of a spatial ALD process, a first reactant gas and a second reactant gas (e.g., nitrogen) are delivered simultaneously to the reaction region, separated by an inert gas curtain and / or a vacuum curtain. The substrate is moved relative to the gas delivery apparatus so that any given point on the substrate is exposed to both the first and second reactant gases. The gas curtain can be any suitable gas separation arrangement known to those skilled in the art. For example, in some embodiments of a spatial ALD process chamber, the gas curtain is formed by a combination of purge gas ports and vacuum ports to maintain separation between the reactant gases and prevent gas-phase reactions.

[0021] As used in this specification and the appended claims, the terms "reactive compound," "reactive gas," "reactive substance," "precursor," "process gas," and the like are used interchangeably to refer to a substance having a species capable of reacting with a substrate surface or a material on the substrate surface in a surface reaction (e.g., chemisorption, oxidation, reduction, cycloaddition). The substrate or a portion of the substrate is sequentially exposed to two or more reactive compounds, which are introduced into a reaction zone of a processing chamber.

[0022] One or more embodiments of the present disclosure advantageously provide an apparatus for reducing the high cost of atomic layer deposition (ALD) chemistry by more than 75%. In some embodiments, the chemistry is captured, recompressed, and returned to the gas supply ampoule for use in the next ALD cycle. Some embodiments advantageously maintain the chemistry in the gas phase throughout the recovery process.

[0023] Current chemical delivery solutions transport molybdenum chloride or molybdenum oxychloride from the subfab to the tool. Gas lines are often 75 to 100 feet long. Subfab systems are very large (approximately 4 m³), ​​and gases must be maintained above approximately 150°C throughout their delivery to the point of use. Therefore, some embodiments of the present disclosure advantageously provide apparatus and methods that reduce chemical consumption by greater than or equal to 75%, allowing the gas supply to be located at the chamber, as significantly less chemical is consumed.

[0024] As used herein, the chemical formulas MoCl and MoOCl represent "molybdenum chloride" and "molybdenum oxychloride," respectively. Those skilled in the art will recognize that the general formulas for molybdenum chloride and molybdenum oxychloride do not indicate any particular stoichiometric relationship. The formulas MoCl and MoOCl provide identification of the elements present in a particular precursor compound, rather than the ratios of the elements. For example, molybdenum (III) chloride and molybdenum (V) chloride are referred to herein as MoCl or molybdenum chloride unless a specific oxidation state or stoichiometry is indicated.

[0025] Current methods of atomic layer deposition of molybdenum leave approximately 2% of the chemistry on the wafer, wasting approximately 98% of the MoClx or MoOxCly precursor that settles into the pumping lines or is deposited throughout the chamber, front stages, pumps, etc. Although various embodiments of the present disclosure represent the use of molybdenum chloride or molybdenum oxychloride precursors, those skilled in the art will recognize that the present disclosure is not limited to molybdenum precursors, chloride precursors, or oxychloride precursors, and any suitable precursor may be used.

[0026] Some embodiments of the present disclosure flow a precursor (e.g., MoClx or MoOxCly) from a source ampoule into a chamber, then pull the reactant gas into a piston pump, which then pushes the gas back into the ampoule. The gas is maintained at a low pressure (e.g., between 2 Torr and 50 Torr), and all internal surfaces are heated to above the dew point (e.g., between 100°C and 200°C). The heating and reduced pressure keep the gas in the gas phase, rather than a liquid or transforming back into a solid (which may be at atmospheric pressure and temperature).

[0027] Some embodiments of the present disclosure add heated local pumps and gas delivery lines and valves to the gas flow paths of the processing chamber. In some embodiments, spatial separation of the ALD gases and station sealing allow for consistent recovery of unreacted precursors.

[0028] The piston pump of some embodiments is constructed from typical semiconductor processing materials (e.g., stainless steel) along with bellows to enable operation at elevated temperatures without particle generation. The piston pump of some embodiments is driven by a servo ball screw actuator for precise speed and displacement control. The piston pump of some embodiments has a volume four times larger than the processing chamber, allowing four-fifths (80%) of the gas volume to be recycled.

