Thermal Chemical Vapor Deposition Methods, and Thermal Chemical Vapor Deposition Systems

Abstract

One embodiment thermal chemical vapor deposition method includes exposing a substrate within a chamber to first and second deposition precursors effective to thermally chemical vapor deposit a material on the substrate, and exhausting unreacted first and second deposition precursors from the chamber through a vacuum pump via a first exhaust line comprising a filter. A reactive gas is flowed to the material on the substrate, with the reactive gas being reactive with the material. After flowing the reactive gas, an inert purge gas is flowed through the chamber and through the vacuum pump. The flowing of the inert purge gas to the vacuum pump is through a second exhaust line not comprising the filter. The exposing, the flowing of the reactive gas, and the flowing of the inert purge gas are repeated effective to deposit material of desired thickness on the substrate.

1 . A thermal chemical vapor deposition method, comprising:
 exposing a substrate within a chamber to first and second deposition precursors effective to thermally chemical vapor deposit a material on the substrate, and exhausting unreacted first and second deposition precursors from the chamber through a vacuum pump via a first exhaust line comprising a filter;   flowing a reactive gas to the material on the substrate, the reactive gas being reactive with the material;   after flowing the reactive gas, flowing an inert purge gas through the chamber and through the vacuum pump, the flowing of the inert purge gas to the vacuum pump being through a second exhaust line not comprising the filter; and   repeating thermal chemical vapor depositing material, exhausting of unreacted first and second deposition precursors, flowing of the reactive gas, and flowing of the inert purge gas effective to deposit material of desired thickness on the substrate.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the reactive gas comprises one of the first and second deposition precursors. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the reactive gas does not comprise either of the first or second deposition precursors. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the exposing forms the material to comprise TiN. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4  wherein one of the first and second deposition precursors comprises NH 3 , and the reactive gas comprises NH 3 . 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 4  wherein one of the first and second deposition precursors comprises NH 3 , and the reactive gas comprises H 2 . 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the first exhaust line comprises multiple filters through which the exhausting occurs. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the flowing of the reactive gas is through the first exhaust line and to the vacuum pump. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the flowing of the reactive gas is through the second exhaust line and to the vacuum pump. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1  comprising flowing an inert purge gas to the material on the substrate intermediate the exposing and the flowing of the reactive gas. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the second exhaust line comprises no filters through which the inert purge gas flows to the vacuum pump. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1  wherein individual of the inert gas flowings are less than 5 seconds in duration. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the second exhaust line comprises another pump through which the inert purge gas flows prior to flowing through the vacuum pump. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13  wherein individual of the inert gas flowings are no greater than  3  seconds in duration. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 13  wherein the second exhaust line comprises no filters through which the inert purge gas flows to the vacuum pump. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 13  wherein the another pump is operated at equal pumping capacity to that of the vacuum pump during flow of the inert purge gas through the another pump. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 13  wherein the another pump is operated at greater pumping capacity than that of the vacuum pump during flow of the inert purge gas through the another pump. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the inert purge gas is precluded from flowing through the filter during at least most of the flowing of the inert purge gas. 
     
     
         19 . A thermal chemical vapor deposition method, comprising:
 exposing a substrate within a chamber to first and second deposition precursors effective to thermally chemical vapor deposit a material on the substrate, and exhausting unreacted first and second deposition precursors from the chamber through a vacuum pump via a first exhaust line comprising two filters in series;   first flowing an inert purge gas through the chamber and through the vacuum pump via the first exhaust line;   after the first flowing, flowing one of the first and second deposition precursors to the material on the substrate and through the vacuum pump, the one of the first and second deposition precursors being reactive with the material;   after flowing the reactive gas, second flowing an inert purge gas through the chamber and through the vacuum pump, the flowing of the inert purge gas to the vacuum pump being through a second exhaust line, the second exhaust line not comprising any filter and comprising another pump through which gas flows to the vacuum pump during the second flowing; and   repeating thermal chemical vapor depositing material, exhausting of unreacted first and second deposition precursors, the first flowing, the flowing of the one of the first and second deposition precursors, and the second flowing effective to deposit material of desired thickness on the substrate.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19  wherein the flowing of the one of the first and second deposition precursors is through the first exhaust line and to the vacuum pump. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 19  wherein the flowing of the one of the first and second deposition precursors is through the second exhaust line and to the vacuum pump. 
     
