Vapor based combinatorial processing

Abstract

A combinatorial processing chamber and method are provided. In the method a fluid volume flows over a surface of a substrate with differing portions of the fluid volume having different constituent components to concurrently expose segregated regions of the substrate to a mixture of the constituent components that differ from constituent components to which adjacent regions are exposed. Differently processed segregated regions are generated through the multiple flowings.

1 . A device for distributing fluids in a semiconductor processing chamber, the device comprising:
 a baffle plate having first and second opposed sides with a plurality of throughways extending between the first and the second opposed sides; and   a faceplate coupled to the baffle plate, the faceplate segmented into sectors of injection ports extending therethrough, the segmented sectors defined through a fluid separation mechanism extending radially outwardly from an axis of the faceplate, the fluid separation mechanism facilitating sector separation of fluids propagating through the injection ports, wherein the baffle plate and the faceplate define a plenum when coupled together.   
   
   
       2 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein a number of the sectors corresponds to a number of the throughways. 
   
   
       3 . The device as recited in  claim 1  wherein the fluid separation mechanism includes a body extending from a surface of the faceplate, the body configured to maintain separation of fluids propagating through adjacent sectors. 
   
   
       4 . The device as recited in  claim 3  wherein the body extends one of away from both the surface of the faceplate and a surface of the baffle plate or away from the surface of the faceplate and toward a surface of the baffle plate. 
   
   
       5 . The device as recited in  claim 1  wherein the injection ports include first and second fluid passages, with the second fluid passage being disposed within the first fluid passage. 
   
   
       6 . The device as recited in  claim 1  wherein the fluid separation mechanism is a set of injection ports disposed between adjacent sectors. 
   
   
       7 . The device as recited in  claim 6  wherein the injection ports include first and second fluid passages, with the first fluid passage having a longitudinal axis and second fluid passage being disposed within the first fluid passage and extending along the longitudinal axis. 
   
   
       8 . The device as recited in  claim 6 , wherein a distribution density of the set of injection ports disposed between adjacent sectors is different than a distribution density of the injection ports of the sectors. 
   
   
       9 . The device as recited in  claim 6 , wherein a diameter of the injection ports disposed between adjacent sectors is different than a diameter of the injection ports of the sectors. 
   
   
       10 . A showerhead for distributing fluids with a processing chamber, comprising:
 means for independently receiving a plurality of fluid flows; and   means for distributing the received plurality of fluid flows through segmented sectors, the means for distributing coupled to the means for independently receiving the plurality of fluid flows, the means for distributing including means for maintaining separation of the plurality of fluid flows propagating through the means for distributing the received plurality of fluid flows according to the segmented sectors.   
   
   
       11 . The showerhead of  claim 10 , wherein a number of the segmented sectors corresponds to a number of the plurality of fluid flows. 
   
   
       12 . The showerhead of  claim 10 , wherein coupling of the means for independently receiving and the means for distributing define a plenum. 
   
   
       13 . The showerhead of  claim 10 , wherein the means for maintaining separation is selected from a group consisting of extending from a surface of the means for distributing, extending away from a surface of the means for distributing and away from a surface of the means for independently receiving, and extending away from a surface of the means for distributing and towards a surface of the means for independently receiving. 
   
   
       14 . The showerhead of  claim 10 , wherein the means for maintaining separation includes means for propagating a fluid between segmented sectors. 
   
   
       15 . The showerhead of  claim 10 , wherein the means for distributing includes a first means for fluid passage defined within a second means for fluid passage and wherein the first means and the second means share a longitudinal axis. 
   
   
       16 . The showerhead of  claim 10 , wherein the showerhead is incorporated into a combinatorial processing system configured to deposit material onto isolated regions of a substrate, the isolated regions corresponding to the segmented sectors. 
   
   
       17 . A method of processing a substrate, comprising:
 flowing segregated portions of a fluid volume having different constituent components to concurrently expose corresponding segregated sectors of the substrate to a mixture of the constituent components that differ from constituent components to which an adjacent segregated sector is exposed; and   maintaining separation of the segregated portions through a separation fluid flowing between adjacent segregated sectors.   
   
   
       18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the separation fluid flows through injection ports having a first diameter and the segregated portions flow through injection ports having a second diameter. 
   
   
       19 . The method of  claim 17 , further comprising:
 depositing layers on the corresponding segregated sectors wherein at least two of the layers have different compositions.   
   
   
       20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein each of the different compositions of the at least two of the layers is substantially uniform over the corresponding segregated sectors.