Reactor system with porous lift pins

Abstract

We provide reactor systems. [Solution] The reactor system may include a reaction chamber and / or a susceptor disposed between the upper and lower chambers of the reaction chamber. The susceptor may include a substrate support surface and / or a fluid path disposed through the substrate support surface that fluidly connects the susceptor and the upper and lower chambers. The lower chamber contains a lower chamber pressure greater than the upper chamber pressure of the upper chamber, allowing fluid to flow from the lower chamber through the fluid path into the upper chamber. The susceptor may further include a pinhole disposed through the susceptor, and a lift pin may be disposed in the pinhole. The lift pin may include a pin channel containing a porous material and / or a fluid path that allows fluid to flow through the lift pin.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure generally relates to semiconductor processing systems or reactor systems, particularly semiconductor reactor systems, and components included therein, and for example, prevents material deposition in undesirable locations of the reactor system and / or the substrate.

Background Art

[0002] A reaction chamber can be used to deposit various material layers on a substrate. The substrate can be placed on a susceptor within the reaction chamber. Both the substrate and the susceptor can be heated to a desired substrate temperature setpoint. In an exemplary substrate processing process, one or more reaction gases can pass over the heated substrate, potentially causing the deposition of a thin film of material on the surface of the substrate. These layers can then be made into integrated circuits through subsequent deposition, doping, lithography, etching, and other processes.

[0003] During operation of the reactor system, undesirable contaminants can accumulate on the underside of the substrate (i.e., the surface of the substrate adjacent to the susceptor) and / or at the edges of the substrate and / or coat the underside and / or edges of the substrate. Thus, the apparatus and method are suitable for preventing deposition or contamination on the underside and / or edges of the substrate.

Summary of the Invention

[0004] The summary of the present invention is provided to introduce the selected concepts in a simplified form. These concepts are described in more detail in the detailed description of the examples of the present disclosure below. The summary is not intended to identify the key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used to limit the scope of the claimed subject matter.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0005] In various examples, reactor systems are provided. In various examples, the reactor system may include a reaction chamber and a susceptor disposed within the reaction chamber, the susceptor having a pinhole disposed between an upper chamber and a lower chamber contained within the reaction chamber, the pinhole being able to fluidize the upper chamber and the lower chamber, and the upper chamber being able to fluidize the lower chamber, and / or a lift pin disposed in the pinhole. The lift pin may include a pin body. The pin body may include a porous material configured to allow fluid to flow through the lift pin between the upper chamber and the lower chamber. The upper chamber may be substantially fluidically sealed from the lower chamber, except that the lift pin passes through the pinhole disposed within the pinhole. The lower chamber may include a lower chamber inlet through which fluid flows into the lower chamber. The lower chamber may include a lower chamber pressure, and the upper chamber may include an upper chamber pressure, and the lower chamber pressure may be greater than the upper chamber pressure, so that fluid flows from the lower chamber through the porous material in the lift pin to the upper chamber. The porous material may include a sintered material.

[0006] The pin body may further include a solid portion surrounding a porous material. The solid portion of the pin body may be a solid sleeve. The porous material may be disposed within the solid sleeve. The lift pin may have a pin head at the upper end of the pin body, and the pin head may include the porous material. The pin head may be at least partially disposed within the pinhole of the susceptor.

[0007] In various examples, a susceptor may include a support surface configured to support a substrate. The support surface may include a susceptor channel that opens into the support surface, communicates with a pinhole and fluid, and is recessed into the susceptor. The susceptor channel in the susceptor may be configured to allow fluid to flow from the pinhole through the susceptor channel when the substrate is placed on the support surface, thereby allowing the fluid to flow under the substrate and purge contaminants from below the substrate.

[0008] In various examples, a lift pin configured to be installed in a susceptor within a reactor system may comprise a pin body containing a porous material. The porous material may be configured to allow a fluid to flow through at least a portion of the pin body (pin length). The porous material may include a sintered material. The pin body may further include a solid portion surrounding the porous material. The solid portion of the pin body may be a solid sleeve, and the porous material may be installed in the solid sleeve.

[0009] In various examples, a reactor system may comprise a reaction chamber and / or a susceptor disposed within the reaction chamber. The susceptor may be disposed between an upper chamber and a lower chamber contained within the reaction chamber. The susceptor may comprise a support surface configured to support a substrate and / or a fluid path disposed through the susceptor and support surface. The fluid path may fluidly connect the upper chamber and the lower chamber. The lower chamber may contain a lower chamber pressure, and the upper chamber may contain an upper chamber pressure. The lower chamber pressure may be greater than the upper chamber pressure so that fluid flows from the lower chamber through the fluid path to the upper chamber. The susceptor may further comprise a susceptor channel recessed into the susceptor through the support surface, opening to the support surface and being fluidly connected to the fluid path. The susceptor may further comprise a pinhole disposed through the susceptor. The reactor system may further comprise a lift pin disposed in the pinhole. The lift pin may comprise a fluid path that allows fluid to flow through the lift pin. The lift pin may include a porous material. The porous material may include fluid pathways. The porous material may include sintered material. The pin body may further include a solid portion surrounding the porous material.

[0010] For the purpose of outlining the benefits of this disclosure and the advantages that can be achieved beyond the prior art, specific purposes and benefits of this disclosure are described above. Naturally, it should be understood that not all of the aforementioned purposes or benefits can necessarily be achieved by following any specific example of this disclosure. A person skilled in the art will therefore recognize that the examples disclosed herein can be carried out in a manner that achieves or optimizes one or more of the benefits taught or suggested herein, without necessarily achieving other purposes or benefits that can be taught or suggested herein.

