Vapor deposition reactor

A vapor deposition reactor has a configuration where a substrate or a vapor deposition reactor moves in a non-contact state with each other to allow the substrate to pass by the reactor and an injection unit and an exhaust unit are installed as a basic module of the reactor for receiving a precursor or a reactant and for receiving and pumping a purge gas, respectively. With the use of a small-size inlet for the reactor, homogeneous film properties are obtained, the deposition efficiency of precursors is improved, and an amount of time required for a purge/pumping process can be reduced. In addition, since the reactor itself is configured to reflect each step of ALD, it does not need a valve. Moreover, the reactor makes it easier for users to apply remote plasma, use super high frequencies including microwave, and UV irradiation.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a reactor used for a vapor deposition scheme.

Recently, a technique of atomic layer deposition (hereinafter referred to as ‘ALD’) has been widely used as a vapor deposition method. For better understanding of the principle(s) of the present invention the following will explain about an ALD reactor as an exemplary prior art, but it should be noted that the present invention is not limited thereto.

2. Description of the Related Art

ALD injects, as shown inFIG. 1, one or more precursors into a reactor and carries out a purge/pump of the precursor to maintain or leave one or more molecule layers on a substrate. Then it injects one or more reactants into the reactor and carries out a purge/pump to obtain one or more mono-atomic reacted layers. Therefore, one or more mono-atomic layers are formed through one cycle consisting of four steps.

A conventional ALD reactor adopts a cross-flow scheme (this is also called as a ‘traveling-wave’ scheme) where a precursor, a reactant, a purge gas and the like are injected parallely to the surface of a target substrate for deposition, or a shower-head scheme where a precursor, a reactant, a purge gas and the like are injected perpendicularly to the surface of a target substrate for deposition.FIG. 2illustrates a cross-flow ALD reactor, andFIG. 3illustrates a shower-head ALD reactor.

In the cross-flow scheme precursors are injected parallely to the surface of a substrate as depicted inFIG. 2, so all the precursors do not necessarily reach the substrate at the same time, but a substrate near an injection port experiences an adsorption phenomenon first, followed by a substrate on the side of an exhaust port later on. Thus, adsorption can be expressed as a function of time. In particular, when large area substrates are used this phenomenon becomes more evident and it may even cause a serious problem, for example, compositions may vary or film properties may be changed according to the locations of an injection port and an exhaust port.

In the shower-head scheme, however, an injection port (sub-injection ports to be more specific) is spaced apart from a substrate by a uniform distance as depicted inFIG. 3, so precursors adsorb at the surface of the substrate almost at the same time. In this manner, the shower-head scheme, compared with the cross-flow scheme, can be advantageously used for obtaining a thin film having homogenous properties. Meanwhile, a reactor using such a shower-head injection port has a large volume so that it takes long to carry out a purge/pumping process and uses a large amount of precursors and reactants.

These two types of conventional ALD reactors periodically receive a precursor, a reactant, and a purge gas therein via a valve. Such a valve operates at high speed and at high frequencies. For instance, in order to deposit a 1 μm-atomic layer, the valve needs to operate 10,000 times or more for each process. This actually causes problems related to the lifespan of a valve. Moreover, both ALD reactors of the prior art are designed to be rather difficult for the application of remote plasma, the use of high frequencies including microwave, UV irradiation and so on.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a vapor deposition reactor that exhibits homogeneous film properties yet has an improved deposition efficiency of precursors and a substantially reduced time required for a purge/pumping process.

It is also another object of the present invention to provide a vapor deposition reactor which does not require a fast-switching high speed ALD valve.

It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a vapor deposition reactor designed to make it easier for users to apply remote plasma, use super high frequencies including microwave and irradiate ultraviolet rays.

In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a vapor deposition reactor having a configuration where a substrate or a vapor deposition reactor moves in a non-contact state with each other to allow the substrate to pass by the reactor, and an injection unit and an exhaust unit are installed as a basic module of the reactor for receiving a precursor or a reactant and for receiving and pumping a purge gas, respectively.