[0029] FIG. 1 illustrates a semiconductor manufacturing process chamber 100 with a recirculation pump 118 in an expanded position according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. FIG. 2 illustrates the semiconductor manufacturing process chamber 100 of FIG. 1 with the recirculation pump 118 in a compressed position according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0030] Semiconductor manufacturing processing chamber 100 includes a chamber body 102 having sidewalls 104, a bottom 106, and a lid 108, which enclose an interior volume 109. Chamber body 102 can be made of any suitable material known to those skilled in the art. For example, in some embodiments, chamber body 102 is made of aluminum. For visualization purposes, various components of the illustrated embodiment have different crosshatching. This crosshatching is intended to facilitate identification of components and is not related to the material of construction.

[0031] A substrate support 110 is positioned within the interior volume 109 of the chamber body 102. The substrate support 110 has a support surface 112 configured to support a semiconductor wafer 114. The support surface 112 is spaced a distance from the chamber lid 108 to create a processing area 115. A top surface 116 of the semiconductor wafer 114 faces the chamber lid 108 such that the top surface 116 is exposed to process gases.

[0032] In some embodiments, the substrate support 110 includes a heater 113. The heater 113 can be made of any suitable material known to those skilled in the art. In some embodiments, the heater 113 includes electrodes embedded within the substrate support 110. In some embodiments, a power source (not shown) is connected to the electrodes, and power applied to the electrodes causes resistive heating in the heater 113 and increases the temperature of the substrate support 110 and the semiconductor wafer 114.

[0033] In some embodiments, the substrate support 110 further includes an electrostatic chuck (ESC) (not shown). In embodiments having an ESC, at least one power source is connected to at least one electrode within the ESC and is configured to polarize the electrodes of the ESC to generate an electrostatic charge that can clamp the semiconductor wafer 114 during processing. Those skilled in the art will be familiar with the design and construction of electrostatic chucks.

[0034] The gas inlet 130 is configured to provide a gas flow to the processing region 115. The chamber lid 108 of the illustrated embodiment includes a support plate 132 and a showerhead 134. The support plate 132 and showerhead 134 are spaced apart to form an inlet plenum 136. In the illustrated embodiment, the support plate 132 has a concave front surface that forms a funnel-shaped inlet plenum 136. The showerhead 134 includes a plurality of apertures 135 that allow process gas to flow from the inlet plenum 136 to the processing region 115. In some embodiments, a front surface 137 of the showerhead 134 is spaced apart from the top surface 116 of the semiconductor wafer 114 during processing, such that the processing region 115 is between the top surface 116 of the semiconductor wafer 114 and the front surface 137 of the showerhead 134. In the illustrated embodiment, the support plate 132 and the showerhead 134 are part of the gas inlet 130, as the gas flowing through the gas inlet 130 is delivered into the processing region 115 via the inlet plenum 136 and the showerhead 134. In some embodiments, the gas inlet 130 is located as close to the support plate 132 as possible to minimize any dead volume in the system, thereby increasing the amount of precursor that can be recovered.

[0035] In some embodiments, the gas inlet 130 includes one or more gas sources. For example, an inert gas source 131 and a metal precursor source 139 are shown connected to the gas inlet 130. In some embodiments, one or more valves 133 are located between the inert gas source 131 and / or the metal precursor source 139 to control the flow of gas into the gas inlet 130.

[0036] The recirculation plenum 140 is in fluid communication with the process area 115 and the recirculation volume 125. In use, when the recirculation pump 118 performs a pumping stroke, process gases from the process area 115 flow into the recirculation plenum 140. However, to prevent accidental leakage of expensive and / or hazardous chemicals, the sidewall 104 or chamber lid 108 (depending on the configuration of the semiconductor processing chamber 100) includes an O-ring 142. An exhaust plenum 144 is concentrically positioned around the process area 115. Gaseous substances exiting the process area 115 are prevented from being transferred to the exterior of the semiconductor processing chamber 100 by the O-ring 142. If substances are to be transferred via the O-ring 142, the exhaust plenum 144 serves as a backup to prevent leakage into the environment.

