Showerhead assembly for semiconductor processing systems

Abstract

To achieve a constant partial pressure of byproducts and a constant residence time of gas molecules across the entire wafer, a dual showerhead reactor can be used. The dual showerhead configuration achieves spatially uniform partial pressures, residence times, and temperatures for the etchant and the byproducts, thereby producing a uniform etch rate across the wafer. The system can include differential pumping of the reactors.

Description

[0001] Incorporation by reference of any priority application

[0002] This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62 / 875,909, filed on July 18, 2019, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety and for all purposes. Technical Field

[0003] The field generally relates to showerhead arrangements for semiconductor processing systems. Background Art

[0004] Vapor deposition processes such as atomic layer deposition (ALD) are well known. ALD processes typically alternately supply gaseous reactants to a substrate in sequence to deposit a material layer in a controlled and highly conformal manner, where effective removal of the reactants between pulses is very important for minimizing undesirable reactants in the gas phase. Thin films deposited by ALD are used in various applications, such as in the formation of integrated circuits. Controlled removal of material is also highly desirable. An example process for controllably removing material to define circuits and other structures is chemical vapor etching (CVE) or atomic layer etching (ALE). Some CVE processes employ pulsed etchant supply. For example, in some etching processes, sequential pulses of gaseous reactants can remove trace amounts of material from a substrate in a controlled and / or selective manner. Summary of the Invention

[0005] According to one aspect, a semiconductor processing apparatus is disclosed. The apparatus may include: a reaction chamber and a first exhaust port, the first exhaust port being configured to remove vapor from the reaction chamber. The apparatus may also include a showerhead apparatus connected to the reaction chamber and configured to deliver reactant vapor to the reaction chamber. The showerhead apparatus may include: an air inlet configured to supply the reactant vapor to the showerhead apparatus; a first showerhead plate in fluid communication with the air inlet, the first showerhead plate comprising a plurality of openings; and a second showerhead plate comprising: a plurality of air inlets in fluid communication with the plurality of openings, a plurality of air inlets configured to deliver the reactant vapor to the reaction chamber; and a plurality of second exhaust ports configured to remove vapor from the reaction chamber. The apparatus may also include one or more pumps connected to the first exhaust port and the plurality of second exhaust ports, the one or more pumps being configured to remove vapor from the reaction chamber through the first exhaust port and the plurality of second exhaust ports.

[0006] According to one aspect, a semiconductor processing apparatus is disclosed. The apparatus may include: a reaction chamber; a reaction chamber exhaust port configured to remove vapor from the reaction chamber; and a showerhead assembly, the showerhead assembly including: a plurality of distributed gas inlet holes in fluid communication with a reaction vapor source and the reaction chamber; and a plurality of distributed exhaust holes in fluid communication with a pump and the reaction chamber.

[0007] According to one aspect, a method for etching a substrate is disclosed. The method may include supplying a reactant vapor to a showerhead assembly; delivering the reactant vapor to a reaction chamber through a plurality of distributed gas inlet holes in the showerhead assembly; removing the vapor from the reaction chamber through a first exhaust port exposed to the reaction chamber; and removing the vapor from the reaction chamber through a plurality of second exhaust ports in the showerhead assembly. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0008] These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the present invention will now be described with reference to the drawings of several embodiments, which are intended to illustrate and not to limit the present invention.

[0009] Figure 1 Schematic side view illustrating a reactor with a dual showerhead arrangement according to some embodiments.

[0010] Figure 2 A side cross-sectional view of a dual showerhead assembly is illustrated, according to some embodiments.

[0011] Figure 3A An air inlet for a showerhead assembly according to some embodiments is described.

[0012] Figure 3B illustrate Figure 3A Schematic 3D perspective view of the air intake.

[0013] Figure 3C Description contains inserts Figure 3A The air intake.

[0014] Figure 4 A schematic side cross-sectional view illustrating a portion of a dual showerhead apparatus according to some embodiments.

[0015] Figure 5 Description of some embodiments Figure 4 Upper plan view of the second showerhead plate of the lower portion of the showerhead arrangement.

[0016] Figure 6 A top plan view of a second showerhead plate is illustrated in accordance with some embodiments.

[0017] Figure 7 A reactor with dual showerheads and a movable susceptor is described according to some embodiments. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0018] Chemical etching of microelectronic materials may be superior to plasma etching. However, in order to provide a uniform etch rate across the wafer, the partial pressures, residence times, and temperatures of the etching reactants (e.g., adsorbed reactants and / or etchants) and byproducts should not vary significantly spatially over the substrate (e.g., wafer). Showerhead reactors can evenly distribute the partial pressures of the incoming gases, but the partial pressures of the byproducts and the residence times of the gas molecules may not be constant across the wafer. For example, molecules entering from the center of the showerhead have a longer residence time in the reactor than molecules entering from the edge of the wafer because pumping from the reaction chamber to the exhaust port is typically performed from the periphery of the wafer.

