Gas injection system and reactor system including same

Abstract

A gas injection system, a reactor system including the gas injection system, and a method of using the gas injection system and the reactor system are disclosed. The gas injection system may be used within a gas-phase reactor system to independently monitor and control gas flow rates in a plurality of channels of the gas injection system coupled to a reaction chamber.

Description

Technology Field

[0001] The present disclosure generally relates to gas-phase reactors and systems. More specifically, the present disclosure relates to a gas injection system for introducing gas into a reaction chamber, a reactor and a reactor system including the gas injection system, and a method of using the same. Background Technology

[0002] Vapor reactors, such as chemical vapor deposition (CVD), plasma-enhanced CVD (PECVD), and atomic layer deposition (ALD) reactors, can be used for various applications, including steps of depositing and etching materials on a substrate surface and / or cleaning the substrate surface. For example, vapor reactors can be used to deposit and / or etch layers on a substrate to form semiconductor devices, flat panel display devices, photovoltaic devices, microelectromechanical systems (MEMS), etc.

[0003] A typical gas-phase reactor system comprises a reactor, which includes a reaction chamber, one or more precursor and / or reactant gas sources fluidly coupled to the reaction chamber, one or more carrier and / or purge gas sources fluidly coupled to the reaction chamber, a gas injection system for delivering gases (e.g., precursor and / or reactant gas(s) and / or carrier or purge gas(s)) to the reaction chamber, and an exhaust source fluidly coupled to the reaction chamber.

[0004] Generally, it is desirable to have uniform film characteristics (e.g., film thickness and film composition) on the substrate surface and / or to have control over any desired variation of film characteristics. As the size of features formed on the substrate surface decreases, controlling film characteristics such as film thickness, composition, and resistivity becomes increasingly important. Furthermore, it may be desirable to independently adjust film characteristics, such as independently adjusting the film thickness uniformity and / or composition in a layer deposited using a vapor phase reactor, for example, an epitaxial layer grown using such a reactor. Accordingly, a gas injection system, a reactor system including the gas injection system, and a method of using the gas injection and reactor system that allows for the desired control and manipulation of parameters inducing desired film characteristics are required.

[0005] All discussions, including any discussion regarding the problems and solutions stated in this section, are included in this disclosure merely for the purpose of providing context for the present disclosure, and should not be construed as an acknowledgment that any part or all of such discussion was known at the time the present invention was made or otherwise constitutes prior art.

[0006] The content of the present invention is provided to introduce selected concepts in a simplified form. These concepts are described in more detail in the following detailed description of exemplary embodiments of the present invention. The content of the present invention is not intended to essentially distinguish the main or essential features of the claimed essence, nor is it intended to be used to limit the scope of the claimed essence.

[0007] Various embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a gas injection system, a reactor system including the gas injection system, and a method of using said gas injection system and reactor system. While discussing in more detail below how various embodiments of the present disclosure address the problems of prior gas injection systems and reactor systems, generally, various embodiments of the present disclosure provide a gas injection system capable of providing improved control of film thickness and / or film composition across the surface of a substrate. As described in more detail below, embodiments of the present disclosure may be particularly useful for forming a doped epitaxial layer on the surface of a substrate. Exemplary systems and methods allow for fine-tuning of precursor and dopant flow rates to the reaction chamber and / or the substrate surface, thereby allowing for the formation of a film having a desired thickness and / or compositional uniformity and / or variation. For example, in some cases, it may be desirable to form a film having a desired compositional variation rather than forming a film having a uniform composition across the substrate surface.

[0008] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, a gas injection system comprises: a first gas manifold comprising a first gas inlet and a plurality of first gas outlets; a second gas manifold comprising a second gas inlet and a plurality of second gas outlets; a plurality of first gas valves (each of the plurality of first gas outlets is coupled to at least one of the plurality of first gas valves); and a plurality of second gas valves (each of the plurality of second gas outlets is coupled to at least one of the plurality of second gas valves). The first gas inlet may receive a first gas comprising a first precursor and a dopant. The second gas inlet may receive a second gas comprising the first precursor or a second precursor and an etchant. According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, the second gas comprises the first precursor. The chemical formula of the first precursor and the chemical formula of the second precursor may contain all or more of the same elements. The above gas injection system may further include a first flow controller coupled to a first precursor source and a first gas inlet, and a second flow controller coupled to a first precursor source and a second gas inlet.

[0009] According to a further embodiment of the present disclosure, a gas injection system comprises: a first gas manifold including a first gas inlet and a plurality of first gas outlets; a second gas manifold including a second gas inlet and a plurality of second gas outlets; a plurality of first gas valves (each of the plurality of first gas outlets is coupled to at least one of the plurality of first gas valves); and a plurality of second gas valves (each of the plurality of second gas outlets is coupled to at least one of the plurality of second gas valves), wherein the first gas inlet receives a first gas including an etchant and a dopant. The second gas inlet may receive a second gas including a precursor. The first and / or second gas may include a carrier gas. The gas injection system may include a flow controller for controlling the flow rate of the carrier gas to the first and / or second gas inlets.