The other objectives and advantages of the invention will be understood by the following description and will also be appreciated by the embodiments of the invention more clearly. Further, the objectives and advantages of the invention will readily be seen that they can be realized by the means and its combination specified in the claims.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be set forth in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings so that those skilled in the art can easily carry out the invention.

A vapor deposition reactor according to an embodiment of the invention has a configuration where a substrate or a vapor deposition reactor moves in non-contact state with each other to allow the substrate to pass by the reactor. A portion of the reactor being open to the substrate is a place where a precursor, a purge gas, or a reactant outflows from the reactor. The following will describe a reactor with the configuration aforementioned, by relating to a exemplary situation where a precursor, a purge gas, or a reactant outflows downward from the reactor, and the substrate travels along a lower part of the reactor.

As shown inFIG. 4, a basic module of a vapor deposition reactor according to an embodiment of the invention is provided with an injection unit41and an exhaust unit42. In this configuration, either the vapor deposition reactor or a substrate below moves in order to make a portion of the substrate having passed by the injection unit41pass by the exhaust unit42next. At this time, the vapor deposition reactor or the substrate may move linearly or rotatably. The following description will be directed to the linear movement of a substrate for convenience of explanation.

FIG. 5illustrates an ALD reactor using two of the present invention basic modules shown inFIG. 4.

A precursor is injected into an injection unit511of a first module51, and a purge gas is injected into an exhaust unit512of the first module51and then purged/pumped. Similarly, a reactant is injected into an injection unit521of a second module52, and a purge gas is injected into an exhaust unit522of the second module52and then purged/pumped. Meanwhile, a substrate successively passes by the injection unit511of the first module51→the exhaust unit512of the first module51→the injection unit521of the second module52→the exhaust unit522of the second module52, operating on a 4 step cycle to form an atomic layer on the substrate.

FIG. 6illustrates a schematic overall view of the ALD reactor shown inFIG. 5.FIG. 7is a lateral cross-sectional view of an injection unit511of the first module51shown inFIG. 5.FIG. 8Ais a lateral cross-sectional view of the exhaust unit512of the first module51shown inFIG. 5, taken along line A-A, andFIG. 8Bis a lateral cross-sectional view of the exhaust unit512of the first module51, taken along line B-B. For an efficient pumping, the lateral faces are curved.FIG. 8Cis a plan view of the exhaust unit512of the first module51shown inFIG. 5, andFIG. 8Dis a bottom view of the exhaust unit512of the first module51shown inFIG. 5. Referring toFIG. 5, the injection unit521and the exhaust unit522of the second module52are identical in shape with the injection unit511and the exhaust unit512of the first module51. In order to uniformly inject a precursor, a purge gas, and a reactant, a channel in a linear pipe shape having multiple perforated holes is used as an injector. At this time, injectors may be designed to have holes of varying sizes. Moreover, a precursor, a purge gas, and a reactant may be injected with a pipe-shaped channel through a lateral face as depicted in the drawings attached to this specification, or may be injected with a pipe-shaped channel from the top.

The structural components of the ALD reactor shown inFIG. 5may be adjusted in size/spacing, and movement speed of a substrate can also be adjusted.FIG. 9indicates parameters of the ALD reactor shown inFIG. 5. FromFIG. 9, the time needed for each of four steps in one cycle of ALD is calculated as follows. 1st step: Precursor injection time=x0/v, 2ndstep: Purge/Pumping time=x1/v, 3rdstep: Reactant injection time=x2/v, 4thstep: Purge/Pumping time=x3/v.

As evident fromFIG. 9, sizes/spacings of the structural components of the ALD reactor and movement speed of a substrate can be changed by adjusting parameters.