[0019] Various embodiments disclosed herein can be used in an etching process (e.g., a CVE process). Any suitable etching chemistry can be used in the disclosed embodiments. As an example, the process can involve one or more etching cycles, wherein each cycle exposes the substrate to a first gas-phase halide reactant having a first halide ligand to form an adsorbed species on the substrate surface, and then exposes the substrate to a second gas-phase halide reactant having a second halide ligand, which converts the adsorbed species into a volatile species, thereby removing at least some material from the film. In various embodiments, the film can include W, TiN, TiO2, TaN, SiN, AlO2, Al2O3, ZrO2, WO3, SiOCN, SiOC, SiCN, AlN, or HfO2. The first gas-phase halide can be a metal halide, such as Nb, Ta, Mo, Sn, V, Re, Te, W, and Group 5 and Group 6 transition metals. The second gas-phase halide can be a carbon-based halide, such as CCl4 or CBr4. Further examples of various etch chemistries and processes that may be used in conjunction with the disclosed embodiments may be found in International Application No. PCT / US2017 / 065170, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety for all purposes.

[0020] To achieve a constant partial pressure of byproducts and uniform residence time of gas molecules across the substrate, a dual showerhead reactor can be used. The dual showerhead configuration achieves spatially uniform partial pressures, residence times, and temperatures for both etching reactants and byproducts, resulting in a uniform etch rate across the wafer. This device can be used in steady-state partial pressure mode, partial pressure pulse mode, full pressure pulse mode, or a combination thereof, depending on which mode is preferred to achieve the desired etch conformality of the substrate.

[0021] In addition, this device can be integrated with differential pumping of the reactor. By adjusting the pump speed and conductivity of the showerhead device and the reaction chamber, the residence time distribution and the partial pressure curve in the reactor can be adjusted, thereby adjusting the etching curve of the substrate (e.g., wafer). For example, the device can be used in a steady-state mode (e.g., constant etching reactant, such as etchant, flow) or a partial pressure pulse mode (e.g., pulsed etchant flow while keeping the total pressure constant), a pressure pulse mode (e.g., constant etchant flow, pulsed full pressure) or a total pulse mode (e.g., pulsed partial pressure and full pressure) or a combination thereof. The pulse mode and the pumping mode can determine the partial pressure and residence time distribution of the etchant gas above the wafer under dynamic flow conditions, so that the conformality and uniformity of the etching process can be controlled.

[0022] In various embodiments, the etch conformality of the etch process used in conjunction with the disclosed embodiments can be: greater than 50%; greater than 80%; greater than 90%; greater than 95%; greater than 98%; or greater than 99%. In some embodiments, the etch selectivity can also be controlled. The etch selectivity calculated by [(etched material on surface A) - (etched material on surface B)] / (etched material on surface A) can be given as a percentage. The amount of etching can be measured in a variety of ways. For example, the amount of etching can be given as a measured reduction in thickness of the etched material, or can be given as a measured amount of etched material based on a comparison of the etched material initially present and the etched material remaining after the etching process. In some embodiments, the selectivity of the etching process is greater than about 10%, greater than about 50%, greater than about 75%, greater than about 85%, greater than about 90%, greater than about 93%, greater than about 95%, greater than about 98%, greater than about 99%, or greater than about 99.5%. In some embodiments, the aspect ratio of the etched features can be greater than approximately 2:1, 3:1, 5:1, 10:1, 20:1, 40:1, or 100:1.

[0023] For example, the first upper chamber of the showerhead apparatus can have continuous flow, and the second bottom reaction chamber can have continuous pumping, where reaction byproducts and precursors are filtered out to reduce pressure spikes. The bottom reaction chamber can supply a constant partial pressure during the precursor exposure time.