[0010] According to additional and exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure, a gas-phase reactor system comprises one or more of the gas injection systems described herein. An exemplary system may also comprise a reaction chamber, a first gas source fluidly coupled to one or more first gas channels, and an exhaust (e.g., vacuum) source coupled to a second gas source fluidly coupled to one or more second gas channels. An exemplary system may also comprise additional gas and / or exhaust sources.

[0011] According to an exemplary additional embodiment of the present disclosure, a method is provided. An exemplary method comprises the step of depositing a material on the surface of a substrate using a gas injection system and / or reactor system described herein. An exemplary method may comprise the step of automatically controlling and / or controlling one or more valves coupled to one or more first gas channels or automatically controlling one or more valves coupled to one or more second gas channels. An exemplary method may also comprise the step of providing one or more asymmetric settings of a first gas from a first gas source and a second gas from a second gas source to adjust film properties, such as film thickness, film thickness uniformity, and film composition, across a substrate surface including, for example, a substrate edge region (e.g., independently). According to some embodiments, the method comprises the step of rotating a susceptor at a rotational speed of about 60 to about 30, or about 30 to about 15, or about 15 to about 5 revolutions per minute.

[0012] The present disclosure is not limited to any specific embodiment(s) disclosed, and these and other embodiments will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description of specific embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings. Brief explanation of the drawing

[0013] A more complete understanding of the exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure can be derived by referring to the detailed description of the invention and the claims, when considered in conjunction with the following exemplary drawings. FIG. 1 shows a reactor system according to at least one exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 2 schematically illustrates a gas injection system according to at least one exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 3 shows a cross-sectional view of a flange according to at least one exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 4 schematically illustrates a part of a reactor system according to at least one exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. FIGS. 5A and 5B show charts illustrating the characteristics of a silicon germanium layer deposited on a substrate according to at least one exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 6 shows a chart illustrating the characteristics of a silicon germanium layer deposited on a substrate according to at least one exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. It will be understood that the elements of the drawings are depicted in a simplified and clear manner and are not necessarily drawn to scale. For example, to aid in understanding exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure, the dimensions of some components in the drawings may be exaggerated compared to other components. Specific details for implementing the invention

[0014] The description of the exemplary embodiments provided below is merely illustrative and intended only for illustrative purposes; the following description is not intended to limit the scope or claims of the present disclosure. Furthermore, citing multiple embodiments describing features is not intended to exclude other embodiments having additional features or other embodiments including other combinations of specified features.

[0015] The present disclosure generally relates to a gas injection system, a reactor including the gas injection system, a reactor system, and a method of using the gas injection system and the reactor system. The gas injection system, the reactor, and the reactor system including the gas injection system described herein may be used to process a substrate such as a semiconductor wafer. For example, the system described herein may be used to form or grow an epitaxial layer (e.g., a two-component and / or doped semiconductor layer) on the surface of a substrate. The exemplary system may be further used to provide etching chemicals to the surface of a substrate. For example, the exemplary system may provide two or more gas mixtures (e.g., collectively referred to herein as mixture, simple gas, first gas, or second gas) during a deposition (e.g., growth) process. For example, the first gas may include a first precursor and / or dopant and the second gas may include a first precursor and / or a second precursor and / or etchant, or the first gas may include an etchant and / or dopant and the second gas may include a precursor. The etchant may be used to facilitate the deposition of a desired film and / or to facilitate the selective deposition of a film placed on a first material / surface on the substrate surface in relation to the deposition of a film placed on a second material / surface of the substrate. The exemplary gas injection system, reactor system, and method described herein may be particularly useful for forming films having a relatively high dopant concentration (e.g., greater than about 30%, about 20%, or about 10%).

[0016] As described in more detail below, the use of an exemplary gas injection system as described herein is advantageous because it allows for the independent metering and control of the flow of gas (e.g., gas mixture) through various channels of the gas injection system in turn to the input location of the reaction chamber. Thus, independent control of the gas flow allows for independent adjustment of the film properties of the membrane formed using the reactor system including the gas injection system. For example, the exemplary gas injection system can be used to independently adjust the dopant concentration profile and film thickness (or thickness uniformity) of an epitaxially formed layer on a substrate, for example. Additionally or alternatively, the exemplary gas injection system can be used to compensate for changes in gas flow, changes in depletion rate, auto-doping, changes in the dopant profile caused by features on the substrate surface, or a combination thereof, which would otherwise occur within the reaction chamber of the reactor system. For example, independent gas flow control at various input sites may be used to compensate for or mitigate unwanted edge effects (e.g., mitigation of edge roll-down, i.e., reduction of the rate of increase in layer thickness toward the substrate edge), and / or to compensate for or mitigate unwanted effects of a rotating substrate, which could otherwise cause non-uniformity or other properties undesirable to one or more film characteristics. An exemplary gas injection system can be expanded to a desired number of channels and can be used with a gas mixture (e.g., independently of the composition of the gas mixture) while maintaining the desired precision and flow rate control. Additionally, an exemplary gas injection system of the present disclosure can be used for relatively high gas flow rates (e.g., nitrogen exceeding 5 slm through each channel) and / or, if desired, can operate at relatively high (e.g., near-atmosphere) pressures.These and other features of the system and method described herein may be particularly useful for depositing a high-quality epitaxial layer on a substrate.