[0011] All of these examples are intended to be within the scope of this disclosure. These examples and other examples will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art from the following “Modes for Carrying Out the Invention” of a particular example with reference to the attached drawings, and this disclosure is not limited to any particular example(s) considered. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0012] [Figure 1] These are schematic diagrams of exemplary reactor systems in various examples. [Figure 2A] This is a schematic diagram of an exemplary reaction chamber in which the susceptor is positioned at the bottom in various examples. [Figure 2B] This is a schematic diagram of an exemplary reaction chamber in which the susceptor is positioned in an elevated position in various examples. [Figure 3] This is a schematic diagram of another exemplary reaction chamber in various examples. [Figure 4] These are side views of lift pins in various examples. [Figure 5A] Cross-sectional views of some lift pins for reactor systems in various examples. [Figure 5B] This figure shows some lift pins for reactor systems in various examples. [Figure 5C] Cross-sectional view of the upper portion of a lift pin for a reactor system in various examples. [Figure 6A] This is a top cross-sectional view of a lift pin for a reactor system containing porous material in various examples. [Figure 6B] This is an oblique top cross-sectional view of a lift pin for a reactor system containing porous material in various examples. [Figure 7] This is an oblique top cross-sectional view of another lift pin for a reactor system containing porous material in various examples. [Figure 8] This is an oblique top cross-sectional view of another lift pin for a reactor system containing porous material, as shown in various examples. [Figure 9] This figure shows exemplary porous materials of various filter media types and / or media grades in various examples. [Figure 10] This figure shows methods for processing substrates in reactor systems in various examples. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0013] This specification specifically identifies examples of the present disclosure and concludes in the explicitly claimed claims, although the merits of the examples of the present disclosure may be more readily apparent from the description of certain examples of the present disclosure when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Elements that are numbered similarly throughout the drawings are intended to be identical.

[0014] The descriptions of the examples of methods, structures, devices, and systems provided below are illustrative and intended solely for illustrative purposes, and are not intended to limit the scope of this disclosure or the claims. Furthermore, the enumeration of multiple examples having the described features is not intended to exclude other examples having additional features or incorporating different combinations of the described features. For example, various examples may be described as embodiments and enumerated in dependent claims. Unless otherwise stated, the examples or their components are combinatorial or applicable to each other separately. The methods may include the disclosed steps in any preferred and / or desired order or combination.

[0015] As used herein, the term "and / or" includes any combination of one or more of the related enumerated items. Unless otherwise stated, expressions such as "at least one of" refer to the entire list of elements when preceding a list of elements, and not necessarily to the individual elements of the list.

[0016] As used herein, the terms "comprising" and "including" identify the presence of the stated features, integers, steps, processes, elements, components, and / or groups thereof, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, processes, elements, components, and / or groups thereof. In the present disclosure, none of the defined meanings necessarily exclude the ordinary and customary meanings in some instances.

[0017] As used herein, the term "substrate" can refer to any underlying material(s) that can be used to form a device, circuit, or film, or on which a device, circuit, or film can be formed.

[0018] As used herein, the term "atomic layer deposition" (ALD) can refer to a vapor deposition process in which deposition cycles are performed in a process chamber. Typically, during each cycle, a precursor chemisorbs onto a deposition surface (e.g., the surface of a substrate or a underlying surface previously deposited (such as by an ALD cycle)), forming a monolayer or sub-monolayer that does not readily react with additional precursors (i.e., a self-limiting reaction). Thereafter, if necessary, a reactant (e.g., another precursor or reaction gas) may be introduced into the process chamber for use in converting the chemisorbed precursor into a desired material on the deposition surface. Typically, the aforementioned reactant has the ability to react further with the precursor. Additionally, a purge step can also be utilized during each cycle to remove excess precursor from the process chamber and / or excess reactant and / or reaction by-products from the process chamber. Further, as used herein, the term "atomic layer deposition" also means including processes specified by related terms such as "atomic layer chemical vapor deposition", "atomic layer epitaxy" (ALE), molecular beam epitaxy (MBE), gas-source MBE, or organometallic MBE, and chemical beam epitaxy when implemented using alternating pulses of precursor compositions, reactive gases, and purge (e.g., inert carrier) gases.

[0019] As used herein, the term "chemical vapor deposition" (CVD) can refer to any process in which a substrate is exposed to one or more volatile precursors and the aforementioned precursors react and / or decompose on the surface of the substrate to produce a desired deposit.

[0020] As used herein, the terms "film" and "thin film" can refer to any continuous or discontinuous structure and material deposited by the methods disclosed herein. Examples of "films" and "thin films" include, for example, 2D materials, nanorods, nanotubes or nanoparticles, or even partial or complete molecular layers, or partial or complete atomic layers, or clusters of atoms and / or molecules. "Films" and "thin films" can include materials or layers having pinholes but can still be at least partially continuous.

[0021] As used herein, the term "contaminant" can refer to any unwanted material processed within a reaction chamber that can affect the purity of a substrate disposed within the reaction chamber. The term "contaminant" can refer to, but is not limited to, unwanted deposits, metal and non-metal particles, impurities, and waste processed within the reaction chamber.

[0022] Reactor systems used in ALD, CVD, and / or the like can be used for various applications, including deposition and etching of materials onto the surface of a substrate. In various examples, the reactor system 5 can include a reaction chamber 4, a susceptor 6 for holding the substrate 30 during processing, a fluid distribution system 8 (e.g., a showerhead) for dispensing one or more reactants onto the surface of the substrate 30, one or more reactant sources 10, 12 fluidly coupled to the reaction chamber 4 via lines 16-20 and valves or controllers 22-26, and / or a carrier and / or purge gas source 14. Additionally, the reactor system 50 can include a vacuum source 28 fluidly coupled to the reaction chamber 4.

