JP7805065B2 - Containment of process gas using elastic objects fitted to reactor interface - Google Patents

Description

This specification relates generally to the manufacture of electronic devices. More particularly, this specification relates to the containment of process gases using elastic objects mated to reactor interfaces.

Electronic device manufacturing equipment can include multiple chambers, such as process chambers and load lock chambers. Such electronic device manufacturing equipment can employ robotic equipment within a transfer chamber configured to transport substrates between the multiple chambers. In some cases, multiple substrates are transferred together.

According to one embodiment, a deposition chamber system is provided. The deposition chamber system includes a reactor interface, a flow guide attached to the reactor interface, a reactor frame disposed below the reactor interface to secure a substrate, and a resilient body having a first end corresponding to a base attached to the reactor interface and a second end corresponding to a compression body disposed above the reactor frame to form a process gas containment seal by compressive force between the reactor interface and the reactor frame. The flow guide is one of an upstream flow guide for guiding a process gas flow into the reactor to perform a deposition process on a substrate loaded into the reactor, or a downstream flow guide for guiding residual process gas out of the reactor after performing the deposition process.

According to another embodiment, an apparatus is provided. The apparatus includes a reactor interface of a deposition chamber system and a resilient body having a first end corresponding to a base attached to the reactor interface and a second end corresponding to a compression body for forming a process gas containment seal by compressive force between the reactor interface and a reactor frame disposed below the reactor interface to secure a substrate.

According to yet another embodiment, a method is provided. The method includes placing a substrate on a susceptor of a deposition chamber system while a reactor frame of the deposition chamber system is in an isolated position. The substrate is positioned on the susceptor at a first position relative to the reactor frame. The method further includes loading the substrate into a reactor of the deposition chamber system to retrieve the engaged reactor frame, and lifting the susceptor until a resilient body is compressed between the engaged reactor frame and a reactor interface of the deposition chamber system to form a process gas containment seal. The susceptor is lifted to a second position above the first position, corresponding to a spacing between the substrate and a cathode of the deposition chamber system. The resilient body has a first end corresponding to a base attached to the reactor interface and a second end corresponding to a compression body.

Aspects and implementations of the present disclosure will be more fully understood from the following detailed description and the accompanying drawings, which are intended to illustrate aspects and implementations by way of example and not by way of limitation.

1 is a cross-sectional view of an exemplary deposition chamber system according to some embodiments. 1 is a cross-sectional view of an exemplary downstream section of a deposition chamber system according to some embodiments. 2B is an expanded view of the downstream section of FIG. 2A according to some embodiments. 1 is a cross-sectional view of an exemplary deposition chamber system according to some embodiments. 1 is a cross-sectional view of an exemplary upstream section of a deposition chamber system in a separation position according to some embodiments. 1 is a cross-sectional view of an exemplary upstream section of a deposition chamber system during reactor loading according to some embodiments. 1 is a cross-sectional view of an exemplary upstream section of a deposition chamber system when the reactor is sealed in accordance with some embodiments. 1 is a flow diagram of a method of implementing a deposition chamber system according to some embodiments. 1A-1C are cross-sectional views of examples of resilient objects that can be used to form a process containment seal in a deposition chamber system according to some embodiments.

Reactor designs for deposition chamber systems, such as atomic layer deposition (ALD) chamber systems, utilize windows ("containment windows") to contain process gases to prevent them from escaping the reactor and damaging other deposition chamber system components. Typical reactor designs for ALD deposition chamber systems utilize process gas containment windows formed from glass materials. Glass materials can have favorable thermal properties, such as low thermal expansion, to reduce breakage due to temperature shock. One example of a suitable glass material is borosilicate-strengthened glass (e.g., PYREX®). Containment windows made from such materials can present various challenges, including breakage, cost, material deformation, and power loss in the reaction zone. Additionally, reactor designs implementing such containment windows can include complex gas flow channels with gas distribution challenges (e.g., risk of condensation). Furthermore, parasitic plasma can exist between the reactor cathode and the reactor containment window made from glass materials.