[0017] As used herein, the terms precursor and / or reactant may refer to one or more gases / vapors participating in a chemical reaction, or may refer to a gaseous substance derived therefrom that participates in the reaction. The chemical reaction may occur in the gas phase, and / or between the gas phase and the substrate surface, and / or on species on the substrate surface.

[0018] As used herein, the substrate may refer to any material having a surface on which a material can be deposited. The substrate may comprise a bulk material such as silicon (e.g., single-crystal silicon) or one or more layers placed on top of the bulk material. Additionally, the substrate may comprise various topologies, such as trenches, vias, lines, etc., formed within or on at least a portion of the layers of the substrate.

[0019] As used herein, the term epitaxy layer may refer to a substantially single-crystalline layer on a substantially single-crystalline substrate or layer placed underneath.

[0020] As used herein, the term chemical vapor deposition may refer to any process in which a substrate is exposed to one or more vapor precursors that react and / or decompose on the surface of the substrate to produce a desired deposition.

[0021] As used herein, the term film and / or layer may refer to any continuous or discontinuous structure and material, such as a material deposited by the method disclosed herein. For example, the film and / or layer may comprise a two-dimensional material, a three-dimensional material, nanoparticles, or even a partial or whole molecular layer or a partial or whole atomic layer or an atomic and / or molecular cluster. The film or layer may comprise a material or layer having pinholes, which may be at least partially continuous.

[0022] As used herein, the term structure may refer to a substrate comprising one or more layers disposed on the substrate, such as a substrate as described herein and / or one or more layers formed according to the method described herein.

[0023] Additionally, in this disclosure, any two numeric values ​​of a variable may constitute an executable range of said variable, and any indicated range may include or exclude endpoints. Additionally, any value of the indicated variable may refer to an exact value or an approximate value (whether indicated as "approximately"), may include an equivalent, and may refer to an average, median, representative, majority, etc. Also, in this disclosure, the terms "comprising," "consisting of," and "having" independently refer to "ordinarily or approximately comprising," "comprising," "essentially made of," or "made of" in some embodiments. In this disclosure, any defined meaning does not necessarily exclude the ordinary and conventional meaning in some embodiments.

[0024] Now, looking at the drawings, FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary reactor system (100). The reactor system (100) can be used in various applications such as, for example, chemical vapor deposition (CVD), plasma-enhanced CVD (PECVD), atomic layer deposition (ALD), cleaning processes, etching processes, etc. Although exemplary embodiments have been described below in relation to epitaxial reactor systems, the embodiments and the present disclosure are not so limited unless otherwise noted.

[0025] In the illustrated example, the reactor system (100) comprises an optional substrate handling system (102), a reaction chamber (104), a gas injection system (106), and optionally a wall (108) disposed between the reaction chamber (104) and the substrate handling system (102). The system (100) may also include a first gas source (112), a second gas source (114), an exhaust source (110), and a susceptor or susceptor support (116). Although illustrated with two gas sources (112, 114), the reactor system (100) may include any suitable number of gas sources. Additionally, the reactor system (100) may include any suitable number of reaction chambers (104) that can each be coupled to the gas injection system (106). If the reactor system (100) includes a plurality of reaction chambers, each gas injection system can be coupled to the same gas source (112, 114) or a different gas source.

[0026] The gas source (112, 114) may include a compound or a combination of compounds for delivery to the reaction chamber (104). For example, the gas source (112, 114) may include a mixture of one or more precursors, one or more dopant sources, one or more etchants, and gases, and may include a mixture of one or more precursors, one or more dopant sources, and / or etchants having one or more carrier gases.

[0027] For example, the first gas source (112) may include an etchant and a dopant source. The second gas source (114) may include a precursor. Alternatively, the first gas source (112) may include an etchant and a dopant source; and the second gas source (114) may include a precursor. As another example, the first gas source (112) may include a first precursor, a second precursor, and / or an etchant, and the second gas source (114) may include the first precursor and / or an etchant. The etchant included in the first gas source (112) and the second gas source (114) may be the same compound. In various embodiments, the first gas source (112) and the second gas source (114) may have at least one component (e.g., precursor, etchant, etc.) in common.

[0028] An exemplary etchant may include a halide such as a chlorine-containing gas. An exemplary chlorine-containing gas includes one or more gases selected from the group consisting of hydrogen chloride, chlorine gas, etc.

[0029] Exemplary precursors include silicon-containing precursors such as trichlorosilane, dichlorosilane, silane, disilane, trisilane, silicon tetrachloride, etc., and / or germanium-containing precursors such as germane (GeH4), digermaine (Ge2H6), trigermaine (Ge3H8), etc.