[0023] Referring to Figures 2A and 2B, examples of the present disclosure may include reactor systems and methods that can be used to process substrates in reactor 100. In various examples, reactor 100 may comprise a reaction chamber 110 for processing substrates. In various examples, reaction chamber 110 may comprise an upper chamber 112 (i.e., reaction space) and / or a lower chamber 114 (i.e., lower chamber) which may be configured to process one or more substrates. The lower chamber 114 may be configured for loading and unloading substrates from the reaction chamber and / or to create a pressure difference between the lower chamber 114 and the upper chamber 112.

[0024] In various examples, the upper chamber 112 and the lower chamber 114 can be separated by a susceptor 130 disposed in the reaction chamber 110. In various examples, the upper chamber 112 and the lower chamber 114 can be substantially fluidically separated or isolated from each other. For example, the susceptor 130 can fluidly separate the upper chamber 112 and the lower chamber 114 by creating at least a partial seal (i.e., at least restricting fluid flow) between the susceptor 130 and the chamber sidewall 111 of the reaction chamber 110 disposed in close proximity to the susceptor outer surface 132 of the susceptor 130. That is, the space 108 between the susceptor 130 and the chamber sidewall 111 can be minimized or eliminated so that little or no fluid moves between the susceptor 130 and the chamber sidewall 111 (i.e., a substantial seal between them).

[0025] In various examples, one or more sealing members (e.g., sealing member 129) may extend from the susceptor 130 (e.g., from the outer surface 132 of the susceptor) and / or from the chamber sidewall 111 of the reaction chamber 110 to the other in order to prevent or reduce fluid flow between the susceptor 130 and the chamber sidewall 111, thereby creating at least a partial seal between the susceptor 130 and the chamber sidewall 111 (i.e., restricting or preventing fluid flow). Thus, the upper chamber 112 from the lower chamber 114 can be substantially sealed to each other. At least partially sealing the upper chamber 112 from the lower chamber 114 may be preferable to prevent or reduce the entry and / or contact of precursor gases and / or other fluids used in the processing of the substrate 150 into and / or into the lower chamber 114 of the reaction chamber 110. For example, the precursor gas used to process the substrate in the upper chamber may come into contact with the lower chamber 114, generating undesirable deposits / contaminants / particles, which may then be reintroduced into the upper chamber 112, thereby containing corrosive deposit precursors that could provide a source of contamination to the substrate placed in the upper chamber.

[0026] In various examples, the sealing member 129 extending between the susceptor 130 and the chamber sidewall 111 of the reaction chamber 110, and / or the at least partial seal formed by direct contact between the susceptor 130 and the chamber sidewall 111 of the reaction chamber 110, can restrict or substantially prevent fluid communication between the upper chamber 112 and the lower chamber 114 through the space 108. However, small amounts of precursor gas may still be able to enter the lower chamber 114 by diffusion, potentially leading to corrosion, undesirable deposits, and contaminants in the lower chamber of the reaction chamber of the reactor system.

[0027] In various examples, the susceptor 130 may have one or more pinholes 137. Each pinhole 137 may penetrate the susceptor 130 from its top surface (e.g., a substrate support surface 135 on which a substrate 150 may be placed for processing) to its bottom surface 136. The top surface of the susceptor (e.g., the substrate support surface 135) may be the surface of the susceptor 130 adjacent to the upper chamber 112 of the reaction chamber 110. The bottom surface 136 may be the surface of the susceptor 130 adjacent to the lower chamber 114 of the reaction chamber 110. If no lift pins are provided in the pinholes 137, the upper chamber 112 and the lower chamber 114 may be in fluid communication with each other through the pinholes 137. That is, the pinhole(s) 137 may be in fluid communication with the upper chamber 112 and the lower chamber 114.

[0028] In various examples, with further reference to Figure 3, reactor 300 may have components similar to reactor 100, including a reaction chamber 310 for processing substrates. In various examples, reaction chamber 310 (similar to reaction chamber 110) may include an upper chamber 312 (similar to upper chamber 112) and / or a lower chamber 314 (similar to lower chamber 114), which may be configured to process one or more substrates. The lower chamber 314 may be configured for loading and unloading substrates from the reaction chamber and / or to provide a pressure difference between the lower chamber 314 and the upper chamber 312.

[0029] In various examples, the upper chamber 312 and the lower chamber 314 may be separated by a susceptor 330 (similar to susceptor 130) disposed in the reaction chamber 310. In various examples, the upper chamber 312 and the lower chamber 314 may be substantially fluidically separable or isolated from each other. For example, the susceptor 330, flow control ring 370, and / or spacer plate 390 may fluidly separate the upper chamber 312 and the lower chamber 314 by creating at least a partial seal between them (i.e., restricting at least the flow of fluid) (e.g., the upper chamber 312 may be substantially sealed from the lower chamber 314). The flow control ring 370 may be coupled to the wall of the reaction chamber 310, and the spacer plate may be coupled to the susceptor 330 such that, as the susceptor rises (e.g., via a susceptor elevator 304), the flow control ring 370 may create a seal with at least the spacer plate 390. The flow control ring 370 can contact the spacer plate 390 to create a seal, and / or a sealing device 340 (e.g., an O-ring, a spring, and / or similar) can be disposed between the flow control ring 370 and the spacer plate 390 to create a seal. Thus, the upper chamber 312 and the lower chamber 314 can be fluidly separated.

[0030] The susceptor 330 may include a substrate support surface 335 on which a substrate 350 can be supported. The substrate support surface 335 may include one or more susceptor channels 334 recessed within the substrate support surface 335 (the susceptor channels 334 may be one continuous or multiple separate channels). The susceptor channels 334 may be disposed on and / or recessed into the susceptor 330 and open to the substrate support surface 335 (for example, so that the susceptor channels 334 close in response to the substrate 350 being disposed on the substrate support surface 335). The susceptor channels 334 may provide ridges 333 between them that can contact and support the substrate 350 disposed on the substrate support surface 335. Therefore, only a portion of the substrate support surface 335 below the substrate 350 can contact the substrate 350 (for example, 1% to 20% or 30% of the area of ​​the substrate support surface 335 below the substrate 350 can contact the substrate 350). The susceptor channel 334 may allow the back side of the substrate 350 (the side facing the susceptor 330) to be exposed to the susceptor channel 334.

