Source: http://www.google.com/patents/US5873942?dq=U.S.+Patent+No.+4,528,643
Timestamp: 2017-04-24 17:22:10
Document Index: 601701779

Matched Legal Cases: ['art 20', 'art 20', 'art 52', 'art 52', 'art 52', 'art 52', 'art 52', 'art 58', 'art 58', 'art 58', 'art 52', 'art 58', 'art 52', 'art 58', 'art 52', 'art 52', 'art 52', 'art 52', 'art 52', 'arts 52']

Patent US5873942 - Apparatus and method for low pressure chemical vapor deposition using ... - Google PatentsSearch Images Maps Play YouTube News Gmail Drive More »Sign inPatentsAn apparatus for low pressure chemical vapor deposition for fabricating a semiconductor device comprises a group of reaction chambers, a group of high-vacuum pumps connected to the reaction chambers, a group of gate valves connected to the high-vacuum pumps, and a low-vacuum pump connected to the gate...http://www.google.com/patents/US5873942?utm_source=gb-gplus-sharePatent US5873942 - Apparatus and method for low pressure chemical vapor deposition using multiple chambers and vacuum pumpsAdvanced Patent SearchTry the new Google Patents, with machine-classified Google Scholar results, and Japanese and South Korean patents.Publication numberUS5873942 APublication typeGrantApplication numberUS 08/906,879Publication dateFeb 23, 1999Filing dateAug 6, 1997Priority dateAug 8, 1996Fee statusLapsedAlso published asUS6037272Publication number08906879, 906879, US 5873942 A, US 5873942A, US-A-5873942, US5873942 A, US5873942AInventorsJun Sig Park, Young Sun Kim, Jung Ki KimOriginal AssigneeSamsung Electronics Co., Ltd.Export CitationBiBTeX, EndNote, RefManPatent Citations (17), Referenced by (49), Classifications (20), Legal Events (6) External Links: USPTO, USPTO Assignment, EspacenetApparatus and method for low pressure chemical vapor deposition using multiple chambers and vacuum pumps
US 5873942 AAbstract
An apparatus for low pressure chemical vapor deposition for fabricating a semiconductor device comprises a group of reaction chambers, a group of high-vacuum pumps connected to the reaction chambers, a group of gate valves connected to the high-vacuum pumps, and a low-vacuum pump connected to the gate valves. There are fewer gate valves than high-vacuum pumps. A method for fabricating a semiconductor device using the above apparatus includes the sequence and duration of opening gate valves, injecting reaction gases, and pumping with the low vacuum pump. According to the present invention, since the number of pumps is reduced, the cost for installation, operation and maintenance of the semiconductor device fabrication apparatus is reduced.
1. An apparatus for low pressure chemical vapor deposition for fabricating a semiconductor device, said apparatus comprising:a first group of reaction chambers connected to a wafer transfer chamber; a second group of high-vacuum pumps connected to said reaction chambers; a third group of gate valves connected to said high-vacuum pumps; and a low-vacuum pump connected to said gate valves, wherein said third group has fewer members than said second group. 2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein each high-vacuum pump of said second group being connected to a single reaction chamber of said first group.
5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said high-vacuum pumps maintain the internal pressure of each reaction chamber of said first group in the range from about 10-4 Torr to about 10-4 Torr.
8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said low-vacuum pump maintains the internal pressure of each reaction chamber of said first group in the range from about 10-1 Torr to about 10-4 Torr.
10. An apparatus for low pressure chemical vapor deposition for fabricating a semiconductor device, said apparatus comprising:a first group of reaction chambers connected to a wafer transfer chamber; a second group of high-vacuum pumps connected to said reaction chambers; and a low-vacuum pump in direct communication with said high-vacuum pumps. 11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein said high-vacuum pumps maintain the internal pressure of each reaction chamber of said first group in the range from about 10-4 Torr to about 10-10 Torr.
14. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein said low-vacuum pump maintains the internal pressure of each reaction chamber of said first group in the range from about 10-1 Torr to about 10-4 Torr.