[0030] An exemplary dopant source comprises a gas containing one or more of As, P, C, Ge, and B. As an example, the dopant source may include germane, diborane, phosphine, acin, and phosphorus trichloride. The gas injection system, the reactor system, and the method described herein may be particularly useful for p-type doped membranes, such as silicon, silicon germanium, etc.

[0031] The carrier gas may be one or more inert gases and / or hydrogen, or may include them. An exemplary carrier gas includes one or more gases selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, nitrogen, argon, helium, etc.

[0032] Where the first gas comprises a first precursor and a dopant source, the first gas may comprise about 30 to about 5 or about 15 to about 5 volume% of the first precursor and / or about 15 to about 5 or about 10 to about 5 volume% of the dopant source. The first gas source may also comprise about 75 to about 95 or about 85 to about 90 volume% of a carrier gas.

[0033] Where the first gas comprises an etchant and a dopant source, the first gas may comprise an etchant of about 25 to about 5 or about 20 to about 5 or about 15 to about 5 volume% and / or a dopant source of about 25 to about 5 or about 20 to about 5, or about 15 to about 5 volume%. The first gas source may also comprise a carrier gas of about 60 to about 95, about 70 to about 90, or about 75 to about 85 volume%.

[0034] Where the second gas comprises the first precursor and / or the second precursor and the etchant, the first gas may comprise about 0 to about 20 or about 5 to about 15 volume% of the first precursor and / or the second precursor and / or about 0 to about 7 or about 2 to about 5 volume% of the etchant. The second gas source may also comprise about 75 to about 95 or about 85 to about 95 volume% of a carrier gas.

[0035] If the second gas contains a precursor, the first gas may contain about 5 to about 20 or about 5 to about 15 volume% of the precursor. The second gas source may also contain about 75 to about 95 or about 85 to about 95 volume% of a carrier gas.

[0036] The reactor system (100) may include any suitable number of reaction chambers (104) and a substrate handling system (102). For example, the reaction chambers (104) of the reactor system (100) may be, for example, cross-flow cold-wall epitaxial reaction chambers or may include such.

[0037] The susceptor or substrate support (116) may include one or more heaters (118) for heating the substrate (120) to a temperature of, for example, about 500 to about 600, about 600 to about 700, or about 700 to about 800°C. The susceptor or substrate support (116) may also be configured to rotate during processing. According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the susceptor or substrate support (116) rotates at a rotational speed of about 60 to about 30, or about 30 to about 15, or about 15 to about 5 rotations per minute.

[0038] During the operation of the reactor system (100), a substrate (120), such as a semiconductor wafer, is transferred from, for example, a substrate handling system (102) to a reaction chamber (104). Once the substrate(s) (120) are transferred to the reaction chamber (104), one or more gases from the first and second gas sources (112, 114), such as a precursor, a dopant, a carrier gas, an etchant, and / or a purge gas, are introduced into the reaction chamber (104) through a gas injection system (106). As described in more detail below, the gas injection system (106) can be used to meter and control the flow rate of one or more gases from the first gas source (112) and the second gas source (114) during substrate processing, and to provide the desired flow of these gases to various locations within the reaction chamber (104).

[0039] FIG. 2 illustrates a gas injection system (200) suitable for use as a gas injection system (106) according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. The gas injection system (200) comprises a first gas supply line (202) coupled to a first gas supply source (203) which may be identical or similar to the gas supply source (112), and a second gas supply line (204) coupled to a second gas supply source (205) which may be identical or similar to the gas supply source (114). When referring to the gas lines and fluid components of the gas injection system (200), the term “coupled” means fluid-coupled, and unless otherwise noted, the lines or components do not need to be directly fluid-coupled, but rather the gas injection system (200) may include other interposed elements such as connectors, valves, meters, etc.

[0040] The gas injection system (200) includes a first gas manifold (206) coupled to a first gas supply line (202) through a first gas inlet (215), and a second gas manifold (208) coupled to a second gas supply line (204) through a second gas inlet (217). The first gas manifold (206) includes a plurality of first gas outlets (210 to 218). Similarly, the second gas manifold (208) includes a plurality of second gas outlets (220 to 228). The first gas manifold (206) and the second gas manifold (208) are configured to receive gas from one or more gas lines (e.g., first and second gas lines (202, 204)) and to distribute the gas to one or more channels, each partially defined by the first gas outlets (210 to 218) and the second gas outlets (220 to 228). In the illustrated example, each of the first and second gas streams from the first gas source (203) and the second gas source (205) is divided into five gas channels. Although the first gas outlets (210 to 218) and the second gas outlets (220 to 228) are each shown as five, the gas injection system according to the present disclosure may include any suitable number of first, second, and / or other gas outlets corresponding to a plurality of channels for each gas. For example, an exemplary system may include, for example, about 1 to 10 channels, or 5, 6, 7, 9 or more channels for each gas. As shown, the first gas manifold (206) and / or the second gas manifold (208) may include a loop configuration to facilitate a uniform flow distribution through the gas channels.Additionally or alternatively, the first gas manifold (206) and / or the second gas manifold (208) may have a relatively large diameter relative to the gas lines (202, 204), for example, the diameter of the first gas manifold (206) and / or the second gas manifold (208) may be 2, 3, 4, or 5 times larger than the diameter of the line (202) and / or line (204). In the illustrated example, the first gas channel and the second gas channel are alternately adjacent to each other. However, this is not necessarily required.

