Chemical vapor deposition apparatuses

Abstract

A chemical vapor deposition apparatus includes a deposition chamber defined at least in part by chamber walls, a substrate holder inside the chamber, and at least one process chemical inlet to the chamber. At least one purge inlet to the chamber is positioned elevationally above the substrate holder and outside a lateral periphery of the substrate holder. The purge inlet is configured to inject at least one purge material into the chamber and past the substrate holder. The purge inlet can be positioned and configured to inject an annular purge material curtain concentric to the substrate holder. A chemical vapor deposition method includes injecting at least one purge material into a deposition chamber and forming a purge curtain from the injected purge material. The purge curtain can extend downward from elevationally above a substrate holder and outside a lateral periphery of the substrate holder. The purge curtain can flow past the substrate holder.

1 . A chemical vapor deposition apparatus comprising: 
 a deposition chamber defined at least in part by chamber walls;    a substrate holder inside the chamber;    at least one process chemical inlet to the chamber positioned over the substrate holder;    at least one purge inlet to the chamber positioned elevationally above the substrate holder and outside a lateral periphery of the substrate holder and configured to inject at least one purge material into the chamber and past the substrate holder.    
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein, at a point of entry from the purge inlet into the chamber, the purge inlet is comprised by at least one of the chamber walls.  
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 2  wherein, at a point of entry from the purge inlet into the chamber, the purge inlet is comprised at least in part by one of the chamber walls comprising a lid.  
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the at least one purge inlet is positioned and configured to inject a purge material curtain concentric to the substrate holder.  
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 4  wherein the at least one purge inlet comprises a plurality of inlets.  
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the process chemical inlet is positioned elevationally above the substrate holder and inside a lateral periphery of the substrate holder and is configured to inject at least one process chemical into the chamber and to a substrate received by the holder.  
     
     
         7 . A chemical vapor deposition apparatus comprising: 
 a deposition chamber defined at least in part by chamber walls, one of the chamber walls comprising a lid having an outer surface outside the chamber and an inner surface inside the chamber;    a substrate holder inside the chamber;    at least one process chemical inlet to the chamber positioned over the substrate holder; and    at least one purge passageway through the lid from the outer surface to the inner surface, the at least one purge passageway being separate from the at least one process chemical inlet and being configured to inject at least one purge material into the chamber and along at least a portion of the chamber walls.    
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 7  wherein the process chemical inlet is configured to inject at least one process chemical into the chamber and to a substrate received by the holder.  
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 7  wherein the substrate holder comprises a configuration arranged to receive only a single bulk semiconductor wafer.  
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 7  wherein the chamber, substrate holder, and purge passageway have relative positions and geometries configured to direct less than a substantial amount of purge material to a substrate received by the holder.  
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 7  wherein the at least one purge passageway comprises a high pressure purge passageway and a separate low pressure purge passageway.  
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 7  further comprising a flow director inside the chamber laterally between the at least one purge passageway and the at least one process chemical inlet.  
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 12  wherein the flow director comprises a wall concentric to the substrate holder.  
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 7  wherein the at least a portion of the chamber walls partially defines a dead space as to material delivered from the process chemical inlet.  
     
     
         15 . The apparatus of  claim 7  wherein the lid is removable.  
     
     
         16 . The apparatus of  claim 7  wherein the purge passageway comprises at least one entry port through the outer surface into an enclosed channel laterally around the process chemical inlet and at least one exit port from the enclosed channel through the inner surface.  
     
     
         17 . The apparatus of  claim 16  wherein at least part of the enclosed channel is annular.  
     
     
         18 . The apparatus of  claim 16  wherein the exit port comprises a plurality of about equally spaced exit ports forming a ring of exit ports around the substrate holder.  
     
     
         19 . The apparatus of  claim 16  wherein an intersection of the lid and a second of the chamber walls forms an interior corner of the chamber and a plurality of exit ports are spaced apart from the corner.  
     
     
         20 . The apparatus of  claim 16  wherein an intersection of the lid and a second of the chamber walls forms an interior corner of the chamber and the at least one exit port is positioned at the corner and defined in part by the second wall.  
     
     
         21 . The apparatus of  claim 20  wherein the enclosed channel comprises an annular channel having a plurality of enclosed radial channel extensions from the annular channel to one annular exit port.  
     
     
         22 - 39  (Cancelled).