In general, the pressure within the reaction chamber varies before, during, and after the introduction of the source gas. That is, in an initial time interval before the gas is introduced, the inside of the reaction chamber must be maintained at a constant high vacuum state, for example at pressures of 10-4 Torr or below, to completely remove impurities from the other gases formerly introduced into the reaction chamber. When the gas is introduced the target pressure can be significantly higher than the initial pressure, for example, the target pressure for a thin film deposition process can be 10-3 or greater. After the deposition process, the supply of source gas is cut off, and the pressures must be returned to the high-vacuum state of the initial time interval to remove the source gas and other impurities.
A high-vacuum pump is required to keep the internal pressure of the reaction chamber at the very low pressures during the initial state, e.g., less than 10-4 Torr. Thus, a high-vacuum pump is connected to each reaction chamber. Also, a low-vacuum pump is connected to each reaction chamber to assist the high-vacuum pump.
Referring to the timing chart 20 of the first reaction chamber 10, the wafer loaded therein is heated for a period of time called a first time section 20a ("Temp Inc") to a predetermined temperature, such as an appropriate depositing temperature for forming a thin film. After the first time section 20a, a reaction gas is introduced into the first reaction chamber 10 for a period of time referred to as a second time section 20b ("Gas Flow"). In the second time section 20b, the internal pressure of the first reaction chamber 10 increases as illustrated by time chart 20. For example, in a thin film deposition process the internal pressure 20 is about 10-7 Torr during time section 20a. However, the internal pressure 20 increases to about 10-3 Torr in the second time section 20b. Thus, the first and second high-vacuum pumps 10a and 10b are operated together with the first low-vacuum pump 10e during the second time section 20b.
Accordingly, to solve one or more of the problems described above, it is an object of the present invention to provide a low pressure chemical vapor deposition apparatus for fabricating a semiconductor device which can maximize the efficiency of a plurality of reaction chambers and pumps connected thereto and simultaneously reduce the amount and size of the pumping apparatus for increased ease of maintenance.
FIG. 3 shows an LPCVD apparatus for fabricating a semiconductor device according to a first apparatus embodiment of the present invention. This embodiment has three reaction chambers, namely, a first reaction chamber 40, second reaction chamber 42, and third reaction chamber 44 that are connected to a wafer transfer chamber 38. A first load lock chamber 48 and second load lock chamber 50 are also connected to the transfer chamber 38. In general, a plurality of high-vacuum pumps are connected in parallel to each of the first through third reaction chambers 40, 42 and 44. In the embodiment of FIG. 3, a pair of high-vacuum pumps are connected in parallel to each reaction chamber. The first and second high-vacuum pumps 40a and 40b are connected in parallel to the first reaction chamber 40, the third and fourth high-vacuum pumps 42a and 42b are connected in parallel to the second reaction chamber 42, and the fifth and sixth high-vacuum pumps 44a and 44b are connected in parallel to the third reaction chamber 44. The first through sixth high-vacuum pumps 40a, 40b, 42a, 42b, 44a and 44b are either ion pumps or turbo pumps.
Next, three embodiments of methods of using the LPCVD apparatus of FIG. 3 for fabricating a semiconductor device are described. The first method embodiment is illustrated in FIG. 4, the second method embodiment is illustrated in FIG. 5, and the third method embodiment is illustrated in FIG. 6. To better illustrate the three methods, they will be described with respect to a process for forming thin films on wafers, and in particular to a process for forming a thin film comprising a hemispherical grain (HSG) in which silane (SiH4) or disilane (Si2 H6) is used as the reaction gas.
In the first time section T1 ("Temp Inc") of first time chart 52, the internal pressure of the first reaction chamber is maintained at a high-vacuum state. For example, to form a thin film on a wafer, the wafer is heated to a predetermined temperature and then thermally stabilized during this time section while the internal pressure is maintained at a pressure of 10-7 Torr or below. Such a low pressure nearly eliminates the impurities that can settle on a wafer when forming a subsequent thin film. After the first time section T1, a reaction gas is supplied to the first reaction chamber 40 during a second time section T2 ("Gas Flow") of the first time chart 52. While the reaction gas is injected into the first reaction chamber 40, the internal pressure of the first reaction chamber 40 is raised, for example, to about 10-3 Torr for forming an HSG thin film. The third time section T3 ("Anneal") begins when the reaction gas is turned off. During the third time section T3 the gas is evacuated to bring the first reaction chamber back to a high vacuum state as shown by the first time chart 52. For example, after forming the thin film, the remaining gas within the first reaction chamber 40 is removed to prepare for the next process, and an annealing process is also performed to stabilize the thin film formed on the wafer, all during the third time section T3 of the first time chart 52. The processes occurring during the first through third time sections T1 through T3 are then repeated in the first reaction chamber 40.