[0031] In various examples, the susceptor 330 may have one or more pinholes 337 (similar to pinhole 137). Each pinhole 337 may penetrate the susceptor 330 from its top surface (e.g., a substrate support surface 335 on which a substrate 350 may be placed for processing) to its bottom surface 336. The top surface of the susceptor (e.g., the substrate support surface 135) may be the surface of the susceptor 330 adjacent to the upper chamber 312 of the reaction chamber 310. The bottom surface 336 may be the surface of the susceptor 330 adjacent to the lower chamber 314 of the reaction chamber 310. If no lift pins are provided in the pinholes 337, the upper chamber 312 and the lower chamber 314 may be in fluid communication with each other through the pinholes 337. That is, the pinhole(s) 337 may be in fluid communication with the upper chamber 312 and the lower chamber 314. The susceptor channel 334 in the susceptor 330 can communicate fluidly with the pinhole 337.

[0032] The reactor 300 may be equipped with lift pins 299 (or other similar objects) that can be placed in each pinhole 337 (for example, the lift pin 200 in pinhole 137 in Figures 2A and 2B). Referring further to Figure 4, the lift pin 400 (an example of the lift pin 200 shown in Figures 2A and 2B, and the lift pin 299 in Figure 3) may be equipped with a pin body 450, which, when placed in the pinhole 337, is configured to extend at least a portion of the pinhole 337. The pin body 450 may have a cross-sectional shape complementary to the cross-sectional shape of the pinhole 337 (in a cross-section taken perpendicular to the length of the pin body 450). The pin body 450 may be defined by a pin outer surface 470, at least a portion of which is positioned adjacent to the pinhole surface defining the pinhole 337 when the lift pin 400 is placed in the pinhole 337. In various examples, the outer surface of the pin 470 can create at least a partial seal with the pinhole surface 439, preventing little or no fluid (e.g., liquid or gas) from passing between the outer surface of the pin 470 and the contacting pinhole surface 439. That is, there can be a substantial seal between the lift pin 400 and the pinhole surface.

[0033] In various examples, the lift pin 400 may have an upper pin end 410 opposite a lower pin end 490, with the pin body 450 (and pin length) extending between them. The upper pin end 410 of the lift pin 400 may have a pin head 420. The pin head 420 may have any preferred shape compared to the pin body 450. In various examples, the pin head 420 may have the same cross-sectional shape as the pin body 450 (in a cross-section taken perpendicular to the length of the pin body 450). In various examples, the pin head 420 may have a cross-sectional shape with a larger or smaller surface area than the cross-sectional shape of the pin body 450 (in a cross-section taken perpendicular to the length of the pin body 450).

[0034] In examples where the pinhead 420 has a larger surface area than the cross-sectional shape of the pin body 450, the pinhole 337 in which the lift pin 400 is disposed may include a pinhead hole 338 having a cross-sectional shape that complements the cross-sectional shape of the pinhead 420. The pinhead 420 may be defined by a pinhead outer surface 422. The pinhead outer surface 422 can be disposed adjacent to the pinhole surface defining the pinhead hole 338 when the lift pin (e.g., the lift pin 400) is disposed in the pinhole 337. In various examples, the pinhead outer surface 422 can create at least a partial seal with the pinhole surface of the pinhead hole 338 (i.e., restrict the flow of fluid between the pinhead 420 and the pinhole surface of the pinhead hole 338), thereby preventing fluid (e.g., liquid or gas) from passing between the pinhead 420 and the pinhead hole 338 of the pinhole 337 with little or no effect.

[0035] In various examples, the upper end of the pin 410 may be configured to contact the substrate 350 and move the substrate 350 relative to the susceptor 330. For example, the lift pin(s) 400 may move the substrate 350 up or down relative to the susceptor 330 (i.e., increase or decrease the space between the substrate 350 and the susceptor 330).

[0036] Referring again to Figures 2A and 2B, the substrate 150 and the susceptor 130 may be movable relative to each other. For example, in various examples, one or more lift pins 400 (or lift pins 200 shown in Figures 2A and 2B) may be configured to allow the substrate 150 to be separated from the susceptor 130 and to allow the substrate 150 to be positioned in contact with the susceptor 130 (i.e., supported by the susceptor 130). In various examples, the susceptor 130 may be moved up or down, for example by a susceptor elevator 104, so that the susceptor 130 moves relative to the substrate 150. In various examples, the lift pins 200 may be moved up or down, for example by a lift pin elevator / platform 202, so that the substrate 150 moves relative to the susceptor 130. In various examples, the susceptor 130 and / or the lift pins 200 may remain stationary while the other is moving. In various examples, the susceptor 130 and / or the lift pin 200 may be configured to move relative to the other.

[0037] In various examples, the reactor system may comprise a susceptor (e.g., susceptor 130) containing three pinholes (e.g., pinhole 137) (or any preferred number of pinholes), each of which has a corresponding lift pin (e.g., lift pin 400). The pinholes can be spaced in any preferred pattern on or across the substrate support surface 135 (e.g., equidistant on the outer periphery of the substrate support surface 135, in a pattern crossing the substrate support surface 135, etc.). The lift pins can move together up and down relative to the susceptor (e.g., relative to the substrate support surface) to raise and lower the substrate (e.g., substrate 150). The substrate can be raised, for example, to a processing position (i.e., an elevated position) (e.g., processing position 106 shown in Figure 2B) and / or lowered to a loading position (i.e., a lower position) (e.g., loading position 103 shown in Figure 2A) within the reaction space (e.g., upper chamber 112). In various examples, the lift pin moves while the susceptor is stationary, or the lift pin remains stationary while the susceptor is moving, allowing the substrate to be raised and lowered relative to the susceptor. In various examples, both the lift pin and the susceptor may move to raise and lower the substrate relative to the susceptor.