Aspects and implementations of the present disclosure address these and other shortcomings of existing technologies by implementing containment of process gases using elastic objects within a deposition chamber system. In some embodiments, the deposition chamber system is an ALD chamber system. In some embodiments, the deposition chamber system is a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) chamber system. A protective coating (e.g., a plasma-resistant coating) can be applied to exposed surfaces (e.g., cathodes) within the reactor to prevent corrosion of the material in response to the chemistry of one or _more types of process gases. For example, a coating of _Y2O3 can be applied for the chemistry of boron trichloride ( _BCl3 ).

The reactor frame is designed to secure a substrate placed on the susceptor when the substrate is loaded into the reactor and to provide a material deposition (e.g., film deposition) boundary during the deposition process. The susceptor comprises a material that can heat or cool a substrate placed on the susceptor to a temperature within a specific range. The susceptor design (e.g., material selection) can depend on the reactor operating temperature. In some embodiments, the reactor frame is a mask frame or shadow frame. The mask frame or shadow frame is designed to hold the substrate in place during the deposition process and can function as a stencil to define a film deposition boundary area on the substrate. For example, a mask frame can be used for smaller electronic devices such as mobile phones, while a shadow frame can be used for larger electronic devices such as televisions. The reactor interface is operably coupled to a flow guide to direct process gas flow into and out of the reactor.

The resilient object forms a process gas containment seal between the reactor frame and the reactor interface (e.g., reactor lid) to prevent process gas from leaking from the reactor into areas of the deposition chamber system having unprotected surfaces (e.g., without a protective coating). For example, the process gas may include the process gas stream introduced into the reactor during the deposition process and residue resulting from the deposition process. The residue may include residual gas (e.g., unreacted gas) and/or by-products of the deposition process.

In some embodiments, the resilient object has a first end corresponding to a base of the resilient object and a second end corresponding to a compression body of the resilient object. The first end is attached (e.g., mated) to the reactor interface, such that the reactor frame contacts the second end of the resilient object to form a process gas containment seal between the reactor frame and the reactor interface upon compression of the resilient object. The compression body can form a process gas containment seal between the reactor frame and the reactor interface in an upstream section of the deposition chamber system used to introduce process gas flow into the reactor and/or in a downstream section of the deposition chamber system used to remove residue. The compression body can comprise a resilient material having a suitable geometry and/or suitable material properties to enable containment of process gas while reducing or eliminating potential damage to the reactor frame and reactor interface.

For example, the elastic object may include a first elastic object portion in the upstream section and a second elastic object portion in the downstream section, such that the first and second elastic object portions are defined from a continuous elastic material. In some embodiments, the first and second elastic object portions are separate portions of elastic material in the upstream and downstream sections, respectively.

Because the reactor frame does not need to be specially designed to enable the formation of a process gas containment seal, any suitable reactor frame can be implemented in a deposition chamber system. Accordingly, the resilient object can be retrofitted to any suitable reactor frame. When using a process gas containment window formed from a glass material, reactor frames of the type described herein (e.g., mask frames or shadow frames) are typically not used in ALD deposition chamber systems. Therefore, the use of the resilient object described herein enables such reactor frames to be used in ALD deposition chamber systems to improve substrate processing.

Aspects and implementations of the present disclosure provide technical advantages over other approaches. For example, the use of elastic objects (e.g., low-compression elastic objects) for process gas containment can enable improved gas flow distribution without sacrificing process chamber size and/or increasing footprint compared to the use of process gas containment windows. Improved gas flow distribution can result in improved film uniformity and in-situ cleaning rates. Additionally, by eliminating the use of process gas containment windows, the elastic objects can enable simplified gas distribution channels into the reactor, improving gas flow and reducing the risk of condensation and/or gas-phase reactions.

The use of a resilient object can further enable variable or dynamic process gap capabilities, where the process gap between the substrate and reactor interface is related to the compressive force generated by compression of the resilient object between the reactor frame and reactor interface (e.g., greater compression can correspond to a smaller process gap). For example, there can be a first threshold force corresponding to a minimum compressive force required to create a process gas containment seal, and a second threshold force corresponding to a maximum compressive force the resilient object can withstand without breaking. Accordingly, the compressive force can range between the first and second threshold forces, and thus the process gap can similarly range between the process gap corresponding to the first and second threshold forces. The threshold force and/or process gap can vary depending on the type of process recipe used.