[0037] At least one fast-acting valve 150 is connected to the recirculation plenum 140. While the term "fast-acting valve" is used to describe various valves, those skilled in the art will appreciate that other types of valves may be used and fall within the definition of a fast-acting valve. For example, suitable fast-acting valves include, but are not limited to, ALD valves and isolation valves. Fast-acting valves may be pneumatically, electrically, or manually actuated. Fast-acting valve 150 is connected to the recirculation plenum 140. (145 and 150 are identical components) (160 and 145 are identical components). In some embodiments, all fast-acting valves 150 may be configured to provide fluid communication between the recirculation plenum 140 and one or more of the recirculation paths or recirculation inlet line 121 through the fast-acting valves 150. In some embodiments, at least one fast-acting valve 150 is configured to isolate the recirculation plenum 140 from the recirculation inlet line 121. In some embodiments, fast-acting valve 150 is configured to provide fluid communication between the recirculation plenum 140 and the recirculation inlet line 121.

[0038] In some embodiments, there is one fast-acting valve 150 connecting the recirculation plenum 140 to the recirculation volume 125 via the recirculation inlet line 121. In some embodiments, there is more than one at least one fast-acting valve 150 connecting the recirculation plenum 140 to the recirculation volume 125 via the recirculation inlet line 121. In some embodiments, there are two, three, or four at least one fast-acting valves 150 connecting the recirculation plenum 140 to the recirculation volume 125 via the recirculation inlet line 121. In some embodiments, when there is more than one at least one fast-acting valve 150, the at least one fast-acting valve 150 is positioned equidistantly around the process area 115. For example, if there are two at least one fast-acting valves 150, each fast-acting valve 150 is positioned 180° from the center of the process area 115. In an embodiment in which there are three at least one fast-acting valves 150, the valves are positioned 120° apart around the center of the process area 115. In some embodiments, there are four of the at least one fast-acting valves 150 , and each is positioned equidistant from at least one other such that each is positioned at 90° intervals around the center of the process area 115 .

[0039] In some embodiments, the recirculation pump 118 within the recirculation housing 120 is implemented as a piston pump 118 and has a recirculation volume 125 defined by a movable wall 122, a bellows 123, and a fixed wall 124. In some embodiments, the bellows 123 is connected to a bellows flange 126 positioned on top of the chamber lid 108 or the sidewall 104 of the chamber body 102. The bellows 123 can be any suitable component known to those skilled in the art that allows for movement of the movable wall 122 while maintaining a seal between the recirculation volume 125 and an outer volume 127 formed by the recirculation housing 120 and the recirculation volume 125.

[0040] The recirculation housing 120 of some embodiments further includes an upper wall 128 that defines the movable wall 122 and the bellows 123. When the upper wall 128 is included, the outer volume 127 is located between the movable wall 122 and the bellows 123 and the upper wall 128, such that the movable wall 122 is located within the volume of the recirculation housing 120. In some embodiments, the recirculation housing 120 further includes a vacuum source 145 that is connected to the outer volume 127 of the recirculation housing 120 outside the recirculation volume 125.

[0041] Recirculation volume 125 is in fluid communication with recirculation inlet line 121 and recirculation outlet line 129. Recirculation outlet line 129 forms a fluid connection between recirculation volume 125 and recirculation valve 160. While the term "recirculation valve" is used to describe various valves, those skilled in the art will appreciate that other types of valves may be used and fall within the definition of a recirculation valve. For example, suitable recirculation valves include, but are not limited to, ALD valves and isolation valves. The recirculation valve may be pneumatically, electrically, or manually actuated.

[0042] In some embodiments, the recirculation volume 125 is in fluid communication with a precursor ampoule 165 via a recirculation valve 160 and a recirculation exhaust line 163, which is in fluid communication with a recirculation outlet line. The precursor ampoule 165 of some embodiments is the same container as the metal precursor source 139 connected to the gas inlet 130, as previously described, or it can be a different container. For example, in some embodiments, the recirculation volume 125 is configured to refill the metal precursor source 139 with unreacted metal precursor between separate exposures to the metal precursor as part of an ALD process. In some embodiments, the recirculation volume 125 is configured to refill an auxiliary precursor storage container (precursor ampoule 165) that is separate from the metal precursor source 139 connected to the gas inlet 130. In embodiments where an auxiliary precursor storage container (precursor ampoule 165) is used, the chemical filling the precursor ampoule 165 can undergo post-filling processing (e.g., purification) or can be used as a substitute for the metal precursor source 139 connected to the gas inlet 130 in subsequent processes.