[0024] Figure 1A semiconductor processing apparatus 1 is illustrated that includes a reactor 2 having a dual showerhead arrangement 10. The reactor 2 includes a reaction chamber 3 having an interior portion 4 between a susceptor 5 and the showerhead arrangement 10. A susceptor plate 5 is within the reactor 2 and attached to the reaction chamber 3. The susceptor plate 5 extends upward from the base of the reaction chamber 3. During processing, the susceptor plate 5 supports a substrate 6 (e.g., a wafer). The dual showerhead arrangement 10 can be positioned above the susceptor 5 and the substrate 6. Although not shown, a gas manifold can supply reactants and inert gases to the showerhead arrangement 10, which can disperse the gases supplied across the width of the substrate 6 to the etching material. An inlet manifold 11 can be fluidly connected to a reactant source, such as an etching reactant source, for example, an etchant or an adsorbed reactant (see, e.g., Figure 2 ). The etchant source may be a gas cylinder, and / or may include a vaporizing device for vaporizing etchant chemicals that are liquid or solid in nature.

[0025] In some embodiments, the dual showerhead 10 may include a plurality of gas inlets 18 (holes) and a plurality of gas outlets 20 (holes) or exhaust ports. The gas inlets 18 and gas outlets 20 may not be in direct communication with each other, but both may be in direct fluid communication with the reaction chamber 3 below them. In some embodiments, a second exhaust line 26 or exhaust port may be in direct fluid communication with the reaction chamber 3 to remove gas from the reaction chamber 3. Figure 1 As shown in FIG, a reactive gas (e.g., an etching gas) can enter the dual showerhead apparatus 10 at a gas inlet 16, enter an upper plenum 24, and flow toward the susceptor plate 5 holding the wafer 6. The gas outlet 20 of the dual showerhead 10 removes vapors from the reaction chamber 3 via a pump 9 connected to the inner or lower showerhead plenum 22. A second exhaust line 26 can also be used to remove vapors via the pump 9. In some embodiments, the same pump 9 can be used with both exhaust lines 20 and 26. In other embodiments, both gas outlets 20 and 26 have a separate pump 9 connected to each of the exhaust lines 20 and 26. In some embodiments, a valve 38 is connected to each exhaust line 20 and 26 and operates in series with the pump 9 to control the flow of gas out of the reactor reaction chamber 3.

[0026] Therefore, in Figure 1In an embodiment, the semiconductor processing apparatus 1 may include a reaction chamber 3 and a reaction chamber exhaust port 7 configured to remove vapor from the reaction chamber 3. The showerhead arrangement 10 may include a plurality of distributed gas inlets 18 in fluid communication with a reactant vapor source and the reaction chamber 3. The showerhead arrangement 10 may include a plurality of distributed exhaust ports 20 in fluid communication with a pump 9 and the reaction chamber 3. The same or different pumps 9 may be connected to the showerhead 10 and the reaction chamber 3. In the illustrated embodiment, an internal plenum 22 within a lower portion 14 of the showerhead 10 (e.g., defined between two plates) may be in communication with the pump 9. In some embodiments, the gas inlets 18 may extend through the showerhead arrangement 10 and may bypass the internal plenum 22. Above the lower portion 14 of the showerhead 10, the gas inlets 18 may be in communication with an upper plenum 24. Figure 1 A simple side air inlet 16 is shown communicating with the upper air chamber 24. However, as can be seen from Figures 2 to 3C As will be better understood from the following description, the upper plenum 24 may alternatively be in communication with an inlet manifold that distributes the reactant vapors over the upper plenum 24 .

[0027] One or more pumps 9 can draw residual gas from the exhaust port 20 in the showerhead assembly 10 and from the exhaust port 7 of the reaction chamber 3. In some embodiments, the pumping speed of gas through the exhaust port 7 of the reaction chamber 3 in the showerhead assembly 10 can be about 25 m / s. 3 / h to about 5000m 3 / h, where the pump 9 speed is about 50m 3 / h and about 2500m 3 / h, in some embodiments, for example, between about 100m 3 / h and about 2000m 3 In some embodiments, the pumping speed of the gas through the exhaust port 7 of the reaction chamber 3 can be about 25m / h. 3 / h to about 5000m 3 / h, where the pump speed is about 50m 3 / h and about 2500m 3 / h, for example, between about 100m 3 / h and about 2000m 3 / h. In various embodiments, the pump speed (or the valve 38 in communication with the common pump 9) can be adjusted to draw different exhaust gas flow rates from the showerhead device 10 and the exhaust port 7 of the reaction chamber 3. In some embodiments, the ratio of the pumping speed of gas through the exhaust port 20 in the showerhead device 10 to the pumping speed of gas through the exhaust port 7 of the reaction chamber 3 can be in the range of 100:1 to 1:100, in the range of 50:1 to 1:50, in the range of 10:1 to 1:10, in the range of 5:1 to 1:5, in the range of 2:1 to 1:2, or in the range of 1.5:1 to 1:1.5. By adjusting the pumping speed, the etching process can be adjusted. As disclosed herein and in Figure 1 The differential pumping system and techniques shown in can improve the uniformity and conformality of etching technology.