The use of resilient objects can enable a simplified reactor frame design with reduced mass, thereby allowing a robot (e.g., a vacuum robot) to more easily remove the reactor frame from the deposition chamber system. The use of resilient objects can direct more power into the reaction zone and reduce parasitic plasma associated with the cathode of the deposition chamber system.

Figure 1 is a cross-sectional view of a deposition chamber system 100 according to some embodiments. In some embodiments, as shown, the deposition chamber system 100 comprises an ALD chamber system. However, the deposition chamber system 100 may comprise any suitable deposition chamber according to embodiments described herein. For example, in some embodiments, the deposition chamber system 100 comprises a CVD chamber system.

As shown, the system 100 includes a susceptor 110, a cathode 120, and a reactor zone 130 between the susceptor 110 and the cathode 120. The susceptor 110 is configured to receive a substrate (not shown in FIG. 1 ), lift the substrate into the reactor zone 130 for a deposition process, and maintain the substrate within the reactor zone 130 during processing. The susceptor 110 can be made from a suitable material capable of heating and/or cooling the substrate to a desired processing temperature. Examples of suitable materials for the susceptor 110 include aluminum (Al), stainless steel, and ceramic. The susceptor 110 can be provided with a protective coating to protect the susceptor 110 during processing. In some embodiments, the protective coating is _a plasma-resistant coating. For example, the protective coating can include _Y2O3 or other similar materials. Other examples of plasma-resistant coatings that can be used include _Er2O3 , _Y3Al5O12 (YAG), _Er3Al5O12 (EAG), compositions comprising _Y2O3 and _ZrO2 (e.g., a _{Y2O3 - ZrO2} solid solution), compositions comprising Y2O3, Al2O3, and ZrO2 (e.g., a composition comprising a _solid solution of _Y4Al2O9 and _{Y2O3 - ZrO2} ), Y- _O -F (e.g., _Y5O4F7 ), _YF3 , _etc. The coatings can be deposited by line-of-sight or non-line-of-sight deposition processes such as ALD, CVD, physical vapor deposition (PVD ₎ , ion-assisted deposition (IAD), etc.

The cathode 120 can include any suitable conductive material according to embodiments described herein. For example, the cathode 120 can include aluminum (Al). The cathode 120 can be provided with a protective coating to protect the cathode 120 during processing. In some embodiments, the protective coating is a plasma-resistant coating. For example, the protective coating can include _Y2O3 or other similar materials. Any of the other plasma _- resistant coatings discussed herein can also be used to coat the cathode 120.

As shown, system 100 further includes an upstream section 140 and a downstream section 150. Although downstream section 150 is shown on the left side of system 100 and upstream section 140 is shown on the right side of system 100, such arrangement should not be considered limiting.

The upstream section 140 is designed to support and channel the process gas flow from upstream into the reactor of the system 100 for the deposition process. For example, the process gas flow can include gases introduced into the reactor to perform the deposition process. The process gas flow can be combined with a plasma (e.g., a plasma-enhanced deposition process). For example, a plasma can be formed in the reactor using the process gas, or a remote plasma can be formed and delivered into the reactor along with the process gas. The downstream section 150 is designed to remove or evacuate residues of the deposition process from the reactor, which may include residual gases (e.g., unreacted gases) and/or by-products. As described in further detail herein, the upstream section 140 and/or the downstream section 150 can include elastic objects to form respective process gas seals to prevent process gases from escaping and damaging other components of the system 100. In some embodiments, a single elastic object (e.g., an O-ring formed from the elastic object) can cover both the upstream section 140 and the downstream section 150. Further details regarding the downstream section 150 are described below with reference to Figures 2A-2B.

2A and 2B are cross-sectional views of an exemplary downstream section 200 of a deposition chamber system according to some embodiments. The downstream section 200 may be the downstream section 150 described above with reference to FIG. 1. Although a downstream section is shown, an upstream section of the deposition chamber system (e.g., the upstream section 140 described above with reference to FIG. 1) may have a similar arrangement of components.

