Massively parallel atomic layer deposition/chemical vapor deposition system

Abstract

A method and apparatus for the use of individual vertically stacked ALD or CVD reactors. Individual reactors are independently operable and maintainable. The gas inlet and output are vertically configured with respect to the reactor chamber for generally axi-symmetric process control. The chamber design is modular in which cover and base plates forming the reactor have improved flow design.

1 . A method to perform atomic layer deposition or chemical vapor deposition comprising: 
 placing a plurality of substrates separately into processing chambers of a plurality of vertically stacked deposition reactors having a low vertical profile relative to length and width dimensions, but in which the reactors have separate internal gas inlet at a top of the processing chamber and separate internal exhaust at a bottom of the processing chamber to provide, a generally axi-symmetric vertical gas flow across the substrates when the substrates are placed in the processing chambers of individual reactors; and    introducing a processing gas through horizontally disposed passages to the internal gas inlet and exhausting through horizontally disposed passages from the internal exhaust, the horizontal passages being integrated within the reactor, to deposit a film layer on the substrates.    
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising loading the substrates into the processing chambers by retrieving the substrates from a load lock unit, but in which the substrates are already placed at corresponding vertical position as the reactors so that further vertical translation to load the substrates into the reactors is not needed.  
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising sourcing in a processing gas at different time intervals for the stacked reactors to stagger processing phases for the substrates to be processed in the stacked reactors.