[0043] The recirculation housing 120 of some embodiments further includes an actuator 155. The actuator is configured to move the movable wall 122 to change the volume of the recirculation volume 125. In some embodiments, the volume of the recirculation volume 125 can be changed between an expanded volume (as shown in FIG. 1 ) and a compressed volume (as shown in FIG. 2 ). Movement of the movable wall 122 causes the bellows 123 to change between a compressed state and an expanded state. When the movable wall 122 is in the expanded volume position, the bellows 123 is in an expanded state. When the movable wall 122 is in the compressed volume position, the bellows 123 is in a compressed state. In other words, the piston pump of some embodiments further includes an actuator 155 configured to move the movable wall 122 to change the volume of the recirculation volume 125 between an expanded volume and a compressed volume, thereby compressing or expanding the bellows 123.

[0044] The expansion volume of the recirculation pump 118 can be any suitable volume, depending on the size of the process area 115 and other factors. In some embodiments, the expansion volume of the recirculation pump 118 is greater than or equal to 3 L, 3.5 L, 4 L, 4.5 L, 5 L, 5.5 L, 6 L, 6.5 L, or 7 L. In some embodiments, the expansion volume of the recirculation pump 118 is a factor of the volume of the process area 115. In some embodiments, the expansion volume of the recirculation pump 118 is greater than or equal to 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, or 9 times the volume of the process area 115. In an exemplary embodiment, the recirculation volume 125 of the recirculation pump 118 is approximately four times the volume of the process area 115, so that when the process area 115 and the recirculation volume 125 are filled with metal precursor, 80% (4 / 5) of the total volume of the metal precursor is present in the recirculation volume 125 and can be recovered for recycling.

[0045] The compressed volume is less than the expanded volume. In some embodiments, the compressed volume is less than or equal to 1 L, 0.9 L, 0.8 L, 0.7 L, 0.6 L, 0.5 L, 0.4 L, 0.3 L, 0.2 L, 0.1 L, 0.09 L, 0.08 L, 0.07 L, 0.06 L, or 0.05 L. In some embodiments, the compression ratio of the recirculation housing 120 is greater than or equal to 50x, 60x, 70x, 80x, 85x, 90x, 95x, 96x, 97x, 98x, or 99x the expanded displacement. For example, a recirculation volume 125 having an expanded volume of 6.5 L is compressed to a volume of approximately 0.3 L, which has a compression ratio of approximately

[0046] Actuator 155 can be any suitable component known to those skilled in the art that is compatible with the hardware requirements. For example, in some embodiments, actuator 155 has sufficient force and / or stroke length and / or speed to move movable wall 122 between a compressed position and an extended position. In some embodiments, the stroke of actuator 155 is greater than or equal to 2 cm, 3 cm, 4 cm, 5 cm, or 6 cm. In some embodiments, actuator 155 is a linear actuator. In some embodiments, linear actuators include one or more of a mechanical actuator, a hydraulic actuator, a pneumatic actuator, a piezoelectric actuator, a coil actuator, a telescopic actuator, and a motor such as a servo motor or a stepper motor, or any other actuation mode. In some embodiments, linear actuators include one or more of a ball screw drive, a linear screw, or a belt-driven actuator.

[0047] In some embodiments, the stationary wall 124 of the recirculation housing 120 is temperature controlled to prevent condensation of metal or any precursor within the recirculation volume 125. In some embodiments, the stationary wall 124 of the recirculation housing 120 is connected to the chamber lid 108, support plate 132, or showerhead 134, or to a portion of the chamber lid 108, support plate 132, or showerhead 134. In some embodiments, the stationary wall 124 is positioned in close proximity to the temperature-controlled gas inlet 130 (e.g., the temperature-controlled showerhead 134 and / or support plate 132), such that the stationary wall 124, and subsequently the recirculation volume 125, is heated due to proximity. In some embodiments, one or more of the stationary wall 124 or upper wall 128 of the recirculation housing 120 is equipped with a heater (e.g., a resistive heater) to control the temperature of the recirculation pump 118, and the recirculation lines include a recirculation inlet line 121 and a recirculation outlet line 129 (not labeled), as well as a recirculation exhaust line 163 that is independent of adjacent components.

[0048] 1 to 3 , one or more embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to a method for recycling semiconductor manufacturing precursors. FIG3 shows a schematic diagram of a semiconductor manufacturing process chamber 100 and flow paths / valves.