As shown, the downstream section 200 includes a portion of the susceptor 110, a portion of the cathode 120, and a portion of the reactor section 130 of FIG. 1. The downstream section 200 further includes a flow guide 210, a first insulator 220, a second insulator 230, a reactor interface (e.g., a reactor lid) 240, a reactor frame 250, and a resilient object 260. The upstream section (e.g., the upstream section 140 of FIG. 1) may also include a similar flow guide, first insulator, second insulator, reactor interface, reactor frame 250, and resilient object.

The flow guide 210 and reactor interface 240 collectively provide a path 215 for deposition process residue (e.g., residual process gases and by-products) to exit the reactor section 130. As described in further detail below, the resilient object 260 forms a process gas containment seal that prevents residue leakage or escape, thereby protecting other components of the deposition chamber system from potential damage.

The first insulator 220 and the second insulator 230 are positioned to contact the cathode 120 and the reactor interface 240 to prevent arcing from the cathode 120. The first insulator 220 and the second insulator 230 may comprise different materials having different properties. For example, the second insulator 230 may comprise a material that is less susceptible to melting due to its location. In some embodiments, the first insulator 220 comprises a non-stick material. For example, the non-stick material may be polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) or another suitable non-stick material. In some embodiments, the second insulator 240 comprises a ceramic material.

The reactor frame 250 is designed to secure the substrate 270 disposed on the susceptor 110 when the substrate 270 is loaded into the reactor zone 130. The reactor frame 250 can be any suitable reactor frame according to embodiments described herein. In some embodiments, the reactor frame 250 is a mask frame or a shadow frame. The substrate 270 may have a square or rectangular shape, or may have other shapes, such as a disk shape or other polygonal shape. The substrate 270 may be composed of, for example, a semiconductor (e.g., a semiconductor wafer), a glass or ceramic body (e.g., a glass or ceramic piece), a metal body, or some other type of material.

The resilient object 260 has a first end corresponding to the base 262 of the resilient object 260 and a second end corresponding to the compression body 264 of the resilient object 260. The resilient object 260 is designed to form a process gas containment seal between the reactor interface 240 and the reactor frame 250 upon compression of the resilient object 260. As shown, the base 262 is fitted (e.g., inserted) into the reactor interface 240, such that the compression body 264 is configured to contact the reactor frame 250 and form a process gas containment seal.

The compression body 264 can be constructed from a compressible material having suitable material properties (e.g., bulk modulus, Young's modulus, compressive strength, Poisson's ratio, hardness) to form a process gas containment seal without damaging the reactor frame and/or reactor interface. More specifically, the compression body 264 can be constructed from a compressible material having material properties that provide a suitably low compressive force below a force threshold that does not cause damage to deposition chamber system components (e.g., the susceptor 110 and/or the reactor frame 250). Furthermore, to prevent fracture of the compression body 264, the compression distance of the compression body 264 upon contact with the reactor frame 250 during formation of the process gas containment seal should fall within a suitable range. In some embodiments, the compression distance is less than about 4 millimeters (mm). For example, the compression distance can be about 2 mm to about 3 mm. The compression body can have a material and/or geometry that enables the compression body to form a seal while maintaining a force below the force threshold over a range of distances between the reactor frame and the reactor interface (e.g., within a range of ±2 mm). Therefore, the compression body can maintain the force between A and B within the range of the distance between the reactor frame and the reactor interface.

The spacing between the cathode 120 and the substrate 270 can be defined for a particular deposition process. For example, the spacing can be approximately 12 mm. The use of the elastic object 260 can allow for a variable spacing between the cathode 120 and the substrate 270 to accommodate different deposition processes.

Because environmental conditions (e.g., high temperature and/or pressure) can affect material properties, the compression material can be selected to maintain its properties and integrity in various environments. For example, the compression body 264 can illustratively be formed from an elastic polymer (elastomer) or other material with elastic or rubber-like properties. More specifically, the compression body 264 can include a saturated elastomer, potentially for greater stability against extreme environmental conditions. In some embodiments, friction between the compression body 264 and the reactor frame 250 and/or reactor lid 240 can result in a near-horizontal force that can further secure the compression body 264 to the reactor frame 250 and/or reactor lid 240, thereby improving the process containment seal. Examples of saturated elastomers include, but are not limited to, silicones (SI, Q, VMQ), fluorosilicones (FVMQ), fluoroelastomers (e.g., FKM and tetrafluoroethylene propylene (TFE/P)), and perfluoroelastomers (FFKM). In one embodiment, the compressible material comprises a perfluoropolymer (PFP) and/or polyimide, which allows it to retain its material properties at high temperatures and to be resistant to erosion or corrosion caused by exposure to a plasma environment. Some examples of materials that can be used for the compressible material include Dupont™'s ECCtreme™, Dupont's KALREZ® (e.g., KALREZ 8900), and Daikin®'s DUPRA®.