[0038] In various examples, the lift pin 200 can facilitate the removal of the substrate 150 from the reaction chamber 110, for example, due to static friction between the substrate 150 and the susceptor 130. The lift pin 200 can facilitate the separation of the substrate 150 from the susceptor 130 by the movement of the lift pin 200 and / or the susceptor 130 relative to each other.

[0039] In various examples, the substrate 150 may be positioned on a lift pin 200 for loading and / or unloading from the reaction chamber 110. Positioning the substrate 150 on the lift pin 200 facilitates, for example, loading or unloading the substrate 150 from the reaction chamber 110 through an opening 98 in the chamber side wall 111.

[0040] In various examples, once the substrate 150 is positioned on the lift pin 200, the substrate 150 moves from the loading position 103 to the processing position 106, and the substrate 150 can be received during such movement. In such embodiments, the upper pin ends and / or pinheads (e.g., pinhead 420) of the lift pin 200 can be received by a pinhole 137 (i.e., pinhole 337 in Figure 3), so that the substrate 150 can directly contact the susceptor 130. In various examples, the pinheads of the lift pin 200 can be supported by a portion of the pinhole 337 and / or pinhead holes 338 that are complementary to the area of ​​the pinhead 420 radially outward of the pin body 450. Therefore, the lift pin 200 can advance to the processing position 106 together with the susceptor 130, and the upper end of the pin (for example, the upper end 410 of the lift pin 400) is positioned in the pinhole 137 such that it is coplanar with and / or below the substrate support surface 135.

[0041] In various examples, once the substrate 150 is positioned on the lift pin 200, the lift pin 200 can move downward relative to and into the susceptor 130 (for example, by the susceptor 130 moving upward), thereby allowing the substrate 150 to be supported by the susceptor 130 (i.e., thereby placing the substrate 150 on the substrate support surface 135). Accordingly, the upper end of the pin (e.g., the upper end 410 of the lift pin 400) may be coplanar with and / or below the substrate support surface 135. The substrate 150 may then be processed in a reaction chamber.

[0042] In various examples, one or more lift pins may have fluid paths through each lift pin so that a fluid can travel along the length of each lift pin. The fluid paths in the lift pins may extend the length of the lift pin so that both the upper and lower chambers of the reaction chamber can communicate with the fluid paths through the lift pins when the lift pins are positioned in the respective pinholes of the susceptor. Thus, the fluid paths in the lift pins may enable fluid communication between the upper and lower chambers when the lift pins are positioned in the respective pinholes. For example, the fluid paths included in the lift section may extend the length of the lift pin to a length equal to or greater than the thickness of the susceptor between the substrate support surface and the bottom surface of the susceptor (for example, gas can enter the fluid path in the lower chamber 114, flow through the fluid path and the lift pins, and exit the fluid path into the upper chamber 112).

[0043] In various examples, the lift pin may include porous material (e.g., in the pin body and / or pinhead of the lift pin). The porous material may be configured to allow fluid to flow through the lift pins, which are positioned within each pinhole of the susceptor, and between the upper and lower chambers. That is, the porous material of the lift pin may provide fluid pathways that fluid-couple the upper and lower chambers. For example, the lift pin 299 in Figure 3 may include porous material (e.g., is made entirely of porous material). In various examples, a portion of the lift pin (or a portion of the length of the lift pin) may include porous material having fluid pathways. Referring to Figures 6A and 6B, the lift pin 600 (cross-section shown) comprises a pin body 650. The lift pin 600 may have the entire shape of, for example, the lift pin 400 in Figure 4. The pin body 650 may include a solid portion 654 and a porous material 657. The solid portion 654 may be non-porous, and fluid may not be able to pass through the solid portion 654. The porous material 657 may be in a solid state (e.g., not a powder) containing pores that allow fluid to pass through (e.g., including fluid pathways). The solid portion 654 may be a sleeve of solid material surrounding the porous material 657. The porous material 657 may be disposed within the solid sleeve of the solid portion 654 (e.g., the solid portion 654 may at least partially or completely enclose the porous material 657, for example, around the periphery of the cross-section of the lift pin 600). The solid portion 654 may open at both ends of the lift pin (e.g., the upper and lower ends) such that the porous material 657 is exposed on the ends of the solid portion 654. Thus, when the lift pin 600 is disposed within the pinhole of the susceptor, fluid can flow through the porous material 657 between the upper and lower chambers of the reactor (e.g., through fluid pathways). The solid portion 654 can facilitate contact (e.g., smooth contact) with the pinhole in the susceptor, thereby smoothing the movement of the lift pin and / or the susceptor relative to each other, and / or a substantial seal exists between the solid portion 654 and the pinhole surface in the susceptor.

[0044] Figure 7 shows a cross-section of the lift pin 700. The lift pin 700 can have the same overall shape as, for example, the lift pin 400 in Figure 4. The lift pin 700 may comprise a pin body 750. The pin body 750 may include a solid portion 754 (similar to the solid portion 654 in Figure 6) and a porous material 757 (similar to the porous material 657 in Figure 6). The porous material 757 may comprise a porous channel 760 disposed through the porous material 757 along at least a portion of the length of the lift pin 700. The porous channel 760 can facilitate the flow of fluid through the porous material 757.