[0041] As described above, the first gas source (203) and / or the second gas source (205) may be a mixture of two or more gases. In this case, one or more gases, which may or may not include the gas mixture, may be supplied to the first gas source (203) and / or the second gas source (205) from another source (not shown) through flow controllers (207 to 213). If the source gas upstream of the flow controllers (207 to 213) is not a mixture of gases, the flow controllers (207 to 209) may be suitable mass flow controllers. For example, one or more of the flow controllers (207 to 213) may control the flow rate of the carrier gas to the first gas source (203) and / or the second gas source (205). The flow controllers (207 to 213) can be coupled to gas supply sources (302 to 308) which will be described in more detail below.

[0042] The gas injection system (200) additionally includes a plurality of flow sensors (230 to 248) coupled to first and second gas outlets (210 to 228). In the illustrated example, each of the first and second gas outlets (210 to 228) is coupled to a single flow sensor (230 to 248). However, in some cases, it may be desirable to have some gas outlets that are not coupled to a flow sensor or to have some gas outlets coupled to one or more flow sensors.

[0043] Flow sensors (230 to 248) may be used, for example, to monitor the flow rate of a gas mixture for each channel using a graphical user interface and to provide real-time and / or historical flow rate information to the user. Additionally or alternatively, flow sensors (230 to 248) may be coupled to a controller (e.g., controller (294)) and gas valves (250 to 268) to provide a gas flow ratio controlled through the gas valves (250 to 268). By placing at least one flow sensor (230 to 248) in each gas channel, the gas flow ratio (e.g., relative flow rate) through each channel can be measured and controlled independently regardless of the gas composition. Exemplary flow sensors (230 to 248) may be or include various flow sensors, e.g., thermal mass flow sensors, pressure drop-based flow sensors, etc.

[0044] Gas valves (250 to 268) may allow control of gas flow through one or more gas outlets (210 to 228) (e.g., each flow through the gas outlets (210 to 228) may be controlled individually, or a group of gas outlets may be controlled such as all gas outlets coupled to the first gas manifold (206) and the first gas source (203), or the second gas manifold (208) and the second gas source (205). Gas valves (250 to 268) may include any suitable device for metering the gas flow. According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, gas valves (250 to 268) each include a proportional valve such as a solenoid valve, a pneumatic valve, or a piezoelectric valve. A valve having a relatively high (e.g., 0.021 to 0.14) flow coefficient (Cv) may be selected to reduce downstream packing. The gas valves (250 to 268) can preferably operate under closed-loop control, but can also operate under open-loop control (e.g., additionally).

[0045] The flow sensors (230 to 248) and gas valves (250 to 268) may initially form part of a mass flow controller (e.g., a standard mass flow controller), but the control function of the valves is replaced by the controller (294). For example, the flow meter (230) and gas valve (250) may form or be part of a mass flow controller (270) configured to operate in an open-loop mode, while the controller (294) provides closed-loop control of the valves (250 to 268). The flow sensors (232 to 248) and gas valves (252 to 268) may similarly form or be part of a mass flow controller (272 to 288). This configuration allows for implementation in a standard reactor configuration and / or the use of readily available mass flow controllers, flow sensors, and valves.

[0046] Gas valves (250 to 268) can be connected to a reaction chamber (290) via a flange (292). Gas valves (250 to 268) can be connected to the flange (292) using additional lines (e.g., tube connections) and suitable connectors. An exemplary flange (292) includes a flange gas channel to maintain the channel until each gas exits into the reaction chamber (290), and an exemplary flange gas channel (310) is shown in FIG. 3. The flange gas channel may include expansion regions (312, 314) and respective outlets (316, 318) that terminate on opposite sides of the flange and are adjacent to each other. For example, a first gas channel corresponding to a first gas stream may be terminated at a first side (296) of the flange (292), and a second gas channel corresponding to a second gas stream may be terminated at a second side (298) of the flange (292).

[0047] The gas injection system (200) may optionally include a moisture sample panel. The moisture sample panel may include, for example, one or more pressure transducers, pneumatic valves, and / or restrictors. An exemplary moisture sample panel is disclosed in U.S. Application Serial No. 15 / 997,445 filed June 4, 2018, with the title of the invention “GAS DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM AND REACTOR SYSTEM INCLUDING SAME”, and is incorporated herein by reference to the extent that such content does not conflict with the present disclosure.

