Device for increasing the flux from an ampoule

Abstract

An ampoule and method of use for semiconductor manufacturing precursors are described. The ampoule includes a container having an inlet port and an outlet port. The inlet port has a spray head at its end within the container. The spray head has at least two angled nozzles to direct the gas flow within the cavity such that the gas flow is not perpendicular to the surface of the liquid within the ampoule.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure generally relates to methods for forming contacts of semiconductor devices. In particular, the present disclosure relates to processes for forming self-aligned contacts with critical dimension control. Background Art

[0002] The semiconductor industry is using an increasing variety of chemicals in liquid or solid form for chemical vapor deposition (CVD) and atomic layer deposition (ALD) processes. Precursors are typically in a closed container or ampoule with a single inlet and a single outlet.

[0003] Precursors with low vapor pressure typically use a carrier gas to transport the vapor from the ampoule to the processing reactor. For these types of processes, two types of ampoules are commonly used: bubblers, where the inlet carrier gas enters a tube immersed in the precursor; and cross-flow ampoules, where the carrier gas sweeps the headspace in the ampoule. In some cases, bubblers cannot be used due to entrainment of the precursor, or cross-flow ampoules cannot be used because the flux of the precursor does not meet the processing parameters.

[0004] Accordingly, there is a need in the art for ampoules and methods that provide a higher precursor flux than cross-flow ampoules. Summary of the Invention

[0005] One or more embodiments of the present disclosure relate to an ampoule for semiconductor manufacturing precursors. The ampoule includes a container having a bottom, sidewalls, and a lid that enclose a cavity. An inlet port is in fluid communication with the cavity. The inlet port has a spray head at an end of the inlet port that is located within the cavity. The spray head includes at least two angled nozzles to direct an air flow such that when liquid is present in the container, the air flow is not perpendicular to the surface of the liquid. An outlet port is in fluid communication with the cavity.

[0006] Additional embodiments of the present disclosure relate to an ampoule for semiconductor manufacturing precursors. The ampoule includes a container having a bottom, sidewalls, and a lid that enclose a cavity. An inlet port is in fluid communication with the cavity. The inlet port has a spray head at an end of the inlet port that is located within the cavity. The spray head includes three angled nozzles to direct an air flow such that when liquid is present in the container, the air flow from each nozzle is independently in the range of about 5° to about 7° as measured with respect to a line orthogonal to the surface of the liquid. An outlet port is in fluid communication with the cavity.

[0007] Other embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a method of providing a precursor stream. A carrier gas is flowed through an inlet port of a precursor ampoule having a liquid precursor therein. A showerhead at an end of the inlet port is used within the ampoule to direct the flow of the carrier gas within the ampoule. The showerhead includes at least two angled nozzles so as to direct the gas flow at an angle not perpendicular to the surface of the liquid precursor. The carrier gas and the precursor are flowed out of the ampoule through an outlet port. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0008] To enable a manner of understanding the above-described features of the present invention in detail, a more specific description of the invention 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 invention and are therefore not to be considered limiting of its scope, for the invention may admit to other equivalent embodiments.

[0009] Figure 1 A cross-sectional view of an ampoule in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure is shown;

[0010] Figure 2 Shown is Figure 1 magnified region 2;

[0011] Figure 3 A partial cross-section of an ampoule in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure is shown; and

[0012] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of an ampoule and a conduit in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure is shown.

[0013] In the drawings, like components and / or features may have the same reference numerals. In addition, various components of the same type may be distinguished using a dash and a second symbol following the reference numeral to differentiate between similar components. If only the first reference numeral is used in the specification, the embodiment is applicable to any one of the similar components having the same first reference numeral, regardless of the second reference numeral. The cross-hatching of the components in the drawings is intended to aid in the visualization of the different components and does not necessarily indicate different construction materials. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0014] Before describing several exemplary embodiments of the present invention, it should be understood that the invention is not limited to the details of construction or process steps set forth in the following embodiments. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or carried out in various ways.

[0015] Some embodiments of the present disclosure advantageously provide an ampoule having a higher throughput than a cross-flow ampoule. Some embodiments advantageously provide an ampoule with a gas flow that passes through the liquid precursor without foaming. Some embodiments advantageously provide a gas flow that is not orthogonal to the precursor surface.

[0016] In some embodiments, a spray head is disposed on an inlet of an ampoule and has a plurality of nozzles angled over the liquid therein. The distance between the level of the liquid and the spray head is maintained such that the spray head is not submerged in the liquid.

[0017] Figure 1 An ampoule 100 for semiconductor manufacturing reagents is shown. The term "precursor" is used to describe the contents of the ampoule 100 and refers to any reagent flowing into the processing environment.

[0018] The ampoule 100 includes a container 110 having a bottom 112, sidewalls 114, and a lid 116 that enclose a cavity 118. An inlet port 120 and an outlet port 130 are in fluid communication with the cavity 118.