[0028] In various embodiments disclosed herein, the residence time of gaseous or plasma species can be adjusted in a plasma etching reactor. Therefore, in some embodiments, the apparatus 1 can be used in conjunction with a plasma etching reactor. For example, for an RF plasma reactor as known in the art, a remote plasma can be formed in the showerhead 10 (the upper portion 12 and the lower portion 14 of the showerhead 10 act as plasma electrodes), or in situ in the reaction chamber 3 (the showerhead device 10 and the base 5 and / or the reaction chamber 3 wall act as plasma electrodes). The embodiments disclosed herein can also be applied to adjust the plasma itself. In other embodiments, the apparatus 1 disclosed herein can be used in an etching reactor that is not a plasma etching reactor, and / or in a reactor that is not used for a deposition process.

[0029] In various embodiments, a throttle valve can be provided to regulate the pump 9 to adjust the residence time by adjusting the effective pumping speed and / or by using a showerhead assembly 10 with a suitable value for x, i.e., the spacing between the inlet orifice 18 and the outlet orifice 20 of the showerhead assembly 10. In various embodiments, the residence time of a gas molecule can be defined as τ, where τ = υ / s, where υ is the volume of the reaction space and s is the effective volumetric pumping speed. s can be defined as the total effective pumping speed and can depend on the number of orifices in the showerhead assembly 10 and the distance x between the inlet orifice 18 and the outlet orifice 20 of the showerhead assembly 10. The residence time can describe the time a particular gas species spends within the reaction space before being pumped out through the exhaust line 26.

[0030] In some reactors 2 (both plasma and thermal etching reactors), the volume of the reaction space may be constant. Figure 7As shown in , various embodiments disclosed herein provide solutions to a constant reaction space environment. In various embodiments, the residence time can be in the range of 0.1 milliseconds to 10 seconds. For example, the residence time can be in the range of 0.1 milliseconds to 1 millisecond, 1 millisecond to 10 milliseconds, 10 milliseconds to 1 second, 1 second to 5 seconds, 5 seconds to 10 seconds, or 5 seconds to 1 minute. The separation distance x can be in the range of several millimeters to several centimeters, for example, in the range of 1 millimeter to 5 centimeters, or in the range of 1 millimeter to 1 centimeter.

[0031] Figure 2 A cross-sectional view of a semiconductor processing apparatus 1 according to various embodiments is illustrated, the semiconductor processing apparatus including a dual showerhead arrangement 10 for dispersing and exhausting gases onto a substrate 6. In some embodiments, the dual showerhead 10 has an inlet manifold 11 (e.g., a conical top portion) that feeds into an upper portion 12 of the showerhead arrangement 10. The upper portion 12 may include an upper showerhead plate 13 (which may include a cylindrical or disc-shaped body) and an upper plenum 24 therebelow. The upper showerhead plate 13 may be positioned above a second, lower portion 14 of the showerhead arrangement 10. In some embodiments, the inlet manifold 11 and the upper showerhead plate 13 may be manufactured separately and joined by welding the two components together. In other embodiments, the inlet manifold 11 and the upper showerhead plate 13 may be joined together by a mechanical joint. In other embodiments, the dual showerhead 10 may be made from a single piece of material. The connection between the showerhead 10 components may result in a vacuum or non-vacuum type seal. In some embodiments, a space is provided between the upper portion 12 and the lower portion 14 of the showerhead assembly 10 , thus forming an upper showerhead plenum 24 .

[0032] The inlet manifold 11 can be mounted near the upper portion 12. The inlet manifold 11 can be connected to a reactant vapor source, which allows reactant gases from a tank or vaporizer to flow from the inlet manifold 11 into the showerhead assembly 10. Several channels 42 or branches can be formed in the inlet manifold 11 and can be in fluid communication with one or more gas inlet holes 18, for example, through an upper plenum 24. The reactant vapor entering the showerhead assembly 10 through the inlet manifold 11 can travel through the channels 15 defined in the upper showerhead plate 13. In some embodiments, the lower portion 14 of the showerhead assembly 10 can include both an inlet port 18 (hole) and an outlet or exhaust port 20 (hole). The reactant gas inlet hole 18 is in fluid communication with the inlet manifold gas channel 42 and the gas inlet 16 through the upper plenum 24, thereby allowing gas to flow from the showerhead assembly 10 to enter the reaction chamber 3. In some embodiments, the gas outlet or exhaust 20 can pull residual gas into the showerhead assembly 10 by vacuum pressure applied by a vacuum source such as a pump 9. As shown, the reaction chamber gas outlet 7 can draw gas from the reaction chamber 3 and can be in fluid communication with one or more pumps 9. The gas outlet line 26 can be connected to one or more pumps 9, which can create a vacuum pressure that draws residual and other gases into the exhaust 20 of the showerhead assembly 10 and into the reaction chamber exhaust 7. The gas inlet 16 and gas outlet 26 structure of the showerhead assembly 10 and the reactant chamber exhaust 7 can enable the reactor 2 to have a spatially uniform partial pressure, residence time, and temperature for the etchant gas and its byproducts.