[0045] The cross-sectional shape of the lift pin can be any preferred shape (e.g., circle, ellipse, square, rectangle, rhombus, triangle, hexagon, octagon, etc.). Figure 8 shows a cross-section of the lift pin 800. The lift pin 800 can have the same overall shape as, for example, the lift pin 400 in Figure 4. The lift pin 800 can have a hexagonal cross-sectional shape. The lift pin 800 may include a solid portion 854 and a porous material 857. The solid portion 854 may have a plurality of holes 860 arranged through the solid portion 854 along at least a portion of the length of the lift pin 800. The porous material 857 can be arranged in the holes 860. The porous material 857 in the holes 860 can facilitate the flow of fluid through the porous material 857.

[0046] The porous material contained in the lift pin to facilitate the flow of fluid through the lift pin may include any suitable material such as metals (e.g., elemental metals), metal alloys, metal oxides, ceramic materials, and / or similar materials. For example, the porous material may include stainless steel, nickel, nickel alloys (e.g., Hastelloy®), titanium, titanium alloys, chromium, chromium alloys, aluminum, aluminum alloys, aluminum oxide, aluminum nitride, boron nitride, zirconia, silicon nitride, tricalcium phosphate, hydroxyapatite, hydroxyapatite, zirconia-reinforced alumina, alumina-reinforced zirconia, and the like. In various examples, the lift pin material configured to abut the susceptor material when placed in the susceptor pinhole (e.g., the porous material and / or solid material on the outer pin surface) may be made of a different material from the susceptor material. In various examples, the porous material may be a sintered material.

[0047] To form a lift pin (or part thereof) containing sintered material, powder material and / or fibrous material (including any of the materials discussed herein, such as metals, metal alloys, metal oxides, and ceramics) can be pressed to form an object (e.g., a sheet or block of sintered material). The powder material and / or fibrous material is pressed for any preferred period of time under any preferred conditions, including any preferred temperature or pressure, to obtain an object containing sintered material. The object containing sintered material can be formed into any desired shape to form a lift pin (or part thereof). For example, the object containing sintered material can be cut (e.g., via machining, laser cutting, and / or similar) to form a desired shape. In various examples, lift pins containing porous material can be formed by additive manufacturing (e.g., 3D printing, binder spraying, and / or similar).

[0048] In various examples, the powders and / or fibers used to form porous lift pins can include any preferred size. For example, porous materials may be formed from media ranging from 0.2 media grade to 100 media grade ("media grade," or other similar terms where "media grade" is particle size in micrometers), particles ranging in size from 0.2 to 5 media grade, 0.5 to 5 media grade, 5 to 100 media grade, 5 to 20 media grade, or 20 to 100 media grade. Referring to Figure 9, for more tightly packed or densely packed porous materials, relatively small powder materials can be used, such as porous material 902 containing a media grade 0.2 medium. For relatively loosely packed or low-density packed porous materials, relatively large powder materials may be used, such as porous material 910 containing a media grade 100 medium. Porous materials 904, 906, and 908 represent other powder sizes for creating porous materials, media grades 0.5, 5, and 20, respectively. A porous material may be formed using the fibrous material 912B (enlarged view of the fibrous material 912A) as discussed herein. In various examples, the pore size in the porous material can be any preferred size, such as 0.2 micrometers to 100 micrometers. The porosity of the porous material contained in the lift pin can be 10-96%, 30-90%, 40-70%, or 50-60%.

[0049] As shown in Figure 9, the spaces between the porous materials (i.e., the pores within the porous materials) can provide sufficient space for the fluid to pass through the lift pins in the susceptor (and thus between the upper and lower chambers of the reactor) through the lift pins. Furthermore, the relatively large surface area of ​​the porous materials provides numerous sites where contaminants can accumulate and be trapped. Thus, the fluid can pass through the porous materials of the lift pins, and the porous materials can trap the contaminants (as shown, for example, by the fibrous material 912C and the contaminants trapped on it).

[0050] In various examples, the fluid path within the lift pin may include a pin channel configured to allow fluid to pass through the lift pin between the upper and lower chambers of the reactor. Referring to Figures 5A–5C, the lift pin 500 may comprise a pin body 550. The pin body may include portions having shapes and sizes complementary to each pinhole in the susceptor in which the lift pin 500 is located. For example, the pin body 550 may include an upper body portion 553 having a shape complementary to the pinhole in the susceptor and a lower body portion 556 having a smaller cross-sectional area than the upper body portion 553. A transition portion 558 may extend between the upper body portion 553 and the lower body portion 556 to bridge the size difference between the two.

[0051] The lift pin 500 may be provided with a pin channel 560. The pin channel 560 may extend in any preferred direction to facilitate the flow of fluid 504 through the lift pin 500 and, consequently, between the upper and lower chambers in the reactor. For example, the pin channel 560 may extend linearly and parallel to the axis through which the pin body extends. In various examples, the pin channel may extend between the upper and lower ends of the pin in any preferred configuration (e.g., in a path that is nonlinear and nonparallel to the state through which the pin body extends, such as meandering, helical, or any other desired configuration). In various examples, the pin channel may extend far enough apart from the upper end to the lower end of the pin so that the upper and lower chambers are in fluid communication through the pin channel when the lift pin is disposed in each pinhole of the susceptor and the substrate is disposed on and in contact with the susceptor. In various examples, the pin channel may extend from the upper end of the pin (e.g., the upper end 410 of the lift pin 400) to the lower end of the pin (e.g., the lower end 490). In various examples, the pin channel 560 may extend from the upper end 510 of the pin to the transition portion 558 of the pin body 550 (the pin channel 560 may open at the transition portion 558 of the pin body 550). The pin channel 560 may open to the upper end 510 of the pin (i.e., across the entire pin head 520), and / or, as shown in Figure 5C, the pin channel 560 may change the orientation of the pin head 520 and open to the outer surface 522 of the pin head.

[0052] The pin channel may include any preferred configuration. For example, the pin channel 560 may be completely enclosed within the lift pin (within the cross-section of the lift pin), or the pin channel may not be completely enclosed within the pin body of the lift pin (for example, the pin channel may be open to and recessed into the outer surface of the pin).