     
         22 . A thermal chemical vapor deposition method, comprising:
 exposing a substrate within a chamber to first and second deposition precursors effective to thermally chemical vapor deposit a material on the substrate, and exhausting unreacted first and second deposition precursors from the chamber through a vacuum pump via a first exhaust line;   flowing a reactive gas to the material on the substrate, the reactive gas being reactive with the material;   after flowing the reactive gas, flowing an inert purge gas through the chamber and through the vacuum pump, the flowing of the inert purge gas to the vacuum pump being through a second exhaust line comprising another pump through which the inert purge gas flows prior to flowing to the vacuum pump; and   repeating thermal chemical vapor depositing material, exhausting unreacted first and second deposition precursors, flowing of the reactive gas, and flowing of the inert purge gas effective to deposit material of desired thickness on the substrate.   
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 22  wherein the reactive gas comprises one of the first and second deposition precursors. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 22  wherein the reactive gas does not comprise either of the first or second deposition precursors. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 22  wherein the flowing of the reactive gas is through the first exhaust line and to the vacuum pump. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 22  wherein the flowing of the reactive gas is through the second exhaust line and to the vacuum pump. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 22  wherein individual of the inert gas flowings are no greater than 3 seconds in duration. 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 22  wherein the second exhaust line comprises no filters through which the inert purge gas flows to the vacuum pump. 
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 22  comprising operating the another pump at equal pumping capacity to that of the vacuum pump during the flowing of the inert purge gas through the another pump. 
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 22  comprising operating the another pump at a greater pumping capacity than that of the vacuum pump during the flowing of the inert purge gas through the another pump. 
     
     
         31 . A thermal chemical vapor deposition method of depositing titanium nitride on a substrate, comprising:
 exposing the substrate within a chamber to TiCl 4  and NH 3  effective to thermally chemical vapor deposit a TiN-comprising material on the substrate, and exhausting unreacted TiCl 4  and NH 3  from the chamber through a vacuum pump via a first exhaust line comprising two filters in series, the TiN-comprising material comprising chlorine;   first flowing an inert purge gas through the chamber and through the vacuum pump;   after the first flowing, flowing NH 3  to the TiN-comprising material on the substrate and through the vacuum pump, the NH 3  flowing removing chlorine from the TiN-comprising material;   after the NH 3  flowing, second flowing an inert purge gas through the chamber and through the vacuum pump, the second flowing of the inert purge gas to the vacuum pump being through a second exhaust line not comprising either of the two filters; and   repeating thermal chemical vapor depositing TiN-comprising material, the exhausting, the first flowing, the NH 3  flowing, and the second flowing effective to deposit TiN-comprising material of desired thickness on the substrate.   
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 31  wherein the first flowing is through the first exhaust line. 
     
     
         33 . The method of claim.  31  wherein the NH 3  flowing is through the first exhaust line. 
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 31  wherein the first flowing is through the first exhaust line, and the NH 3  flowing is through the first exhaust line. 
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 31  wherein the NH 3  flowing is through the second exhaust line. 
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 31  wherein individual of the second flowings are less than 5 seconds in duration. 
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 31  wherein the second exhaust line comprises another pump through which the second flowing occurs prior to flowing through the vacuum pump. 
     
     
         38 . The method of  claim 37  wherein the second exhaust line comprises no filters through which the inert purge gas flows to the vacuum pump. 
     
     
         39 . The method of  claim 38  wherein individual of the second flowings are no longer than 3 seconds. 
     
     
         40 . A thermal chemical vapor deposition method of depositing titanium nitride on a substrate, comprising:
 exposing the substrate within a chamber to TiCl 4  and NH 3  effective to thermally chemical vapor deposit a TiN-comprising material on the substrate, and exhausting unreacted TiCl 4  and NH 3  from the chamber through a vacuum pump via a first exhaust line comprising two filters in series, the TiN-comprising material comprising chlorine;   first flowing an inert purge gas through the chamber and through the vacuum pump;   after the first flowing, flowing H 2  to the TiN-comprising material on the substrate and through the vacuum pump, the H 2  flowing removing chlorine from the TiN-comprising material;   after the H 2  flowing, second flowing an inert purge gas through the chamber and through the vacuum pump, the second flowing of the inert purge gas to the vacuum pump being through a second exhaust line not comprising either of the two filters; and   repeating thermal chemical vapor depositing TiN-comprising material, the exhausting, the first flowing, the H 2  flowing, and the second flowing effective to deposit TiN-comprising material of desired thickness on the substrate.   
     