[0033] Figure 3A C illustrate various embodiments of the intake manifold 11 above the showerhead assembly 10. Figure 3A As can be seen in FIG, the intake manifold 11 may have a main line 40. Figure 3A and 3B As can be seen in FIG, gas channels 42 can branch out from the main line 40. The gas channels 42 branch out from the main line 40 at multiple points in multiple directions. The main line 40 can have a slightly conical shape, where the inner diameter d of the main line 40 decreases toward the center of the showerhead. By decreasing the inner diameter d toward the center of the showerhead 10, the gas entering the showerhead 10 through the inlet 16 can travel to each channel 42 in a more uniform manner. In some embodiments, an insert 44 is installed in the main line 40 to bifurcate the flow path, as can be seen in FIG. Figure 3C The insert 44 blocks the flow within the main line 40, thereby causing the gas to flow to each branch 42 in a more uniform manner.

[0034] Figure 4 and 5 The lower portion 14 of the showerhead assembly 10 is shown to include two plates 30 , 32 defining a lower or internal plenum 22 therebetween. Figure 5 illustrate Figure 49. In some embodiments, the illustrated lower or internal air chamber 22 includes several hollow channels 23 formed in concentric rings on the base of the second showerhead plate 32, while the first showerhead plate 30 can be flat to cover the channels 23. In some embodiments, the air inlet holes 18 formed in the second plate 32 are between the channels 23, thereby bypassing the internal air chamber 22 (or channels) and aligning with the air inlet holes 18 in the first plate 30. In the illustrated embodiment, the air outlet holes 20 are formed through the bottom of the channels 23. As explained above, the channels 23 or internal air chamber 22 are connected to the pump 9. The precursor air inlet holes 18, the exhaust holes 20, the hollow channels 23, and the connection 25 to the pump 9 can be arranged in a distributed pattern across the lower portion of the showerhead device. For example, Figure 5 The pattern for the reactant inlet ports, exhaust ports, and hollow passages 23 illustrated in FIG is a circular pattern. One of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the illustrated port pattern may be an incomplete pattern and that the pattern may continue around the entire base of the showerhead plate. In some embodiments, the precursor inlet ports 18, exhaust ports 20, hollow passages 23, and connections 25 to the pump 9 may be arranged in a pattern that is similar or different from one another. Figure 5 As shown in , in some embodiments, the lower portion 14 of the showerhead assembly 10 can have four connections 25 to the pump 9 at 90 degrees to each other. In other embodiments, the lower portion 14 of the showerhead assembly 10 can have more or less than four connections 25 to the pump 9.

[0035] Figure 6 An upper plan view of the second showerhead plate 32 of the lower portion 14 of the showerhead assembly 10 is illustrated according to another embodiment. Figure 6 The second showerhead plate 32 may have channels 23 formed in any suitable manner to define the lower or inner plenum 22. The channels 23 may take several different shapes and patterns. For example, Figure 6 As shown in , the hollow channels 23 can be arranged in a zigzag or zigzag pattern. In some embodiments, the second showerhead plate 32 can include a plurality of channels 23, wherein each channel 23 has a different or similar pattern. The inlet holes 18 can be formed outside the channels 23, and the exhaust holes 20 can be formed in fluid communication with the channels 23, while the channels 23 are connected to one or more pumps 9.