[0049] In some embodiments, the method includes directing gas from a process region 115 of a semiconductor fabrication processing chamber 100 to an exhaust plenum 144. In some embodiments, the exhaust plenum 144 is circularly shaped around the process region 115 such that the exhaust plenum 144 is concentric with the substrate support 110. In some embodiments, the exhaust plenum 144 surrounds the recirculation plenum 140.

[0050] A foreline (not shown) is in fluid communication with the exhaust plenum 144. A vacuum seal (e.g., O-ring 142) blocks gas flow from exiting the process area 115 to the exhaust plenum 144, allowing gas flow to be routed to the recirculation inlet line 121 via at least one fast-acting valve 150.

[0051] To fill the recirculation volume 125 of the recirculation pump 118, the at least one fast-acting valve 150 is adjusted to allow gas to pass through the at least one fast-acting valve 150 to the recirculation inlet line 121 and into the recirculation volume 125. Additionally, the recirculation valve 160 is closed to prevent gas from flowing out of the recirculation volume 125 through the recirculation outlet line 129. The recirculation valve 160 may be closed before, simultaneously with, or after the at least one fast-acting valve 150 is opened to allow flow from the process area 115 to the recirculation volume 125.

[0052] In some embodiments, the one or more valves 133 on the gas inlet 130 are closed before the at least one fast-acting valve 150 is adjusted to deliver gas to the recirculation volume 125. In some embodiments, the one or more valves 133 on the gas inlet 130 are closed while the at least one exhaust piston valve 150 is adjusted to deliver gas to the recirculation volume 125. In some embodiments, the one or more valves 133 on the gas inlet 130 are closed after the at least one exhaust piston valve 150 is adjusted to send gas to the recirculation volume 125.

[0053] When at least one fast-acting valve 150 is adjusted to allow fluid communication between process area 115 and recirculation volume 125, the total volume of process gas is the sum of process area 115, recirculation volume 125, and the intermediate gas flow path (e.g., recirculation plenum 140, at least one fast-acting valve 150, and recirculation inlet line 121). Typically, the volume of the intermediate gas flow path is relatively small compared to the volumes of process area 115 and recirculation volume 125, and its contribution to the total volume is negligible. For example, when recirculation volume 125 is four times larger than process area 115, the amount of gas present in recirculation volume 125 at equilibrium is estimated to be 80% of the total gas volume in the closed system. In some embodiments, the volume of process area 115 includes the volume of gas present in recirculation plenum 140. In some embodiments, the volume of gas in the recirculation volume 125 includes the volume of gas in the recirculation inlet line 121 and the recirculation housing recirculation outlet line 129 .

[0054] In some embodiments, filling the recirculation volume 125 further includes changing the recirculation volume 125 when the at least one fast-acting valve 150 is in an open position. In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 2 , when the at least one fast-acting valve 150 is opened to allow fluid communication between the process area 115 and the recirculation volume 125, the movable wall 122 is in a compressed position. Once the at least one fast-acting valve 150 is opened, the movable wall 122 can be moved using the actuator 155 to expand the recirculation volume 125 until the movable wall 122 is in an expanded position, as shown in FIG. 1 , representing the maximum possible value of the recirculation volume 125. Moving the movable wall 122 causes the volume within the closed system to expand, such that gas in the process area 115 is effectively drawn into the recirculation volume 125 by the suction force generated by the movement of the movable wall 122.

[0055] Once movable wall 122 has reached the extended position and gas has flowed into recirculation volume 125, each of the fast-acting valves 150 closes to isolate the combined volumes of recirculation inlet line 121, recirculation volume 125, and recirculation outlet line 129. Closing at least one fast-acting valve 150 disconnects the fluid connection between recirculation volume 125 and process area 115. In some embodiments, closing at least one fast-acting valve 150 and breaking seal 142 establishes a fluid connection between process area 115 and exhaust plenum 144, allowing residual reactant gas within process area 115 to be removed from process area 115 to allow for the next step in the process. In some embodiments, before, after, or during the closing of at least one fast-acting valve 150, one or more valves 133 of gas inlet 130 may be adjusted to allow purge gas (e.g., from inert gas source 131) to flow into process area 115 and to vacuum plenum 144 by breaking seal (e.g., O-ring 142).