In some embodiments, as shown in this illustrative example, the base 262 and the compression body 264 are formed from the same material, and thus the resilient body 260 is a monolithic structure. However, the base 262 and the compression body 264 can each be formed from a different material.

With respect to geometry, as shown, the base 262 can have a trapezoidal cross-sectional shape that secures the resilient mass 260 to the reactor interface 240, and the compression body 264 can include an annular cross-sectional shape (e.g., having a hollow circular cross-section). For example, the compression body can be an elastic O-ring ("O-ring"). As another example, the compression body can include an elastic washer ("washer"). However, the base 262 and compression body 264 can include any suitable geometry that can form a process gas containment seal between the reactor frame and the reactor interface that prevents process gas from escaping from the reactor into other areas of the deposition chamber system. Further details regarding the geometry of the resilient mass 260 are provided with reference to FIG. 6.

Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view of a deposition chamber system 300 according to some embodiments. In some embodiments, as shown, the deposition chamber system 300 comprises an ALD chamber system. However, the deposition chamber system 300 may comprise any suitable deposition chamber according to embodiments described herein. For example, in some embodiments, the deposition chamber system 300 comprises a CVD chamber system.

As shown, the system 300 includes a susceptor 310, a substrate 315 disposed on the susceptor 310, a cathode 320, and a reactor section 330 between the susceptor 310 and the cathode 320. The susceptor 310, substrate 315, cathode 320, and reactor section 330 are similar to the susceptor 110, substrate 270, cathode 120, and reactor section 130, respectively, described above with reference to FIG. 1. The system 300 further includes a susceptor support component 305 below the susceptor 310 to provide support for the susceptor 310.

System 100 further includes an upstream section 340 and a downstream section 350. While upstream section 340 is shown on the right side of system 100 and downstream section 350 is shown on the left side of system 100, such arrangement should not be considered limiting.

Similar to the upstream section 140 and downstream section 150 described above with reference to FIGS. 1-2B, the upstream section 340 is designed to support the upstream flow of process gases entering the reactor of the system 300 for the deposition process, and the downstream section 350 is designed to remove or evacuate residues of the deposition process from the reactor. As described in further detail below with reference to FIGS. 4A-4C, resilient objects can be included within the upstream section 340 and downstream section 350 to form respective process gas seals to prevent process gases from escaping and damaging other components of the system 300. For example, the use of resilient objects within the upstream section 340 and/or downstream section 350 can enable the implementation of respective flow guides with geometries that provide simplified process gas flow paths into and out of the reactor with a lower risk of particle accumulation. Further details regarding the operation of the system from the perspective of the upstream section 340 are described below with reference to FIGS. 4A-4C.

4A-4C illustrate process flow in an upstream section 400 of a deposition chamber according to some embodiments. Here, the upstream section 400 may correspond to the upstream section 340 described above with reference to FIG. 3. For example, as shown, the upstream section 400 may include the susceptor support component 305, the susceptor 310, the substrate 315, the cathode 320, and a portion of the reactor section 330. The upstream section 400 may further include a flow guide 410, a first insulator 420, a second insulator 430, a reactor interface 440, a reactor frame 450, and a resilient body 460, the resilient body 460 having a first end corresponding to a base 462 and a second end corresponding to a compression body 464. As further shown, the flow guide 410 and the reactor interface 440 collectively provide a path 415 for introducing process gas flow into the reactor section 330. As described in further detail below, the resilient mass 460 forms a process gas containment seal that prevents leakage of the process gas flow, thereby protecting other components of the deposition chamber system from potential damage. As further shown, the upstream section 400 can further include a reactor frame support structure 470 configured to support one end of the reactor frame 450. The downstream section (e.g., downstream section 350 in FIG. 3 ) can also include a similar flow guide, first insulator, second insulator, reactor interface, reactor frame 450, resilient mass, and reactor frame support structure.