[0048] The reaction chamber (290) may be formed of, for example, quartz. During substrate processing, an exemplary operating pressure within the reaction chamber (290) may be, for example, in the range of about 0.5 millitor tor to about 780 tor. For example, the pressure may be in the range of about 2 millitor tor to about 780 tor. According to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the system (200) may provide desired, stable, and independent flow control within each channel across this pressure range.

[0049] The controller (294) may be configured to perform the various functions and / or steps described herein. To perform the various functions, the controller (294) may include one or more microprocessors, memory elements, and / or switching elements. Although shown as a single unit, the controller (294) may alternatively include a number of devices. For example, the controller (294) may be used to control the flow of gas from the first gas source (203) and / or the second gas source (205) in a plurality of gas channels that may extend, for example, between each first gas outlet or the second gas outlet, optionally through the flange (292) and optionally to the reaction chamber (290). The controller (294) may be configured to provide open-loop and / or closed-loop flow control, for example, using the same hardware. In particular, the controller (294) may be configured to provide a desired ratio of the total flow of each gas within each channel coupled to an individual supply source (e.g., from a first gas supply source (203) or a second gas supply source (205)). According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, the controller (294) includes gas valves (250 to 268) and comprises a proportional-integral proportional-derivative (PID) controller that allows for independent closed-loop control of the various controllable valves described herein. With PID closed-loop control, the system (200) can dynamically regulate and / or regulate the flow in one or more (e.g., all) gas channels to a set point and / or switch between gas supply sources and / or reliably provide an initial gas flow rate to the reaction chamber (290), particularly when the operating pressure is relatively high (e.g., near-atmospheric pressure). Closed-loop control enables automatic and stable control of the flow rate through each channel for various pressure ranges such as those described herein. Closed-loop control also allows control without the matching of tools often required in traditional systems.For example, an initial set point for each control valve can be selected using PID control. Then, flow ratio feedback from each flow sensor output coupled to the controllable valve can be connected to the PID controller of the controller (294) and used to control the desired set point (i.e., flow ratio) of each control valve.

[0050] The system and method described herein improved the concentration profile of a dopant in a film deposited using said system and / or method. According to an example of the present disclosure, the non-uniformity of the dopant concentration from the center to the edge of the substrate varied to less than 10%, less than 7.5%, and less than 6% at a relatively high concentration of dopant.

[0051] As previously mentioned, according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure, a first gas inlet (202) may receive a first gas including a first precursor and a dopant source, and a second gas inlet (204) may receive a second gas including a first precursor or a second precursor and an etchant. In this case, the gas source (302) may include a precursor as described herein, the gas source (304) may include a dopant source as described herein, the gas source (306) may be or include the gas source (302) or another (e.g., a second) precursor gas source, and the gas source (308) may include an etchant. FIG. 4 illustrates an example of a shared gas source (302). Flow controllers (207 and 211) are coupled to the shared gas source (302). If the gas supply sources (302 and 306) are the same / shared supply sources, the gas ratio between the first gas supply source (203) and the second gas supply source (205) may vary, for example, from about 0.8 to about 0.9, from about 0.9 to about 1.0, or from about 1.0 to about 1.3.

[0052] According to another embodiment of the present disclosure, the first gas inlet (215) may receive a first gas including an etchant and a dopant source, and the second gas inlet (217) may receive a second gas including a precursor. In this case, the gas source (302) may include the etchant described herein, the gas source (304) may include the dopant source described herein, the gas source (306) may include the precursor source described herein, and the gas source (308) may include a carrier gas. In this case, the flow rates of the carrier gas and the precursor gas may each be controlled independently to provide additional control over the deposited composition film.

[0053] In various embodiments, the system and method of the present invention can not only mitigate unwanted effects (e.g., edge roll-down) on the film toward the edge of the substrate but also improve the desired germanium concentration in the film. For example, advantageous results can be achieved by including a compound that is common to both the first gas and the second gas during substrate processing (e.g., having a common precursor and / or an etchant between the first gas from the first gas source (203) and the second gas from the second gas source (205). As another example, both the first gas source (203) and the second gas source (205) may deliver hydrogen chloride and / or germane to the reaction chamber (290) and may contain it.

[0054] With reference to Table 1 and FIGS. 5a, FIGS. 5b, and FIGS. 6, four examples of the present disclosure are described, wherein gases containing various components are supplied through a first gas source and a second gas source of a reactor system (e.g., the first gas source (203) and the second gas source (205) shown in FIG. 2) and compared with one another. In the example illustrated by data sets (512, 522), the first gas and the second gas do not have common components, whereas in the other three experiments, the first gas contains components common to the second gas. Data sets (512 and 522) are shown in three charts (500, 550, and 600). In each chart, the upper figure (upper figure (510, 560, 610)) represents the germanium content of the silicon germanium layer deposited on the substrate as a function of position on the substrate (the "0" position on the x-axis indicates the center of the substrate, and moving along the x-axis in both directions indicates moving from the center of the substrate toward the substrate edge(s)). In each chart, the lower figure (lower figure (520, 570, 620)) represents the thickness of the silicon germanium layer deposited on the substrate as a function of position on the substrate (in the same x-axis units as the upper figure).