[0056] Before, after, or during the purging of the process area 115 with a purge gas (e.g., from the inert gas source 131), the gas within the recirculation volume 125 can be recycled into a new container (e.g., precursor ampoule 165) or into the existing metal precursor source 139. To recycle the gas from the process area 115, the recirculation valve 160 is moved to an open position to establish a fluid connection between the recirculation volume 125 and the metal precursor source 139 (or precursor ampoule 165) via the recirculation outlet line 129. In other words, in some embodiments, gas is directed from the recirculation volume 125 to the metal precursor source 139 (or precursor ampoule 165) via the recirculation outlet line 129 and the recirculation valve 160.

[0057] In some embodiments, directing gas from the recirculation volume 125 to the metal precursor source 139 (or precursor ampoule 165) further includes moving the movable wall 122 to change the recirculation volume 125. For example, after opening the recirculation valve 160, in some embodiments, the movable wall 122 is moved from an expanded position (as shown in FIG. 1 ) to a compressed position (as shown in FIG. 2 ) using the actuator 155 to exhaust gas from the recirculation volume 125 into the metal precursor source 139 (or precursor ampoule 165). Once the gas in the recirculation volume 125 has been exhausted to the metal precursor source 139 (or precursor ampoule 165), the recirculation valve 160 is adjusted to isolate the recirculation volume 125 from the recirculation exhaust line 163.

[0058] In some embodiments, the recirculation volume 125 is flushed with an inert gas to allow it to be cleaned for future use. To clean the recirculation volume 125, the recirculation valve 160 is adjusted to allow fluid communication through the recirculation valve 160 and the exhaust line 163 to a vacuum source (not shown) rather than to a precursor tank. At least one fast-acting valve 150 is adjusted to allow fluid communication between the process area 115 and the recirculation volume 125 via the at least one fast-acting valve 150 and the recirculation inlet line 121. An inert gas flow (i.e., from an inert gas source 131 or other source) is provided via the gas inlet 130 via one or more valves 133. From the inert gas source 131, the gas flows through the one or more valves 133 and the gas inlet 130 into the inlet plenum 136. From the inlet plenum 136, the gas is then delivered through the plurality of orifices 135 of the showerhead 134 into the process area 115. The gas in the process area 115 may then flow through at least one fast-acting valve 150, the recirculation inlet line 121, the recirculation volume 125, the recirculation outlet line 129, the recirculation piston valve 160, the exhaust line 162, and the vacuum source 145, thereby flushing the flow path and the recirculation volume 125. In some embodiments, cleaning the recirculation volume 125 further includes moving the movable wall 122 between an expanded position and a compressed position one or more times to create a pulse effect on the gas flow.

[0059] In some embodiments, the method further includes heating the recirculation volume 125 to prevent precursor condensation. Heating the recirculation volume 125 can be accomplished by any suitable technique known to those skilled in the art. In some embodiments, heating the recirculation volume 125 is accomplished by positioning the fixed wall 124 near a heated region (e.g., a heated showerhead 134) of the semiconductor manufacturing process chamber 100. In some embodiments, heating the recirculation volume 125 includes powering heating elements within one or more of the fixed wall 124 or the movable wall 122 of the recirculation housing 120. In some embodiments, heating the recirculation volume 125 includes powering heating elements within one or more of the sidewalls 104 or the support plate 132 of the process chamber 100.

[0060] In some embodiments, as shown in Figures 1 and 2 , a controller 190 is coupled to the semiconductor manufacturing process chamber 100, at least one fast-acting valve 150, a recirculation valve 160, one or more valves 133 of the gas inlet 130, the heater 113 of the substrate support 110, the actuator 155 of the recirculation housing 120 (or piston pump), or one or more of their components. For example, the system controller 190 can control the operation of the semiconductor manufacturing process chamber 100, actuators, valves, flow controllers, power supplies, and any monitoring components included in the system known to those skilled in the art. In operation, the system controller 190 can enable data collection and feedback from the semiconductor manufacturing process chamber 100 to coordinate system performance.

[0061] System controller 190 generally includes a central processing unit (CPU) 192, memory 194, and support circuits 196. CPU 192 can be any general-purpose processor suitable for use in an industrial environment. Memory 194, or non-transitory computer-readable media, is accessible by CPU 192 and can be one or more of random-access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), a floppy disk, a hard disk, or any other form of local or remote digital storage. Support circuits 196 are coupled to CPU 192 and may include cache memory, clock circuits, input / output subsystems, power supplies, and the like. The various methods disclosed herein can generally be implemented under the control of CPU 192 by CPU 192 executing computer instruction code stored, for example, as software routines, in memory 194 (or memory in a particular processing chamber). When the CPU 192 executes the computer instruction code, the CPU 192 controls the chambers or valves according to various methods to perform the process.