Figure 4A is a cross-sectional view of an exemplary upstream section of a deposition chamber system in a separation position in accordance with some embodiments. More specifically, a substrate 315 has been loaded onto the susceptor 310 but has not yet been loaded into the reactor.

Figure 4B is a cross-sectional view of an exemplary upstream section of a deposition chamber system during reactor loading in accordance with some embodiments. More specifically, the substrate 315 is raised by the susceptor 310 so that it contacts the reactor frame 450. The reactor frame 450 serves to secure the substrate 315 while it is within the reactor.

Figure 4C is a cross-sectional view of an exemplary upstream section of a deposition chamber system when the reactor is sealed to form a process gas containment seal 475 according to some embodiments. More specifically, a deposition process is performed to deposit a material (e.g., a film) on a substrate 315 by introducing a process gas flow 480 into the reactor. Additionally, a plasma 490 can be introduced into the reactor to support the deposition process (e.g., plasma-enhanced ALD).

Figure 5 shows a flow diagram of a method 500 for implementing a deposition chamber system according to some embodiments. In some embodiments, the deposition chamber system includes an atomic layer deposition (ALD) system.

At block 502, a spacing between the substrate and the cathode of the deposition chamber system is defined. The spacing can be determined so that a deposition process is performed on the substrate. For example, the spacing can be a target spacing within a range of possible spacings supported by the deposition chamber system.

At block 504, a substrate is placed on a susceptor of the deposition chamber system while the reactor frame of the deposition chamber system is in the isolated position. For example, the substrate may be placed on the susceptor using a robot. The susceptor may be positioned at a first position relative to the reactor.

At block 506, the substrate is loaded into the reactor of the deposition chamber system to retrieve the engaged reactor frame. During this time, the susceptor is in contact with the reactor frame.

At block 508, the susceptor is raised to account for the spacing until a resilient body is compressed between the engaged reactor frame and the reactor interface of the deposition chamber system to form a process gas containment seal corresponding to the spacing. The resilient body may have a first end corresponding to a base attached to the reactor interface and a second end corresponding to a compression body. The reactor interface may be an upstream reactor interface or a downstream reactor interface.

The susceptor lifts the engaged reactor frame until the susceptor is at a second position corresponding to the spacing between the substrate and the cathode, the second position being some vertical distance away from the first position where the engaged reactor frame fully contacts the compression body to form a process gas containment seal. A correlation exists between the second position and the compressive force generated by the resilient object upon compression. Thus, because the second position corresponds to the spacing between the substrate and the cathode, the spacing between the substrate and the cathode can be used to define the compressive force as a target compressive force. The target compressive force can be below a first threshold force corresponding to the minimum compressive force required to create a process gas containment seal and a second threshold force corresponding to the maximum compressive force the resilient object can withstand without breaking or degrading.

At block 510, a deposition process is performed to deposit material on the substrate. The deposition process may be performed by introducing a process gas flow into the reactor. For example, the process gas flow may be introduced into the reactor using a downstream flow guide attached to the downstream reactor interface. While the deposition process is performed, the at least one resilient object remains compressed between the engaged reactor frame and the at least one reactor interface, thereby preventing the process gas from escaping into other areas of the deposition chamber system.

At block 512, residue is removed from the reactor after the deposition process has been performed. The residue may include residual process gas (e.g., unreacted process gas) and/or by-products of the deposition process. For example, the residue may be removed from the reactor after the deposition process has been performed using a downstream flow guide attached to the downstream reactor interface. While the residue is being removed from the reactor, the elastic object remains compressed between the engaged reactor frame and reactor interface, thereby preventing the residue from flowing into other areas of the deposition chamber system.

At block 514, after the residue has been removed, the substrate is removed from the deposition chamber system. Removing the substrate may include lowering the susceptor until it returns to the first position and using a robot to remove the substrate after the susceptor returns to the first position. For example, the robot may be a vacuum robot. Lowering the susceptor reduces pressure on the elastic object, thereby breaking the process gas containment seal.