[0055] Table 1

[0056]

[0057] As shown in Table 1, data sets (512 and 522) represent the results of flowing a first gas, containing germane (GeH4) and silane (SiH4), through a first gas source and flowing a second gas, containing hydrogen chloride (HCl), into a reaction chamber through a second gas source. The “Gas Flow” column in Table 1 represents the percentage of the total gas flow (the total gas flow is the sum of the first gas flow and the second gas flow) achieved by each of the first gas and the second gas. For example, for data sets (514 and 524), the total gas flow between the first gas and the second gas comprises 59% of the first gas and 41% of the second gas. Additionally, in these embodiments, the first and second gas sources each have five gas outlets (e.g., gas outlets (210 to 228) shown in FIG. 2). Accordingly, the “Flow through gas outlet ratio” column and sub-column represent the percentage of each gas flowing through each gas outlet. For example, for the first gas in data set (512, 522), 30% of the first gas flowed through each of the two outermost gas outlets (i.e., the gas outlet closest to the substrate edge), 9% of the first gas flowed through each of the two inner gas outlets, and 22% of the first gas flowed through the central gas outlet. Similarly, for the second gas in data set (512, 522), 15.5% of the second gas flowed through each of the two outermost gas outlets (i.e., the gas outlet closest to the substrate edge), 23% of the second gas flowed through each of the two inner gas outlets, and 23% of the second gas flowed through the central gas outlet. The flow rate and / or amount of gas through any gas outlet among the gas sources discussed herein can be controlled independently or together with other gas outlets (e.g., through each gas valve (250 to 268), as shown in FIG. 2).

[0058] As can be seen from data set (512), the germanium content within the silicon germanium layer begins to gradually increase from a relatively constant germanium content about 85 mm from the center of the substrate. A more desirable germanium content configuration in the silicon germanium layer may be to be relatively constant on the substrate for as long as possible from the center of the substrate, and then increase sharply near the edge of the substrate (thus having a more constant germanium content in the silicon germanium layer over most of the area on the substrate before increasing significantly near the edge of the substrate). As can be seen from data set (522) (and as highlighted by windows (528, 578, and 628)), the silicon germanium layer thickness increases toward the edge of the substrate and then tapers as the rate of increase in layer thickness decreases (i.e., edge roll-down). This thickness pattern of the silicon germanium layer may be less desirable than a layer thickness that continues to increase toward the edge of the substrate and has no taper.

[0059] Charts (500) and (550) and data sets (514, 524 and 564, 574) shown in Table 1 and FIGS. 5a and 5b represent the results of flowing a first gas containing germane, silane, and HCl through a first gas source and flowing a second gas containing HCl through a second gas source into a reaction chamber. Thus, both the first gas and the second gas contain HCl. The percentage of flow and the flow ratio through each gas outlet are shown in the respective columns of Table 1. The embodiment that produced data sets (514, 524) included a silicon controlled rectifier (SCR) having an upper bias power ratio of 55% upper / 45% lower, whereas the embodiment that produced data sets (564, 574) included an SCR having a lower bias power ratio of 42% upper / 58% lower. As can be seen from data sets (514, 564), the germanium content within the resulting silicon germanium layer begins to gradually increase from a relatively constant germanium content around 110 mm from the center of the substrate. Thus, including a common compound in the first and second gases (e.g., an etchant such as HCl) resulted in a more constant germanium content within the silicon germanium layer over a larger area of ​​the substrate than shown in data set (512). As can be seen from data sets (524 and 574) (and as highlighted by windows (528 and 578)), the thickness of the silicon germanium layer increases continuously toward the edge of the substrate without taper (i.e., without edge roll-down). Thus, providing these first and second gases, both sharing at least one compound (e.g., HCl), produced more desirable characteristics of the final silicon germanium layer than shown in data set (522).

[0060] Chart (600) and data sets (614, 624) shown in Table 1 and FIG. 6 represent the results of flowing a first gas containing germane, silane, and HCl through a first gas source and flowing a second gas containing germane through a second gas source into a reaction chamber. Thus, both the first gas and the second gas contain germane. The percentage of flow and the flow ratio through each gas outlet are shown in the respective columns of Table 1. As can be seen from data set (614), the germanium content in the final silicon germanium layer begins to gradually increase from a relatively constant germanium content around 120 mm from the center of the substrate. Thus, including a common compound in both the first and second gases (e.g., a precursor such as germane) resulted in a more constant germanium content in the silicon germanium layer over a larger area of ​​the substrate than shown in data set (512). As can be seen from the data set (624) (and as highlighted by the window (628)), the silicon germanium layer thickness increases continuously toward the edge of the substrate without taper (i.e., without edge roll-down). Thus, providing these first and second gases, both sharing at least one compound (e.g., germane), produced more desirable characteristics of the final silicon germanium layer than shown in the data set (522).