[0053] In various examples, referring to Figure 3, the upper chamber 312 and the lower chamber 314 may be substantially fluidically separated except through fluid pathways in the lift pin(s) (e.g., through porous material and / or pin channels in the lift pins). (As used herein, “substantially fluidically separated,” “sealed,” “substantially sealed,” and / or other similar terms or wording may mean completely fluidically separated and / or sealed except for unintended leakage). The outflow rate and / or flow rate of fluid through fluid pathways contained in the lift pins (e.g., from porous material and / or pin channels(s)) can be adjusted by the porosity (e.g., by selecting materials packed at a lower or higher density for sintering, etc.), as well as the size, shape, and / or path of the pin channels.

[0054] Referring further to Figure 10, a flow chart 1000 of methods for processing a substrate in a reaction chamber according to various embodiments is illustrated. Naturally, the examples of the disclosure are available in reaction chambers configured for a number of deposition processes, including but not limited to ALD, CVD, metal-organic vapor deposition (MOCVD), molecular beam epitaxy (MBE), and physical vapor deposition (PVD). The examples of the disclosure are also available in reaction chambers configured to process substrates having reactive precursors, and may include etching processes such as reactive ion etching (RIE), inductively coupled plasma etching (ICP), and electron cyclotron resonance etching (ECR).

[0055] In various examples, referring to Figures 2A, 2B, and 10, the substrate 150 may be disposed in the reaction chamber 110 (step 1002). In various examples, the substrate 150 can be disposed directly on the substrate support surface 135 of the susceptor 130. In various examples, the substrate 150 can be disposed on a lift pin 200 protruding from the substrate support surface 135 of the susceptor 130. In such examples, the lift pin 200 and / or the susceptor 130 are movable relative to each other so that the upper end of the pin is coplanar with or lower than the substrate support surface 135 of the susceptor 130 (i.e., the upper end 410 of the pin is disposed at least partially within the susceptor 130), thereby allowing the substrate 150 to be disposed directly and in contact with the substrate support surface 135. In various examples, the lift pin 200 can receive the substrate 150, and the susceptor 130 is movable upward while the lift pin 200 remains stationary, so that the lift pin 200 retracts into the susceptor 130 and pinhole 137, receiving the substrate 150 on the substrate support surface 135, and positioning the susceptor 130 at the processing position 106 in the upper chamber 112.

[0056] In various examples, a pressure difference can be created between the upper chamber 112 and the lower chamber 114 (step 1004). The reaction chamber 110 and / or the lower chamber 114 can be evacuated using a vacuum source 92. The flow controller 94 is fluid-coupled to the lower chamber 114 via the lower chamber inlet and can provide fluid flow into the lower chamber 114, increasing the pressure within the lower chamber 114. The pressure in the upper chamber 112 may remain the same or increase at a lower rate than the pressure in the lower chamber 114 (for example, while the flow controller 94 is causing fluid flow into the lower chamber 114). As shown in Figure 3, the flow controller 394 can provide fluid flow into the lower chamber 314, increasing the pressure within the upper chamber 312 relative to the upper chamber 312. The upper chamber 312 and / or the lower chamber 314 can be evacuated using a vacuum source 392. Referring again to Figures 2A and 2B, the upper chamber 112 may contain the upper chamber pressure and the lower chamber 114 may contain the lower chamber pressure. The flow controller 94 (or other preferred device) can make the lower chamber pressure greater than the upper chamber pressure.

[0057] The susceptor 130 may have at least one pinhole 137 traversing the susceptor 130 from the substrate support surface 135 to the susceptor bottom surface 136 (or at least a portion thereof), each of which is provided with a lift pin 200. One or more of the lift pins may have a fluid path through the lift pin. As discussed herein, the fluid path may consist of the porous material of the lift pin and / or one or more pin channels provided through the lift pin. As discussed herein, the fluid path in the lift pin may extend to any preferred length of the pin body, so that when the lift pin 200 is provided in the pinhole 137 of the susceptor 130 and the upper end of the pin is coplanar with or below the substrate support surface 135, the upper chamber 112 and the lower chamber 114 can be fluidly communicated through the fluid path through the lift pin 200.

[0058] In response to creating a pressure difference between the upper chamber 112 and the lower chamber 114 (i.e., the upper chamber 112 has a lower pressure than the lower chamber 114), the fluid can flow from the lower chamber 114 to the upper chamber 112 through the fluid path in the lift pin 200, for example, through the lift pin containing porous material and / or through the pin channel in the lift pin (step 1006). The outflow rate and / or flow rate of the fluid through the lift pin can be any preferred and / or desired level, which can be adjusted based on the porous material used, the porosity of the porous material, and / or the size / configuration of the pin channel through the lift pin. For example, the flow rate through the lift pin can be 1 to 20 standard cubic centimeters / min (sccm), 2 to 10 sccm, or about 5 sccm (where "about" means ±2 sccm). The fluid flowing through the lift pin 200 can pass under the substrate 150, thus purging the space under the substrate 150 (e.g., between the susceptor 130 and the substrate 150) and / or the space around the edges of the substrate 150 (step 1008). In various examples, temporarily referring to Figure 3, the fluid path through the pinhole 337 and / or the lift pin 299 can be in fluid communication with the susceptor channel 334. Thus, the fluid can flow from the lower chamber 314, through the lift pin 299, through and along the susceptor channel 334, under the substrate 350 disposed on the susceptor 330, and purging the underside and / or edges of the substrate 150. Thus, contamination and / or deposition on the underside and / or edges of the substrate 150 can be reduced or prevented. Furthermore, if the lower chamber 114 has a higher pressure than the upper chamber 112, the pressure difference may cause some fluid leakage between the lower chamber 114 and the upper chamber 112 to flow from the lower chamber 114 to the upper chamber 112. Therefore, when fluid flows from the lower chamber 114 to the upper chamber 112, it is possible to suppress or prevent the flow of precursor gas and / or other materials from the upper chamber 112 to the lower chamber 114, at least partially.