Method 500 can be repeated to deposit material on another substrate. For example, method 500 can be repeated to deposit material on another substrate using a different deposition process. The different deposition process can be performed at a second spacing defined between the substrate and the cathode that is different from the aforementioned deposition process. Thus, the second spacing can achieve a second target compressive force that is different from the aforementioned target compressive force but is still within the range defined by the first and second threshold forces. Further details regarding blocks 502-514 are described above with reference to Figures 1-4C.

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view 600 of an exemplary resilient object that can be used to form a process containment seal in a deposition chamber system according to some embodiments. As one example, resilient object 610 can include a base 612 having a trapezoidal cross-sectional shape and a compression body 614 (e.g., an O-ring) having an annular cross-sectional shape. In alternative embodiments, base 612 can have a rectangular shape, a circular shape, or some other shape. As another example, resilient object 620 can include a base 622 having a trapezoidal cross-sectional shape and a compression body 624 having a symmetrical bifurcated cross-sectional shape. In alternative embodiments, base 622 can have a rectangular shape, a circular shape, or some other shape. As another example, resilient object 630 can have a base 632 and a compression body 634 that collectively form a fin-like cross-sectional shape. In alternative embodiments, base 632 can have a rectangular shape, a circular shape, or some other shape. It should be understood and appreciated that the resilient bodies 610-630 shown in FIG. 6 are purely exemplary, and that other suitable resilient body shapes capable of forming a process gas containment seal in a deposition chamber system (e.g., an ALD chamber system) are contemplated.

The above description sets forth numerous specific details, such as examples of specific systems, components, methods, etc., to provide a thorough understanding of some embodiments of the present invention. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that at least some embodiments of the present invention may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-known components or methods have not been described in detail or have been presented in simplified block diagram form to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the present invention. Therefore, the specific details described are merely exemplary. It is contemplated that particular implementations may vary from these illustrative details and still fall within the scope of the present invention.

Throughout this specification, a reference to "one embodiment" or "an embodiment" means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with that embodiment is included in at least one embodiment. Thus, the appearances of the phrases "in one embodiment" or "in an embodiment" in various places throughout this specification are not necessarily referring to the same embodiment. Additionally, the term "or" is intended to mean an inclusive "or" rather than an exclusive "or." When the terms "about" or "approximately" are used herein, this is intended to mean that the stated nominal value is accurate to within ±10%.

Although the method operations herein are illustrated and described in a particular order, the order of each method operation may be changed, such that certain operations may be performed in reverse order, or certain operations may be performed at least in part concurrently with other operations. In alternative embodiments, instructions or sub-operations of separate operations may be performed intermittently and/or alternately.

It is to be understood that the foregoing description is intended to be illustrative, and not restrictive. Many other embodiments will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading and understanding the foregoing description. While the present disclosure describes particular examples, it will be recognized that the systems and methods of the present disclosure are not limited to the examples set forth herein, but may be practiced with modification within the scope of the appended claims. Accordingly, the specification and drawings should be regarded in an illustrative, and not a restrictive, sense. The scope of the present disclosure should, therefore, be determined with reference to the appended claims, along with the full scope of equivalents to which such claims are entitled.

Claims (20)