[0061] It should be understood that while exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure are set forth herein, the present disclosure is not limited thereto. For example, gas injection devices and reactor systems have been described in relation to various specific structures, but the present disclosure is not necessarily limited to these embodiments. Various modifications, changes, and improvements to the systems and methods described herein may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure.

[0062] The gist of the present disclosure includes all novel and non-obvious combinations and sub-combinations of the various systems, components, and structures, and other features, functions, behaviors, and / or qualities disclosed herein, as well as any and all equivalents thereof.

Claims

Claim 1 A gas injection system comprising: a first gas manifold including a first gas inlet and a plurality of first gas outlets; a second gas manifold including a second gas inlet and a plurality of second gas outlets; a plurality of first gas valves, each of the plurality of first gas outlets being coupled to at least one of the plurality of first gas valves; a plurality of second gas valves, each of the plurality of second gas outlets being coupled to at least one of the plurality of second gas valves; wherein at least one first flow controller, each of the at least one first flow controller comprising a mass flow controller; at least one first upstream gas source, each of the at least one first flow controller being flexibly coupled between the first gas inlet and at least one first upstream gas source; at least one second flow controller, each of the at least one second flow controller comprising another mass flow controller; and at least one second upstream gas source, each of the at least one second flow controller being flexibly coupled between the second gas inlet and at least one second upstream gas source Combined-;The first gas inlet receives a first gas, and the first gas comprises at least one first upstream gas from at least one first upstream gas source, and the at least one first upstream gas source comprises a first precursor source and a dopant source, the second gas inlet receives a second gas, and the second gas comprises at least one second upstream gas from at least one second upstream gas source, and the at least one second upstream gas source comprises a first precursor source or a second precursor source and an etchant source, and a controller, a plurality of first gas outlets, each comprising five sets of first gas outlets, and each set of first gas outlets comprises at least one first gas outlet, and the five sets of first gas outlets comprise a first center set positioned closest to the center of the substrate, two first outer sets positioned closest to the edge of the substrate, and two first inner sets positioned between the first center set and the two first outer sets; the plurality of second gas outlets, A gas injection system comprising five sets of second gas outlets, each set of second gas outlets comprising at least one second gas outlet, wherein the five sets of second gas outlets comprise a second center set positioned closest to the center of a substrate, two second outer sets positioned closest to the edges of a substrate, and two second inner sets positioned between the second center set and the two second outer sets. Claim 2 delete Claim 3 delete Claim 4 A gas injection system according to claim 1, wherein at least one first upstream gas source is a source of a first precursor and at least one second upstream gas is a source of a second precursor, and the chemical formula of the first precursor and the chemical formula of the second precursor contain one or more of the same elements. Claim 5 A gas injection system according to claim 1, wherein the first precursor source is a source of the first precursor, and the first precursor is selected from the group consisting of trichlorosilane, dichlorosilane, silane, disilane, trisilane, and silicon tetrachloride. Claim 6 A gas injection system according to claim 1, wherein the dopant source is a source of dopant, and the dopant is selected from the group consisting of germane, diborane, phosphine, acin, and phosphorus trichloride. Claim 7 A gas injection system according to claim 1, wherein the etchant source is a source of etchant, and the etchant comprises hydrogen chloride. Claim 8 delete Claim 9 delete Claim 10 delete Claim 11 delete Claim 12 delete Claim 13 delete Claim 14 delete Claim 15 A reactor system comprising a gas injection system, the system comprises: a first gas manifold including a first gas inlet and a plurality of first gas outlets; a second gas manifold including a second gas inlet and a plurality of second gas outlets; a plurality of first gas valves, each of the plurality of first gas outlets being coupled to at least one of the plurality of first gas valves; a plurality of second gas valves, each of the plurality of second gas outlets being coupled to at least one of the plurality of second gas valves; wherein at least one first flow controller, each of the at least one first flow controller being a mass flow controller; at least one first upstream gas source, each of the at least one first flow controller being flexibly coupled between the first gas inlet and at least one first upstream gas source; at least one second flow controller, each of the at least one second flow controller being another mass flow controller; and at least one second upstream gas source, each of the at least one second flow controller being between the second gas inlet and at least one second upstream gas source A reactor system comprising: a first gas inlet receiving a first gas, wherein the first gas comprises at least one first upstream gas from at least one first upstream gas source, wherein the at least one first upstream gas source comprises a first precursor source and a dopant source, wherein the second gas inlet receiving a second gas, wherein the second gas comprises at least one second upstream gas from at least one second upstream gas source, wherein the at least one second upstream gas source comprises a first precursor source or a second precursor source and an etchant source, and comprising a susceptor, wherein the susceptor rotates at a rotational speed of 60 to 30, 30 to 15, or 15 to 5 revolutions / minute. Claim 16 delete Claim 17 A method of depositing a material on the surface of a substrate within a reaction chamber using the gas injection system of claim 1. Claim 18 delete Claim 19 delete Claim 20 delete Claim 21 delete

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