[0062] In some embodiments, the controller 190 has one or more predetermined configurations for controlling components of the semiconductor manufacturing process chamber 100. In some embodiments, the controller 190 has

[0063] In some embodiments, at least one controller 190 has a first configuration for filling the recirculation volume 125 with a precursor from the process area 115. The first configuration includes instructions for moving the movable wall 122 of the piston pump (recirculation housing 120) to the expansion volume using the actuator 155, operating the recirculation piston valve 160 to isolate the recirculation outlet line 129, and operating the at least one piston valve 150 to direct the flow of gas from the exhaust plenum 140 to the recirculation volume 125 via the recirculation inlet line 121.

[0064] In some embodiments, at least one controller 190 has a second configuration to evacuate the recirculation volume 125 into the ampoule 165 or the metal precursor source 139. The second configuration includes instructions to operate at least one exhaust piston valve 150 to isolate the recirculation inlet line 121 from the recirculation volume 125, operate the recirculation piston valve 160 to provide fluid communication between the recirculation volume 125 and the ampoule 165 (or the metal precursor source 139) via the recirculation outlet line 129, and use the actuator 155 to move the movable wall 122 of the piston pump (recirculation housing 120) to evacuate the gas within the recirculation volume 125 via the recirculation outlet line 129 to the ampoule 165 (or the metal precursor source 139).

[0065] References throughout this specification to "one embodiment," "certain embodiments," "one or more embodiments," or "an embodiment" mean that a particular feature, structure, material, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the present disclosure. Thus, the appearance of phrases such as "in one or more embodiments," "certain embodiments," "in one embodiment," or "in an embodiment" in various places throughout this specification are not necessarily referring to the same embodiment of the present disclosure. Furthermore, in one or more embodiments, the particular features, structures, materials, or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner.

[0066] Although the present disclosure has been described with reference to specific embodiments, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the embodiments described are merely illustrative of the principles and applications of the present disclosure. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made to the methods and apparatuses of the present disclosure without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure. Therefore, the present disclosure is intended to encompass modifications and variations within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.

[0067] 100:Semiconductor manufacturing processing chamber 102: Chamber body 104: Sidewall 106: bottom 108: Chamber cover 109: Internal volume 110: substrate support 112: Support surface 113: Heater 114:Semiconductor wafer 115: Process area 116: Top surface 118: Recirculation pump 120: Recirculation shell 121: Recirculation inlet line 122: Movable wall 123:Extension bellows 124: Fixed wall 125: Recirculation volume 126: Bellows flange 127: External volume 128:Up the wall 129: Recirculation outlet pipeline 130: Gas inlet 131: Gas from inert gas source 132: Support plate 133: Valve 134: Heating nozzle 135: Pore 136: Inlet air chamber 137: front surface 139: Metal Precursor Source 139 / 165: Ampoule 140: Exhaust chamber 142:O-ring 144: Vacuum chamber 145: Vacuum source 150: Exhaust piston valve 155: Actuator 160: Recirculation piston valve 163: Exhaust line 165:Ampoule 190:Controller 192:CPU

[0068] Domestic storage information (please note the order of storage institution, date, and number) none Overseas deposit information (please note the order of deposit country, institution, date, and number) none

Claims

1. A semiconductor manufacturing processing chamber, comprising: A chamber body having a side wall, a bottom, and a cover that enclose an internal volume; A substrate support member, within the internal volume of the chamber body, having a support surface spaced apart from the chamber cover to create a process region; a gas inlet configured to provide a gas flow to the process region; an exhaust chamber in fluid communication with the process region; at least one exhaust piston valve connecting the exhaust chamber to an exhaust line and a recirculation inlet line, the at least one piston valve configured to provide fluid communication between the exhaust line and the recirculation inlet line; and a recirculation housing in fluid communication with the recirculation inlet line.

2. The processing chamber as claimed in claim 1, wherein the gas inlet includes a support plate spaced apart from a nozzle to form an inlet gas chamber.

