Methods for depositing material onto microfeature workpieces in reaction chambers and systems for depositing materials onto microfeature workpieces

Abstract

Methods for depositing material onto microfeature workpieces in reaction chambers and systems for depositing materials onto microfeature workpieces are disclosed herein. In one embodiment, a method includes depositing molecules of a gas onto a microfeature workpiece in the reaction chamber and selectively irradiating a first portion of the molecules on the microfeature workpiece in the reaction chamber with a selected radiation without irradiating a second portion of the molecules on the workpiece with the selected radiation. The first portion of the molecules can be irradiated to activate the portion of the molecules or desorb the portion of the molecules from the workpiece. The first portion of the molecules can be selectively irradiated by impinging the first portion of the molecules with a laser beam or other energy source.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A method of depositing material onto a microfeature workpiece in a reaction chamber, the method comprising:
 depositing molecules of a gas onto the microfeature workpiece in the reaction chamber; and   irradiating a selected portion of the molecules on the microfeature workpiece in the reaction chamber to activate the selected portion of the molecules.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein irradiating the selected portion of the molecules comprises directing a laser beam toward the selected portion of the molecules without directing the laser beam toward a nonselected portion of the molecules on the microfeature workpiece. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1  wherein irradiating the selected portion of the molecules comprises activating the selected portion of the molecules on the microfeature workpiece without activating a nonselected portion of the molecules on the workpiece. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the molecules of the gas comprise a plurality of first molecules of a first gas, wherein the first molecules comprise the selected portion and a nonselected portion, and wherein the method further comprises depositing second molecules of a second gas onto the selected portion of the first molecules after irradiating the selected portion of the first molecules. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the molecules of the gas comprise a plurality of first molecules of a first gas, wherein the first molecules comprise the selected portion and a nonselected portion, and wherein the method further comprises:
 removing the nonselected portion of the first molecules from the microfeature workpiece; and 
 depositing second molecules of a second gas onto the selected portion of the first molecules after irradiating the selected portion of the first molecules. 
 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1  wherein irradiating the selected portion of the molecules comprises impinging the selected portion of the molecules with a laser beam. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the gas comprises a first precursor and a second precursor different than the first precursor, and wherein the method further comprises:
 flowing the first precursor into the reaction chamber; 
 flowing the second precursor into the reaction chamber; and 
 mixing the first and second precursors before depositing the molecules of the gas onto the microfeature workpiece. 
 
     
     
         8 . A method of depositing material onto a microfeature workpiece in a reaction chamber, the method comprising:
 depositing first molecules of a first gas onto the microfeature workpiece in the reaction chamber;   directing a laser beam toward a selected portion of the first molecules on the microfeature workpiece in the reaction chamber to activate the selected portion of the first molecules to react with second molecules of a second gas; and   depositing the second molecules of the second gas onto the selected portion of the first molecules.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8  wherein directing the laser beam toward the selected portion of the first molecules comprises activating the selected portion of the first molecules without activating a nonselected portion of the first molecules on the microfeature workpiece. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 8  wherein the first gas comprises a first precursor and a second precursor different than the first precursor, and wherein the method further comprises:
 flowing the first precursor into the reaction chamber; 
 flowing the second precursor into the reaction chamber; and 
 mixing the first and second precursors before depositing the first molecules of the first gas onto the microfeature workpiece. 
 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 8 , further comprising purging excess first gas from the reaction chamber before depositing molecules of the second gas. 
     
     
         12 . A system for depositing materials onto a surface of a microfeature workpiece, the system comprising:
 a gas supply assembly having a first gas source and a second gas source;   a gas phase reaction chamber for carrying the microfeature workpiece;   a gas distributor carried by the reaction chamber and coupled to the gas supply assembly;   an energy source positioned to selectively irradiate portions of the microfeature workpiece; and   a controller operably coupled to the energy source and the gas supply assembly, the controller having a computer-readable medium containing instructions to perform a method comprising—
 depositing first molecules of a first gas onto the microfeature workpiece; 
 irradiating a first portion of the first molecules on the microfeature workpiece without irradiating a second portion of the first molecules on the workpiece; and 
 depositing second molecules of a second gas onto at least one of the first and second portions of the first molecules on the microfeature workpiece. 
   
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 12  wherein the energy source comprises a laser configured for producing a laser beam to selectively irradiate the first portion of the first molecules on the microfeature workpiece. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 13 , further comprising a positioning device coupled to the laser for moving the laser to direct the laser beam toward the selected first and second portions of the molecules on the microfeature workpiece. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 12  wherein the energy source comprises a laser configured for producing a laser beam along a path, and wherein the system further comprises a reflector positioned in the path of the laser beam to reflect the laser beam toward the microfeature workpiece.