Referring toFIG. 9, in the first step of ALD a precursor fills a space at a portion of the injection unit511with a width x0in the first module51when a substrate passes under the reactor. In case the spacing z1between the reactor and the substrate at the injection unit511of the first module51is small, the target space is filled with precursors with a little leakage. That is, a sufficient amount of precursors can be supplied to the substrate if the width x0is made large, but the chances of adsorbing precursors on the substrate get lower if the width x0is made small. For designing a reactor, therefore, x0is set variably corresponding to the characteristics of a precursor to be used.

When the substrate passes by the exhaust unit512of the first module51, precursors having been adsorbed on the surface of the substrate leave a chemically adsorbed molecular layer by injection and pumping of a purge gas (nitrogen or argon). Meanwhile, if the movement speed v of the substrate is made faster or the width xi of the reactor is made smaller for the intention of leaving some of precursors, not only a chemically adsorbed molecular layer but also part of a physical adsorption layer remain on the surface of the substrate for use in deposition.

In this manner, a chemically adsorbed molecular layer is left on the surface of the substrate as the substrate passes by the injection unit511and the exhaust unit512of the first module51. Likewise, a reactant is injected when the substrate passes by the injection unit521of the second module52for the reactor, and is purged/pumped when the substrate passes by the exhaust unit522of the second module52. After all, one or more atomic layers are formed on the substrate through the 4-step cycle of ALD, without any help from a valve or a similar product.

The following explains the 4-step cycle of ALD for forming a mono-atomic layer in use of the reactor shown inFIG. 9.

When the substrate, being in a non-contact state separated from the reactor by a designated spacing z and moving at the speed of v, passes by the injection unit511(width, x0) of the first module51, a precursor is injected and a chemical adsorption layer and a physical adsorption layer are formed on the surface of the substrate.

When the substrate passes by the exhaust unit512(width, x1) of the first module51, a physical adsorption layer whose molecules are held together by a weak force or the Van der Waals attraction is separated from the substrate by a purge gas and is removed by pumping later. This leaves only a chemical adsorption layer on the surface of the substrate.

When the substrate passes by the injection unit521(width, x2) of the second module52, a reactant is injected to substitute a part of the chemical adsorption layer existing on the surface of the substrate. As a result, a desired atomic layer is formed on the surface of the substrate, and any surplus reactant remains in a physically adsorbed state.

When the substrate passes by the exhaust unit522(width, x3) of the second module52, the physically adsorbed reactant having a weak intermolecular force is removed by a purge/pumping and a mono-atomic layer is formed on the surface of the substrate at the end.

With the reactor according to an embodiment of the invention, it is possible to form an atomic layer of a desired thickness (i.e., a desired number of layers) by adjusting the number of times the substrate passes under the reactor.

InFIG. 9, an inlet for injecting a precursor, a purge gas, or a reactant shows the typical shape of a fine hole with a diameter of 1-2 mm, but this size is also adjustable corresponding to the size of a substrate. Meanwhile, there are five guards (the 1stthrough 5thguards) having a size of L1, L2, L3, L4, and L5, respectively, in order to distinguish each area of the reactor.

Considering that the 1stthrough 5thguards help injection materials at respective steps not to get mixed together, it seems to be better to make their widths L1-L5large. However, in case of a reactor particularly designed for a semiconductor device manufactured on a 300 mm wafer, the guards being 10 mm wide or less are preferably used. Meanwhile, there is no restriction to a guard width L1-L5as far as a large substrate is concerned. In other words, guards serve to isolate the respective step and to maximize the deposition efficiency of precursors while preventing a precursor leak. Here, the guard width L1-L5is variable depending on the width x0, x1, x2, and x3of the injection unit in each of the 4 steps for ALD. Moreover, the spacing z1between the first guard (width, L1) of the first module51where the first step of ALD is performed may be set differently from the spacing Z3between the third guard (width, L3) of the second module52where the third step of ALD is performed.

