| Method and apparatus for silicon oxide deposition on large area substrates -> Monitor Keywords |
|
|
  Method and apparatus for silicon oxide deposition on large area substratesUSPTO Application #: 20060127068Title: Method and apparatus for silicon oxide deposition on large area substrates Abstract: A method and apparatus for depositing a dielectric material at a rate of at least 3000 Angstroms per minute on a large area substrate that has a surface area of at least about 0.35 square meters is provided. In one embodiment, the dielectric material is silicon oxide. Also provided is a large area substrate having a layer of dielectric material deposited by a process yielding a deposition rate in excess of about 3000 Angstroms per minute and a processing chamber for fabricating the same. (end of abstract)
Agent: Patterson & Sheridan, LLP - Houston, TX, US Inventors: Sanjay D. Yadav, Quanyuan Shang, Wendell T. Blonigan USPTO Applicaton #: 20060127068 - Class: 392416000 (USPTO) Related Patent Categories: Electric Resistance Heating Devices, Specific Application:, Radiant Heater, With Chamber The Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20060127068. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS [0001] This application is a divisional application of co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/409,466, filed Apr. 7, 2003, which is incorporated by reference herein. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0002] 1. Field of the Invention [0003] Embodiments of the invention generally relate to a method and apparatus for silicon oxide deposition on large area substrates. [0004] 2. Background of the Related Art [0005] Thin film transistors (TFTs) are conventionally made on large area glass substrates or plates for use in monitors, flat panel displays, solar cells, personal digital assistants (PDAs), cell phones and the like. Many TFT manufacturers utilize large area substrates for TFT fabrication with dimensions exceeding 550 mm by 650 mm, with a demand for even larger sizes. It is envisioned that these dimensions may exceed 4.0 square meters in the near future. [0006] TFTs are made in a cluster tool by sequential deposition of various films including amorphous silicon, doped and undoped silicon oxides, silicon nitride and the like in vacuum chambers typically disposed around a central transfer chamber. TFTs generally comprise two glass plates having a layer of liquid crystal material sandwiched therebetween. At least one of the glass plates includes at least one conductive film disposed thereon that is coupled to a power supply. Power supplied to the conductive film from the power supply changes the orientation of the liquid crystal material, creating a pattern such as text or graphics seen on the display. One fabrication process frequently used to produce flat panels is plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD). [0007] Plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition is generally employed to deposit thin films on a substrate such as a flat panel or semiconductor wafer. Plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition is generally accomplished by introducing a precursor gas into a vacuum chamber that contains a substrate. The precursor gas is typically directed through a distribution plate situated near the top of the chamber. The precursor gas in the chamber is energized (e.g., excited) to form a plasma by applying RF power to the chamber from one or more RF sources coupled to the chamber. The excited gas reacts to form a layer of material on a surface of the substrate that is positioned on a temperature controlled substrate support. In applications where the substrate receives a layer of low temperature polysilicon, the substrate support may be heated in excess of 400 degrees Celsius. Volatile by-products produced during the reaction are pumped from the chamber through an exhaust system. [0008] One of the obstacles in depositing films, particularly silicon oxides formed from TEOS precursors, is the long time required to deposit a predetermined thickness of film on the surface of larger size substrates. In particular, deposition rates slow exponentially as process gases cannot be provided to the chamber at a rate that allows commercially practical deposition rates. For example, conventional vaporizers utilized to convert liquid TEOS into TEOS vapor suitable for CVD processes are limited to about 10 g/m and correspondingly limit deposition rates to about 1500 to about a maximum of 2500 .ANG./m in typical processes. The lack of generators suitable for providing high volumetric flows of process gases (i.e., flows in excess of 15 g/m) is a major obstacle for commercially practical silicon oxide deposition on next generation size large area substrates. [0009] Further, TEOS vaporizers, such as conventional TEOS bubblers utilized in many large area substrate CVD applications, also tend to generate and entrain liquid droplets at their upper end of operation, which is generally limited to about 10 g/m. Droplets entering the processing chamber may contaminate the substrate and/or result in process variation. As the size of large area substrates commands a substantial investment in material and processing costs, excessive defects due to droplets or inadequate precursor gas generation are unacceptable. Moreover, droplets entrained in the gases entering the processing chamber result in prolonged vacuum pump-down time. For example, conventional large area substrate CVD systems encounter pump-down times of about 23-30 seconds for conventional vaporizers producing 5 g/min TEOS and about 30-34 seconds for conventional vaporizers producing 10 g/min TEOS. Minimization of the pump-down time is highly desirable as it would directly result in increased substrate throughput. [0010] Therefore, is a need for a method and apparatus for generating TEOS vapor (among other precursors or process gases) for depositing dielectric material at a rate of at least 2,000 .ANG./m on large area substrates. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [0011] A method and apparatus for depositing a dielectric material at a rate of at least 3000 Angstroms per minute on a large area substrate that has a surface area of at least about 0.35 square meters is provided. In one embodiment, the dielectric material is silicon oxide. Also provided is a large area substrate having a layer of dielectric material deposited by a process yielding a deposition rate in excess of about 3000 Angstroms per minute and a processing chamber for fabricating the same. [0012] In another aspect of the invention, a vaporizer module suitable for use in semiconductor processing is provided. In one embodiment, includes a first thermally conductive plate having a thickness of at least 0.125 disposed against a second plate thermally conductive plate to define a vaporizer assembly. A plurality of grooves are formed at least partially in the first plate and covered by the second plate. A first port and a second port are formed in respective ends of the vaporizer assembly and fluidly coupled by the grooves. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS [0013] A more particular description of the invention, briefly summarized above, may be had by reference to the embodiments thereof that are illustrated in the appended drawings. It is to be noted, however, that the appended drawings illustrate only typical embodiments of this invention and are therefore not to be considered limiting of its scope, for the invention may admit to other equally effective embodiments. [0014] FIG. 1 is a sectional view of an exemplary large area substrate processing system including one embodiment of a vaporizer module of the present invention; [0015] FIG. 2 depicts a sectional view of the processing chamber of FIG. 1 including one embodiment of the vaporizer module of the present invention; [0016] FIG. 3A is a sectional view of one embodiment of a vaporizer module of the present invention; [0017] FIG. 3B is a sectional view of the vaporizer included in the vaporizer module of FIG. 3A; and [0018] FIG. 4 depicts a flow diagram of one embodiment of a process in which the vaporizer module of FIG. 3A may be utilized. [0019] To facilitate understanding, identical reference numerals have been used, wherever possible, to designate identical elements that are common to the figures. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Continue reading... Full patent description for Method and apparatus for silicon oxide deposition on large area substrates Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims Click on the above for other options relating to this Method and apparatus for silicon oxide deposition on large area substrates patent application. ###  How KEYWORD MONITOR works... a FREE service from FreshPatents1. Sign up (takes 30 seconds). 2. Fill in the keywords to be monitored. 3. Each week you receive an email with patent applications related to your keywords. Start now! - Receive info on patent apps like Method and apparatus for silicon oxide deposition on large area substrates or other areas of interest. ### Previous Patent Application: Fast heating and cooling wafer handling assembly and method of manufacturing thereof Next Patent Application: Welding apparatus and welding method Industry Class: Electric resistance heating devices ### FreshPatents.com Support Thank you for viewing the Method and apparatus for silicon oxide deposition on large area substrates patent info. IP-related news and info Results in 0.46072 seconds Other interesting Feshpatents.com categories: Computers: Graphics , I/O , Processors , Dyn. Storage , Static Storage , Printers |
||