     
         41 . The method of  claim 40  wherein the flowing H 2  also comprises flowing N 2  to the chamber with the H 2 . 
     
     
         42 . A thermal chemical vapor deposition system, comprising:
 a deposition chamber within which a substrate to be deposited upon is to be received;   first and second fluid parallel exhaust lines in fluid communication with the chamber downstream thereof, the first and second exhaust lines being in downstream fluid parallel communication with a vacuum pump;   the first exhaust line comprising a filter and an isolation valve upstream of the filter; and   the second exhaust line comprising an isolation valve and being devoid of any filters.   
     
     
         43 . The system of  claim 42  comprising at least one foreline extending from the chamber, the first and second exhaust lines being in fluid connection with a single of the at least one foreline. 
     
     
         44 . The system of  claim 42  comprising a single vacuum pump feed line to which each of the first and second exhaust lines connect. 
     
     
         45 . The system of  claim 42  wherein the first exhaust line comprises multiple filters, the isolation valve in the first exhaust line being upstream of all filters in the first exhaust line. 
     
     
         46 . The system of  claim 42  wherein the second exhaust line comprises another pump downstream of the second exhaust line isolation valve and upstream of the vacuum pump. 
     
     
         47 . The system of  claim 42  wherein the another pump is of equal pumping capacity than that of the vacuum pump. 
     
     
         48 . The system of  claim 42  wherein the another pump is of greater pumping capacity than that of the vacuum pump. 
     
     
         49 . A thermal chemical vapor deposition system, comprising:
 a deposition chamber within which a substrate to be deposited upon is to be received;   first and second fluid parallel exhaust lines in fluid communication with the chamber downstream thereof, the first and second exhaust lines being in downstream fluid parallel communication with a vacuum pump;   the first exhaust line comprising an isolation valve; and   the second exhaust line comprising an isolation valve and another pump downstream of the second exhaust line isolation valve and upstream of the vacuum pump.   
     
     
         50 . The system of  claim 49  comprising at least one foreline extending from the chamber, the first and second exhaust lines being in fluid connection with a single of the at least one foreline. 
     
     
         51 . The system of  claim 49  comprising a single vacuum pump feed line to which each of the first and second exhaust lines connect. 
     
     
         52 . The system of  claim 49  wherein the another pump is of equal pumping capacity than that of the vacuum pump. 
     
     
         53 . The system of  claim 49  wherein the another pump is of greater pumping capacity than that of the vacuum pump. 
     
     
         54 . A thermal chemical vapor deposition system, comprising:
 a deposition chamber within which a substrate to be deposited upon is to be received;   first and second fluid parallel exhaust lines in fluid communication with the chamber downstream thereof, the first and second exhaust lines being in downstream fluid parallel communication with a vacuum pump;   the first exhaust line comprising multiple filters and an isolation valve upstream of all filters in the first exhaust line; and   the second exhaust line comprising an isolation valve and another pump downstream of the second exhaust line isolation valve and upstream of the vacuum pump, the second exhaust line being devoid of any filters.   
     
     
         55 . A thermal chemical vapor deposition system, comprising:
 a deposition chamber within which a substrate to be deposited upon is to be received;   a foreline extending from the chamber;   first and second fluid parallel exhaust lines in fluid communication with the foreline;   a vacuum pump downstream of the foreline, the vacuum pump comprising a single vacuum pump feed line;   the first and second exhaust lines being in downstream fluid parallel communication with the vacuum pump feed line;   the first exhaust line comprising multiple filters and an isolation valve upstream of all filters in the first exhaust line; and   the second exhaust line comprising an isolation valve and another pump downstream of the second exhaust line isolation valve and upstream of the vacuum pump, the second exhaust line being devoid of any filters.