Therefore, it is an advantage of the reactor according to an embodiment of the invention that the configuration of the reactor may be designed in different ways by modifying its basic modules to meet diverse needs, for example, when more than two kinds of precursors need to be injected or when a reaction of more than two steps is carried out to form an atomic layer, etc.

FIGS. 10 and 11illustrate an injection unit with two inlets for a reactor module, wherein the inlets are respectively used for receiving two different kinds of precursors or reactants that do not interact with each other. In case ofFIG. 10, two inlets are arranged side by side (seeFIG. 10B), in which10-1is an inlet for a first precursor and10-2is an inlet for a second precursor. In case ofFIG. 11, two inlets are arranged alternately one after another in a line (seeFIG. 11B), in which11-1is an inlet for a first precursor and11-2is an inlet for a second precursor. With the configuration shown inFIG. 10orFIG. 11, more than two different kinds of precursors or reactants can be fed or injected at the same time.

FIG. 12illustrates a reactor performing a 2-step reaction to form an atomic layer. To this end, the reactor has three basic modules, where two of them are used for receiving and exhausting a reactant. For instance, an organic metal precursor is first injected to adsorb organic metal molecules on the surface of a substrate, and hydrogen atoms are then injected to substitute the organic metal molecules to a metal hydride. After that, nitrogen atoms are injected to induce a secondary reaction for producing a metal nitride.

FIG. 13illustrates a reactor having two modules for receiving and exhausting precursors. Suppose that a precursor not having the self-limiting nature (e.g., TiCl4or SiH4) is injected. In case of a conventional reactor, the 4-step cycle of ALD had to be repeated several times to form a mono-atomic layer only. According to the present invention, however, a reactor is designed to have several precursor injection and exhaust modules and one reactant injection unit and exhaust unit at the end. Therefore, it only requires a substrate to pass by the reactor once for forming a mono-atomic layer.

FIG. 14illustrates a reactor, in which two-atomic layers are deposited every time a substrate passes by the reactor. At this time, when the same precursors are used, a homogeneous film is formed. For example, if a TiO2atomic layer is to be formed by using a precursor containing metal Ti atoms, a homogeneous thin film like TiO2+TiO2or TiN+TiN can be formed. Meanwhile, when the same precursors yet different kinds of reactants are used, a heterogenous thin film made out of a material containing the same metal atoms can be formed. For example, by using a precursor containing metal Ti atoms, a heterogeneous thin film like TiN+TiO2or TiO2+TiN can be formed. In addition, the use of different precursors may be followed by the formation of atomic layers of two different kinds. For example, a heterogeneous oxide film like TiO2+SiO2or a heterogenous thin film like AlN+SiO2can be formed.

The reactor according to an embodiment of the present invention may be configured to include a cooling and heating means, a UV irradiation means, a plasma application means, and a super high frequency application means.

FIG. 15illustrates a reactor provided with a cooling means or a heating means. Reference numeral151denotes a cooling/heating means. A cooling process is required for keeping an increased vapor pressure of a precursor caused by precursor decomposition at the time of supply at the same temperature as a reactor (or reactor body), or for cooling down a reactor having been heated by a plasma or UV catalytic reaction. On the contrary, a heating process is required to keep the reactor (or reactor body) at a high temperature especially when a precursor was condensed at a low temperature or vapor pressure of the precursor was lowered. In other words, a proper heating temperature needs to be set in order to prevent any changes in the process results after a precursor was condensed instead of being decomposed or after vapor pressure of the precursor was lowered. Although the heating temperature is variable according to precursor materials being used, it can be within a range from 70 to 150° C. Heat rays are utilized as the heating means, and measurement control is done by a thermocouple.