[0019] The inlet port 120 is generally configured to allow connection to a gas source and may have a suitable threaded or sealed connection. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the inlet port 120 has a passage 121 that has an inner diameter defining the cross-sectional width of the passage 121. The passage 121 has a bottom end 125 that can be curved, tapered, or reach a flat end.

[0020] The inlet port 120 has a spray head 122 at an end 123 of the inlet port 120 located within the cavity 118. The spray head 122 is the portion of the inlet port 120 between the bottom end 125 of the passage 121 and the end 123 of the inlet port 120. The spray head 122 includes at least two angled nozzles 140 to direct an air flow 141. The number of nozzles 140 in the spray head 122 can range from about 2 to about 24, or from about 2 to about 18, or from about 2 to about 12, or from about 2 to about 10, or from about 2 to about 8, or from about 2 to about 6, or from about 2 to about 4. In some embodiments, there are three nozzles 140 in the spray head 122.

[0021] The nozzles 140 are configured to provide an angled air flow 141 that is measured relative to a line orthogonal to the surface 151 of the liquid 150 within the ampoule 100. Refer to Figure 2 and Figure 3 each nozzle 140 has an axis 144 that is angled θ relative to a line orthogonal 145 to the surface 151.

[0022] The angle θ can be any suitable angle that is not perpendicular to the surface 151 of the liquid 150. Each nozzle 140 can have an angle θ that is different from any other nozzle 140. In some embodiments, the angle θ is greater than 1°, 2°, 3°, or 4° relative to a line orthogonal 145 to the surface 151. In some embodiments, the angle θ is in the range of about 2° to about 25°, or in the range of about 2.5° to about 15°, or in the range of about 3° to about 12°, or in the range of about 4° to about 10°, or in the range of about 5° to about 7°. In some embodiments, the gas flow exiting the nozzle is not perpendicular to the surface 151 of the liquid 150 within the container 110.

[0023] The outlet port 130 is also in fluid communication with the cavity 118 in the container 110. The outlet port 130 is typically configured to be connectable to a pipeline to allow the gas exiting the container 110 to flow to a processing chamber (or other component). The outlet port 130 can have a threaded connection to allow connection of a gas pipeline.

[0024] In some embodiments, as Figure 1 shown, the lid 116 is a component separate from the bottom 112 and the sidewall 114. The lid 116 can be connected to the sidewall 114 of the container 110 through appropriately shaped openings 160 using removable bolts. The openings 160 can have threaded portions to allow convenient connection of the bolts. The bolts can be removed to allow the lid 116 to be removed from the container 110 so that the precursors in the container 110 can be changed or added. In some embodiments, the container 110 includes an O-ring 162 positioned between the lid 116 and the sidewall 114 to form a fluid-tight seal.

[0025] In some embodiments, as Figure 4 shown, the lid 116 can be integrally formed with the sidewall 114 and the bottom 112 of the container 110. Different pipeline configurations can be connected to the lid 116 to allow the ampoule 100 to be added to the processing chamber. In some embodiments, the inlet pipeline 170 is connected to the inlet port 120. The inlet valve 172 can be positioned on the inlet pipeline 170 between the gas source 175 and the inlet port 120. The inlet valve 172 can be integrally formed with the lid 116 or connected to the lid 116 as a separate component. The outlet pipeline 180 can be connected to the outlet port 130. The outlet pipeline 180 of some embodiments includes an outlet valve 182 located between the outlet port 130 and the processing chamber 185. The inlet valve 172 and the outlet valve 182 can be used to isolate the ampoule 100 so that the contents of the cavity 118 are isolated from the environment outside the container 110. In some embodiments, there are multiple valves along the inlet pipeline 170 and / or the outlet pipeline 180. The valves 172, 182 can be manual valves or pneumatic valves.

[0026] In some embodiments, the ampoule 100 includes a liquid 150 within a cavity 118. The liquid 150 can be a precursor for use in semiconductor manufacturing processes. The liquid 150 of some embodiments contains dicobalt hexacarbonyl tert-butylacetylene (CCTBA).

[0027] Referring Figure 3 , the distance D from the nozzle 122 to the surface 151 of the liquid 150 may vary over time and with the use of the precursor. As the precursor is used, the volume within the container 110 will decrease, causing the distance D to increase. The distance D is sufficient to prevent the nozzle 122 from contacting or being submerged in the liquid 150.