The operation of the first gate valve 40c during the first through third time sections T1 through T3 of time chart 52 is shown in the fourth time chart 58. The first gate valve 40c is closed during time section T1 when the gas is not being injected as shown on time chart 58. The first gate valve 40c opens just before the reaction gas is injected into the first reaction chamber 40. For instance, during a thin film formation process the first gate valve 40c opens about 10 seconds before the reaction gas is injected into the first reaction chamber 40. That is, the first gate valve 40c opens on the fourth time chart 58 about the same time that the first time section T1 ends on the first time chart 52. The first gate valve 40c on the fourth time chart 58 stays open during the second time section T2 on the first time chart 52 when the reaction gas is injected into the first reaction chamber 40. For example, the second time section T2 is about 60 seconds for thin film formation. The first gate valve 40c remains open on the fourth time chart 58 for a predetermined period of time after the beginning of the third time section T3 on the first time chart 52. In the third time section T3 on the first time chart 52, the remaining gas in the first reaction chamber 40 is evacuated, and the thin film formed on the wafer is stabilized. In the example of the thin film formation, the third time section T3 is about 60 seconds. During this interval, the internal pressure of the first reaction chamber returns to the same pressure of about 10-7 Torr as the initial pressure during time section T1.
In the second time section T2 of the first time chart 52, a reaction gas is injected into the first reaction chamber 40 thereby increasing the internal pressure of the reaction chamber, for example to about 10-1 to 10-4 Torr. Since the reaction gas is continually injected into the first reaction chamber during the second time section T2, a heavy load is applied to the first and second high-vacuum pumps 40a and 40b. Because the first gate valve 40c has already opened, 10 seconds earlier than T2 in the example, the low-vacuum pump 46 is already operating when the second time section T2 begins on the first time chart 52. Thus the low-vacuum pump 46 operates together with the first and second high-vacuum pumps 40a and 40b throughout time section T2 on the first time chart 52.
When the pressure of the reaction chambers are to be maintained at the low vacuum state (for example at about 10-2 to 10-4 Torr) during the time sections marked T2 on the first, second and third time charts 52, 54 and 56, respectively, the high-vacuum pumps 40a, 40b, 42a, 42b, 44a, and 44b are not necessary. Even if only the low-vacuum pump 46 is used, the exemplary thin film forming process can be accurately performed. In a particular example, when the reaction gas is injected into a reaction chamber in a relatively small amount of about 30 sccm (Standard Cubic centimeters) the low-vacuum pump 46 can be used without increasing the capacity thereof because the low-vacuum pump 46 is only operating on one reaction chamber at a time.
The remainder of the third method embodiment is described with reference to FIG. 3. As in the first and second embodiments, the first through sixth high-vacuum pumps 40a, 40b, 42a, 42b, 44a and 44b continuously operate while operating the LPCVD, such as while performing a thin film forming process. For example, the first through sixth high-vacuum pumps 40a, 40b, 42a, 42b, 44a and 44b are used to maintain the pressure of the first through third reaction chambers 40, 42 and 44 at a low pressure of about 10-4 Torr to 10-10 Torr. A turbo or ion pump is used as the first through sixth high-vacuum pumps 40a, 40b, 42a, 42b, 44a and 44b.
Since there is only one low-vacuum pump 46, the pumping capacity thereof should be increased. Thus, a low-vacuum pump capable of simultaneously evacuating the reaction gas injected into all three reaction chambers must be installed and used. For example, the low-vacuum pump 46 is used to maintain the pressure of the first through third reaction chambers 40, 42 and 44 at less than 10-4 Torr. Alternatively, additional low-vacuum pumps could be added and still retain a number of low-vacuum pumps less than the number of reaction chambers. A dry pump is suitable for the low-vacuum pump 46.
For any of the method embodiments, the LPCVD can comprise the HSG nuclei formation process using disilane (Si2 H6) as a reaction gas, or any other thin film formation process that may be used to fabricate a semiconductor device.
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