a reactor interface;
a flow guide attached to the reactor interface, the flow guide being one of an upstream flow guide for guiding a process gas flow into the reactor to perform a deposition process on a substrate loaded into the reactor, or a downstream flow guide for guiding residues out of the reactor after performing the deposition process;
a reactor frame disposed below the reactor interface to secure the substrate; and
a resilient body having a first end corresponding to a base attached to the reactor interface and a second end corresponding to a compression body disposed between the reactor interface and the reactor frame to form a process gas containment seal by compressive force between the reactor interface and the reactor frame;
a process gap between the substrate and the reactor interface during the deposition process corresponds to the compressive force of the elastic object and is a variable gap defined according to different deposition processes ;
Deposition chamber system. The deposition chamber system of claim 1, wherein the reactor frame comprises a shadow frame or a mask frame. the deposition chamber system comprising:
receiving the substrate prior to introducing the substrate into the reactor;
lifting the substrate into the reactor to a second position above the first position for performing the deposition process;
10. The deposition chamber system of claim 1, further comprising a susceptor for lowering to the first position for removing the substrate after performing the deposition process. The deposition chamber system of claim 3, further comprising a cathode, wherein the compressive force corresponds to a target spacing between the substrate and the cathode during the deposition process, the target spacing defining the second position. The deposition chamber system of claim 1, wherein the compressive force is within a force range defined by a minimum compressive force for forming the process gas containment seal and a maximum compressive force that the elastic body can withstand, and the compressive force is a target compressive force for performing the deposition process. The deposition chamber system of claim 1, wherein the geometry of the compression body includes a circular cross-sectional shape, a symmetric bifurcated cross-sectional shape, or a fin-like cross-sectional shape. a second reactor interface; and
a second flow guide attached to the second reactor interface, the second flow guide being one of the downstream flow guide or the upstream flow guide, and the reactor frame being further disposed below the second reactor interface;
10. The deposition chamber system of claim 1, further comprising: a second resilient body having a first end corresponding to a second base attached to the second reactor interface and a second end corresponding to a second compression body disposed between the second reactor interface and the reactor frame to form a second process gas containment seal with a second compression force between the second reactor interface and the reactor frame. The deposition chamber system of claim 7, wherein the elastic body and the second elastic body are part of a single elastic body. The deposition chamber system of claim 1, wherein the deposition chamber system comprises an atomic layer deposition (ALD) system. a reactor interface of a deposition chamber system;
a resilient object having a first end corresponding to a base attached to the reactor interface and a second end corresponding to a compression body for forming a process gas containment seal by compressive force between the reactor interface and a reactor frame disposed below the reactor interface so as to secure a substrate;
a process gap between the substrate and the reactor interface during a deposition process corresponds to the compressive force of the elastic object and is a variable gap defined according to different deposition processes ;
Device. The device of claim 10, wherein the geometry of the compression body includes a circular cross-sectional shape, a symmetric bifurcated cross-sectional shape, or a fin-like cross-sectional shape. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the deposition chamber system comprises an atomic layer deposition (ALD) system. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the compressive force corresponds to a target spacing between the substrate and a cathode of the deposition chamber system during the deposition process, the target spacing defining a second position. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the compressive force is within a force range defined by a minimum compressive force for forming the process gas containment seal and a maximum compressive force that the elastic body can withstand, and the compressive force is a target compressive force for performing the deposition process. placing a substrate on a susceptor of a deposition chamber system while a reactor frame of the deposition chamber system is in an isolated position, the substrate being positioned on the susceptor at a first position relative to a reactor;
loading the substrate into a reactor of the deposition chamber system to obtain an engaged reactor frame;
lifting the susceptor until a resilient body is compressed between the engaged reactor frame and a reactor interface of the deposition chamber system to form a process gas containment seal, wherein the susceptor is lifted to a second position above the first position corresponding to a spacing between the substrate and a cathode of the deposition chamber system, the resilient body having a first end corresponding to a base attached to the reactor interface and a second end corresponding to a compression body;
a process gap between the substrate and the reactor interface during a deposition process corresponds to a compressive force of the elastic body and is a variable gap defined according to different deposition processes ;
method. The method of claim 15, wherein the deposition chamber system comprises an atomic layer deposition (ALD) system. The method of claim 15, further comprising defining the gap between the substrate and the cathode before placing the substrate on the susceptor, and the second position corresponding to the gap. performing the deposition process to deposit material on the substrate, wherein the elastic object remains compressed between the engaged reactor frame and the reactor interface while the deposition process is being performed;
16. The method of claim 15, further comprising removing residue from the reactor after performing the deposition process. 19. The method of claim 18, further comprising removing the substrate from the deposition chamber system after the residue has been removed, wherein removing the substrate comprises lowering the susceptor from the second position to the first position. defining a second gap between a second substrate and the cathode for performing a second deposition process different from the deposition process;
placing the second substrate on the susceptor while the reactor frame is in the first position;
loading the second substrate into the reactor to obtain a second engaged reactor frame;
20. The method of claim 19, further comprising: lifting the susceptor until the resilient object is compressed between the second engaged reactor frame and the reactor interface to form a second process gas containment seal, wherein the susceptor is lifted to a third position above the first position corresponding to the second spacing between the substrate and the reactor interface.