Apparatus and methods for isolating chemical vapor reactions at a substrate surface

Abstract

An apparatus and method for processing a substrate is provided. The apparatus comprises a reaction chamber, a substrate holder within the chamber, and first and second injector components. The reaction chamber has an upstream end and a downstream end, between which the substrate holder is positioned. The substrate holder is configured to support a substrate so that the substrate is within a plane extending generally toward the upstream and downstream ends. The first injector component is at the upstream end of the chamber and is configured to inject a first thin gas curtain toward a substrate supported by the substrate holder. The first injector component is configured to inject the first curtain generally along a first plane that is parallel to a first side of the substrate. The second injector component is configured to inject a second thin gas curtain toward the first side of the substrate. The second injector component is configured to inject the second gas curtain generally along a second plane oriented at an angle with respect to the first plane. The angled flows of source gases have reduced interdiffusion volume above the substrate, preferably resulting in deposition substantially along a line extending across the center of the substrate. The substrate can be rotated during deposition to produce a substantially uniform film on the substrate.

1 . A method of processing a substrate, comprising:
 providing a substrate;   injecting a first reactant gas toward the substrate, as a gas curtain flowing generally along a first plane that is parallel to a first side of the substrate; and   injecting a second reactant gas toward the first side of the substrate, as a gas curtain flowing generally along a second plane that is oriented at an angle with respect to the first plane;   wherein the first and second reactant gases are configured to chemically react with one another to deposit a layer of material onto the first side of the substrate.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising rotating the substrate about a central axis that is substantially perpendicular to the first plane. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the substrate is circular and the second plane intersects a center of the substrate. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising, during said injecting steps:
 supporting the substrate on a substrate holder along with one or more additional substrates; and   rotating the substrate holder about an axis that is substantially perpendicular to the first plane.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the substrate is circular and the second plane intersects the substrate at a position between a center of the substrate and a position at which the first reactant gas is injected toward the first side of the substrate. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the second plane intersects the substrate along a line of intersection that is substantially perpendicular to the first reactant gas flow. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the second plane is substantially perpendicular to the first plane. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the line of intersection intersects a radial line of the substrate, the radial line being substantially parallel to the first reactant gas curtain flow, the line of intersection intersecting the radial line at a position whose displacement from the substrate center is within half a radius of the substrate and one-tenth of the radius of the substrate. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the first and second planes are positioned so that the first reactant gas flow displaces the second reactant gas flow toward the substrate center and so that the two gas flows react to deposit a line of material on the first side of the substrate substantially across the substrate center. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein injecting the first reactant gas comprises injecting gas from a first gas-injection slit, and wherein injecting the second reactant gas comprises injecting gas from a second gas-injection slit. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein injecting a reactant gas comprises injecting gas from a plurality of aligned gas-injection openings. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein injecting the second reactant gas comprises injecting the gas at a position within 5 cm from the first side of the substrate. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein injecting the first reactant gas comprises injecting an excited species. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein injecting the second reactant gas comprises injecting an excited species. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein injecting an excited species comprises injecting the excited species at a distance from the first side of the substrate such that excited species elements that flow away from the second plane tend to collide and recombine in a neutral gas. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the excited species comprises radicals. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the substrate is oriented in a substantially horizontal plane, and the first and second planes intersect along a line that is substantially vertically aligned with a center of the substrate. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the second plane is oriented at an angle of within 30°-90° of the first plane. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the second plane is oriented at an angle of within 85°-90° of the first plane. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 providing a reaction chamber defined by quartz walls, the chamber having an upstream end and a downstream end; and   positioning the substrate within the reaction chamber;   wherein injecting the first reactant gas comprises injecting gas into the reaction chamber from a first injector component positioned at the upstream end of the reaction chamber, and wherein injecting the second reactant gas comprises injecting gas from a second injector component formed of quartz, the second injector component being fused with the quartz walls.   
     
     
         21 . A method of processing a substrate, comprising:
 providing a substrate within a single-substrate processing chamber;   injecting a first reactant gas into the chamber in a first direction extending toward the substrate, the first direction being generally parallel to a first side of the substrate; and   injecting, during said injecting of the first reactant gas, a second reactant gas into the chamber in a second direction extending toward the first side of the substrate, the second direction being oriented at an angle with respect to the first direction, the first and second gases being simultaneously present within the chamber;   wherein the first and second reactant gases are configured to chemically react with one another to deposit a layer of material onto the first side of the substrate.   
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the angle is within 30°-90°. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein the angle is within 85°-90°. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 21 , further comprising causing the first and second reactant gases to intersect and mix together generally along and substantially throughout a line. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein the line intersects a center of the substrate.