[0036] Figure 7A reactor 2 having a dual showerhead arrangement 10 and a movable base plate 50 as described above is described. The movable base 50 can form a reactor 2 having a dynamic reaction space. The dynamic reaction space can include adjusting the distance between the movable base plate 50 and the showerhead arrangement 10. For example, if necessary, the reaction space can be changed periodically for each cycle, each half cycle, or at any time. The movable base plate 50 can be adjusted by an external motion drive unit 52. The external motion drive unit 52 can include an analog or digital motor and can be mechanically and electrically connected to the movable base plate 50, whereby the external motion drive unit 52 can adjust (e.g., up and down) the movable base plate 50. When the external motion drive unit 52 is connected to the device 1, the gap between the wafer 6 and the showerhead arrangement 10 (or the top plate, in the case of a cross-flow reactor) can be changed over time if necessary. In some embodiments, the movable base plate 50 can move a distance in the range of 1 mm to 200 mm; in the range of 2 mm to 100 mm; in the range of 2 mm to 50 mm; or in the range of 3 mm to 30 mm. In some embodiments, the base plate can move a distance in the range of 0.1 mm to 50 mm; in the range of 0.1 mm to 30 mm; or in the range of 0.1 mm to 20 mm. In some embodiments, the external motion driver 52 can rotate the movable base plate 50. In various embodiments, a control system can be in electrical communication with the motor driver, the control system being configured to adjust the distance between the movable base plate 50 and the showerhead assembly 10 during etching.

[0037] The control system can also be configured to control the process used in the device 1. In an example of the operation of spraying and exhausting by the overhead showerhead device 10, the reactants of the etchant and the exhaust process can be pulsed or alternated for dynamic pressure control during the process. The reactant dose can therefore be divided into multiple short pulses, which can improve the distribution of the reactant molecules in the reaction chamber, thereby promoting the rapid gas diffusion of the diffusion and / or pressure gradient on the substrate during each reactant or purge pulse. The on and off phases can be repeated at least twice for the reactant. Therefore, the pressure of the reaction space fluctuates rapidly between low-level pressure and high-level pressure. During the on phase, the resulting pressure gradient in the reaction space effectively pushes the precursor molecules to all regions of the reaction space, and during the off phase, the resulting pressure gradient in the reaction space pulls the gaseous reaction byproducts away from the surface of the reaction space to the gas outlet. If conventional relatively long pulses (e.g., 1 second) are released to the reaction chamber 3, pressure equilibrium is allowed, so the dynamic diffusion effect is lost and the main part of the airflow often directly leads to the gas outlet. When several pulses are released (eg, 3 times 0.3 seconds), an even more uniform distribution is achieved over similar time periods.

[0038] The local pressure gradient enhances the exchange of gases in the reaction space and enhances the exchange of molecules between the substrate surface and the gas phase of the reaction space. It has been found that when processing (e.g., etching) a wafer with a high aspect ratio feature, such as a deep, narrow groove or through-hole in a semiconductor substrate, multiple pulses of the same gas in each step (whether a purge step or a reactant step) are particularly advantageous. Therefore, for etching surfaces comprising through-holes and grooves having an aspect ratio greater than 20:1, and more precisely greater than 40:1, the process of continuous multiple identical vapor pulses and the consequent pressure fluctuations are particularly advantageous. Compared to a single long pulse, pressure fluctuations enable more uniform distribution and / or coverage of the surface within such through-holes and grooves within a shorter overall time. Therefore, the overall processing time (or cycle time for cyclic processing) is reduced.

[0039] An example of an etching process will now be described. During the exposure period of precursor A, the gap between the wafer 6 and the showerhead device 10 can be about 3 mm and can be optimized for the delivery of reactant A. During the purge period, the gap between the wafer 6 and the showerhead device 10 can be adjusted accordingly. During the reactant B exposure time, the gap can be appropriately adjusted to deliver reactant B. Therefore, the disclosed embodiments provide flexibility for each step of the process. The apparatus described herein can be used in an etching process comprising a plasma etching process. For a plasma process, the plasma sheath width, ion bombardment, residence time, plasma density, etc. can be adjusted and optimized for any step of the process.

[0040] Although certain embodiments have been described, these embodiments are presented by way of example only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. In fact, the novel methods and systems described herein may be embodied in various other forms. In addition, various omissions, substitutions, and changes may be made to the systems and methods described herein without departing from the spirit of the present disclosure. The accompanying claims and their equivalents are intended to cover such forms or modifications that would fall within the scope and spirit of the present disclosure. Therefore, the scope of the present disclosure is defined solely by reference to the appended claims.

[0041] Features, materials, characteristics or groups described in conjunction with a particular aspect, embodiment or example are to be understood as applicable to any other aspect, embodiment or example described in that section or elsewhere in this specification unless incompatible therewith. All features disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract and drawings) and / or all steps of any method or process so disclosed may be combined in any combination, except for at least some mutually exclusive combinations of said features and / or steps. Protection is not limited to the details of any foregoing embodiments. Protection extends to any novel feature or any novel combination of features disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract and drawings), or to any novel step or any novel combination of steps of any method or process so disclosed.