[0028] In some embodiments, the gas flow 141 through the inlet port 120 and the nozzle 122 is sufficient to perturb the liquid / gas interface of the liquid precursor without causing bubbling. In some embodiments, perturbing the liquid / gas interface forms a dimple 153 in the surface 151 of the liquid 150. The dimple 153 can have a depth of up to about 3 mm. In some embodiments, the dimple has a depth greater than or equal to about 0.1 mm (measured from the surface 151). In some embodiments, the dimple 153 has a depth less than or equal to about 2.5 mm, 2 mm, 1.5 mm, 1 mm, or 0.5 mm. The gas flow 141 can be adjusted during processing as the level of the liquid 150 decreases to maintain sufficient perturbation of the liquid / gas interface. The gas flow 141 of some embodiments has a maximum velocity sufficient to prevent condensation of the liquid 150 at the outlet port 130.

[0029] 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 invention. Thus, the appearances of phrases such as "in one or more embodiments", "in certain embodiments", "in one embodiment", or "in an embodiment" throughout this specification are not necessarily referring to the same embodiment of the present invention. Additionally, the particular features, structures, materials, or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments.

[0030] Although the invention herein has been described with reference to specific embodiments, it should be understood that these embodiments are merely illustrative of the principles and applications of the invention. 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 invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the invention is intended to embrace modifications and variations within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. An ampoule for a semiconductor manufacturing precursor, the ampoule comprising: A container having a bottom enclosing a cavity, a plurality of side walls, and a lid; An inlet port in fluid communication with the cavity, the inlet port having a spray head at an end of the inlet port within the cavity, the spray head including at least two angled nozzles to direct an air flow such that when liquid is present in the container, the air flow from any nozzle is not perpendicular to the surface of the liquid; and An outlet port in fluid communication with the cavity, Wherein the air flow is sufficient to disrupt the liquid / gas interface of the liquid precursor to form a pit in the surface of the liquid precursor without causing bubbling.

2. The ampoule according to claim 1, wherein when liquid is present, the nozzles are independently angled in a range of 2° to 25° measured relative to a line orthogonal to the surface of the liquid.

3. The ampoule according to claim 1, wherein when liquid is present, the nozzles are independently angled in a range of 5° to 7° measured relative to a line orthogonal to the surface of the liquid.

4. The ampoule according to claim 1, wherein there are nozzles in a range of two to four.

5. The ampoule according to claim 1, wherein all the nozzles are in direct fluid communication with the bottom end of the gas passage defined by the inlet port.

6. The ampoule according to claim 1, wherein the lid is integrally formed with the side walls and the bottom of the container.

7. The ampoule according to claim 1, wherein the lid is a separate component separated from the bottom and the side walls.

8. The ampoule according to claim 7, wherein the lid is connected to the side walls of the container using a plurality of removable bolts.

9. The ampoule according to claim 8, wherein an end of the port is located at a first orthogonal distance from the lid, and the outlet port is located at a second orthogonal distance from the lid, and the first orthogonal distance is greater than the second orthogonal distance.

10. The ampoule according to claim 1, further comprising a liquid precursor within the cavity.

11. The ampoule according to claim 10, wherein the liquid precursor comprises dicobalt hexacarbonyl tert-butylacetylene.

12. The ampoule according to claim 10, further comprising a gas source to provide the air flow.

13. The ampoule according to claim 1, wherein the pit has a depth less than or equal to 1 mm.

14. The ampoule according to claim 12, wherein the air flow has a maximum velocity to prevent condensation at the outlet port.

15. An ampoule for a semiconductor manufacturing precursor, the ampoule comprising: A container having a bottom enclosing a cavity, a plurality of side walls, and a lid; An inlet port, in fluid communication with the cavity, the inlet port having a nozzle head, the nozzle head being at an end of the inlet port located within the cavity, the nozzle head including three angled nozzles to direct an air flow such that when liquid is present in the container, the air flow from any of the nozzles is independently in a range of 5° to 7° as measured with respect to a line orthogonal to the surface of the liquid; and An outlet port, in fluid communication with the cavity, wherein the air flow is sufficient to disrupt the liquid / gas interface of the liquid precursor to form a pit in the surface of the liquid precursor without forming bubbles.

16. The ampoule according to claim 15, wherein the cap is a separate component separated from the bottom and the side wall and is connected to the side wall of the container using a plurality of removable bolts, and the ampoule further includes an O-ring positioned between the cap and the side wall.

17. A method of providing a flow of a precursor, comprising the steps of: Flowing a carrier gas through an inlet port of a precursor ampoule having a liquid precursor therein; Directing the flow of the carrier gas within the ampoule using a nozzle head located at an end of the inlet port, the nozzle head including at least two angled nozzles so as to direct the flow of the carrier gas from any of the nozzles at an angle not perpendicular to the surface of the liquid precursor; and Flowing the carrier gas and the precursor out of the ampoule through an outlet port, wherein the flow of the carrier gas is sufficient to perturb the liquid / gas interface of the liquid precursor to form a pit in the liquid / gas interface of the liquid precursor without allowing bubbles to pass through the liquid precursor.

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein the flow of the carrier gas has a maximum velocity to prevent condensation at the outlet port.

Images