FIGS. 16 through 18respectively illustrate a reactor provided with a means for direct UV irradiation. Reference numerals161,171, and181in the drawings denote a UV irradiation means. When a reaction between a reactant and a layer of precursor molecules adsorbed at the surface of a substrate is either weak or incomplete, or when a particular bond in the adsorbed layer of precursor molecules has to be broken, UV rays of a specific wavelength or below are irradiated onto the substrate for inducing a complete reaction.FIG. 16depicts that UV rays are irradiated onto the adsorbed molecular layer to destroy an intermolecular bonding and a bonding between a metal atom and a molecule.FIG. 17depicts that UV rays activate a reactant to induce a more activated reaction or a complete reaction.FIG. 18depicts that some of the molecular bonds adsorbed at the surface of a substrate are taken off by UV rays and react with an injected reactant to induce a complete reaction or a multi-step reaction.

FIGS. 19 through 21respectively illustrate a reactor provided with a means for indirect UV irradiation. Reference numerals191,201,211, and212in the drawings denote a UV irradiation means. It is useful when UV rays should not be irradiated directly onto a substrate if the substrate is easily deformed or denatured by UV rays.FIG. 19shows a case where the activity of a reactant is too large, so the reactant is activated by UV rays in a separate space and the remotely generated activated atoms or radicals are injected into a substrate to induce a complete reaction.FIGS. 20 and 21respectively illustrate a reactor having a down-stream UV reaction chamber and a purge/pumping chamber. In the reactor shown inFIG. 20, a reactant is activated to a radical state and is fed towards a substrate by means of a carrier gas, so more than one kind of reactant can be activated. In the reactor shown inFIG. 21, two kinds of reactants are utilized to form a thin film. Although it is believed that a mixture of two different kinds of reactants often causes an unstable thin film formation or makes it difficult to obtain a desired thin film in case that the reactants are different in activity or activation energy, the reactor ofFIG. 21resolves such problems by respectively activating those two kinds of reactants to a desired level by UV lamps of different wavelengths to form a thin film. Meanwhile, in some cases different kinds of reactants are mixed and form a new compound, or activity may be decreased. Even in that case, the reactors ofFIGS. 20 and 21can be advantageously used for separating the mixed reactants. At this time, an injection unit having the structure shown inFIG. 10orFIG. 11may be employed to prevent reactants from mixing together.

FIGS. 22 through 25respectively illustrate a reactor provided with a plasma application means. Reference numerals221,231,241, and251in the drawings denote a plasma application means. In detail,FIG. 22shows a reactor having a concentric type plasma generation device for generating homogeneous plasma, and downstream radicals.FIG. 23shows a reactor having a plasma generating space where plasma is generated exclusively and become downstream plasma radicals.FIGS. 24 and 25respectively show a reactor having a plasma application means for multi-step reactions.

FIGS. 26 and 27respectively illustrate a reactor provided with a super high frequency application means. Reference numerals261and271in the drawings denote a super high frequency application means. In order to embody an atomic layer deposition method using a super high frequency of 109Hz or higher, the reactor is made out of a metallic material such as stainless steel or aluminum. When the spacing (typically 2-3 mm) between a substrate and a reactor is sufficiently small, the inner space of the reactor body may serve as a super high frequency cavity, capable of preventing a super high frequency leakage by keeping the super high frequency inside the reactor space only. Therefore, impedance matching for super high frequencies becomes relatively easy, and the application of a super high frequency following the injection of a reactant or hydrogen gas creates an activated state or radical state suitable for forming a thin film with superior deposition characteristics at a low temperature. Because an inlet for injecting a reactant or hydrogen is about 1 mm in size, which is too small for a super high frequency to transmit, even a low super-high frequency power is able to induce a sufficient reaction.

As has been explained so far, by using a small-size inlet, the vapor deposition reactor according to an embodiment of the invention can provide homogeneous film properties, improve the deposition efficiency of precursors, and reduce an amount of time required for a purge/pumping process. In addition, since the reactor itself is configured to reflect each step of ALD, it does not need a valve. Moreover, the reactor is designed to make it easier for users to apply remote plasma, use super high frequencies, and irradiate ultraviolet rays.