[0042] In addition, certain features described in the context of separate embodiments in this disclosure may also be implemented in combination in a single embodiment. Conversely, various features described in the context of a single embodiment may also be implemented in multiple embodiments individually or in any suitable subcombination. Furthermore, although features may be described above as functioning in certain combinations, in some cases, one or more features from a claimed combination may be separable from the combination, and the combination may be claimed as a subcombination or variation of a subcombination.

[0043] In addition, although the operations may be depicted in the drawings or described in the specification in a specific order, such operations need not be performed in the specific order shown or in a sequential order, and all steps need not be performed to achieve the desired result. Other operations not depicted or described may be incorporated into the example methods and processes. For example, one or more additional operations may be performed before, after, simultaneously, or between any of the described operations. In addition, the operations may be rearranged or reordered in other embodiments. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that, in some embodiments, the actual steps taken in the illustrated and / or disclosed processes may be different from those shown in the figures. Depending on the embodiment, some steps described above may be removed and other steps may be added. In addition, the features and attributes of the specific embodiments disclosed above may be combined in different ways to form additional embodiments, and all additional embodiments fall within the scope of this disclosure. Furthermore, the separation of the various system components in the embodiments described above should not be understood as requiring such separation in all embodiments, and it should be understood that the described components and systems may be generally integrated together in a single product or packaged into multiple products.

[0044] For purposes of this disclosure, certain aspects, advantages, and novel features are described herein. Not all such advantages may be achieved according to any particular embodiment. Thus, for example, those skilled in the art will recognize that the present disclosure may be embodied or implemented in a manner that achieves one advantage or group of advantages as taught herein without necessarily achieving other advantages as may be taught or suggested herein.

[0045] Unless specifically stated otherwise or otherwise understood within the context as used, conditional language, such as "can, could, might, or may," is generally intended to convey that some embodiments include, while other embodiments do not include, certain features, elements, and / or steps. Thus, such conditional language is generally not intended to imply that features, elements, and / or steps are in any way required for one or more embodiments, or that the one or more embodiments must include logic for determining, with or without user input or prompting, whether such features, elements, and / or steps are included in or to be performed in any particular embodiment.

[0046] Unless specifically stated otherwise, linking language such as the phrase "at least one of X, Y, and Z" is generally understood in the context of use to convey that a certain item, term, etc. can be any of X, Y, or Z. Thus, this linking language is not generally intended to imply that certain embodiments require the presence of at least one of X, at least one of Y, and at least one of Z.

[0047] As used herein, language of degree, such as the terms "substantially," "approximately," "about," "substantially," and "substantially" as used herein, refers to a value, amount, or characteristic that is close to a stated value, amount, or characteristic and still performs the desired function or achieves the desired result. For example, the terms "substantially," "about," "substantially," and "substantially" may refer to an amount that is within less than 10%, less than 5%, less than 1%, less than 0.1%, and less than 0.01% of the stated amount. As another example, in certain embodiments, the terms "substantially parallel" and "substantially parallel" refer to a value, amount, or characteristic that deviates from exact parallelism by less than or equal to 15 degrees, 10 degrees, 5 degrees, 3 degrees, 1 degree, or 0.1 degrees.

[0048] The scope of the present disclosure is not intended to be limited by the specific disclosure of preferred embodiments in this section or elsewhere in this specification, and may be defined by the claims as presented in this section or elsewhere in this specification or as presented in the future. The language of the claims is to be interpreted broadly based on the language employed in the claims, and not limited to examples described in this specification or during the prosecution of the application, which examples are to be construed as non-exclusive.

Claims

1. A semiconductor processing device comprising: a reaction chamber and a reaction chamber exhaust configured to remove vapor from the reaction chamber; a showerhead device connected to the reaction chamber and configured to deliver reactant vapor to the reaction chamber, the showerhead device comprising: a gas inlet configured to supply the reactant vapor into the showerhead assembly; a first showerhead plate in fluid communication with the gas inlet, the first showerhead plate comprising a plurality of openings; a plenum disposed between the gas inlet and the first showerhead plate, the plenum configured to convey vapor from the gas inlet to the plurality of openings; and The second shower head plate includes: a plurality of gas inlets in fluid communication with the plurality of openings, the plurality of gas inlets configured to deliver the reactant vapor to the reaction chamber; and a plurality of gas outlet holes configured to remove vapor from the reaction chamber; and one or more pumps connected to the reaction chamber exhaust and the plurality of gas outlet holes, the one or more pumps configured to remove vapor from the reaction chamber through the reaction chamber exhaust and the plurality of gas outlet holes; wherein the first showerhead plate and the second showerhead plate cooperate to define a channel in fluid communication with the plurality of air outlet holes and the one or more pumps; wherein the showerhead assembly comprises an upper portion and a lower portion separated by the plenum, the upper portion comprising a second plurality of openings and the lower portion comprising the first showerhead plate and the second showerhead plate, The plurality of air outlet holes are positioned along the channels forming concentric rings on the second showerhead plate.