[0059] In various examples, steps of flow 1000 (e.g., steps 1004-1008) of the method for purging the underside (i.e., back side) and / or edges of the substrate 150 onto the substrate support surface 135 are applicable throughout the entire substrate processing and / or at any preferred time and in any preferred method. For example, steps of flow 1000 may be performed sequentially before, during, and / or between deposition cycles. In another example, steps of flow 1000 may be performed before and / or during each deposition cycle (i.e., before and / or throughout each application of material by the showerhead 180, with interruptions between deposition cycles during drying / baking, to form the resulting layer on the substrate 150).

[0060] In various examples, the deposition cycle may be carried out on the substrate 150 until a desired chemical system of a desired thickness is deposited on the substrate 150. Accordingly, the substrate 150 can be removed from the reaction chamber 110. To this end, the susceptor 130 and / or the lift pin 200 can move relative to each other. For example, the susceptor 130 can be moved downward in the reaction chamber 110 relative to the lift pin 200, and / or the lift pin 200 can be moved upward in the reaction chamber 110 relative to the susceptor 130. Thus, the substrate 150 can be raised by the lift pin 200 away from the substrate support surface 135 of the susceptor 130, which may facilitate the removal of the substrate 150 from the reaction chamber 110.

[0061] While exemplary embodiments of the Disclosure are described herein, it should be understood that the Disclosure is not so limited. For example, reactor systems are described in relation to various specific configurations, but the Disclosure is not necessarily limited to these examples. Various modifications, variations, and enhancements of the systems and methods described herein can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the Disclosure.

[0062] The subject matter of this disclosure includes all novel and non-obvious combinations and partial combinations of the various systems, components, and configurations disclosed herein, as well as all their equivalents, including other features, functions, operations, and / or characteristics.

Claims

1. Reaction chamber and A susceptor disposed within the reaction chamber, wherein the susceptor is disposed between the upper chamber and the lower chamber included in the reaction chamber, and is provided with a pinhole disposed through the susceptor, such that the pinhole is in fluid communication with the upper chamber and the lower chamber, and the upper chamber is in fluid communication with the lower chamber. A reactor system comprising: a lift pin disposed in the pinhole, the lift pin comprising a pin body, the pin body comprising a porous material configured to allow a fluid to flow through the lift pin between the upper chamber and the lower chamber.

2. The reactor system according to claim 1, wherein the upper chamber is sealed from the lower chamber except that it passes through a pinhole having the lift pin disposed in the pinhole.

3. The reactor system according to claim 1, wherein the lower chamber is provided with a lower chamber inlet into which a fluid flows.

4. The reactor system according to claim 3, wherein the lower chamber includes a lower chamber pressure, the upper chamber includes an upper chamber pressure, the lower chamber pressure is greater than the upper chamber pressure, and a fluid flows from the lower chamber through the porous material in the lift pin into the upper chamber.

5. The reactor system according to claim 4, wherein the susceptor includes a support surface configured to support a substrate, and the support surface comprises a susceptor channel recessed into the susceptor that opens to the support surface and is in fluid communication with the pinhole.

6. The reactor system according to claim 5, wherein the susceptor channel in the susceptor is configured to allow fluid to flow from the pinhole through the susceptor channel when the substrate is placed on the support surface, thereby allowing the fluid to flow under the substrate and purge contaminants from under the substrate.

7. The reactor system according to claim 1, wherein the porous material includes a sintered material.

8. The reactor system according to claim 1, wherein the pin body further includes a solid portion surrounding the porous material.

9. The reactor system according to claim 8, wherein the solid portion of the pin body is a solid sleeve, and the porous material is disposed in the solid sleeve.

10. The reactor system according to claim 1, wherein the lift pin has a pin head at the upper end of the pin body, the pin head includes the porous material, and the pin head is at least partially disposed in the pinhole of the susceptor.

11. A lift pin configured to be installed in a susceptor included in a reactor system, A lift pin comprising a pin body containing a porous material, wherein the porous material is configured to allow a fluid to flow through at least a portion of the pin body.

12. The lift pin according to claim 11, wherein the porous material includes a sintered material.

13. The lift pin according to claim 11, wherein the pin body further includes a solid portion surrounding the porous material.

14. The lift pin according to claim 13, wherein the solid portion of the pin body is a solid sleeve, and the porous material is disposed on the solid sleeve.

15. Reaction chamber and A susceptor disposed in the reaction chamber, wherein the susceptor is disposed between an upper chamber and a lower chamber included in the reaction chamber and has a support surface configured to support a substrate, and a fluid path disposed through the susceptor and the support surface, the fluid path including a fluid path that fluidly connects the upper chamber and the lower chamber, A reactor system in which the lower chamber includes the lower chamber pressure, the upper chamber includes the upper chamber pressure, the lower chamber pressure is greater than the upper chamber pressure, and a fluid flows from the lower chamber through the fluid path into the upper chamber.

16. The reactor system according to claim 15, wherein the susceptor further comprises a susceptor channel that opens to the support surface and is fluidly connected to the fluid path, and is recessed into the susceptor through the support surface.

17. The reactor system according to claim 15, wherein the susceptor further comprises a pinhole disposed through the susceptor, the reactor system further comprises a lift pin disposed in the pinhole, and the lift pin comprises a fluid path that allows the fluid to flow through the lift pin.

18. The reactor system according to claim 17, wherein the lift pin includes a porous material, and the porous material includes the fluid path.

19. The reactor system according to claim 18, wherein the porous material includes a sintered material.

20. The reactor system according to claim 18, wherein the lift pin comprises a pin body, and the pin body includes a solid portion surrounding the porous material.

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