3. The processing chamber as claimed in claim 2, wherein the recirculation housing is in fluid communication with a precursor ampoule via a recirculation valve in fluid communication with a recirculation outlet line.

4. The processing chamber as claimed in claim 3, wherein the recirculation housing is a piston pump having a recirculation volume defined by a movable wall, a bellows and a fixed wall.

5. The processing chamber as claimed in claim 4, wherein the piston pump further includes an actuator configured to move the movable wall to change a volume of the recirculation volume between an expanded volume and a compressed volume, and to compress or expand the bellows.

6. The processing chamber as described in claim 5, wherein the expanded volume is greater than 5 L and the compressed volume is less than 0.5 L.

7. The processing chamber as claimed in claim 5, wherein the sidewall, support plate and fixed wall are temperature controlled to prevent condensation in the recirculation chamber.

8. The processing chamber as claimed in claim 5, wherein four quick-acting valves are provided to connect the recirculation chamber to the recirculation volume via four or more recirculation inlet lines.

9. The processing chamber as described in claim 8, wherein the four or more recirculation chambers are equidistantly positioned around the process region.

10. The processing chamber as claimed in claim 5, wherein the actuator includes a ball screw driver.

11. The processing chamber as claimed in claim 5, wherein the substrate support includes a heater.

12. The processing chamber as claimed in claim 5, wherein the recirculation housing includes an upper wall and a side wall connected to the cover of the chamber body, the side wall enclosing a recirculation housing volume, and the movable wall being located within the recirculation housing volume.

13. The processing chamber as claimed in claim 12 further includes a vacuum between a vacuum source connected outside the recirculation chamber and the recirculation housing volume.

14. The processing chamber as claimed in claim 5, further comprising at least one controller connected to the actuator of the at least one exhaust piston valve, the recirculation piston valve, and the piston pump.

15. The processing chamber as claimed in claim 14, wherein the at least one controller has a first configuration for filling the recirculation chamber with a precursor from the process region, the first configuration including instructing the movable wall of the piston pump together with the actuator to move to the expanded volume, operating the recirculation piston valve to isolate the recirculation outlet line, and operating the at least one piston valve to direct a gas flow from the exhaust chamber through the recirculation inlet line to the recirculation chamber.

16. The processing chamber as claimed in claim 14, wherein the at least one controller has a second configuration for evacuating the recirculation chamber to the ampoule, the second configuration including instructing to operate the at least one exhaust piston valve to isolate the recirculation inlet line from the recirculation chamber, operating the recirculation piston valve to provide fluid communication between the recirculation chamber and the ampoule via the recirculation outlet line, and using the actuator to move the movable wall of the piston pump to discharge the gas in the recirculation chamber to the ampoule via the recirculation outlet line.

17. A semiconductor manufacturing processing chamber, comprising: A chamber body having a side wall, a bottom, and a cover that enclose an internal volume; A substrate support member, within the internal volume of the chamber body, the substrate support member having a support surface spaced apart from the chamber cover to create a process area; a gas inlet configured to provide an airflow to the process area, the gas inlet including a support plate spaced apart from a nozzle to form an inlet gas chamber, the inlet gas chamber being in fluid communication with the process area via the nozzle; an exhaust gas chamber in fluid communication with the process area; a recirculation housing on the cover of the processing chamber, the recirculation housing being a piston pump having a recirculation gas chamber defined by a movable wall, a bellows and a fixed wall, the recirculation gas chamber being in fluid communication with a recirculation inlet line and a recirculation outlet line; At least one exhaust piston valve connects the exhaust chamber to an exhaust line and the recirculation inlet line, the at least one piston valve being configured to provide fluid communication between the exhaust line and the recirculation inlet line; and an ampoule connector is in fluid communication with the recirculation chamber via the recirculation outlet line and the recirculation piston valve.

18. A method for recovering a semiconductor manufacturing metal precursor, the method comprising the steps of: guiding gas from a process region of a processing chamber through a recirculation chamber, at least one fast-acting valve and a recirculation inlet line; and guiding the gas from the recirculation chamber through a recirculation outlet line and a recirculation valve to an ampoule.

19. The method as described in claim 18, wherein the method further comprises the step of heating the recirculation chamber to prevent condensation.

20. The method as described in claim 18 further includes the step of: compressing or expanding a volume of the recirculation chamber by moving a movable wall that defines the recirculation chamber.

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