2. The semiconductor processing equipment of claim 1, wherein the one or more pumps comprises a plurality of pumps. 3 . The semiconductor processing equipment according to claim 1 , further comprising a susceptor facing the showerhead assembly within the reaction chamber. 4 . The semiconductor processing equipment of claim 3 , further comprising a motor driver connected to the pedestal, the motor driver being configured to adjust a distance between the pedestal and the showerhead assembly. 5 . The semiconductor processing apparatus of claim 4 , further comprising a control system in electrical communication with the motor driver, the control system configured to adjust the distance between the pedestal and the showerhead assembly during etching. The semiconductor processing equipment of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of gas inlets bypass the passage. 7 . The semiconductor processing equipment of claim 1 , wherein the gas inlet comprises a plurality of branch gas inlet lines, the plurality of branch gas inlet lines delivering the reactant vapor to the first showerhead plate.

8. The semiconductor processing apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a control system configured to deliver an etching reactant from an etching reactant source to the reaction chamber.

9. The semiconductor processing apparatus of claim 8, further comprising a source of the etch reactant in fluid communication with the first showerhead plate.

10. The semiconductor processing equipment of claim 9, wherein the control system is configured to conformally deliver the etching reactant to the substrate such that etching conformality is greater than 50%. 11 . The semiconductor processing equipment of claim 10 , wherein the control system is configured to selectively deliver the etching reactant to the substrate such that an etching selectivity is greater than 10%. 12 . The semiconductor processing equipment according to claim 1 , further comprising an intake manifold disposed between the gas inlet and the gas chamber.

13. A semiconductor processing apparatus comprising: reaction chamber; a reaction chamber exhaust configured to remove vapor from the reaction chamber; as well as Sprinkler assembly, comprising: a plurality of distributed gas inlet holes in fluid communication with a source of reaction vapor and the reaction chamber; a gas inlet configured to supply reactant vapor into the showerhead assembly; an air chamber disposed between the gas inlet and the gas inlet hole, the air chamber being configured to transfer steam from the gas inlet to the gas inlet hole; and a plurality of distributed exhaust holes in fluid communication with a pump and the reaction chamber, the plurality of distributed exhaust holes configured to remove vapor from the reaction chamber; wherein the showerhead assembly comprises an upper portion and a lower portion separated by the air chamber; The showerhead device includes a first showerhead plate disposed above a second showerhead plate; wherein the lower portion of the showerhead assembly includes the first showerhead plate and the second showerhead plate, and the upper portion includes a second plurality of exhaust holes; wherein the first showerhead plate and the second showerhead plate cooperate to define a channel in fluid communication with the plurality of exhaust holes and the pump, The plurality of air outlet holes are positioned along the channels forming concentric rings on the second showerhead plate.

14. The semiconductor processing apparatus of claim 13, wherein the first showerhead plate comprises a plurality of inlet openings, and wherein the second showerhead plate comprises a plurality of inlet ports and a plurality of exhaust ports.

15. The semiconductor processing apparatus of claim 13, further comprising a gas inlet comprising a plurality of branch gas inlet lines for delivering vapor to the showerhead assembly.

16. A semiconductor processing apparatus comprising: reaction chamber; as well as Sprinkler assembly, comprising: a gas inlet configured to supply reactant vapor into the showerhead assembly; an internal air chamber in communication with the pump; a plurality of vents in fluid communication with the interior plenum and the reaction chamber, the plurality of vents configured to remove vapor from the reaction chamber; a plurality of gas inlet holes in fluid communication with a reaction vapor source and the reaction chamber, the gas inlet holes extending through the showerhead assembly and bypassing the inner plenum, the gas inlet holes in fluid communication with an upper plenum, and the upper plenum disposed between the gas inlet and the showerhead assembly; wherein the inner air chamber comprises a zigzag pattern; The showerhead arrangement comprises two showerhead plates, and the zigzag pattern is defined by grooves in one plate that are covered by the other plate.

17. The semiconductor processing apparatus of claim 16, further comprising a chamber exhaust port.

18. The semiconductor processing apparatus of claim 16, further comprising one or more pumps in fluid communication with the plurality of exhaust holes.

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